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This guide will help you exhibit and sell your designs at trade events. It

contains information on;

Aims and expectations

Making a plan and a budget

Selecting display stock

Pricing for retail

Tips and checklists

For further information on this topic, read Preparing to Attend Trade

Events

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Trade events offer opportunities to

• reach, sell to and network within these industries,

• meet potential retailers / stockists, the public consumer,

journalists, reviewers, industry buyers, similar

businesses (and any potential competitors),

• view and assess 'your' industry and markets, as well as

• offering inspiration and new ideas.”

Jon Barnes, Product Design & Photography adviser

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“A huge global market can be easily and quickly accessed by

attending and / or exhibiting at select trade fairs, which are

targeted directly at your market sectors.

Introduction

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Trade events are a big investment of money and time so be clear

about what you hope to achieve.

Piers Roberts of Designersblock advises checking your investment

against the following motivations; skills, profile, rewards and

relationships.

Try using his headings to analyse what you hope to gain.

Aims and expectations

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Rewards

New stockists and orders

Acclaim and praise from designers

you respect

Relationships

Introduction to designers, new

customers and retail buyers

Discussions with buyers about their

requirements

Put a face to the name of existing

buyers

Skills

Dealing with customers

Confidence in selling and talking

about work

Profile

Profile new work and get feedback

on new ranges

Establish presence at a key industry

event

Increase stockists in a particular area

Contact press for new season

ranges 4/40

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The resultant lists will help you establish some measurable goals,

e.g. 5 strong connections (leads) with new stockists in new regions,

orders from 2 of the 6 stockists you’ve been courting over the last 3

months, repeat orders from existing stockists to the value of £2000.

You can then plan what resources you need in order to reach those

goals.

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There are many different types of events covering different territories.

Selecting the right event is essential.

It’s worth doing preliminary research and visiting as an attendee before

investing in taking a stand. Check it’s the right environment for your

products and attracts the right type and number of customers to whom

you want to promote and sell.

You can also get an idea for the look and feel of the event and its

exhibitors, and the work you need to do to set out your stall so it makes

an impression.

Making a plan and a budget

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A timeline can help plan your event. Map out –

• the tasks you need to do

• the resources you will need to gather and

• the time it will take.

A mind map of the tasks can be a good way to start.

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List the resources you will need, (e.g. people, facilities, time, materials,

equipment), against each task…

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… from which you can identify items which have a financial value.

These items will form a budget.

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£

Exhibition Grant 3,000

Own Contribution 4,928

Total Income 7,928

Stand Fees

Stand Hire 3,000

Insurance 200

Electrical 300

Storage 250

Display 1,000

4,750

Other costs

Materials/Samples 500

Transport 500

Staff 500

Publicity materials 750

Postage 50

Food 200

Original research trip 300

2,800

Sub total Expenditure 7,550

Plus 5% contingency 378

Total Expenditure 7,928

£0Net Surplus/-Deficit

Income

Expenditure

Example budget

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Be careful to check what any trade fair stand offers in terms of its

position within the 'show', its floor-plan, lighting, power supplies and

other peripherals.

What is supplied or is available at extra costs?

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Don’t expect to recoup all your costs in orders and sales at your

first event, particularly if this is your first major bit of promotion. A

trade event is just one type of promotional tool which should

reinforce all the other marketing and relationship building you’re

doing.

It’s usual for buyers to familiarise themselves with you and your

products over an average of three events / meetings before

committing to purchase.

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At trade events, try to offer a range of products and price points whilst

maintaining a coherent identity for your work and ensuring that there

isn’t an overwhelming amount of choice on display.

One way to identify the most appropriate stock to display and include in

your price list is to plot your products on the following grid.

Selecting display stock

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how many availability exclusivity competition

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The distinctiveness axis helps you assess the number of exclusive and

multiple pieces you have on offer within your collection or range. It also

helps you assess the pieces that differentiate your products from other

stands and should be given prominence to draw interest.

The market price axis helps you assess the spread of price points

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Next, plot the position of the stockists and agents with whom you are

hoping to work. Identifying

• the price brackets in which they work

• the range of mass market to exclusive items in which they deal

Ask yourself

• What is the optimum number of stockists over a geographical area

for a design?

• Can you offer the retailer exclusive ranges / colourways / finishes?

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The context and way in which you present your work can also affirm or

add to its value.

Are there things you can do to improve the perceived value through

presentation, packaging and point of sale materials?

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Once you have identified all your available products, you will need to

consider which work to present.

Ask yourself whether you have the motivation, skills, suppliers, cash

flow and investment required to fulfil orders for the chosen items.

You may want to include some items to draw interest rather than sales

orders. For instance, an item in an unusual colour or in a large scale

might enhance your display and attract customers who order quantities

in a safer scale and colour for their outlet.

