The Great British Business Show – Part 1
This year, SwitchboardFREE has decided to exhibit at the Great British Business Show. With 25,000 business expected to attend it is the UK’s largest exhibition for anyone starting or growing a business.
As we have learned over the years, call management is one of the last things people think of when starting a business, if at all. So where better to spread the word about SwitchboardFREE and the importance of call management to the people who really need it the most?
Over this series of 3 blog posts, we will explore our experience of the Great British Business Show. We will look at why we want to attend in the first place and what we plan to do once we get there. The second post will cover what actually happened at the show and what it was like. Finally, we will finish the series with our conclusions about how successful the show was and, more importantly, if it was worth doing?
Hopefully we will be able to answer the question of whether the Great British Business Show is something you would be interested in attending or exhibiting at in the future. Maybe we will even answer the question of whether trade shows are worth the time and expense they incur.
What do we expect to achieve by exhibiting?
Our main objective in exhibiting at the Great British Business Show is to interact with as many new businesses as possible so that we can spread the word about SwitchboardFREE.
Based on last year’s figures, it is estimated that 25,000+ visitors will attend this year’s show. By exhibiting at the venue, SwitchboardFREE aims to gain the chance to interact with a large selection of new start-ups and established businesses, who otherwise would be unaware of SwitchboardFREE and possibly unaware of the need for call management in the first place.
It will also be of great interest to find out about new businesses, get a better insight into their needs so that we can build a better, slicker SwitchboardFREE. Feedback is always important, not just for improving SwitchboardFREE but also for enhancing all of our products and services.
How do we plan to stand out amongst the 350 or so other businesses exhibiting?
There’s not much point in going to the show if our message is lost amongst the noise of other exhibitors and businesses there that day. With that in mind, we have come up with a plan to make ourselves stand out from the crowd.
- Be friendly and approachable
This is obvious, right? Well we thought so too, but it seems that this is an ideal that a lot of exhibitors have failed to consider in past trade shows that we have attended as visitors. It is a fundamental point but an important one to make. - Catch people’s attention with good graphics
We plan to spend the time between now and the show designing custom materials specially for the show that are cohesive and informative. The idea is to catch people’s attention but also to give them the information that is most relevant to them at a glance. - Have a bit of fun with scratch cards and prizes
In order to be more memorable to everyone we speak to after the show once it’s over, we have designed some custom scratch cards with prizes that range from a Mobile Tablet and SwitchboardFREE giveaways, right through to something as quirky as a free hug. - Have plenty of freebies on hand
On top of the scratch cards, we are also producing plenty of freebies that we can give away on the day. Rather than just use simple (and forgettable) novelty items, we will be giving away really handy things that can be used day in, day out.
So, now we’ve decided to go and have figured out a game plan, what are we bringing?
- Business Cards
Again this is obvious right? If you’re going to a trade show you definitely need business cards to give away. This is a basic that can’t be forgotten! - Promotional Flyers
This is another aspect that can’t be overlooked. People need promotional material to take away with them, especially when there are so many other businesses exhibiting. - Boards and displays
You have to catch people’s attention at events, so if you don’t have your boards and displays with you then you probably won’t get the results you want. - Scratch Card Promotions
Something quirky that we hope will help us stand out from the crowd. - Freebies
We’ve stocked up on useful free giveaways so that our presence at the show will be remembered.
Now that we’re ready, we’ll see you there
If you’re also going to the show then please pop over to our stall, we’re exhibiting at stand 328 so come by to say hello, we’d love to meet you.
If you’re not coming, then please visit our blog just after show and we’ll give you an update in the next post in this series letting you know exactly how it all went.