In New Zealand the national and regional field days are a big deal, with Agriculture being our top industry these events attract a large portion of our population. Depending on your chosen event, you could speak with hundreds of potential clients in a single day. It’s important to get the planning and set up of your stand organised well in advance, to help your event team make the best impression and focus on getting new leads.
This checklist will help you to set clear goals and budgets to prevent your business from over-spending at your chosen event. It is a guide to the must-haves on your stand, along with what to organise beforehand, at the time and after the event. Most importantly of all, it will help you build on the connections you make at the trade show – after all they could be your ticket to long-term success!
At the Beginning of the Year:
- Set your event objectives
– Long term growth plan from exhibiting at the event
– Define which events are attended by your target market
– Set sales target
– Set leads target
– Define your event offering - Budget it out
– Event fees (find out what this includes, often there’s utilities such as lighting, flooring, electricity, internet and other essentials included in this fee)
– Marquee
– On-stand furniture like tables and chairs
– Branded Table Cloths
– Computers / Laptops
– Eftpos machines
– Display Stands
– Signage – Flags, Footpath signs, Overhead signs
– Marketing collateral – Brochures, Catalogues, Promotional items
– Lighting
– Carpets / floor covering
– Catering / refreshments
– Cutlery / cups / plates etc
– AV equipment and/or presentations
– Formal / informal meeting areas
– USB sticks, adaptors, Wi-Fi connectors, chargers, cables
– Waste bins
– Man hours on the stand, along with stand set up and dismantle.
– Travel expenses
– Freight and logistics expenses
3 Months in Advance:
- Confirm your stand size and location.
- Decide which products and services to exhibit.
– What’s your ‘big enticement’? Will you launch a new product or service? Offer event-only deals? Provide demonstrations or free trials? - Decide on your exhibition team
– Are they knowledgeable?
– Are they experienced event professionals?
– Do they need any further training before the event?
– Is branded clothing required? - Organise your on-stand marketing
– Decide on promotional gifts
– Design and print sufficient collateral
– Design and print sufficient business cards
– Design and print pop-ups / roller banners etc - Do you have a data capture system ready for use on the site?
Two Months in Advance:
- Pre-event marketing in place to attract more visitors to your stand.
Promote the event on your:
– Website
– Social media accounts
– Notify clients and prospects
– Create press release and distribute - Sort out team logistics
– Create stand rotation
– Book hotel rooms and transport
– Order team name badges
One Month in Advance:
- Will your stand meet safety regulations?
- Do you have insurance?
- Brief your team
– Exhibition goals and leads targets
– Dress code
– Stand rules, etc
One Week in Advance:
- Pack stationery for your event containing:
– Cleaning materials
– Staplers
– Hole punch
– Pens
– Scissors
– Cello tape
– Tape measure
– Velcro
– Swiss Army Knife
– First Aid Kit
– Lots of bottled water, the ground staff will get thirsty.
– Snacks, in case the staff manning the tent are too busy for lunch. It does happen.
– Extension Cords, etc - Pack marketing collateral for event
– Brochures
– Catalogues
– Business Cards
– Promotional items
– Banners
– Tablecloths, etc - Follow up with freight companies to ensure your products and marketing collateral gets to the event safely and in plenty of time.
3 days+ after the event
- Follow up all leads from the event.
- Send a fun, attention-grabbing direct mail campaign to the hot leads after the event.
- Evaluate the results against your objectives.
- Communicate outcomes to stand team, along with thank you’s.
- Ensure the stand and other signage is in a safe place, so everything is available for easy use at your next event.
- We hope this checklist was helpful in getting you closer to completing your impressive field day exhibit!
Most popular products at the Field Days
In Active’s experience, as the supplier of marketing collateral and branded merchandise at these events, the most common branded products given away during the NZ Field Days are branded tote bags to carry product brochures and samples in, caps, beanies, pocket knives, balloons, pens and confectionery. Furthermore, the most common branded gear that exhibitors purchase for their stand design is marquees, wind blade flags, branded water bottles and printed tablecloths.
Click here to contact us about your requirements at the upcoming field days.
Not sure which one to exhibit at this year?
Here’s a list of the key Agricultural Events coming up in NZ (this list doesn’t include regional A&P Shows):
Mystery Creek Field Day http://www.fieldays.co.nz/
Kirwee Field Day http://www.siafd.co.nz/
Waimumu Field Days http://www.southernfielddays.co.nz/
Central Districts Field Day http://www.cdfielddays.co.nz/
Northland Field Day http://northlandfielddays.co.nz/