How to start out exhibiting on a budget

Exhibiting can be an expensive business, but it doesn’t have to be. With dreams and aspirations of the biggest stands going, it can seem lightyears away using a small budget if you’re contemplating your very first event.

But a small budget shouldn’t put you off exhibiting. You can create an awe-worthy stand and go home swimming in leads without a luxurious price tag.

The trick is in the planning.

Pick your event

Not all events are created equal in the world of exhibiting. Local shows will be smaller and more intimate affairs, great for raising your profile on a local level. Larger exhibitions can often be found in bigger venues hosted in major cities with hundreds of exhibitor’s shoulder-to-shoulder.

The right choice for you and your business will depend on your overall strategy – if you want to grow your business on a local level then keeping closer to home will be more beneficial. Whereas if location doesn’t matter for your business then a more national event may be better suited. Bear in mind that the further you travel for the event, the more it will cost to get to, which will affect your bottom line.

Equally, larger shows may have more overheads increasing the cost of your stand space as compared to a local event.

Choose your space

Now that you’ve chosen the right event to go to where you think your target market will be, the next step will be to decide on your stand space. Each type of space will come with a separate cost. Such as stands nearer to prime locations costing more than those that are facing away from central areas.

As your first exhibition, you may decide that it’s worth spending a bit more on a better location to test the waters properly – but this decision will obviously need to be weighed up against your potential gain from the event.

Brand your space

As well as the cost of the stand space, you’ll also need to consider how you’re going to brand your space. Using express exhibition stands, you can attract attention to your space using banners, pop ups and graphics.

As well as thinking about your displays with the primary purpose of this event, think about other events where you could reuse the displays. That way, you can increase your ROI if you don’t have to buy new displays each time.

Keep it simple by using a logo at the top, a USP or strapline message and large imagery.