How To Optimize Your Regional Tradeshow Exhibit

Local Tradeshow Exhibits Require Local Brand Authority

Most organizations exhibit at more than one tradeshow, conference, and other event during the year. Your calendar may include a large-scale international expo, multiple national events, and several regional gatherings.

Exhibiting internationally, nationally, and locally all have different advantages, depending on your goals and your vision. For example, well-known national shows often give amplified exposure and press coverage for your brand. Local and regional shows provide the opportunity to focus on specific geographic areas and may help your business save on exhibiting costs.

Wherever you’re exhibiting, your event marketing strategy in these varied markets should be as diverse at the cities and venues you’re targeting!

With this in mind, here are four recommendations to start with in preparing for your upcoming local or regional tradeshows:

 

5 Tips For Localizing Your Regional Tradeshow

 

1. Develop Specific Branding and Messaging Based on Audience Type and Local Interests

At a local or regional event, you’ll have a better idea of who exactly is in your audience. Use this insight to tailor your exhibit’s branding, through custom graphics and marketing collateral, as well as your on-site sales team’s approach. Creating maximum interest and appeal is easier when you can more reliably predict your booth visitors’ demographics, psychographics, and other details. Tradeshow exhibits that speak to the event city, state, or local interests can generate brand authority and audience connection, even if primary company operations exist elsewhere.

 

2. Adjust Your Exhibit Size or Event Footprint

Size and spacing logistics might be different at a regional tradeshow. Exhibit footprints might be reduced inside a smaller venue. As an exhibitor, it’s important to partner with a collaborative design team that can help you make an impact with a smaller exhibit space.

Alternatively, with fewer exhibitors, you might be able to find and purchase a larger exhibit footprint than at a global or a national show, which might have waitlist or priority order for exhibit space. Renting an exhibit is a great way to stay flexible in either scenario!

Unsure of the right exhibit size to show off your brand? Our team of specialists have worked across dozens of industries, cities and event venues, and we can help customize the right tradeshow exhibit size based on your upcoming event.

3. Prepare for Exhibit Assembly Restrictions & DIY Setup

While national events partner with unions and show contractors, a local or regional tradeshow may not be investing in or coordinating these resources for exhibitors. Many tradeshow venues also have specific setup and takedown times, reflective of local business hours. Fitting these parameters can sometimes be critical when planning your exhibit design. And as a result, you and your team might need to assemble your exhibit.

Portable modular exhibits are designed and fabricated to be quickly and easily assembled – no professional labor crew needed! Their reconfigurability for multiple footprints and simple-to-update graphics could be the perfect solution for your regional tradeshow.

 

4. Plan Additional Event or Tradeshow Marketing

Most global and national shows generate plenty of press, but the same may not be true for a regional or local event. Your brand or business might be responsible for the majority of marketing before, during, and after the show if you’re looking to raise awareness about your organization and your participation in the event. But don’t stress! This can be accomplished through press releases, social media, email blasts, and other channels that are likely already a part of your marketing toolkit!

Creating a unique design or visually viral recognition point can only serve to amplify these efforts even further. Target audiences will see these teaser promotions and want to visit your exhibit in-person.

 

5. Anticipate Local & National Event Timing Overlap

National events strategically plan the dates of their conferences to maximize attendance and to avoid competition with other national industry shows. However, smaller regional shows may not necessarily do their homework to confirm that they are not organizing their conference at the same time as their competitors. Making sure you have enough booth properties to handle potential overlap in show schedule is crucial to regional success! Developing specific event teams for local and national events as well as leveraging multiple custom booths, portable exhibits, and rental options can allow you to maximize visibility without sacrificing target audience engagement.

Regional Tradeshow Marketing Resources

Want to localize but not sure where to start? Here are some regional marketing resources to search and explore:

• 10Times – search for events by region, industry, date and more (international)
• Conference Locate – search for events by region, industry, date and more (international)
• Cvent – database of US convention centers
• EventsEye – search for events by region, industry, date and more (international)
• Exhibit City News – search for events by region, industry, date and more (international)
• Exhibitor Magazine – search for events by region, industry, date and more (international)
• Exhpo – search for events by region, industry, date and more (USA and Canada)
• The Tradeshow Calendar – event directory (international)
• Trade Show News Network – top events by industry and region (USA and Canada)

 

Let’s Get Local With Your Next Tradeshow or Event Exhibit

Are you considering a regional tradeshow? Our event marketing experts can help you seamlessly sync your local exhibit with your broader event marketing calendar. Start a project online or contact us today.