There are hundreds – if not thousands – of different exhibitions held in the UK every single year, encompassing many different industries and in many different sizes. This means that you’ll have to pick your exhibitions well, as heading to the wrong one can be a massive waste of both your time and money. How can you ensure you head to the right one then? Well, as usual, we’re here to help with a few top tips on researching how good exhibitions will be for you…

What Type of Event is it?

Generally speaking, there are two different types of exhibitions: specialty and broad. Specialty events are usually smaller yet highly targeted towards a specific audience, while broad events are large but usually encompass a number of different sectors. If you are looking to make contacts within your industry, specialty events are great, but for marketing and getting your name out there, the bigger the event is, the better it is for you. So, establish your goals and decide which of these paths you need to follow.

Who Else is Attending?

Finding out who else is attending is usually quite easy, thanks to the wonders of the internet. While the organisers might be coy about revealing details, attendees will be crowing from the rooftops about their attendance. Type in the exhibition’s name in Google and you’ll get info on all attendees as you scroll through the results. You might also see who attended in previous years too – if they are also attending this year, you know that the experience must have been worth it for them. This doesn’t work for brand new exhibitions though, of course.

What’s the Attraction for Visitors?

It isn’t just other exhibitors to investigate though. You should also look to see who is running seminars, workshops and who the guest speakers are. The bigger the names, the more people will attend. You could even see if you’re able to have a slot – after all, there is no harm in asking! If you do get a slot speaking, you’ll find that the chances to drum up business are increased by a massive amount!

Do You Really Need to Go?

If your purpose for attending an exhibition is simply to keep up with the latest trends in your industry, you need to ask whether this can be done in other ways instead. Most large exhibitions now document the whole thing online and will often show live videos of speakers and workshops on YouTube channels and the like, meaning you can learn from the comfort of your own office.

Ask Your Clients

In many industries, your clients are likely to attend exhibitions on a regular basis as well, so it is always good to ask them where they go. After all, they are already established customers, so if they are heading to certain places, similar potential customers will also be there. So, if ten of your best clients go to the same place, you should be booking a slot there as soon as you can!