Do’s and Don’ts

Exhibiting in a foreign country is sometimes compared to walking through a minefield; here we have compiled the list of most common “mines” to avoid.

When exhibiting in Germany, DON’T:

  • leave things to the last minute;
  • think that slight bending of rules is possible, e.g. “it’s only 2cm longer than allowed”, “we would be only a bit late” or “one more light in the booth would be ok”, and so on;
  • leave your booth empty during show opening hours;
  • look cheap (e.g. posters on booth walls fixed with tape, poor quality design, unprofessional dress or manners, etc.);
  • forget press packs;
  • drink too much alcohol (too much = others might notice you’ve had a drink);
  • employ very aggressive sales strategies, unless this is common practice at a particular show;
  • touch visitors (other than shaking hands) or attempt to drag them into your booth;
  • have phone conversations in the booth;
  • yawn;
  • use jetlag as an excuse for not giving 100% at a show;
  • talk to your colleagues using unprofessional and rude language or slang, shout or whistle when you have visitors in or near the booth;
  • lie or forget promises made to visitors;
  • think that visitors would come to your booth simply because you have one;
  • (!) give your usual leaflet to a journalist;
  • think that you can disregard all of the Dos and Don’ts on the “press day” as there are fewer visitors around.

When exhibiting in Germany, DO:

  • plan well in advance;
  • choose the show wisely and do not rely solely on official communications by show organisers, as competition between them is very strong; contact us for advice;
  • book your exhibition space as early as possible and make sure you get the space you want; again, contact us for help;
  • read and comply with terms of exhibiting specified by show organisers, such as booth size, audio volume and similar;
  • if in doubt about anything, err on the side of caution;
  • address all questions to organisers well in advance;
  • have a small secluded meeting room in your booth for important conversations;
  • prepare your company’s marketing and PR for the show, including social media;
  • book your hotel at least 3 months before the show (for large international shows this should be at least 6 months);
  • always have someone in the booth who is competent to answer most detailed or technical questions;
  • train your staff how to behave in a booth and delegate responsibilities;
  • make sure you know your USP (Unique Selling Point);
  • make sure that EVERYONE in your booth can elaborate on your USP and products (INCLUDING entertainers and models);
  • always have someone in the booth who is capable of effectively dealing with press;
  • make sure everyone having contact with visitors or press speaks very good German;
  • have your press packs, printed and digital material in perfect German, as well as in English;
  • keep your booth tidy and clean;
  • have a dedicated place for your personal items, which is not visible to visitors;
  • have enough of leaflets, business cards, stationery, etc.;
  • have a set of spare clothing for everyone in the booth, so that spilled coffee or torn trousers wouldn’t ruin the rest of the day;
  • make sure technology used for presentation is tested and actually works (this includes having enough travel adaptors, chargers, cables and similar);
  • be friendly and proactive, pay sincere attention;
  • write down visitor information correctly, together with notes and promises made to them;
  • make use of networking and promotion opportunities presented by show organisers; this includes evening events for participants, where conduct should remain professional;
  • use the “press day” wisely and remember it is the most important day of the show.