While gearing up in-house team members for hosting trade show displays it can be easy to get carried away from the main point of attending the event – driving customers to the company. While it’s important that the event goes well, the pre and post event stages are just as important to overall trade show success. Here are two methods that the top organizations are now using to provide value to their trade show displays.

1)      Building a “Buzz” Online

As online social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook evolve, savvy companies are using these internet hubs to connect with potential clientele and invite member to company events. It’s free for the company to create groups on both of these sites, and it is highly important that representatives engage with potential clientele and build up the anticipation for the event online. This will help ensure that at-event representatives are presented with numerous sales opportunities at their displays during the trade show.

2)      Create a Follow-Up Plan for the Event

Whether it’s simply creating thank you cards that present visitors to your trade show displays with your company’s information or calling potential clientele directly after the event to personally thank them, it’s important that your organization create a comprehensive post-event strategy. Oftentimes, how a company handles the post event stage will determine whether the event itself was a true success.

Ensure your company’s pre and post event stages are managed professionally and give your company the best possible chance of leveraging their trade show attendance for success in the long term.