Trade Show Checklist
4.8/5 with 331 votes
Table of Contents
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- 3-6 months before the Trade Show
- Review your exhibiting plan and objectives.
- Schedule a vendor presentation.
- Decide on your main message.
- Pick your booth.
- Design your banner and handouts.
- Plan on at least 3 people.
- Finish all the travel arrangements.
- Decide how your booth will be different.
- Buy shirts and other swag.
- Pay early to avoid rush charges.
- 1 month before the Trade Show
- Reach out to attendees before the show.
- Promote the show.
- Design your exhibit to boldly and clearly communicate who you are.
- Select motivated, friendly, knowledgeable booth staffers.
- Days Before the Trade Show
- Bring your event staff together for a final meeting before you depart.
- Brief booth staff on proper etiquette, dress, and how to best make an at-show sale.
- Call your event sponsor and/or the contact person at the event site to confirm all of your materials and booth have arrived.
- Double check the location where you will pick up your items.
- Call airport, train station, rental car company and hotel to confirm arrangements.
- Go over your show objectives so you have them memorized.
- Re-examine your post-show marketing strategy.
- Change your voice mail and email message to let people know you are out of town.
- Bring with you business cards.
- Check your e-mail and voice mail for any last-minute problems.
- Make a to-do list for things that must be done your first day back.
- At the Trade Show
- Ask questions instead of pitching.
- Stand, don't sit.
- Get into the aisle.
- Make notes on business cards.
- Walk the floor and talk to everyone.
- Take names instead of pushing brochures.
- Quality not quantity.
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Presented by:
Campbell Rodriguez
Stats
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144
Views: 144
Uses
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Uses: 10
Tasks
36
Tasks: 36
Who it's for
This Trade Show Checklist is for teams that want consistent execution, less rework, and clear ownership.
- Standardize quality - run the same Trade Show steps every time, regardless of who executes
- Save time - reuse a proven Trade Show workflow instead of rebuilding processes from scratch
- Improve accountability - assign owners and see what's done vs. what's pending
- Onboard faster - use the Trade Show checklist as the SOP and training guide
- Coordinate across roles - handoffs are clear and everyone works from the same source of truth
How to use it
How to use this Trade Show Checklist:
- Start by saving it - save as a Template if you'll reuse it, or as a Checklist if it's a one-off project.
- Customize it once for your workflow - remove what doesn't apply and add your team-specific steps.
- Assign ownership and execute - set owners/due dates where needed and track completion as work happens.
- Reuse without rebuilding - when Trade Show comes up again, start from your saved version and run it with clear ownership.
Rate this Checklist
5 stars
Scores 4.80 with 331 votes