Do you remember when you were a teenager, and there were those parties taking place? Before each one there would be questions flying around, “are you going?”, which would usually be responded to with exactly the same question. We all wanted to work out who was going to be there before we committed. As it turns out, the business world isn’t all that different. To run a successful exhibition stand, you need to tap into that exact same human psychology. Only, because we are professionals wearing lanyards, we make it sound a whole lot less desperate by calling it pre-event marketing.

Now, to be clear, I’m not suggesting you call up your ideal buyers, ask if they’re going, and coyly whisper that you’ll only show up if they do. But exhibiting at any event is a huge investment of time, money, and energy. So, rather than relying on the hope that the right people will find your stand, lead with certainty. Build in pre-event marketing to raise awareness of your participation, generate interest, and prime your audience so that meaningful conversations start the moment the doors open.

Showing Up Isn’t a Strategy

You wouldn’t launch a new product without telling anyone, would you? And that’s what exhibiting at an event without a pre-event plan is like. You’ve built the stand, developed clear messaging, decided against the dinosaur suit, and then you tell no one. That’s one expensive game of hide-and-seek.

And this happens. I remember from my time organising exhibitions, we would provide exhibitors with an online diary, these days there’s app versions as well so I’m probably showing my age. After the event, it was obvious from the rebooking conversations which exhibitors had great shows, which had ok, and which felt it didn’t perform for them. The common factor across all of them? The amount of time they spent engaging with the online diary to prebook meetings with their core audience before we even opened the doors.

What isn’t perhaps obvious to unseasoned exhibitors is, as busy as an exhibition might be, foot traffic will remain a lottery. Pre-event marketing is how you stop leaving it to chance.

Use Your Existing Marketing Channels

If you’re unsure where to start, the good news is there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. You’ve already got the tools, so let’s engage them. That means in the weeks before the event, weave your attendance into your current mix of:

• Email Marketing: Send dedicated broadcasts or add a catchy footer to your team’s daily emails.
• LinkedIn Posts & Updates: Share behind-the-scenes looks at your stand prep or tag team members who will be there.
• Company Newsletters: Feature a dedicated section highlighting your attendance.
• Website Announcements: A banner or short landing page works well for driving awareness.
• Direct Outreach: Have your sales team personally invite current prospects and high-value clients.

And when it comes to messaging, that matters as much as the channel. A post that simply says “We are exhibiting at Stand 42! Come see us!”, gives nobody a reason to do anything. Nobody cares about Stand 42. They care about what Stand 42 can do for them.

Instead of just announcing your presence, make your posts relevant to your audience by asking yourself:

1. Why are you attending, and what’s your focus at the event?
2. Who should visit you, and what does your ideal visitor look like?
3. What problems are you there to discuss, and what pain points are you solving right now?
4. What’s the hook, a product launch, live demos, an exclusive offer?

To make this easy, here is a simple, framework you can use for your next LinkedIn post:

“We’re heading to [Event Name] on [Date]. If you’re a [target audience] currently dealing with [specific problem], come and find us at Stand [Number]. We’ll be running live demos of [product or service] and talking through how we’re helping businesses navigate [relevant challenge]. Want to skip the stand traffic and book a specific time to chat? Drop me a message or use the link below.”

It won’t win any creative awards, but it will get the right people to stop scrolling, which is the point.

Make the Most of Organiser and Partner Channels

Event organisers invest heavily in attracting attendees, and as part of this they typically offer a range of promotional tools which you can take advantage of. So, once you’ve signed up check the exhibitor manual to understand what’s available:

• Exhibitor Profiles: Fill out your directory listing fully, using clear language that speaks to your target audience.
• Social Media Assets: Use the official event graphics, hashtags, and tags so the organisers can easily reshare your posts.
• Email Inclusions: Ask if there are opportunities to be featured in pre-show newsletters to attendees.
• Event Apps: Log in early, update your profile, and start networking with delegates digitally before you ever set foot in the venue.

Additionally, check to see who else is exhibiting. If you are exhibiting alongside industry partners, trusted suppliers, or high-profile clients, see if you can coordinate your promotional activity. A co-marketed LinkedIn post or a joint email campaign can easily double your reach, without doubling your effort.

Book Meetings Before the Event

All that pre-event communication is designed to achieve two things, build awareness and generate conversations. And the most valuable conversations will be those already in your calendar before you arrive.

Relying entirely on passing traffic unpredictable. The exhibitors who consistently get the most from events tend to arrive with a proportion of their day already mapped out. In the weeks before the event, work through your contacts and segment them into three groups: