Exhibition Staff Training & Exceed Show Objectives

Make Your Exhibition A Success

Hosting a successful exhibition stand requires careful planning and preparation. One of the most critical elements is properly training your exhibition staff. Well-trained stand staff can engage visitors, promote your products and services effectively, and help achieve your exhibition objectives. Follow this exhibition staff training guide to excel at your next show.

Set Clear Goals and Expectations

The first step is defining what you want to accomplish at the exhibition. Common goals include:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Generating new sales leads
• Closing sales
• Collecting visitor data
• Promoting new products/services
• Networking and finding partners

With clear goals, you can design your stand, messaging, and staff training to support achieving them. Share the goals with your staff so everyone understands what success looks like. Set reasonable expectations for lead and sales targets so staff stay motivated.

Plan Your Exhibition Stand Design

Your stand design, layout, and appearance will impact your team’s effectiveness. A well-designed exhibition stand should:

• Reflect your brand identity and draw attention
• Provide adequate space for product displays, meetings, and storage
• Have a logical visitor flow
• Accommodate staff numbers needed
• Have eye-catching visuals and messaging

Also, ensure you have the necessary furniture, lighting, technology, catering, and stand-building covered.

Select Your Exhibition Stand Staff

Choosing the right stand team is vital. Look for staff with:

• In-depth knowledge of your company, products, and services
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience working exhibitions and trade shows
• High energy and confidence engaging visitors
• Fluency in languages needed for international shows
• Ability to stand for long periods

A mix of sales, marketing, technical, and customer service staff often works best. Hired temporary exhibition staff can supplement your team.

Exhibition Stand Staff Training

With your goals set and team selected, provide comprehensive staff training to ensure success:

Product Knowledge Training

• Give an overview of all products/services on display and key features
• Demo product usage
• Compare to competitors’ offerings
• Cover ideal customer profiles and use cases

Exhibition Stand Briefing

• Explain the show goals, target visitor numbers, and sales objectives
• Review the exhibitor manual and show the rules
• Discuss the stand layout, zones, displays, and daily schedules
• Assign staff roles and responsibilities

Visitor Engagement Training

• Ways to grab attention and draw visitors in (e.g. smiles, open body language)
• How to open conversations and build rapport
• Questioning techniques to qualify and understand needs
• Tailored messaging to promote products
• Guidance to move visitors along the sales funnel
• Tips for interacting with VIP/CEO visitors

Exhibition Stand Processes

• Protocols for visitor registration and data capture
• Methods for identifying hot prospects
• Lead handling and follow-up procedures
• Directions for product demos and trials
• Ordering and payment processes for on-site sales
• Daily stand set-up and tear-down duties

General Exhibition Staff Conduct

• Stand appearance and dress code
• Professional and courteous behaviour
• Timeliness and attendance requirements
• Stand safety and emergency procedures
• Company code of conduct

Pre-Show Exhibition Stand Rehearsals

It’s ideal to provide opportunities for your stand personnel to practice before the event:

• Roleplay everyday visitor conversations and scenarios
• Perform mock product demonstrations and pitches
• Try out registration and data capture tools
• Set up stand components and practice interactive displays
• Ensure staff are comfortable with all processes and materials

Address any issues or knowledge gaps that arise.

Create Exhibition Staff Schedules

For larger stands, you’ll need a roster to allocate staff across show times. Ensure you have:

• Adequate coverage for busy periods
• Sufficient staff for product zones, reception, registration, etc.
• Stand experts available when VIPs/prospects may visit
• Rotations for breaks, meals, and rest periods
• A duty manager for each shift

Have a plan to handle absenteeism as well.

If you are speaking with an agency such as Evaluate, then this is something you want to cover!

Conduct Exhibition Stand Briefings

Hold briefings before each show day to review:

• Show updates, visitor numbers, hot leads
• Review the daily schedule and staff assignments
• Recap goals and required stand activities
• Address any concerns and motivational messages
• Upcoming VIPs or important visitors are expected

Keep the energy and focus levels high.

Provide Ongoing Training and Feedback

Monitor stand staff and provide further coaching as needed:

• Provide feedback on interactions and engagement
• Additional training between show days if gaps become apparent
• Share team successes and areas for improvement daily
• Provide motivation and encouragement

Adjust schedules or responsibilities if beneficial. Capture feedback from staff as well.

Exhibition Staff Follow-Up

After the event:

• Recognise great work and thank stand staff
• Debrief on wins; leads generated, and targets met
• Identify areas for improvement at future shows
• Gather data, feedback, and ideas from the team
• Share and celebrate successes

This will enhance future exhibition performance and staff retention.

With strategic planning and thorough exhibition staff training, your team will be poised for success. Well-prepared and confident stand staff can make all the difference in showcasing your brand effectively and accomplishing your exhibition goals. Use these tips to train and motivate your team for a superstar exhibition stand performance.

Additional Exhibition Staff Training Tips

Here are some additional best practices for training your exhibition team:

• Conduct training well in advance, not just a few days before the show
• Make training interactive and engaging, not just one-way lectures
• Include case studies and real-world examples during training
• Use photos, videos, and site visits to familiarize staff with the venue and stand
• Test staff knowledge retention with quizzes or assessments
• Consider certifying stand staff once they complete training
• Schedule refresher training periodically after the initial training
• Maintain training manuals and materials for current and future shows
• Capture feedback from staff on the training experience

Many factors go into exhibition success, but having a well-prepared, professional stand team is one of the most critical. Investing in their training will pay dividends at showtime.

Exhibition Staff Frequently Asked Questions

What is exhibition staff?

Exhibition staff are the personnel that man company exhibition stands at trade shows and public exhibitions. Their roles include engaging visitors, promoting the brand/products, generating new leads, educating about offerings, and more.

How do you stand out at an exhibition?

Ways to stand out include having an eye-catching, creative stand design; interactive displays and tech; enthusiasm and great people skills; unique offerings and value; compelling visuals; fun activities or contests; generating buzz on social media; what about going green with big eco credentials?

How do you engage people at an exhibition?

Strategies for engaging people include smiling and making eye contact, having an open booth layout, using attention-grabbing graphics, asking open-ended questions, listening intently to visitors, sharing informative content, and offering show specials or giveaways.

What is an exhibition crew?

An exhibition crew are temporary staff hired to help set up, manage, and dismantle a trade show booth and assist full-time company staff during the exhibition.