What is Tradeshow Booth Staffing?
Imagine:
In partnership with an exhibit house, you and your brand have just designed, fabricated, and installed an eye-catching and engaging booth at an industry expo. The space is perfect – exactly as you envisioned – but something is missing? It seems empty and quiet…
To make your exhibit livelier, you need just one thing – PEOPLE! And to bring new folks in, you’ve got to have some in place!
Booth staff foster interpersonal communication and help you achieve your event marketing goals, but they aren’t simply a random assortment of people. Booth staffing decisions should be strategic decided upon, and team members should be given the tools they need to be successful in a tradeshow environment.
Your Tradeshow Booth Team
There are a number of basic booth staffing roles you can start with, though depending on your industry, you might have more. For example, if you’re in a highly scientific field, perhaps a technical specialist should be present. If you’re in a heavy industry, an operator or a machinist may be there to demonstrate how certain tools or machinery work.
Your Concierge
A concierge is the first point of contact for the majority of your booth visitors. They greet, check-in and direct; they can also entice those walking the aisle! Placing them at or near entry points to your space is most efficient.
Your Top-Funnel Sales Representatives
These sales representatives casually talk about your products and services. They provide more information and answer general questions from show participants. They might be positioned near demo stations or other key exhibit touchpoints.
Your Bottom-Funnel Sales Representatives
These team members are scheduling and hosting meetings to close deals. Whatever that looks like for your business, it’s important to have staff that can execute purchases and other agreements that contribute to your event marketing return on investment.
Your Multimedia Personnel
Presentations, lectures, and staff-led seminars can be an effective method to engage your audience. Booth staff who are familiar with your exhibit tech (and how to use it) are crucial for your event success.
Your Support Staff
Don’t forget the smaller details, like cleaning surfaces, replenishing snacks, and running emergency errands! Often, your exhibit house will keep a traveling supervisor or two at show site to support with these needs as well.
Optimizing Your Booth Staffing Process
Your dream team can be made all the more impactful with a few key considerations.
Select the Right Size
If you have a larger booth footprint, logically, you’ll need more booth staff to cover that square footage. Industry best practice has historically been one person per 50 square feet. Be sure to take into account your exhibit’s wayfinding and traffic flow, too!
Schedule the Team
Create and publish a shared schedule for your booth staff. Too many team members lingering around the space with little to do can actually make it somewhat intimidating and less inviting to guests. All team members should participate in a show-start exhibit orientation and kick-off when possible to ensure alignment.
Coordinate Clothing
Matching or synchronized outfits can add a more polished and presentable look to your exhibit space. Different colors or styles of shirts for varying booth roles is a quick and easy way to help your staff appear as professional and prepared as possible.
Deliver Resources
Your booth staff should have all they need to succeed on the show floor – and this starts long before the show! This might include pre-event training, development/distribution of marketing collateral and business cards, and the use of lead-tracking tools or technology.
Supply Seating
Seating areas encourage attendees and visitors to spend more time in your space, and if they would like to speak with a staff member one-on-one, chairs, tables, and other fixtures help facilitate that!
Spend Wisely
Delineate your staffing budget and stick to it! Staggering your booth staff by the day, including their arrivals and departures to the event as needed, can also be helpful in reducing costs.
Keep Clutter Out
Encourage booth staff not to bring their bags, laptops, and other luggage to the exhibit if not critical. Personal items detract from the aesthetic of the space and can be distracting to visitors when not stored properly.
Building Your Tradeshow Exhibit
You’ve got the team and the tips – now get the space!
Inspired to create your next tradeshow exhibit? Start a project online today!
More questions about exhibit staffing and other event marketing details? Get in touch.