FRESH PRODUCE, WORLD - With trade show season evolving from a bookended period of time to a year-round extravaganza across the globe, it is never too early to plan ahead and reshape the way you prepare and execute your program. Whether you are an attendee or an exhibitor, there is always value to be gleaned from revamping your blueprint and fine-tuning your trade show muscles.

In a recent What’s On Karen’s Plate? blog post, titled "Prepping For An Upcoming Trade Show," industry veteran Karen Caplan brought a host of insights from her decades of experience in fresh produce. The timing could not be more perfect as we approach essential tradeshow opportunities, including Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Innovations and International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show.

Check out an excerpt from Karen’s post below and follow this link for the article in its entirety.

Every industry has trade shows. In fact, many industries have multiple trade shows in a year. Whether it’s an international, national, or regional trade show, and no matter how many times you’ve attended, I’m a firm believer that you should approach attending a trade show with plenty of planning.

Of course, if you are an exhibitor, you should have a checklist for your exhibit booth, or you may even hire an outside marketing firm to handle all the details.

But what if you are just “walking the show?” Do you have an objective? Are you a speaker? Have you thought about what you will wear and if it is aligned with your brand (personal or company brand)?

I know that Focus Precedes Success, so here are some of the best practices I have always used before attending a trade show.

As an exhibitor:

Assign a key person in your organization to handle all the details, fill out the forms, and be the go-to person to answer any and all questions about the show.

It may sound old-fashioned, but the best exhibitors have a 3-ring binder, where copies of all forms, checklists, shipping documents, contact phone numbers, and emails, etc., are handy when you get to the show.

Be strategic about who you bring to the trade show. For sure the CEO must be there if it’s an international or national show, as they are often the face of the company. But do you need to bring every single salesperson to a regional show? Think about the size of the booth and how crowded it will feel if you have too many staff.

Assign some of your staff to work inside the booth and assign others to walk the show and gather competitive information on your industry.

After you decide who is attending the show, start having “Pre-Show” meetings at least 3 months in advance to discuss the design of the booth, the objectives of attendance, which clients you want to meet with, develop a script for when someone asks you “what’s new” when they stop by your booth. Having group meetings in advance gets your team excited about the show and allows you plenty of time to review all details.

When you are deciding what all booth staff should wear, think from the perspective of the attendees who will be walking by your booth. Will “all black shirts” stand out against the background of your booth? Is your logo on your shirts legible for someone who doesn’t know your company? Will your staff have their own company magnetic name tags? Or do you want your staff to be wearing the industry issued badges, promoting other company names and logos that are printed on the lanyards?

Get the registration list at least 6 weeks in advance, and have your staff review and identify which of your clients and prospects will be in attendance. That way, they can start discussing meeting up with them, far in advance of the show, vs sending out a mass e-blast asking everyone to “stop by your booth”. The more personal the contact, the better the connection.

As an attendee:

Decide what your main objective is in attending. Is it just a habit that you attend a trade show, or are there specific people or companies you want to meet or talk to?

Get a copy of the attendee and exhibitor list in advance and identify the people you want to meet. Email them in advance to set up a time and place to meet...

That is not all.

Want to read the amazing insights Karen shared in the rest of her article? Please check out her blog post here!

Karen Caplan sold her company, Frieda’s Specialty Produce in 2023 and is now a CEO/Executive Coach. Interested in exceeding your company and personal goals and leading your team to new levels of performance? You can schedule an informational call with Karen at www.karencaplan.com.