For exhibitors
How to exhibit at a trade show for the first time
Pick the hall where your buyers already walk. A first booth is a trip with a deadline, not a brand campaign. Use the diary to compare fairs before you sign a floor plan.
1. Name the buyer and the month
Write down the industry and the month you can travel. Then open that industry and the country you can reach. Two shows in one city beat one famous fair you cannot staff.
2. Read the floor, not the slogan
Visitor and exhibitor counts tell you whether the hall is a market or a display. If a figure has no source, treat it as a claim. Check the calendar for another fair in the same industry that week.
3. Book the trip before the graphics
Space, freight, badges and hotels lock earlier than a backdrop. Meet the organizer from their page on this site. Ask who attended last time, in which industries, and what a shell scheme includes.
4. List the fair, then decide if it should lead
Organizers can post a trade show for free. After it is published, Spotlight is the paid way to put that one event on the cover for 30 days.
Questions
- How early should a first-time exhibitor book a trade show?
- Start six to twelve months ahead for a hall that fills. Booth space, freight and travel all move before the visitor list does. A smaller regional fair can still be useful on a shorter clock.
- What should you check before you pay for a booth?
- Dates, venue, visitor count, exhibitor count and whether those figures name a source. Then see which other shows in the same industry open the same week. Overlap splits a buyer’s trip.
- Is it free to list a trade show on XPO Times?
- Yes. Listing is free and is reviewed before it is public. Spotlight is optional: 149 USD for 30 days on the homepage and in search, only on an event you listed.