In this day and age of the internet, marketing has been revolutionized by computer technology and methods of reaching to relevant audiences has never been more targeted. Digital marketing channels such as paid search marketing and email marketing offers the ability to reach out to specific audiences by targeted keywords or email addresses and these channels being digital provides valuable customer behavioural data we can act upon. Does this mean traditional offline marketing is diminishing and no longer have any uses? Well not quite. If you are in industries such as arts, education, fashion, B2B, trade amongst others, then face to face contact could be far more valuable than having an online banner ad or a newsletter in someone’s inbox hoping that your products or services will intrigue the person looking at their mobile or laptop.

Because no matter how well you plan your digital marketing strategy, no matter how relevant your advertising message is to the audience, it will never be a substitute for face to face contact. This is especially true if you are in east asian countries like China where human relationships are highly valued and companies prefer to do business with people they have met and formed a relationship with. Further, presenting your organisation in front of potential customers with state of the art exhibition stands and professional graphic images will speak louder to your target market and form a lasting image to people’s minds even when they walk out of the event without speaking to you. Being at the event will give you the opportunity to establish as many human relationships as possible and give you the opportunity to get the contact information of the potential customer. This is especially important if you are in the B2B industry and want are aiming for repeat clients rather than one off ones. Events are obviously costly for any business and they are normally conducted once in a long while so how do you maximise that opportunity of getting potential clients to come to you and give you their contact details? The old adage "First Impressions Count" applies to events as well. Your exhibition stands, your graphical images and branding, even the way you dress and your body language and facial expression all adds up to give that professional image of your company.

The design of your exhibition stand is crucial for you to make the most of the limited time you have during the exhibition and occupying all the available space you have is crucial. The look and feel of your exhibition stand will vary depending on the industry your company is in and also your own company branding. You could do worse than consulting a company that designs exhibition stands as part of their services as by doing so, you get external expertise in designing an exhibition stand that speaks to your target audience. Offering your potential clients the ability to experience your product or service via demos is an important aspect in an exhibition albeit not always possible. When someone steps into your exhibition stand they must be able to experience your company and preferably your products or services and walk away with a memorable image of your company.

When planning for an exhibition, allow plenty of time for planning and consult professional advice on the design of the stand as this crucial piece of kit could make or break your chances of winning new business. Remember first impressions count. If you fail to make a good first impression on your first exhibition, your second exhibition no matter how well planned, may be less effective due to the first. So plan for it properly.