Tips for Exhibiting at a Bridal Show or Fair

Bridal shows and fairs are a great way to meet potential clients. There is a lot more to it than renting a space and sitting at a table. You will want to make sure you are at the right show and that you will be able to attract attention.

How to pick the right show. In many larger cities there are several different companies that put on bridal shows. They are traditionally held in the first months of the year and in the fall months. Some companies do two shows a year, some only do one. If possible, you will want to attend one of their shows as a guest. Look for high attendance. You want to be in a show that has been well advertised. Make sure the floor plan is laid out well. You want there to be a flow of traffic that moves through all the exhibitors. Make sure it looks like it is being run professionally and smoothly. Location should also be a consideration. You want to exhibit in the area you want to work.

Once you pick a show, ask a few questions before you pay your deposit. Find out exactly how much it will cost and what is included. Will you have a booth with walls or just an open space? Will you be provided with a table, linens and chairs? If they give you a form to rent these items separately you may want to consider finding an independent rental company. Many times the cost of these items will be inflated specifically for the show. Also ask how many other exhibitors there will be and how many of them do the same thing you do. Shows are usually heavily saturated with photographers. Make sure if you are a photographer that no more than ten percent of the vendors will be photographers.

How to make your booth stand out. If possible pick a corner booth or one near the entrance. Sometimes these spaces cost more. You will need to decide if it is worth it. At the very least make sure you are not in the far corner or somewhere that looks like it might not get traffic.

Presentation is everything. Bridal shows are usually noisy with a lot going on. You need to attract attention. Try and use a cohesive color scheme. Make sure your table linens go to the ground. You can utilize your local rental company to get nice linens and chairs that are nicer than the ones that may be provided. If you plan to exhibit in a lot of shows you will want to own your own things to save money in the long run. Invest in a nice sign. It doesn't have to be expensive. Your logo on canvas with a stand will work.

One of the most important things will by your interaction with your prospective clients. You will mainly be talking to brides and their mothers or friends. Greet each person. Ask questions about their wedding. Brides love to talk about their weddings. You can quickly get an idea of what style of wedding they are having and how your service or product will fit in. Be friendly and genuinely interested in them. I notice that the vendors who have outgoing personalities but who don't sound like used car salesmen get the most business.

Some vendors choose to have a popcorn machine at their booth. Handing out popcorn will draw people and the smell will carry through the whole show. Do not plan to do something like this unless you have help. You don't want to be too busy operating a machine. You want to be able to answer questions and give out information about your business.

How to get the business. Your main goal will to get as many people to book with you as possible. Offer incentives for booking with you right there at the show. You can offer discounts or free products or services. Have your calendar or whatever else you need on hand to take reservations as well as deposits.

Not all brides come prepared to made deposits and book vendors. They are just there to look and see what is available. Have literature to hand out and make sure it gets into every bride's hand. At the front desk where the brides get tickets to enter the show they are often handed bags with free samples and flyers in it. Brides will walk from vendor to vendor and collect information and drop it in their bag. When they get home they will turn their bag out and go through everything they were given. You want your literature to be something she will notice. Some great hand outs that I have seen include:

*Candy bars wrapped with the company logo and information.
*Small gift boxes filled with a sample of your product and information.
*Envelope tied with a pretty ribbon containing a price list and information.

Think creatively. You will spend a little money on your hand outs but you want them to stand out. Remember that there are a lot of vendors at the show and you don't want potential customers to forget about you.

Other things to keep in mind. Many companies that run the bridal shows will charge for power. It can be quite expensive. Use battery powered laptops and lights if possible. Don't order power and then plug items into it anyway. Often they will do an audit by walking around the booths to make sure you aren't doing this. They may charge you more than the original fee.

If you are hesitant about doing a particular show you can wait until the last minute to sign up for it. They will often give big discounts if the show is not full. They have spent a lot of money advertising and they do not want brides to feel like there were not many vendors. They have a reputation to uphold. Do not do this if you want to be in a show for sure. Some shows fill up quickly and even have waiting lists.

Remember the most important part is to meet brides and share with them what your company can do to make their wedding special.