Things to consider BEFORE you join a bridal fair

Joining a Bridal Fair or any Trade Fair for that matter is an effective promotion and sales tool for start up companies and small businesses. Whether this is your "nth" or 1st time to participate, these tips will help you get the best ROI (Return On Investment).

Below are some tips to make your participation worth your while and money.

1) Set your goals.
Like anything in life, don't just go charging in. Find out what you're getting into and why.

What are your expectations? Do you expect to sell certain items at the fair, or expect to make possible tie ups with other suppliers? Are you introducing a new product or service to the public?

It is ok to have more than one goal, as long as you are clear about what your participation in the Bridal Fair is going to achieve.

2) Do your Research.
You need to select the Bridal Fairs that will give your business the best ROI in terms of your goals. Determine the bridal fair (month) that is best to market your services (Before I Do Bridal Fair Series is in the months of April, July and November).

To help you with your research why not ask fellow wedding suppliers why they join Before I Do Bridal Fair Series for the nth time. Nothing beats first hand information. Click here to check out what some Exhibitors say about us.

Find out more about our Bridal Fair click here.

3) Allot a budget and book your booth early.
Find out everything you can about your preferred booth space and the amenities that goes with it. Always ask for a layout to select the best location for you. Ask if they zone exhibitors by category, who will occupy the booth beside the one you want, is it a high traffic or low traffic area, etc.

At Before I Do Bridal Fair Series, we do not practice zoning because we do not want to limit you to an area that you think will not benefit you. If you really want to position yourself at the forefront of the fair or prime area, be ready to book early because our booths are selling like hot cakes! Call us now at 8093119 and ask for our updated layout.

4) Think of your audience when you plan your participation.
Identify who is your target market for your bridal fair display? Brides? Grooms? Parents? Retail customers?  Other businesses in your industry?

Different audiences "shop" trade fairs differently, and have different needs. So be prepared!

5) Spread the word in advance.
Spread the word that you're joining a particular expo or Before I Do Bridal Fair. Invite clients, customers, suppliers, and other contacts to attend. Don’t forget to inform them about your booth number or location. It’s likely that these contacts will also help you to spread the word about the upcoming event.

Be sure to advertise your participation in the coming bridal fair on your web site. This is the best way to meet people (specially clients) face to face and to get to know them or their wedding needs better. Knowing their needs helps you create a package that addresses that need right there and then.

As an Exhibitor, we can provide you with a special tile ad highlighting your participation at the bridal fair for FREE or even a tarp that you can hang outside your shop!

6) Train your staff
Your staff should know your products and services well and should be passionate and enthusiastic about what you offer. Information is vital. Don't just put up a display and give out flyers. Have them talk to the guests and find out what they need in order to provide them the appropriate package or service.

How to WOW! your audience

1) Be neat… Be visible…

Your display is one of the most important aspects of your presentation. Use display shelves for your products at eye-level to draw customers into your display. Your booth and items must be organized and tidy all the time. Exhibitors who put the most time and effort into their booth and booth presence get the best results. One way to set your presence apart from others is by the size of your booth. Rent two booths for a bigger impact. Bigger is better in the trade show game.

 2) Items on demand.
If you are selling or retailing items, give an impression that your items “HOT Stuff” or “BEST SELLERS”. Customers would like to try out what you are offering out of curiosity.

3) Draw & encourage potential customers to your booth.

Use colorful displays such as balloons, streamers, live presentations or demonstrations. Make them curious with what you are offering.

4) Prepare giveaways for distribution.
Small items that people can take home and use are best. Place these items in a location where people will have to walk into or through your display to get them. Do not forget to include your contact details to remind them how to get intouch with you. You can also donate the same giveaways for the hourly raffle. Remember, everyone loves hourly raffles.

5) And the winner is!
Having some kind of contest is a great way to collect contact information from booth visitors. You can give away promotion items as prizes to encourage people to participate.

6) Prepare  plenty of flyers, brochures and calling cards.
It is important to have plenty of supply of colorful fliers and brochures and business cards that you can hand out to booth visitors so it will be easy for them to contact you in the future. Other suppliers use perfumes/scents so that visitors can remember them.

7) Be ready to do business.
You are joining a Bridal Expo or Exhibit because you want to do business. Be sure you have all your forms ready such as order forms, pens, contracts, and other forms that you would need to conduct sales and keep track of people's bookings or orders.