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Prices fall into the following categories;

Retail or selling price – the price the customer pays you if you are

selling direct, or to shops and gallery outlets. This will include a retailer’s

mark up. At trade events, this is the Recommended Retail Price (RRP).

Trade or wholesale price – the price the retailer or stockist pays you

for your product.

sale or return price – the price a retailer pays you once they’ve sold

your product. This figure should be greater than the wholesale price as

you are carrying the risk and stock so the retailer should get a smaller

mark up.

Pricing for retail

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The retailer’s mark up can vary considerably and depends on the types

of items they are selling and the type of outlet they operate, e.g.

independent retailers (having lower overheads and marketing costs)

might put 100% plus VAT onto the wholesale price whereas chain stores

may mark up by 300% plus VAT.

So it is important to establish how much mark up they will put on your

products to see if they can operate within your recommended retail

price and whether your wholesale price is prohibitive to working with

some retailers.

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100%

mark up

200%

mark up

300%

mark up

Wholesale price £40.00 £40.00 £40.00

Retailer’s mark up £40.00 £80.00 £120.00

VAT within retail price £16.00 £24.00 £32.00

Retail price £96.00 £144.00 £192.00

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Can you make savings by producing and / or shipping orders in bulk

and therefore make the wholesale price more attractive for large

orders?

Are some products too expensive to deliver as single items and

therefore require a minimum order amount?

A wholesale price list should be available to retailers with the unit costs

and minimum orders detailed.

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Tips and checklists

The following points have been gathered from speakers at previous

Cultural Enterprise Office workshops sharing their preparation tips.

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Selecting the right event

• Trade fair indexes and online directories can help to clarify the

types, locations and calendars for trade show events particular to

your industry and market.

• Use more than one as a resource, e.g.:

www.biztradeshows.com

www.eventseye.com

www.tradeshows-biz.com

www.mytradefairs.com

tradeshows.esources.co.uk

b2btradeshows.net 27/40

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• Get to know your 'best' industry events through media,

recommendations, reviews and the markets.

• Ask recent (similar) attendees how various relevant shows worked

for them.

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Stock

• Don’t sell any of your samples; keep a complete set.

• Have a variety of price points.

• Make sure your stock is insured on site, in storage and in transit.

• If exhibiting overseas, choose reliable freighters and shipping agents

and check they have all the relevant customs / import documentation

for your work.

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Stand display

• Prepare your stand 'fit-out' well in advance. There are tight

schedules for stand installation and for break-downs. Don’t have

a physical barrier between you and the buyer.

• Keep your display simple and minimal.

• Maximise space especially vertically.

• Have some display elements above head height so they can be

picked out over a crowd.

• Keep the look of your stand (and you) consistent so that buyers

recognise you at subsequent events. 30/40

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• Use a high stool to maintain eye level with buyers and double as

surface to rest paper work.

• Have plenty of spotlights and spare bulbs.

• Keep your stand clean, tidy and dust-free.

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Visuals

• Brochures and print material

• PR info, press cuttings, display cards

• Consider using vinyl display text.

• Computer display / website

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Paperwork

• Order book

• Mailing list

• Wholesale price list

• Brochures and print material

• Business cards

• Press packs

• Diary for checking lead in times and delivery dates

• Plenty of pens

• Stapler, staples and sellotape

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Staffing the stand

• Take water

• Comfortable shoes and clothes

• Someone to give you a break

• Get them to hold the product in their hands and imagine

that it’s theirs

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Wholesale price list

• Only give to trade customers

• Always take a business card in return

• Pro forma invoicing for new customers

• 28 day payment standard practice

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Orders

• Duplicate Book or pre printed sheets and carbon paper attached to

clip-board

• Customer details

• Your details

• Date of order

• Date of delivery and delivery address

• Product information

• Both parties sign 36/40

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• Minimum orders and shipping costs

• Monitor where, to whom and for what you are giving exclusive

selling rights

• Don’t expect all orders at the event

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Note book

• Record comments from / about (potential) buyers next to business

card stapled to page as an aide memoir for follow up phone calls

• Notes on the day’s events to inform product development and future

events

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Licenses

• If approached about the rights to manufacture, promote and sell a

product, don’t be pressured to sign there and then.

• Find out what they are offering you and what terms they are seeking

to work under -

• Exclusive, non-exclusive

• Fixed term, perpetual

• Geographical scope

• Minimum sales / production runs

• License fee and / or royalties.

• After the event, do your homework about them and seek

professional advice.

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For further information on this subject, please refer to the

following resources:

Costing & Pricing Work

An Introduction to Retail

How to Approach a Retailer

Preparing to Attend Trade Events

Next steps

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Disclaimer: Cultural Enterprise Office is not responsible for any advice or information

provided by any external organisation referenced in this document.