You might think you have everything sorted for your exhibition, you’ve written your list and checked it twice, but what if there is something you haven’t planned for?
The nightmare arises when you arrive to the exhibition venue and there’s no WiFi, or they don’t have any plug sockets! What are you supposed to do now?
Fear not, we’ve put together a list of some of the technical elements you might need to consider before ticking that last mark off your list next time.
So, what should you be thinking about tech wise, and considering in your planning process?
Lighting
You may have the most beautiful product you want to show off, only to turn up and your stand be tucked away in a little dingy corner with no natural light. How is your product supposed to shine now?
Consider investing in some standalone LED lamps or clip on lights that can be affixed to elements of your stand. Better yet if these lights are come with adjustable stems – they’ll fit anywhere in your booth and allow you to customise your lighting setup better than static lamps.
The lighting you use can really make a difference as to how your product is perceived and how attention grabbing it is for passers-by.
Take a look at some of the X-Module new LED lights here:
Sound Systems
If part of your promotion involves audio, it could be an idea to invest in a good speaker for your exhibitions, sometimes a laptop just won’t cut it. Sound will come out tinny or not even audible at all due to the noise of the event.
This doesn’t have to cost much and is a real investment, if it’s a decent size and portable, it can make its money back on a number of different events or shows where it may come in handy.
You may also want to consider microphones, whether they’re headsets or handheld, if you’re doing a demonstration and people are crowding around your booth, the ones at the back may not hear.
It doesn’t have to be set to eardrum-bursting loudness, but if you’re not able to throw your voice a microphone would be a great investment if you’re ever planning to address a fair few people at once.
Plug Sockets
This is possibly the most important technical element to remember. Double and triple check that the venue you’re using has plug sockets for each stand. Even if they say yes, bring extension leads!
These plug sockets may end up being a good 4 or 5 metres away and being shared between multiple stands, and then you’ve run into trouble if you have more than one thing to plug in but no extension lead.
Your laptop might need charging, your lights might need power, you name it, there is bound to be a moment where you need a plug. Being covered on all bases here ensures that you’re not left completely stranded and unable to use any of the equipment you’ve bought along with you.
Presentations and Monitors
Back up all of your presentations on a USB stick, and make sure if you’ve created them using online resources to download them to your desktop on your laptop, just in case you can’t access the internet you then have two failsafe options to ensure your presentation can still run.
This is more for flair than practicality, as a laptop can still work, but if you have the space and budget consider purchasing a monitor and stand to accompany your exhibition booth. This can look far more professional and slicker than a laptop, but is by no means a must, simply an added extra.
WiFi
In this day and age, you would be shocked if modern venues don’t have available WiFi, but there’s always the chance that they won’t, or even if they do, there’s always the possibility of network disruption or overloading!
To combat this, if for example your sign up process for lead generation is entirely digital, ensure you have a hard copy or paper back up should any technical mishaps arise.
Potential WiFi failure is also a reason to bring any presentation materials on a pen drive too!
Top Tip!
It could really do your stand well to check in advance with the venue what they provide as standard for their exhibitors, and what can be hired or supplied with special request.
The venue may have a limited number of sound systems or lights to lend out, but these will need booking and will get booked up fast.
Get to the front of the queue and consider these elements early and liaise with the venue about their availability.
This will save you a lot of last minute stress, and probably space in the car driving down if you’re not lugging equipment about everywhere!
For more exhibition planning tips, take a look at this section of our blog. To find your ideal exhibition stand, or for anything else we can help you with, contact us at 200m2 today.
