Trade show season has a way of sneaking up on whoever is in charge of the booth. Most exhibitors plan their booth, their pitch, and their follow-up sequence. Then they treat swag like a frantic order placed two weeks before the show, paid for in rush fees and crossed fingers.
Our client managers at Brand Spirit have watched this play out from a supplier’s perspective more times than we can count. What ends up happening is a haze of panicked decision-making and follow-ups, making the entire process needlessly stressful for everyone. And while we do out best to cushion clients from these things, the reality is we can also only do so much.
The objective is connecting and getting leads
Booths that actually convert traffic into leads aren’t the ones with the biggest banner. They’re the ones that planned their swag like they planned everything else: on a timeline, with deadlines, with room for things to go sideways.
Here’s what the event ad hoc team needs to lock-in at specific checkpoints throughout your timeline:
Build the countdown into your show prep the same week you book the booth. Ninety days out, you’re deciding. Sixty, you’re confirming. Thirty, you’re inspecting. Skip a checkpoint, and you’re the one paying rush fees in week two.
If your timeline’s already slipping, that’s still a conversation worth having. Doing it sooner just means more options on the table.