Oldham-based Ripple Developments, a display and merchandising company, hadn’t exhibited for 15 years. ‘Based on the experience of our last exhibition I was somewhat cynical,’ says David Wolfenden, managing director. But Ripple decided to have another try and exhibited at the In-store Design & Marketing Show at Earls Court.

The target set was to achieve 30 new customers bringing in sales of £500,000 and to establish Ripple’s profile as a leading player in its industry. Wolfenden called on the expertise of The Exhibiting Agency (TEA), which focuses on providing training and outsourcing services for exhibitions.

‘It comes as no surprise to me that attendance at exhibitions is falling off by up to 40 per cent,’ says John Blaskey, TEA’s founder. ‘It’s not enough to produce a smart exhibition stand and expect the orders to come flooding in. Like every marketing discipline, careful planning, preparation and follow-up is essential to ensure success.

Four key areas must be addressed, according to Blaskey. Customers must be attracted to the stand, time-wasters must be rejected, prospective customers should be informed about the credentials of the company and, finally, attempts must be made to arrange an appointment after the exhibition.

Unusually, Blaskey cautions that use of the company’s sales team on the stand might hinder results. ‘Sales people can spend too long talking up the company. The point is to be concise and to get a commitment,’ he argues.

He also doesn’t advocate the use of promotional materials. ‘No literature or freebies, it draws attention away from your message and most of it will end up in the dustbin anyway.’

In addition, companies should consider exhibiting, not only at the shows that target their own industries, but also at their potential clients’ exhibitions, as their competitors are less likely to be there.

After following TEA’s advice, Ripple gained 190 qualified new business leads from the show and plans to exhibit again soon. ‘Ripple’s profile was raised to something that not only made us the envy of the show, it altered the perspective of virtually all the prospects, customers, competitors and very importantly our own employees,’ comments Wolfenden.