8) Manning your booth.

The toughest thing about trade show promotion is that it can be truly exhausting. It is a condensed marketing strategy and it requires significant effort.

Wear comfortable shoes and make sure you bring breath mints (but not chewing gum). There are some Exhibitors who set up their booth and then sit in the corner on their cell phone all weekend. Just being present is not enough. To get maximum results you must be present, smile until it hurts and give it all you have. Renting a booth and putting your products in it will not guarantee you the success you want. If you can't be present you'll need the right people to assist you.

Assign someone to man your booth if you can’t be there to entertain your visitors, someone who can greet customers and take sales orders. In a 2x2 sqm booth it is advisable to have 2 representatives to man your booth. Less than that, your representative will have a hard time entertaining multiple visitors. More than 2 representatives will make the space too small for them. A nice touch is to have your booth staff wear a shirt with your logo on it in your company colors perhaps.

9) Interact with visitors.

When people approach your booth offer a friendly welcome and ask how you can help them or if they have questions. Remember to smile; don't stand there with your arms crossed over your chest. Engage your booth visitors into a conversation, and find out what aspect of your business they're most interested in.

Train your staff in some way for their active participation in your success. Encourage them to smile and have a welcoming attitude and to be prepared to offer specific solutions to visitors' questions.

10) Follow up promptly.
Bridal Expositions and Trade shows can be incredible sources of contacts and customers for your business. Gather as much information from your visitors and send out email, regular mail, or make the phone calls to follow up on the contacts and leads that you got during the Expo as soon as possible. The faster you send them out, the more you will be remembered by the customer.

It's Time to Plan Your Wedding!

It’s time to plan your dream wedding and what better way to start your wedding plans by attending Before I Do Bridal Fair on August 11 and 12!

If it's your first time to attend a Bridal Fair be prepared to be overwhelmed with the bustling crowd and the many wedding booths to check out. When I attended my first bridal fair I almost gave up. I was so overwhelmed with the crowd and exhibits. That's why the next time I attended a Bridal Fair I made sure that I'm prepared. With a little planning you too can navigate your way around and enjoy yourself. 

Invitations by Kenneth Uy

Here are some tips when attending a Bridal Fair:

• Check out which suppliers are joining Before I Do Bridal Fair and plan on which ones you’ll want to connect with. This will help you trim down which suppliers you need and save time. 
• Create a separate email address to be used while you are planning your wedding.  This way you can delete it when you no longer are interested in receiving special offers from the vendors.

Live Performance of Enrico Braza's Entertainment Center

• Bring a companion with you – best if you can get 2 or 3 people to attend the fair with you (your fiancee, best friend, mother, sister or maid of honor). Just remember not to bring your whole entourage. You might end up leaving early or not finish on time because everyone wants to look at this, at that...
• Bring your wedding card – Wedding card is just like your regular Business Card but this includes your name, your fiancee’s name, wedding date (if you have one set), mailing address, (wedding) email address, land line number and mobile number. Give this to suppliers who would ask for your wedding details. 
• Pre-register ahead of time ( http://bid12.doattend.com/ ) so that you do not have to fill out forms on the day of the fair. Just remember to bring your tickets! Remember, no ticket, no entry.
• Wear something comfortable and appropriate. Walking shoes is advisable. Be kind to your feet and don't go around the fair in heels. 
• Wedding suppliers will give out flyers at the fair. Be sure to have a folder or bag, big enough to hold all the literature that you'll be getting.  
• Ask lots of questions, that's what the exhibitors are there for! I guarantee you that they will be happy to answer all of your questions.

DBPhosgraphis

Get there early and book your suppliers between 10am and 1pm because we'll double your chances of winning a 3 day 2 night stay at Hotel Vida!  For every Php 500 accumulated receipts entitles you to 1 vote/coupon. The more suppliers you book, the more chances of winning!

See you on August 11 and 12, 2012, Saturday and Sunday, at Megatrade Hall 3, SM Megamall. The exhibition hall is open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Before I Do Bridal Fair is supported by Sound Level, Mr. Hardinero, Nice Print Photography, Business World, 88DB.com, Bridalbook.ph, Kasal.com, Herword.com, GodSpeed Exhibits and Simply Beautiful Events.

So get ready with your walking shoes and let's go!