Getting the most from the trade show floor plan

Whether it's a show or a print ad, we all have a tendency to postpone our bookings until the last minute. Received wisdom tells us that, if we wait until the very last minute, the organiser will be up against a deadline and frantically trying to fill those final few spaces. He'll be desperate and we'll get a better deal, right?

Well, yes and no. Often the brinksmanship pays off: the organiser caves in and you get that stand for a fraction of the asking price. It's not that simple though, there's a trade-off here and it's one that should be considered carefully.

By delaying your booking and squeezing the price you run the risk of ending up with no choice as to the location of your stand. You'll find yourself in one of those final few spaces - the stands that no-one else wanted. Baby will be in the corner...

So, there's a choice to be made. You can leave it late to save some money and leave your location to chance or you can book up early, pay up and choose your spot. This begs the question - what's a good spot? Here are a few key things to consider:

The right hall?

It sounds simple but make sure you're in the right stand. Larger shows like MWC and CeBIT have themed halls so you do need to ensure you're in a relevant place. This may not be possible if you hold off booking until the last minute.

Near the competition?

It's your call. You do need to know where they are for reasons of competitive intelligence (more on that later) but make a judgement on how close to position yourself. Do you they have a much bigger budget than you? Do they have a new product to launch? Do you want to be near them? Weigh up the pros and cons.

Near a major player/ major attraction?

This is a serious consideration. Placing your stand right next door to a huge, three-story construction has its benefits - there will be plenty of traffic and the media will probably make a bee-line for it. You can be dwarfed though, lurking in the shadows of a multi-million dollar budget. Ask yourself the question - is there a cross-selling opportunity to exploit? Do you stand to benefit from the stragglers on the big stand?

Where is the footfall?

The prime spots are relatively easy to identify - corners, entrances, main thoroughfares and the like are all good spots to pick. Think a little more carefully though and you may turn up a nugget. Look at the exhibitor layout, are there any big names that would attract visitors, can you plot the likely routes to and from the main attractions? If you can, try to pick a spot on the route

ETS are experienced in planning and developing stands for our customers, to learn more about how we can maximise your attendance, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .