Hosting a Business Expo

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Hosting a Business Expo

• Todd Ginter
• Tourism Events Director
• Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism
• www.faribaultmn.org
• www.visitfaribault.com

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Why host a Business Expo

• Chamber revenue generator

A great promotional tool for your members
Keeps your Chamber in the public eye
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When to have your Expo?

• Spring is best New products/services

Fall also a good time
Have two Expos Spring and Fall
You should have an Expo committee meet at least 6
months prior to the Expo, they should discuss the
type of Expo and when it should be
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Where should you have your Expo?
The venue should reflect your size scope

• Venue should be cost effective

Make it easy to get to
Look for something new and unique
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What will we charge?
Our costs have ranged from 275-375 for Chamber
members to 400-475 for non-Chamber members

• Early Bird registrations or Late registration
  costs

Added in costs electricity, extra tables, corner
booths, bigger booths
Make sure all exhibitors have paid prior to the
Expo
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How long should the Expo be?
Will this be on the weekend or weekday

• Will you include lunch or have food available

Keep in mind the schedules of the exhibitors
If not on a weekend, the Expo should include
Business and non-Business hours
Watch out for too long of days or going too deep
into the night
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What should we have at the Expo?
You have two audiences to please the exhibitors
and the public
Why should either of them show up?
Have something new or unique at the Expo you can
promote to give people a reason to
attend/exhibit. A demonstration area, local
products, cool gadgets, seminars, prize
giveaways, special areas

• Also be thinking of other ways to generate
  interest, celebrity appearances, book signings,
  or even local food

Have a specific Expo and not a General Business
Expo
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How do we get them there? -the exhibitors
Create a brochure put on your marketing hat

• Make it easy to register online, fax, call

Call up your members and tell them why this is
beneficial to them and such a great member
benefit
Provide and incentive package your events
together for a lower price
Promote the Expo in all your communications
heavily and force your Board members and
Ambassadors to register
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How do we get them there? -the public
Budget at least 5 of your desired income and up
to 10 on advertising
Where to advertise? Look for the Free!Area
newspapers and radio (trade?), public access
channels, social media, yard signs, bulletin
boards, waiting rooms, bank signs, word of
mouth, online calendars, your Chamber
publications
Get you Exhibitors to donate prizes for giveaways
and also have giveaways at their tables. Free
Food is a good draw but it can take away from the
exhibitors
Budget to give away money or donated prizes via
drawings
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What should the set-up look like?
Be aware of table, pipe and drape costs and
include as much as you can

• A 10X10 space is standard

Offer more space or less space by adjusting cost
Have lots of space in the aisles and have special
areas in the opposite ends of the entrance
Have good signage and banners
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How to help the exhibitors have a great Expo?
Communicate any themes or special events you will
have at the Expo

• Have a Best Booth contest

Prior to the Expo send the exhibitors a How to
have a successful Expo sheet and let them do
what they want
Have your Chamber staff, Ambassadors and even
Board members assist with booth set-up and
carrying in of items
Have the space your hosting the Expo be available
the day before for exhibitors to set-up or bring
larger items to store
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What you need at the Expo?
Directional signs

• A brochure with exhibitor names and any sponsor
  names

Offer wireless Internet
Electricity set-up with power cords
Outside banners Welcome sign
Have your own Chamber booth
Make sure there is a PA system or a microphone
and speakers for announcements
Lots of trash cans especially if you have food
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During the Expo
Have a welcome letter and goodies at the booths
tell them what you have done to make this a
successful Expo
Take lots of photos, especially of the businesses
at their booths this makes for a nice Thank You
card
Have Chamber staff or volunteers greeting and
handing out brochures
Make sure you go around to each booth and thank
them for their participation
Get contact info and phone numbers of key people
from the venue
Promote Business to Business networking and
interaction

• Make sure you are accessible

Watch the time
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What to do after the Expo
Arrange for all the exhibitors to pack up with
any help they need

• If you can, let exhibitors come back the next day
  to move out

Have an after Expo networking event
Leave the venue just as you found it
Send out Thank You notes to all the businesses
that participated, all sponsors and volunteers
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How do you know if you had a successful Expo?

• The bottom line

Hand out evaluation sheets or better yet have
them do it online (zoomerang)
Ask if the exhibitor would like to come back for
the next Expo
Use your Chamber staff or Chamber volunteers to
get a gage of how both the public and the
businesses felt about the Expo
Have a wrap-up meeting with your Expo committee
and go over the good and the bad