OPEN LETTER
Greetings!
Before anything else, congratulations and thank you for joining Before I Do – Wedding and Debut Fair! We know that you are busy with more important business so we’ll get to the point.
Joining a bridal fair is one of the most effective ways of marketing your business – IF you do it right. If you do it wrong, it can possibly be the biggest waste of money. And if that happens, you’ll think that joining bridal fairs, in general, is a big waste of your time AND money. But if you do it right, it can be the best way to increase your credibility and bring in the money because it brings you face-to-face with your target market.
So, what do you do first?
Here’s a quick checklist before you join any bridal fair.
Begin with the end in mind.
What are your goals? Define those goals and be specific. Is it brand awareness and perception? Floor activity goals? Do you plan to introduce your company to the public? It is okay to have more than one goal as long as you are clear about your participation and what you want to achieve.
What will you do to reach that goal?
Will you redesign your booth to attract more visitors? How about offering discounts and promos? Will you give incentives to your staff? What will you do?
Be mindful of your timeline.
If you are planning to just set up a table and a few roll up banners, you really don’t need much time to think about your booth design. But will that attract guests to visit you at your booth? Creating a great graphic design for your roll up banner, on the other hand, will usually take the most of your time.If you want a custom booth, it is best to plan several months ahead of time. This goes for your submission of requirements and payment schedules as well. Work on these months before the event to avoid any inconveniences as the event draws near.
Allot a budget and book your exhibit space early.
You have to remember that exhibits can be expensive and one way to save is paying in full ahead of time to get a discount. Planning and alotting a budget can lessen your expenses. Regardless of how much discount you get, the important thing is for you to lessen your expenses because you are not just spending for the space rental but also for trucking, booth set up, communication, brochures, office supplies, manpower salary, food and sometimes personal transportation and accommodations. And we’re not just talking about your expenses during the event BUT EVEN before and after the event.
Train your team.
Even if you are joining a small bridal fair and you only have 2 to 3 people to man your booth, it pays to be prepared. Nobody wants to talk to a salesperson who doesn’t know what they are offering or what they are talking about. Clients will just go to your nearest competitor who is ready to answer their concerns. A team that knows your products/services, what they need to do and how to do it, it will immediately increase your chances of booking clients on the spot.Bridal fair etiquette is also important. Eating, talking on mobile phones, standing with arms crossed are just some of the behaviors that keep visitors away. Click here to read more on Bridal Fair Etiquette.
Work on your pre-event marketing and post-event follow up.
Before the bridal fair, your company should be reaching out to potential clients, informing them that you’ll be at Before I Do – Wedding and Debut Fair, and what they can expect when they visit you: new products/services, special discounts/promos, etc. Get them excited! Announcing your participation before the bridal fair will help draw interest and people to the event and especially to your booth. After the bridal fair, follow up on all of the positive leads that your team generated from the fair and post all the videos and photos online to not only remind people of your participation or what they missed but to encourage them to touch base with you for their event needs.
By following this simple checklist or things to do and you’re halfway there.
If you need help with anything else, feel free to call or email us. We would be happy to assist you.
Blessings and more power to your company!
From your Before I Do Team!