If you’ve decided to exhibit at a trade show and event, and have mapped out a complete timeline of your event, you should have an idea of some of the deadlines you will face. Here are some helpful tips for the tedious, but highly important task of keeping track of and setting reminders for important trade show deadlines.

Start small

Start by breaking up your main objective into several smaller sub-objectives. Next, break those sub-objectives into a specific list of tasks that you need to accomplish to achieve show goals. By creating these task lists, you can get a better handle on what needs to be done prior to the show.

Say your main objective for the trade show is to attract investors. To do so, you will need to create and implement a marketing strategy that aims to attract investors. In order to accomplish this, you may need to hire additional designers, pay for expedited printing and shipping of materials and alter your plan so that it focuses on the target audience.

When you have all your sub-objectives and sub-tasks mapped out, you’re ready to distribute these specific tasks across the calendar. Mapping out small tasks will help you accomplish bigger tasks and ultimately help you get exactly what you want out of the trade show your company is attending.

Know your major deadlines

While some deadlines may be a bit flexible or self defined, there are a few that are non-negotiable. For example, planning a timeline for promotional materials may allow a bit of wiggle room, but things like booking your venue or paying for your booth space may have more finite deadlines. It’s important that you (and everyone involved) know which deadlines cannot be pushed.

Have a backup

Here’s where a little patience can go a long way. Consider potential time sucks and things that could go wrong and account for these during the planning stage. Thinking of all the worst-case scenarios and creating back-up plans will make the trade show go that much more smoothly. This is especially helpful if your success relies on unreliable factors, such as traffic at your booth or the decision of an unpredictable investor.

You wouldn’t want to waste time and energy preparing for a trade show, only to have your plans foiled by a missed deadline. Mapping out and keeping track of details such as payments, deposits and registration are essential to the success of your trade show. When it comes to the task of designing your display, Structure Exhibits is here to help you through the process.

Structure Exhibits has been creating innovative custom trade show booths and trade show booth rentals for years. Call us at (888) 633-4162 to learn more about how we can help your brand stand out at your next trade show or special event.