Today, we will look at the seniority aspect of getting a quality booth space on a show floor.
Many show organizers will have a sales area set up on the show floor. It is usually next to the “Exhibitor Lounge.” The show organizer will assign you a date and time to visit the sales office and select your booth space for the next year.
They usually will have a large printed floor plan for next year’s show available for you to study. You can ask questions at that time and pick your spot. It usually only takes a few minutes to complete the process but if you are not sure which booth space to get then ask questions at that time about things like:
- Traffic flow
- Door entrances (especially which doors are open and which ones are closed)
- Food service locations
- Any special features the show may offer
But how do they determine which order the exhibitors are invited to the sales office?
The most common method is through a “points system” which encompasses a variety of ways to achieve points. Points are accumulated in many ways but the bottom line is “How much money you spend with the show organizer.”
Points are accumulated by:
1. The size of your exhibit
2. Being a food sponsor
3. Being a registration sponsor for bags, lanyards, or other related items
4. The number of years you have been an exhibitor
5. Your level of membership in the organization
…And there are many more.
The more points you have, the earlier you will be invited to select a quality booth space location.
First, determine which shows have a better ROI for your company. You know… the ones that you put on the top of your list.
Second, you may want to consider using these seniority techniques to position your company in better locations on the show floor.
Read all the details, especially about losing your seniority, as it can happen abruptly, like if you skip a year as an exhibitor.
Well that’s all for today. Next week we will look at some cost saving ideas associated with booth space selection.
As always, please respond with your questions or comments. Exhibitor Lounge is always open to a mix of ideas from the tradeshow community.
Thank You!