Show organizers have been struggling for years with the question of how to provide training for their exhibitors. Training their exhibitors will actually pay attention to and delivered to them at the appropriate time. On-site training doesn’t work. By the time the show rolls around it’s too late to do anything more than give advice about booth etiquette. It doesn’t address what exhibit managers need to know. So What is the right kind of training?

1. Exhibitor Training
Should your trade show offer it?

2. “Why is this our
responsibility?”
Show Organizer

3. Because, without exhibitors,
there is no show floor.

4. If exhibitors are not successful,
they will likely not return
year after year.

5. Timeline
Timing is everything…
Exhibitor training should take place
starting seven months before the
show.

6. That is the lead-time needed if
you are giving effective training
that will actually help the
exhibitors.

7. Training on the show floor a
day or a couple hours before
the exhibit hall opens is a
complete waste of time.

8. What information are you
giving exhibitors, at the
last minute, that they can
benefit from?
?

9. You wouldn’t start training
for a marathon the day
before or a couple
hours prior to the
race would you?

10. “What type of
training should we
offer?” Show Organizer

11. If you’re holding etiquette
classes you’re not adding
value.

12. Etiquette tips belong in an
email, not an in-person class.

13. Exhibitor training should be
about providing information
exhibitors need to be
successful.

14. Information like…
How to communicate with your attendees in their pre-show
marketing.
What kind of content and activities to deliver in their
booth.
How to prepare their booth staff so they are more
effective.
How to use social media effectively.
How to take advantage of tools the show provides its
exhibitors.

15. “But we already
offer training and
no one shows up.” Show Organizer

16. Does the content you offer
have meat to it?

17. Take a look at the content of
that training and ask yourself,
is this going to help make
them successful?

18. You need to help your
exhibitors rise above all the
noise.

19. Perhaps the problem is the
format you are delivering your
training.

20. Training should be offered in multiple
formats. In person training is fantastic but
not all your exhibitors will be able to take
advantage of it. Offer training via:
Webinars
On-demand video
Podcasts

21. If you don’t currently offer
training, bring it up in your
next planning meeting
Ask… “why don’t we offer it?”

22. If the answer is, we’ve tried it
before but no one showed up.
Ask how the training was
delivered, when was it delivered
and what did it cover?

23. It’s possible the reason no
one took advantage of it, is
because it was not
relevant, not valuable, not
timely?
?

24. For More Info and ideas
For more information on the training
options the Trade Show Institute
offers show organizers, check out
our online offerings as well as our
in-person presentations.

25. BY TRACI BROWNE.
@TraciBrowne