This time last year I was in Sacrament for four days with my husband at the International Sportsman Expo at Cal Expo. We were supposed to attend again this year, but COVID-19 had other plans.
This incredible facility features eight buildings, lagoon, an entry bridge and outdoor brick plaza with a total of 58,870 square feet of indoor space. Our booth was located in the hunting section of building A. I couldn’t get over how many booths there were and how many people attended (I am told around 33,000 over the four days); at some points during the day you couldn’t see across the bridge to other building because of the wall of people. You could hear the murmur of the crowd getting louder as they approached and came up the stairs! It was my first time attending and working a show like this. We met some awesome people and heard their incredible hunting and fishing stories and of course sold a few hunts. I am sharing with you some helpful tips I learned as a vendor.
1. Comfortable shoes…
Over the four days I stood for 33 hours. I realized that this was not a time to wear anything but runners or the dress shoes I wear to work as a teacher. I did rent a chair to sit in but I must say… when you stand you look approachable and ready to interact… potential clients seemed to talk more to people at the booths who were standing rather than those who were sitting.
2. Purell…
I lost track of how many hands I shook… they probably number in the hundreds. Last year my husband ended up with a nasty cold. I was sure to have a lots of hand sanitizer nearby.
3. Treat basket…
People love their treats… we found Werther’s were “the best candy around.” There were lots of kids as there was also a youth fair going on too. When the kids would come over to grab a treat we were able to engage their folks in a discussion about hunting in Alberta. Plus, it is an inexpensive gesture for the crowds.
4. Food/Snacks…
If you think you are getting away from your booth for any length of time to get lunch or dinner or a snack you are sorely mistaken! You may be able to if you have someone working with with but you just can’t afford to step away and miss a sale. We stocked up on chips, granola bars and water from Walgreens. We also saved a TON of money since we didn’t pay for expensive concession food.
5. Deals…
In addition to treats, people love deals! They definitely go for packages where you give them their bottom line… no additional costs and you also tell them how much of a deal it actually is.
6. Contact…
It never hurts to have a sheet on your table and get your potential client’s information. Following up with them can yield additional sales to those you make at the show. Plus, it gives people a chance to shop around, organize their hunting group, get organized, come up with more focussed questions and make final decisions without feeling pressured to close the deal the day of. Making anecdotal notes about prospective clients after meeting them provides a nice introduction or segue when you call or email them.
7. Dressing up your booth…
Trade show facilities will have vendors that you can get a wide variety of items to outfit your booth with. However, they are ridiculously expensive! For example for a basic (uncomfortable) chair was $70, a TV can run you $500 and we are just talking RENTALS! Bring as much of your own stuff you can or source your own items from rental places yourself -you save on the mark up! A must have is a TV though; it really pulled people in to our booth!
8. Booth location…
The money you save on rentals use to buy a premium spot. We were the first booth as people came in and they STOPPED! And they also had to pass by on their way out.
9. Have a map…
With a large expo centre we got asked a lot about where things were located. It is always nice to be able to assist guests.
