A behind-the-scenes look at how to improve exposure at hotel brand trade shows

You’ve been there…hundreds of vendors on the trade show floor, all trying to stand out and capture the attention of hotel owners. Did you know you can gain a competitive advantage before the event starts?

Putting on a national conference for a hotel brand entails many months of intensive planning. An extensive number of materials, presentations and events must be produced, all with immediate deadlines. We know, because our group has developed conferences for major brands for 20 years.

As a vendor, the more you know about processes and decisions behind the scenes from the people who actually create everything, the better potential exposure and sales opportunities you can expect.

Here are three quick tips to get you started.

These may seem obvious and simple, but you won’t believe the impact they may have on your presence at a conference.

1. Send in your trade show participation form early
   • • The sooner you submit the form, the better consideration for booth placement at the trade show. Every year, we see a large influx of last-minute vendor participation forms come in and many of the premium trade show spaces are already booked.
2. Carefully prepare your promotional materials
   • • Ads for the conference or event programs that are received on deadline and prepared correctly with the right specs, sizes and resolution go to the head of the class. They have a better chance of being placed in more visible positions.
     • Make sure your company’s logo is sent in the right format so it looks good on signs and within presentations.
     • The descriptive copy you provide for various conference specials or listings should be clear, concise and proofread. The conference team preparing these materials is in a hectic state to meet deadlines and may miss typos or improper grammar in information you provide.
3. Ideas are welcome
   Sponsoring an event is good exposure for your company, but how do you take that to the next level and enhance your visibility?
   • • Offer ideas to the brand’s planning committee beforehand. Conference planners are always looking for new ways to engage the hoteliers and offer entertaining and educational events.
     • You may have ideas for decorations and giveaway items that you can provide to enhance the attendees’ experience and showcase your company more. You might have ideas for activities at the event, maybe special recognition for an award or even some type of participation to support the brand’s charity.

Simple ideas that go a long way toward increasing your level of exposure and are easy to implement.