We want you to do well at our show.

If you aren't a frequent exhibitor at expos and events, read our tips below on how to better your experience at the Pennsylvania Garden Expo and elsewhere. If you've got a tip to share, we'd love to hear it. E-mail us at info@journalpub.com.

Do Your Part: Get Your Customers There

The JPI Expo team is happy to provide you with event materials or language to help you tell your customers and prospects about your involvement in PA Gourmet. Do your part and participate in the promotion of the event. After all, you will benefit from the extra exposure. You know your own customers and what they want from you better than anyone else. Entice them with special offers, new products or simply let them know that you'll be there and would love to see them. Whatever you do, do something. We all win if the right audience attends the show, so do your part and we'll do ours!

Stand Out in the Crowd and Come Prepared

Don't sign up to exhibit at an event and then forget to prepare until the day before set-up. Your booth is your real estate, and like a homeowner preparing for sale, you have to stage your space. A bare-bones table with some brochures on top won't draw in the attendees. Make sure you have plenty of product available for sale, or if you are a service provider, find a way to dress up your space and catch the eye of attendees. Large displays are great, but they do cost money. If your budget is tight, consider having a branded giveaway to send home with attendees or a drawing for a free consultation or service from your company. Have a poster or sign created to display at your booth that tells attendees that you have something free to give away - everyone likes free stuff! If you are still stuck and need help staging your space, contact us at 717-236-4300 and we'll be happy to put you in touch with a company that can help you with your exhibit space.

Don't just send potential customers home with a bunch of literature about your product or service (most of them will never read it). If you sell a tool or piece of equipment, see if you can find a way to demonstrate the product. If you make garden-influenced art or build handcrafted items, show off your talent inside your booth. Even if demonstrations aren't possible for your product or service, there are other ways to interact with attendees. Just be courteous to the exhibitors around you and do not conduct demonstrations or allow attendee participation/testing of anything unsafe.

Don't forget to have the right people representing your company at the event. Some individuals aren't comfortable talking with strangers or talking in front of a group of people. If your employee feels uncomfortable, most likely he/she will make others feel uncomfortable too.

Help Attendees Remember You

You need to have a strong presence at the event to be remembered, but don't let event attendees forget about you. One of the ideas above was to send attendees home with a branded freebie. Not only is this a cheaper option (depending on the freebie) than a large, professional display, but it sends attendees home with your company's name. Brochures do the same; however, unless the attendee specifically saves your brochure because you did make a lasting impression, your brochure won't get as much attention as let's say, a tablet or a pen...or even something more useful or neat!

You should find a way at the event to collect contact information from visitors to your booth. One way to do this is through a door prize. Ask attendees to drop a business card (also provide notecards to write down contact information) into a jar for the chance to win something. You could also have a sign-up sheet for your e-newsletter, magazine or any other information you send out. If you make any good leads at the event (even with other exhibitors), take the time to label or number your leads while you're at the event and the people are fresh in your mind. When you return to the office and play catch-up on your other work, you'll be grateful for prioritizing your leads so you know where to start with follow-ups.

These are tips and pointer that we've received over the years of producing events. If you have an idea or practice that you would like to share with us, we appreciate the advice. As we've said before, we are committed to helping you have a great experience at PA Gourmet.