Tips and Tricks for Exhibiting at the Home and Gift Show, Harrogate

The Home and Gift Show returns to Harrogate!

Trade shows are a fantastic place for businesses to showcase their products or services, connect with potential clients, and stay ahead of industry trends.

The Home and Gift show is a must-visit for wholesalers and suppliers. The show takes place in time for buyers gearing up for peak season; taking place from July 21st to the 24th. The show is at the ideal time to launch Summer and Autumn products, and connect with key buyers and suppliers across the UK!

Expert Tips and Tricks

With the Home and Gift show just around the corner, it’s crucial to ensure that your exhibition stands out from the crowd and leaves a lasting impression on attendees.

Allow plenty of time to organise your exhibition

If you are choosing a custom or bespoke modular stand, 4-6 months before your show is the optimal time to book with a contractor. Ensure you have enough time to properly plan your graphics design and layout and to conduct thorough quality checks.

Not only this, but 4-6 months also gives you enough time to consider your goals and objectives for the exhibition. If you are short on time, a modular exhibition stand contractor may be your best option.

Create a unique, eye-catching display

Your exhibition stand is the first thing that visitors will see, so it’s important that the display is eye-catching, and reflects your brand.

For home and gift shows, it is important to choose an exhibition stand design with integrated showcases for product display, rather than external rails or shelving. This creates a much more seamless and professional exhibition.

In addition, gift shows tend to feature more colourful stands than some of their more industrial counterparts. Therefore, it’s a good idea to utilise lighting features and high-level branding to stand out from the crowd!

Train your staff for the event

Alongside a good stand, make sure you have a friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming team. Your stand should attract the guests, but your team will keep them there!

Select a team with lots of experience, great interpersonal skills, confidence, good sales technique, and a great attitude. Additionally, staff should be dressed appropriately, either in uniform or in smart, professional clothing. Though sales technique is important, a team of just salespeople can come across as too intense. So, select a mix of people from marketing and sales to make up your team!

Most importantly, make sure your team are well versed in your product, and why it is beneficial! It is a good idea to start practising sales strategies/ positioning on the stand a month or so in advance of the show. Setting some show-day behavioural ground-rules is also worth doing to ensure a reputable appearance.

If you are a sustainable brand, choose a sustainable stand

If your brand is sustainable, it is crucial that you also have a sustainable exhibition stand. Trade shows have become more sustainable in recent years, as the push to sustainable practices furthers in other industries. Because of this many exhibitors are switching to reusable stands, and many organisers are beginning to ban one-use exhibition stands.

If your brand showcases the same sustainability values as your products, your brand appears reliable and trustworthy. This also shows consistency in company values.

Promote your appearance at an event

Though it might seem simple, telling customers about your appearance at an exhibition is very important.

Post about your show appearance on social media and through your email marketing so your clients are aware of where you will be and what you will be showcasing. It’s a good idea to start doing this at least five weeks before show day to maximise your appearance!

Follow up after the show

As well as promoting your show appearance before the show, it is also important to follow up after! Collect contact details throughout the show so that you can connect with prospective clients afterwards.

Show Ready!

And there you have it – A list of tips and tricks from exhibiting experts. We hope you add The Home and Gift Show to your exhibition calendar and that the advice is useful for you!