Wedding exhibitions are a lively hotspot for vendors with an array of different talents, but many struggle to make the most of their potential. In these halls, soon to be married couples can taste, experience, or touch a little portion of what could later feature on their wedding day. That day will only come once in a lifetime for many, which is chiefly the reason why couples will pay a premium to get what they want. Despite this, you can attend many exhibitions and find some vendors sat behind a desk showing little interest or others who aggressively ram pamphlets into the pockets of anyone that walks past. There is a good reason why some do incredibly well at wedding exhibitions whilst others don’t, so we’ve got a rundown on how to set yourself up for success.
This planning all begins when you first settle on the idea to attend a wedding exhibition. The first step is to research around what is available, and with hundreds or even thousands of wedding exhibitions every year, there is a huge amount of choice. There are very few generic exhibitions and each has their own niche, so it is essential to find out where you can identify that you both share a similar target market. Some exhibitions appeal to the rich and extravagant, others feature unique quirks and even more focus on themed weddings. For example, you will probably want to avoid taking your pearl white dressmaking exhibition stand to a Harry Potter themed event.
Now you have identified a few locations where you know your company can be a hit, it’s time to start thinking about the design of your exhibition stand. You have complete creative freedom here, but there are a few tips you may want to follow. Firstly, choose a design which will appeal to your target audience, if this is for traditional weddings then a professional stand enhanced by roller banners and more is a great fit. Next, try to inject some personality into the display, make it stand out so when the brides walk into the hall, their eyes are immediately drawn to your stand. Finally, freebies are always a winner, but make the customer work for them, you don’t want to be giving away your product without seeing any results!
While exhibitions will naturally draw in a crowd, there is plenty that you can do to keep your stand busy on the day. For people that have enquired beforehand, this is a great opportunity to let them know that you will be displaying your services and it’s an excellent chance for them to really get a feel for what you provide. If you already have your social media channels established, then this is the perfect way to let people know that you will be attending. Also, be mindful of researching where the event will be advertising, as it is helpful to guarantee that there will be a healthy amount of traffic throughout the day.
With your research done and potential interested parties contacted then you just need to plan how you can make the most from the amount of people you will be speaking to. As mentioned in the intro, having promotional material such as leaflets on hand allows you to provide an example of your services for potential clients to take away. With so much to see, it can be easy for people to forget the name of your company, so providing them with a fresh reminder can help to boost your appointment book. As a side note, people generally hate having pamphlets thrust into their hands, so make sure that you are engaging with everyone interested in your stand and if they want to go away and consider it further, then this is the perfect chance to hand them your promotional material.
By completing this preparation, you are setting yourself up for having a great wedding exhibition. Just remember to smile and be approachable, which can go a long way to showing that you are the right person for that couple’s wedding. Even if traffic is slow, make the effort and show enthusiasm for the needs of every client as you never know who might be giving you a call back to help at their wedding.
