From industry conferences to corporate events, trade shows present a fantastic opportunity to amplify branding, key business messages, products, services and more. As a cornerstone of success and exposure in a highly competitive telecommunications and IT sphere, effectively and comprehensively capitalizing on these opportunities means creating seamless conference strategies. Of course, accounting for all the details associated with these events can be taxing, but getting it right is vital. So, how can enterprises ensure they’re making the most of their trade show experience while minimizing pressure and stress? 

Here are a few of iMPR’s top tips for curating a successful event strategy:

  • Have a Plan

This may sound obvious, but it’s impossible to overstate the importance of a well-thought out game plan when it comes to conferences. The day of (and the days leading up to) these industry events can get hectic, and having a secure foundation to work from helps to keep stress levels at a minimum and keep businesses focused on marketing goals. Decide what your company wants to promote at the event. Is it a business launch, a new product, a new executive team or new M&A activity? Is it some combination of those? Making these decisions will help create a targeted goal and will inform marketing decisions to ensure maximum efficacy. 

  • Stay Organized

Again, this may seem like it goes without saying, but with the many moving parts and different tasks that emerge during event planning and prep, things can easily get out of hand and become jumbled. To stay organized and keep everything squared away, finding a spreadsheet format (or a different method of documenting all facets of the preparations) that works for your team is critical. Ensuring visibility across teams, individuals and different elements of planning will help create a more seamless and more controlled process as the event draws near. 

  • Set Expectations 

Although trade shows are one of the best marketing opportunities for businesses, it’s important to maintain perspective about how much can be accomplished. Setting expectations in the beginning not only helps keep people on track, but it also ensures that organizations aren’t hurting their experience by biting off more than they can chew. Once reasonable overarching expectations and goals are decided, setting expectations on the team level is just as important. This means assigning tasks clearly, ensuring accountability, managing the team properly, communicating deadlines and requirements, tracking projects, documenting initiatives and setting up reminders so nothing falls through the cracks.

  • Inspire Your Team

Conferences and events don’t have to be just a time to get work done and make your mark on the industry, they can also be a time for fun, for collaboration, for discussion and more. Keep in mind that your on-site team represents your company, and therefore is one of the most crucial elements of trade show marketing. Being relaxed, friendly, engaging, informative and knowledgeable on the day of will ensure that attendees remember your company as an entity that they want to work with. 

  • Promote Your Attendance

Maximize your exposure and your time at the event by getting the word out that you’ll be in attendance. Creating social campaigns and utilizing other marketing strategies to promote the event, including press releases, blogs on related topics, e-blasts, mentions on your website or newsletters, and social media posts, can go a long way here. Reaching out to target audiences in this way doesn’t just amplify your brand across the digital marketplace, it ensures that those who want to meet with you know about their opportunity to do so. 

Yes, it may sound like a lot — but don’t worry. Allying with an expert is a great way to ensure all of these processes, tasks and duties are met easily, transparently, with reduced stress and business disruption and with maximum return. 

To help businesses get the best of all worlds, iMiller Public Relations (iMPR), an award-winning international marketing and media relations company, offers comprehensive and expert trade show and event marketing services. These include order fulfillment, event participation promotion, end-to-end management (encompassing hotel booking, meeting scheduling and registration), targeted content outreach and beyond. iMPR partners with businesses to help them develop thorough marketing plans that maximize Return on Investment (ROI) while still allowing them to enjoy a stress-free and enjoyable event day. 

To learn more about iMPR’s comprehensive services and how they can amplify your trade show experience, please visit www.imillerpr.com. 

To schedule a free consultation, please click here.