So what happens after the show is over and booths are taken down and the Jatvis Center is a ghost town? Do the designers get to take a break? No way!
After the show is probably by far the busiest time of exhibiting at a trade show. Not only do you need to get back to some sort of normalcy but if all went well, it’s time to fulfill orders and meet deadlines. Understanding how hectic it can be returning from a large show such as the National Stationery Show, Katie and Nancy were kind enough to take the time to provide some feedback and advice.
Reflecting on how she presented last year in the show, Katie was able to make this year’s show a success. Let’s hear what she had to say:
“Preparing for the show was a major under taking, and one that should start months in advance. Getting new products ready is just one piece of this wild puzzle — booth design, marketing, PR, new business outreach, corporate identity, shipping logistics and travel arrangements are the remaining pieces, which all take an extraordinary amount of time to prepare. I believe the pre-show planning gets easier / smoother the more you exhibit. This year we built upon things we’d done last year — carried our branding into our first catalog, a revamped pricing list and order form. Basically, we weren’t starting from scratch and having done the show last year, we knew what types of forms we’d need on hand.
Setting up for the show was much easier this year. My mantra this year was keep it simple. We utilized light weight, easily transferrable, and easily assembled items for our booth. We rented foam board walls, which was convenient for displaying all of our products. I really liked our booth this year — it was clean, streamlined, with a bit of modern mixed in. And, best of all, it was made from all recycled, reused materials (which were then donated for reuse after the show). Our booth did a great job of reflecting the Kelp Designs brand.
I feel like most of us at the show are running on pure adrenaline while we’re there. We worked so hard to get there, but the real work comes during & after the show.”
Nancy also reflected on her first experience exhibiting at the National Stationery Show and listed some key points she’ll change for next year:
- We didn’t understand the blog world very well. Now I see that so many folks are out there taking pictures of your booth! Wow!.
- We would not have ALL of our cards in sleeves the next time – they don’t photograph very well.
- Also, for buyers we will tag each card with all info next time… most our team did that and we didn’t.
- We also want to having our wedding book ready for next year.
- I would be great to MAKE SURE I get to see everything at the show I want to see.
And lastly, I leave you with some great advice from Katie:
- Pace yourself, but make sure you’re front & center meeting people and telling them about your products and how they are different.
- Treat everyone you meet as if they are a potential customer. We met a lot of students and/or designers walking the show. Although not retailers, you never know where these people will be 2, 5 or 10 years from now. Each contact is good as gold.
- Its a warm, small and collaborative industry. I met several people who were trying to decide if they will exhibit at a future NSS. I love talking to these people and sharing my experiences with them to help them move forward. Others have done the same for me and I continue to look to my network for advice & counsel. Pay it forward is basically what I guess I’m trying to say.
Thank you Katie and Nancy for sharing your experiences at the National Stationery Show. We really appreciate the advice and insight you’ve provided.
If you have any questions for Katie or Nancy, please feel free to contact them directly or leave a comment.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bridgett, Katie Hunt. Katie Hunt said: Thanks B! @perideaudesigns Wrapping up our #stationeryshow talk w/ advice & feedback from @hazelandviolet @kelpdesigns – http://ow.ly/1UvWz [...]