Exhibition Management Guide + Best Practices

What is Exhibition Management?

Exhibition management includes the planning, creation and deployment of exhibitions. It involves planning strategically, promoting, collaborating, and developing in a timely, precise manner. Like putting together a puzzle. You have to do it piece by piece, from beginning to end.

Types of Exhibitions

You’ll first need to decide the type of exhibit you need, based on your intended audience.

Trade Shows

Consumer exhibitions are different from trade exhibitions. Trade exhibitions target a B2B audience, and they are centered around a particular industry. These exhibitions are used by companies to demonstrate and showcase their products and services.

Also, they are used to show them off to investors and other participants in the industry. They are also used to generate leads, network and for sales.

Consumer Exhibitions

Expos are consumer exhibitions that target a B2C audience. These are used by companies to promote their brand and to show off products, inventions and other goods.

Art Exhibitions

Exhibitions of all kinds are held to showcase a variety of artwork, including paintings, sculptures and interactive art. Curated to increase brand awareness and engage buyers, they are used to promote artists.

Interpretive Exhibitions

Interpretive exhibitions display historical artifacts or scientific pieces which require audience participation and interpretation. They are aimed at increasing awareness and educating people.

Digital Exhibitions

Digital exhibitions allow people to view exhibits in a digital format. Digital museums and art galleries are examples. They are interactive platforms with a variety of experiences.

What is a CEM Designation?

CEM is Certified Exhibition Management. This designation is globally recognized. The CEM certification reflects the highest professional standards in the field of exhibitions and events management.

A CEM shows that you are an experienced and dedicated professional within the exhibitions and events industry.

As promised, here is the checklist for exhibition management.

Exhibition Management Checklist

A checklist for exhibition management will give you a standard format that you can use and follow in future exhibitions.

A checklist for exhibition management, along with a all in one exhibition management software and other tools and resources, will help you to avoid accidentally missing a step. It’s easy to miss a step when planning and executing a large exhibition that involves many moving parts.

1. Determine your Event Budget

If you want your business to succeed, it is essential that it has a budget. Exhibitions can be expensive. It is important to keep detailed records of your expenses and income.

You should also keep a daily budget that you can share with your investors and sponsors.

Make a budget, and then stick to it.

2. Choose a Memorable and Engaging Theme

Your theme will be the basis for all that you do. Your exhibition should have a consistent theme. You can incorporate this theme into all aspects of the exhibit. The theme will help make your exhibition memorable, exciting and engaging. If you can achieve all of that, then you are on to a winner.

Think about the events you have attended in the past. Think about the ones you liked best and why.

Then, you can use those elements to make your exhibit a success. For inspiration, you can also search Google, YouTube or Instagram. Think outside of the box when creating for your exhibition’s brand guidelines.

3. Choose an Exhibition Venue

Select a location that is convenient and central. It must be centrally located and convenient. The location must also have sufficient interior space, ample parking, an ambiance and all essential amenities and services.

If you get this wrong, no one will attend. If you get this right, it will be an exhibition that no one can ever forget.

4. Create the Exhibit Floorplan

Creating your exhibit floor plans can be compared to building a custom home. One-size-fits all approaches are rarely successful. Your floor plan should be customized to meet the needs and objectives of both your client and attendees.

Consider where and how you want to place and arrange each exhibit. Don’t forget the flow of attendees when designing your floor plan.

There are many software solutions for exhibitions and tradeshows that can help you create the best working flow possible for your event.

5. Create an Event Schedule

A structured schedule is important. Include the following in your schedule:

• Event duration.
• List all scheduled activities, and indicate how much time will be given to each person, group or activity. Do not forget to include some time for networking and other activities.
• Select a system for time management. Sometimes chunking time (30-minute intervals, or similar) makes things easier to manage.
• Visualize schedule visibility. Are you going to have a website or app for the exhibition, advertisements, etc.? Visualize how your event schedule will look and work.
• Consider the human experience. The people will need to take regular coffee and bathroom breaks as well as time to relax and mingle in between activities.

6. Include Interactive Experiences

Your attendees should be actively engaged. You will need interactive elements, such as workshops, demos and other hands-on components.

7. Start Pre-Exhibition Marketing

Start your pre-exhibition promotion 90-180 calendar days before your exhibition, depending on its size. You can then start more aggressive promotions as you get closer to your exhibition.

Consider your audience’s demographics. What are their interests, where do they like to spend their time and which marketing channels are the most influential?

Include why they should attend your event and their goals as professionals.

8. Organise Exhibitor Packages

Decide what you want to include in the exhibitor package. Included in your exhibitor package could be exhibition positions, booths with chairs, standard electricity, Wi-Fi access, large tables, admission tickets and more.

Customize your exhibitor package to suit the needs of your attendees.

9. Marketing and Selling Exhibition Spaces Tickets

Set a price that is competitive based on the target audience. Create a compelling pitch for your exhibition. Outline the benefits of your exhibit. You can use these things to promote your exhibition, and improve your chances of success.

You can promote your event on social media to create excitement for it.

You can also use paid media, email campaigns, attention-grabbing landing page designs, and other methods that make sense for your audience.

10. Organize the Logistics of an Exhibition

The smoothness of your exhibit will depend on how well you manage and organize the logistics behind the scenes. Be sure to effectively coordinate utilities, insurances, deliveries, installation, and any other plans you may have.

11. Measure Event Success

You won’t be able to tell what worked and what didn’t for your next exhibition if you don’t know how you’re going to measure the success of an event.

You can measure the success of your event by counting how many tickets you sold and how many people checked in. Check the buzz on social media about your event and measure revenue.

You should also conduct sponsor surveys, track your sales after the event, and keep an eye on other data related to your exhibition. For your next exhibitions, improve on what has worked and discard what hasn’t.

PRO TIP: Monitor and adjust your budget continuously. It is crucial to your reputation and success that you keep track of your expenses. Investors and funding partners need to be informed at all times.

12. Team Training

Take the time to properly train your team. It’s important to train your team. Practice role-playing and run-throughs. Demonstrations can also be used to overcome obstacles.

You should also create a list with the most common questions that attendees may ask. It will ensure that the staff has the knowledge and skills to provide coordinated, cohesive answers. This will improve the experience of attendees.

Conclusion

The management of exhibitions requires a delicate balance between planning, coordination and implementation. Knowing how to do it isn’t the same as doing it. A checklist and guide to exhibition management is a priceless tool that will help you ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

You can make your exhibitions memorable by combining tried and true principles with best practices. A creative vision, drive and a positive attitude will help you achieve this.