The hustle and bustle of the trade show floor could be exciting and equally stressful. The question posed is, do you need extra staff to help mitigate that unrelenting stress?
The truth is that trade shows are the cornerstone of many professional industries, offering businesses a platform to showcase their products and services to a particular target audience. While trade shows can be incredibly beneficial for networking and marketing purposes, they also demand significant time, effort, and resources to execute successfully.
One of the critical decisions businesses face when preparing for a trade show is whether or not to hire event staff. We will explore the pros and cons of hiring event staff for a trade show to help you make an informed decision.
The Pros of an Event Staff
Expertise and Experience
Professional event staff are trained to handle trade shows and conferences’ unique challenges and demands. They have undeniable experience in engaging with attendees, qualifying leads, and managing booth logistics. Their expertise can enhance the overall effectiveness of your trade show presence. This level of knowledge and experience is what you need to elevate your booth or presentation to the next level.
Focusing on Core Activities
When you delegate booth management to event staff, your core team can focus on what they do best-product development, sales strategy, or client relations. This division of labor can lead to increased productivity and better results in the short term. Having an event staff by your side will open you up for more crucial aspects of your trade show presentation. Focusing on your core activities is imperative to maximize your trade show experience.
Brand Representation
Event staff can metaphorically fold into your brand image and become a pivotal part of the perception that is needed on the trade show or conference floor. Event staff can embody your brand’s values and message effectively. They can communicate your product’s benefits, answer questions, and create a positive impression on the attendees, ensuring your brand is well-represented.
Scalability
You don’t have to have a full-fledged active event staff to help you create a transformative trade show experience; you can book a staff that is suitable to your needs and the scalability of your production. You can easily scale the size of your event staff to match the size and scope of the trade show. Whether you need a small team for a local event or a large crew for a major international trade show, hiring event staff gives you that unrivaled flexibility to fit your staffing needs to the size of your event.
Cultural Skills
For International trade shows, event staff with multilingual skills can bridge communication and cultural gaps by creating a more inclusive environment for attendees from diverse backgrounds. We understand that you might be culturally experienced in your own right, but having a backup event staff member who can communicate effectively and understand cultural differences could take the pressure off of you.
The Cons of an Event Staff
Cost
This is the most apparent negative for hiring an event staff. The most significant drawback of hiring event staff is the added expense. Professional event staff typically charge fees for their services, which can be a substantial portion of your trade show budget. You know to know your own budget and make the educated decision to justify whether you need that support staff.
Quality
Finding event staff who align with your brand’s image and culture can be very challenging. The need for you to be more selective with whom you trust your brand is imperative for your brand expansion on the trade show floor. The truth is the wrong staff can potentially harm your brand’s reputation rather than enhance it. It’s vital if you decide to staff your next trade show that you do your due diligence on the people you choose to hire for your event.
Limited Knowledge
We highly suggest having a comprehensive training session for your hired staff to have them speak confidently regarding the details of your product or service. The truth is that if you don’t have that much-needed training session before the show, your staff may not possess in-depth knowledge about your products or services. Complex inquiries may need to be directed to your core trusted team, which can disrupt the flow of engagement.
Dependency
In business, being dependent on someone else to form and create a memorable trade show experience for your brand can lead to more stress and being unsure about the finished product. Relying solely on event staff can make your immediate team dependent on external individuals and agencies. If you plan to attend multiple trade shows or conferences, this dependency can become an unfortunate long-term cost concern. Avoid leaning into your hired support staff; it could harm your brand.
Passion waning
Event staff may have a different passion and dedication to your business than your in-house team. Your in-house team has become your brand family and should know your brand’s mission statement, products or services, and many other aspects of your company, like the back of their hand. Your in-house staff has bought chiefly into your brand. A hired staff is simply picking up work for work’s sake. This can sometimes result in less enthusiastic or committed booth management. Your team must show a small amount of passion towards the service or product you are so invested in.
Conclusion
Whether it’s worth hiring event staff for a trade show depends on your specific goals, budget, and the complexity of your trade show strategy. If you have the necessary resources and can find the right team to showcase your brand effectively, event staff can enhance your overall working experience.
However, if you have a limited budget or are concerned about controlling your brand’s message, you may prefer to rely heavily on your in-house staff.
Ultimately, the decision should be based on a cautious assessment of your working objectives and considering the abovementioned pros and cons. No matter what your choice, you must thoroughly plan and prepare for the keys to a successful trade show appearance.
The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.
