Guest Writer – Gabriella Beyer-King 4 Key Ingredients to a fruitful Exhibition, by BK Links 

As a business owner and managing director of BK Links, I have the privilege to meet and work alongside different-sized packaging companies who are looking to find the secrets to lead generation, business development, and more importantly, ensuring their exhibition is as successful as it can be.  

From my experience and from being asked the same questions time and time again, here are my top 4 suggestions for a successful show: 

1. He Who Fails to Plan is Planning to Fail  

The trick is in ensuring you prepare as much as possible before the show. Have you thought about asking or checking with Easyfairs, the show’s organisers, about what is new at the show this year? As an example of what is new this year for Packaging Innovations & Empack, is the ‘Foodservice Zone’ dedicated to driving innovation in the fast-moving foodservice market, created in collaboration with the FPA’. Understanding the new sections of the show will help you organise your time or that of your staff to check out zones like this one for possible new or current customers, suppliers, or maybe as a knowledge tool for your business growth plans.  

2. Look Who’s Talking 

Also, before the show, check out the speakers. The talks offer an excellent opportunity for networking. It might be a competitor hosting a talk; therefore, it would require you to keep in mind that the people listening to them are possibly the same customers that are looking at your products and that you are looking to attract. Consequently, it might be a good idea for a member of your team to go and attend that chat, as well as to find out who is listening to them. Another benefit of attending talks might be that brands or one of your customers could be presenting, understanding their experience with suppliers can also foster a stronger relationship with your clients.  

3. If you Judge a Book by its Cover, you may miss an Amazing Story…  

At the show, it’s vital to speak to as many people as possible – without specific objectives or assumptions in mind. This includes any pre-conceptions about a buyer or CEO’s appearance. In my experience, people come in all colours, sizes, and fashion choices, and none of them determine whether they are the CEO of a business or an employee. As a result, at all times, try and keep in mind that people buy from people! Smiling, positive energy, and finding a common ground will be much more valuable than speaking about business from the onset. People remember others by how you make them feel, rather than the numbers.  

4. Happily Ever After 

After the show, is a crucial time to add your special sprinkle of magic. You and your team will need to touch base with every person you spoke to at the show. This should be done via various methods, as well as in a timely manner. Your aim here is to ensure you retain their attention after the show, reminding them of how great your business is, and hopefully, your efforts will lead to many fruitful business meetings. A few ways you can touch base are… Using emails to thank them for stopping by with personal detail about the person themselves. Adding their contact details to all future newsletters to ensure they are kept in the loop. In addition, add prospects to your social media feeds – especially LinkedIn. LinkedIn specifically will allow you to become aware of what their new projects may be, and any need for your products or services. Remember to add fun photos and moments from your time at the exhibition to your socials too, encouraging engagement and keeping that rapport alive!  

I hope all these tips are useful and I wish you lots of success in 2023! 

BK Links for Packaging Innovations & Empack