There is no better way to see new products, review innovative service offerings, or to rub shoulders with knowledgeable industry professionals than at a convention or trade show.
These events are held frequently throughout the United States and can consist of everything from consumer electronics, such as the one in Las Vegas, to agricultural equipment or niche areas like franchising, insurance and financial planning.
Whatever the industry or sector the event falls under, there is always a need for trade show and convention staffing solutions. Let’s take a look at the staffing strategies that tend to remain constant across the board.
How to Staff Your Booth at a Trade Show
The first thing to prioritize when picking between multiple trade show staffing solutions is finding the right individuals to represent your organization. We will go into more detail later in this post, but it’s important to address these questions within your company before you start finding individuals to staff your booth at a convention.
- How many full-time employees are going?
- Are they there to learn or get sales leads?
- Are you looking for brand ambassadors, temporary hosts, presenters or lead gatherers?
- Contact a local staffing firm with your trade show needs.
- Interview the candidates before selecting the few that will help.
Assess Your Trade Show Staffing Needs
Employment-related opportunities abound in the world of trade shows and conventions. Companies that travel to a specific trade show location may send a few key team members, but there are other roles required to support the effort. These include the following:
- Assistants
- Greeters
- Registration desk helpers
- Demonstrators
- Technical support staff
- Set-up/take-down of a booth or equipment
Some of these jobs may be handled by the venue hosting the convention or trade show, (carpenters, audio/visual specialists, and electricians for example), but many more jobs are staffed locally through staffing agencies since it is more cost effective to hire local people for a few days rather than fly in a large group from corporate headquarters adding to expenses and overhead.
To find these types of convention and trade show staffing solutions, it’s best to contact local staffing firms who work within this niche.
These staffing firms are also a great way for people looking for employment to get experience dealing with the public, make excellent career contacts, and earn good part-time income over the course of the few days. Although working trade show jobs is usually not a full-time career, this is a good gig to earn extra cash in a fun and exciting environment.
Establishing a Professional Trade Show Representative Strategy
If you’re a company planning to attend a trade show or convention, it pays to take some time in advance to contact a few staffing firms in the town where the convention will be held. Your choice of the right staffing partner will go a long way toward making or breaking your trade show experience.
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression, so the people you hire through the local staffing provider to assist with your show will be a direct reflection on your company when people interact with them or enter your trade booth.
Here are some questions you should ask a firm before engaging them to find professional trade show representatives for your company.
- What is their experience with trade shows or convention events?
- How do they vet their candidates?
- Did they meet and interview every candidate?
- Did they conduct background checks, as required?
You’ll quickly discover that the firms who can cite a history of successful events and even provide references will be the ones to align with, which will help ease your burden when planning to attend an event.
If you’re someone looking for extra income and want to know more about becoming a professional trade show representative, we can help find a company who needs your help.
Conversely, if you’re a company interested in exploring your convention and trade show staffing solutions, you can rely on the experience and expertise we offer in this area. Our skilled coordinators can help plan, organize, and staff any size trade or convention project.
