subject: How To Maintain Order Behind The Scenes At Your Trade Show Exhibit [print this page] The convention floor is a naturally chaotic place, and that chaos extends into every trade show booth at the event. Maintaining order is a difficult task, even before you consider the staff at the various displays. On top of that, many will have literature that must have spares stored in back, or even inventory that requires restocking. All of this chaos can have a serious impact on your success, but with some planning and preparation, you can minimize any problems.
Step 1: Streamline Your Storage
This step is possibly the most important one that you can take to help keep the area around your trade show exhibits calm and productive. If you act early on to control your storage and set up a clearly defined access route, you'll see big benefits later on. Depending on the exact venue, you may have some space behind your trade show booth for storage, or you may have a separate storage closet that is assigned to you. If at all possible, avoid storing anything out in the open where visitors might stumble upon it (or stumble over it!) You should tuck everything away in a place where only your employees can access it.
Before you take anything to the convention, you should specifically designate and mark boxes to hold each item. If you have only literature, you should separate each type of literature into a different box and mark each box. Ensure that the markings can be seen from any side, as the boxes themselves may get shuffled and moved during the actual event. Once you've organized the space, show your staff how it will work. Make sure they know to keep individual contents separated.
Step 2: Keep A Detailed Schedule
Ensuring that your staff is organized is the next challenge. Particularly if you have traveled for this convention, it can be difficult to keep everyone on the same schedule. To ensure that there is no confusion about who's doing what and when, post a time schedule somewhere prominent, but out of eyeshot for visitors. The time sheet should also be distributed at the organizational meeting you have before setting out for the event, helping to ensure that those responsible for setting up the trade show exhibits know that they're required earlier. The time sheet should also include the contact information for your staff in case there is an emergency.
Step 3: Always Keep A Calm Face In Public
Even if you're planned perfectly, things can still go wrong behind the scenes. You might run out of products or literature. You might be unable to find parts or accessories. People might wander off. Whatever the problem, you should never let on to your visitors that something is wrong. Simply maintain a calm exterior, and answer any questions they have about your trade show booth as best you can. The priority is return on your convention investment, and that means staying focused on potential customers at all times.
