Cultural Enterprise Office

Showing and selling your designs at trade events is a great way to network, reach new markets and get a sense of what’s out there. It might even inspire new ideas.

But before you set out, you need to plan, budget and know what you want to achieve. Our tips and checklist can help you do that.

Know what you want to achieve 

Going to a trade event is an exciting opportunity for your business. But you’ll need to invest your own time and money, so it’s important you set clear goals before you go. 

Piers Roberts – founder of trade fair Designersblock – recommends knowing both what you want to achieve and your motivation for doing it. Consider:

• Skills – dealing directly with customers, talking about your work and selling confidently
• Rewards – attracting new retailers, getting orders and gaining recognition from other designers
• Profile – showing new work, getting feedback, establishing yourself, setting up media opportunities, increasing the places stocking your products
• Relationships – meeting new designers, customers and buyers and understanding what buyers want, connecting with existing buyers in person 

Now turn those considerations into actual goals – value of sales, numbers of new relationships and so on.

Make a plan and budget 

Knowing what you want to achieve is only the first step. You also need to plan what you need to reach your goals. 

The types of events are as extensive as the areas that they cover – so selecting the right one is essential. Checking out the event as a visitor lets you see if it’s appropriate for your brand and attracts the type and number of customers you want to promote and sell to. 

Also work out what you need to do and all the elements you need to make it happen. Remember that besides materials and equipment, you need also to consider the people, facilities and time you require.

Once you’ve identified your tasks and resources, you can establish a budget. Setting a monetary value against each task can help you plan.

Each trade event supplies different things, so it’s important to know what’s included or what you’d have to pay extra for. That includes things like lighting, power supplies and even the floor plan – ie where you’ll be located. 

It usually takes three meetings or events before a buyer will think about stocking your product. So you normally won’t recover all your costs in orders and sales at your first event. 

Remember trade events are only one way to promote your brand, but they can support other marketing and relationships you’re building.

Select what you’re going to show and sell

Variety is the spice of life – especially at a trade event. But you need to get the balance right between showing a coherent brand and an appropriate range of products and prices. 

To figure out what you’re going to display and at what price, you need to identify:

• The number of exclusive and multiple pieces you’ll offer within your collection or range
• The pieces that make your products stand out from others and can feature prominently – an item in an unusual colour or on a large scale could attract customers, even if they then order ‘safer’ colours or sizes for their outlets.

Also think about the:

• Price range you can charge
• Position of the stockists and agents you hope to work with
• Price bracket and range these stockists deal in, from mass market to exclusive items. 

In addition to planning what you’re going to show, also think about the number of shops you’d like to stock your work in any particular area. Could you offer them exclusive ranges, colours and finishes? 

Looks matter – so think about how you could present or package your product in a certain way to boost a buyer’s perception of it.

It’s a huge achievement when a buyer wants to stock your product. So make sure you have the motivation, skills, suppliers, cash flow and investment to fulfil their orders.

Pricing for retail

Pricing falls into three main categories:

• Retail or selling price – the price the customer pays if you’re selling directly to them, or in shops and gallery outlets. It includes the retailer’s mark up.
• Trade or wholesale price – the price a retailer or stockist pays for your product.
• Sale or return price – the price a retailer pays once they’ve sold your product. You should charge more than the wholesale price, because you carry more risk and stock. That means the retailer should get a smaller mark up.

Retailer mark ups vary considerably. They depend on the individual businesses and the products they sell. Independent retailers have lower overheads and marketing cost, so might add 100% plus VAT on the wholesale price. Chain stores may mark their stock up by 300% plus VAT.

It’s important to determine how much mark up retailers want to add to your products, so you can judge which ones to work with. Your wholesale price may be too expensive for some retailers. 

You might be able to save money by producing or shipping orders in bulk and offering a more attractive wholesale price for larger orders. Alternatively, if some of your products are too expensive to deliver as a single item, you may need to ask buyers to order a minimum amount. 

Be up front and clear about your prices to retailers – provide a wholesale price list outlining unit costs and minimum orders.

Tips and checklists

Our workshop speakers have great insight into planning for a trade event. Their key tips include: 

Select the right event

• Trade fair indexes and online directories can help to identify the types, locations and dates for events for your particular industry and market.

• Use more than one index as a resource such as:

10times
EventsEye
B2b Tradeshows

• Get to know your most valuable industry events through recommendations, reviews, the media and the market.
• Ask peers who have attended events how relevant shows worked for their business.

Consider your stock

• Don’t sell any of your samples – you need a complete set.
• Don’t have all your items at the same price – offer a variety of price points.
• Insure your stock for all locations – on site, in storage and in transit.
• Choose reliable freighters and shipping agents when exhibiting overseas. Confirm they have all the required customs and import documentation for your work.

Stand out 

• Prepare your stand set-up well in advance. Timeframes for installing and dismantling stands are very tight. 
• Be welcoming – don’t put physical barriers between you and the buyer.
• Keep your display simple and minimal to maximise space.
• Don’t forget about display space – ideally place it above head-height so your stand will be seen in the crowd. 
• Be consistent so buyers recognise your stand at subsequent events.
• Use a high stool to maintain eye contact with buyers and set paperwork on. 
• Ensure you shine – have plenty of spotlights and spare bulbs.
• Keep your stand clean, tidy and dust-free.

Be visually appealing

• Besides brochures and print material, consider using vinyl display text on your stand.
• Don’t keep your achievements to yourself – share press cuttings, PR info and display cards. 
• Like your stand, your website also needs to be appealing and informative – it’s where interested buyers will find out more about your brand. 

Keep your paperwork in order

• Make sure you can do business easily by having everything to hand. From business cards, website, brochures, price lists, order forms and press packs to printed materials, have your promotion and sales tools ready.  
• Test your booking system if you’ve never taken orders before. If you take orders using technology, have a back-up in case it fails. Pen and paper don’t run out of battery or signal.

• Keep an updated diary to keep on top of lead times and delivery dates.

Staffing your stand

• Take water – you’ll be talking a lot so stay hydrated
• Wear comfortable but well-presented shoes and clothes
• Give yourself a break – have a backup person to step in
• Encourage buyers to touch or hold your products

Wholesale price list

• Only give it to your trade customers and always take their business card in return 
• Give new customers pro forma (estimated) invoicing 
• Request payment within 28 days – it’s standard practice

Orders

• When writing up orders, make sure you take down the date they were placed, product information and the customer’s details as well as your own. You should also identify delivery dates and addresses. 
• Clearly highlight minimum orders and shopping cost on all your orders
• Make sure both you and your customer sign the order
• If you’re selling anything exclusively, always make sure you know which product, which buyer and which location
• Don’t expect all the orders to happen at the event – some buyers will order afterwards so remember to chase up leads

Note it down

• Record comments from and about existing and potential buyers, and attach their contact details so you can follow up easily 
• Note anything relevant that happened at the event that could help develop your product or help you present your brand better at future events 

Licenses 

• If approached about the rights to manufacture, promote or sell your product, don’t be pressured to sign there and then. Find out what they’re offering and their terms, including:

– whether they’re exclusive or non-exclusive
– whether they’re fixed term or perpetual
– geographical scope
– minimum sales and production runs
– license fees and royalties

• After the event, do your homework. Find out about the buyer and seek professional advice to ensure you make the right choice for your business

What next?

Ready to start planning to sell at upcoming trade event? Before you do, take a look at our other resources below.

Disclaimer: We want to keep you in the know, so we offer a wide selection of useful resources. But Cultural Enterprise Office isn’t responsible for the advice and information of external organisations in this document. So if you have any questions, please contact the specific organisation directly.