Maximizing Impact at Trade Shows with the Right Event Staff
Trade shows are an invaluable opportunity for businesses to showcase their products, connect with potential customers, and strengthen their brand presence. However, the success of your trade show experience isn’t just about the booth or the products you’re presenting—it’s about the people who represent your brand: the event staff.
In this blog, we will explore why the right event staff is essential for maximizing the impact of your trade show, how to identify and select the best staff, how to train them for success, and how to ensure they help you achieve your goals.
Why Event Staff Matter at Trade Shows
When you think about trade shows, your first thoughts might be about your product or booth design, but the real key to success lies in the interaction between your event staff and the attendees. Here’s why the right staff can make all the difference:
First Impressions Matter
Your event staff is the first thing attendees will encounter when they approach your booth. A friendly, confident, and knowledgeable staff member can create a welcoming environment that draws in potential clients. Conversely, an unprepared or disengaged staff member can immediately turn people away.
Event Staff Represent Your Brand
Your event staff are not just there to assist—they are the face of your brand. They need to be well-versed in your company’s values, products, and key messages. Whether they’re answering questions, demonstrating products, or just talking with attendees, they’ll be directly shaping how people perceive your company.
Lead Generation and Conversion
The right staff can also be pivotal in lead generation. Skilled staff know how to engage attendees, capture their information, and qualify them as leads for follow-up after the event. When your staff is aligned with your sales and marketing goals, they can help convert trade show conversations into real business opportunities.
How to Choose the Right Event Staff
Selecting the right staff is critical to your trade show success. Here’s how you can choose the best team for your event.
Assess Your Trade Show Needs
Before you start hiring, think about what kind of staff you need for your specific trade show. What are your goals? Are you looking to showcase a new product, build brand awareness, or generate sales leads? The type of event staff you need will depend on these objectives.
Product Demonstrators: If you’re launching a new product, you'll need people who are experts in explaining the product’s features and benefits.
Lead Generators: If your goal is to collect leads, hire people who are skilled at starting conversations and gathering contact information.
Customer Support: For technical products or services, you may need staff who can answer more detailed, product-related questions.
Choose Staff with the Right Personality and Skills
Event staff should not only be knowledgeable about your products but also personable and approachable. You want people who can easily engage with different types of attendees, from casual visitors to serious buyers. Look for qualities like enthusiasm, professionalism, and the ability to engage in meaningful conversations.
Temporary vs. Full-Time Staff
For some events, you may choose to hire full-time staff, especially if you want continuity and deep brand knowledge. However, for larger events or short-term engagements, temporary staff can offer flexibility and cost savings. Be sure to clearly outline expectations and train temporary staff effectively to ensure they represent your brand well.
How to Train Your Event Staff
Once you’ve selected the right event staff, it’s time to prepare them for the show. Proper training is crucial for ensuring your team performs well on the day of the event.
Focus on Product Knowledge
Your staff needs to be experts on the products or services you’re showcasing. This is especially important if your product is complex or highly technical. Provide them with detailed information about features, benefits, and potential use cases. You might even consider creating a product knowledge training program or checklist to ensure they’re fully prepared.
Communication and Sales Training
Training your staff on how to communicate effectively is just as important as product knowledge. They should be trained to start conversations, ask qualifying questions, and handle objections. If your goal is lead generation, your staff should know how to identify serious prospects and engage them with targeted messaging.
To help train your staff, consider platforms like HubSpot Academy for free, in-depth sales training courses. Or use Coursera for more specialized training on sales and communication techniques.
Role-playing and Real-Life Scenarios
A great way to prepare your team is by simulating real-life scenarios they might face at the trade show. You could set up mock interactions where staff practice answering common questions, handling technical issues, or even addressing dissatisfied attendees. This will help them feel more confident and prepared when the real event begins.
Empower Your Staff with Tools
Provide your team with the right tools to perform their duties efficiently. This could include lead capture apps, tablets for data entry, or portable chargers for mobile devices. Make sure they understand how to use these tools and how to track the success of their efforts.
Some popular event management apps for staffing coordination include:
Eventbrite – For event registration and management.
LeadBooster – A tool for capturing leads from event attendees.
Social Tables – To plan and coordinate event staff placements.
How to Keep Your Event Staff Engaged During the Show
Motivating your staff during the event is crucial for maintaining high energy levels and ensuring that your team remains focused. Here are some ways to keep your staff engaged:
Set Clear Goals and Expectations
Before the event, be sure to clearly communicate your goals to your event staff. Whether it’s a specific number of leads, demos, or sales, setting clear goals will give your staff something to aim for. Make sure everyone knows their role and what is expected of them.
Keep Your Team Energized
Trade shows can be long, exhausting events. Keeping your staff energized is important for maintaining high performance throughout the day. Consider implementing short breaks, providing snacks, or offering small incentives for hitting milestones. This helps to keep the mood upbeat and the team motivated.
Provide Real-Time Feedback
During the event, regularly check in with your staff to see how things are going. If you notice any challenges, offer immediate feedback and support. Sometimes, a small tweak can make a big difference in performance.
Encourage Staff to Network Beyond the Booth
Encourage your staff to attend other events, panels, or social gatherings during the trade show. This helps them expand their knowledge, learn more about the industry, and network with other professionals. Plus, it can increase their enthusiasm for the event, making them even better at engaging with attendees.
How to Measure the Success of Your Event Staff
Once the trade show is over, it’s important to assess how well your event staff performed. Here are a few ways to measure success:
Gather Feedback from Your Staff
Hold a debriefing session with your staff after the event to get feedback. What worked well? What challenges did they face? Gathering input from the staff who were on the ground will help you understand where improvements can be made for future events.
Track Lead Generation and Conversion
One of the most important ways to measure success is by looking at the leads your staff generated. How many leads did they capture? How many of those leads turned into real business opportunities? Tracking this will help you understand how effective your team was at engaging and qualifying potential customers.
Finding an agency that provides customized tracking software is essential in the 21st century. It’s advantageous to partner with an agency that has this technological advancement disposable.
Evaluate Event ROI
Finally, calculate the overall return on investment (ROI) of your trade show. Did you achieve your goals? Were the leads generated valuable? By evaluating the ROI, you’ll be able to determine the true impact of your event staff and whether they helped you achieve your objectives.
Conclusion
Choosing the right event staff for your trade show is essential for making a strong impact and achieving your goals. From creating positive first impressions to generating quality leads and representing your brand, the right staff can play a pivotal role in your trade show success.
At Elevate Event Staff, we specialize in providing experienced, knowledgeable, and personable event staff that can help you maximize the impact of your next trade show. By partnering with the right team, you can ensure your brand shines and your goals are met.
