How to Best Prepare for a Conference: An Exhibitor’s Guide

Event season is fast approaching, and we’re excited to be back on-site for our upcoming conferences!

As a quick recap, why is it beneficial to exhibit at an event? Here are a few key reasons to highlight the importance of attending conferences as an exhibitor.

• You can connect with your target audience and clients directly all in one centralized location
• You can showcase your industry solutions and services at an approachable booth
• Various marketing and networking opportunities surrounding the event can further optimize your brand awareness
  
  

Whether you’re exhibiting at an event for the first time, or are just in need of a refresher heading into events season, here are a few helpful tips we’ve compiled to help you prepare for the event season ahead:

1. Keep up to date with ALL event reminders

Upon registering and confirming your attendance, highlight important dates to your work and/or personal calendar to ensure you’re not missing any deadlines for deliverables and are most up-to-date on action items leading up to the event.

Why? Accessing reminders and staying up-to-date on event-related items can help keep you on top of any necessary items to enhance your conference experience and plan for any sudden changes.

2. Schedule an introductory call with your dedicated Event Coordinator

Allocating time to connect with your dedicated Event Coordinator or point of contact is an excellent way to get a first-hand overview of the event, understand what deliverables may be required, note important dates, and much more. 

You may also learn other helpful tips from your Event Coordinator, that aren’t readily available in the documents provided! Question to ask: “Do I know who my event coordinator/point of contact is?” If you’re unsure, we recommend contacting them today!


3. Promote your participation

Let your network know you’re exhibiting at the event! Whether you’re sharing this on social media, or through company newsletters, word-of-mouth, etc., promoting your participation surrounding an event is a great way to increase your digital presence,  and let clients or future attendees know they can find you there!


4. Research your target attendees

Taking time to research your target attendees for the event not only helps to prepare you for future networking opportunities but is also helpful in better understanding what solutions/services they may be interested in and how to best cater to their needs.

Not to mention, some of them may already be in your network!


5. Secure your accommodations and transportation to the event ahead of time

Some conferences may have limited hotel room blocks available to attendees, especially those that offer an “early-bird” type of rate. Our recommendation is to book accommodations and means of transportation once available. For attendees traveling to an event, a quick way to know what your accommodations options are is by connecting with your dedicated event coordinator as soon as possible.

6. Perfect your speaking session (if applicable)

If you will be attending an event as a speaker, we highly recommend preparing your session materials way ahead of time. If possible, connect with your dedicated Production point of contact for any information regarding presentation deliverables or deadlines. 

The earlier you are able to finish preparing your presentation, the more time you will have to collect feedback, fine-tune it, and practice before you go live at the upcoming event. And as they say, practice makes perfect! 


7. Ensure your booth is ready to go

Depending on the conference, some may provide booth services directly or use an external partner who will work with you on your booth. Do you know which method will be in place for your upcoming event? Do you know the exact dimensions of your booth space, and do you have enough banners and other materials to maximize the space? Do your current booth materials effectively introduce your solutions and overall branding, or are they a bit outdated?

We highly recommend contacting your dedicated event coordinator for more information to know what services are provided to ensure your booth will be ready and set in time for the event! Also - this will help keep you on track of any key deadlines! 


8. Prepare your event merch!

Who doesn’t love leaving events with some freebies? For exhibitors, preparing your event merch is a great way to create a buzz amongst the attendees and have them leave the event with a reminder of their experience. 

And overall, showcasing your merch is an excellent conversation starter and a way to drive foot traffic to your booth!


9. Download the event app

Nowadays, more events are using apps to help attendees access key pieces of information in just a few clicks. For a quick reference to items such as the event agenda, venue maps, announcements, and more, we suggest downloading the dedicated event app (if available) to familiarize yourself with the content a few days before the conference.  Tip: Event apps, such as the Generis Event App are available for both iOS and Android. We recommend checking your phone compatibility before your event!

10. Prepare for a post-event connection follow-up strategy

With meaningful connections constantly being built during conferences, it’s important to prepare a solid follow-up strategy to keep those relationships active, even after you leave. 

Whether it’s exchanging contact information, a thank-you email, connecting on social media (i.e. LinkedIn, Twitter), or setting up a coffee chat, plan on what your follow-up strategy will be before the event as a best practice for strengthening your new connections. 

How can I prepare for a Generis event?

Generis summits connect leaders from across the globe, providing a unique platform for debate, education, and opportunity to connect. This upcoming season, we’re looking forward to gathering with executive decision-makers, solution providers, and industry leaders from various organizations. 

For those attending a Generis event, we’ve included a few additional tips to help keep you prepared:

• Whitelist the domain “@generisgp.com” (instructions here) to ensure that all of the key event and marketing-related reminders leading up to the summit make it to your Inbox!  

• Frequently check your Inbox–and Spam!--for communications from members of our Operations Team (Events, Marketing, and/or Production) for key deliverables in the lead-up to the event

• Maximize your digital presence by leveraging our Marketing 365 program (if included in your package)

• Familiarize yourself with our Generis Event App

• Stay connected with us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us! We look forward to hearing from you.


We’re anticipating a successful event season ahead! Learn more about our upcoming summit and secure your spot today:

• 10th American Medical Device Summit | September 26-27, 2023

• 7th American Pharma Manufacturing & Outsourcing Summit | October 9-10, 2023

• 8th American Automotive Summit | October 24-25, 2023

• 5th American Food Manufacturing Summit | November 14-15, 2023
• 9th American Aerospace & Defense Summit | December 4-5, 2023
  
  

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