By Jack Saward, Managing Director, Saward Marketing and Events
One of the most expensive phrases in business is: “We’ll decide that later.”
I see it regularly in events, decisions are delayed, budgets aren’t properly tested, responsibilities remain unclear and difficult conversations are avoided. Eventually, “later” arrives and suddenly the options are fewer, the costs are higher and everyone is under pressure.
Making an early decision doesn’t guarantee everything will go perfectly, but making an informed decision early enough and with the right people around the table can save an enormous amount of money, stress and heartache.
We were recently onsite at an exhibition and witnessed situations that nobody in our industry wants to see – some exhibitors were at risk of not having their stands completed because contractors simply hadn’t priced the work correctly. Whether that was down to inexperience, a misunderstanding of the requirements, or trying too hard to win the business, the outcome was the same. In one case, we found ourselves consoling a young woman in tears because she knew her company’s stand wasn’t going to be finished. It wasn’t our project or our client, but you don’t just walk past someone in that situation.
Thankfully, these experiences aren’t the norm but, when they do happen, the consequences stretch far beyond an unfinished stand. People become disillusioned with events, businesses become more risk-averse, and someone internally must explain what went wrong and why the investment didn’t deliver what was promised. So, ultimately, the brand suffers too.
Why is this so important? Well, an exhibition is often one of the few occasions when your brand, people, products and customers come together in the same physical space. If that experience falls short, visitors don’t necessarily know which supplier or contractor was responsible. They simply associate what they see and experience with your brand, and it isn’t always something as dramatic as an unfinished stand. Poor graphic design or low-quality imagery can also instantly change the perception of a business. There’s also the consideration of who you’re choosing to represent you on the day, as the wrong people managing the space can undermine the visitor experience. Pre-planning is also crucial, as taking a stand that’s too large for the available budget almost always leads to compromises somewhere else.
Then there’s one of my favourite traps that people fall into: trying to display everything you sell. Suddenly, a carefully planned exhibition space starts to resemble a car boot sale. Sometimes less really is more, but someone has to be willing to say it.
This is why choosing the right event partner matters. This isn’t necessarily the cheapest or the biggest option, and certainly not the one who simply says yes to everything. You need people who understand your objectives, share your values, recognise where they can genuinely add value and, importantly, appreciate the budget you’re working with. A good partner should help you make better decisions before you start spending money, not simply deal with the consequences afterwards.
At Saward Marketing & Events, we’re comfortable asking the difficult questions.
Should the stand be smaller?
Do you really need all that product?
Who’s going to manage the visitor experience?
What are you trying to achieve?
Are you giving yourself enough time to do this properly?
And perhaps the biggest question of all: should you even be exhibiting at this event?
We’re not the right partner for everyone and we’re perfectly comfortable saying that. Equally, there are occasions when our advice is that a business isn’t yet in the right position to do its brand justice through exhibiting. After all, an event isn’t simply a cost on a spreadsheet, it’s an investment in how people experience your brand. While the right decision may sometimes be to spend more, sometimes it’s also to spend less and, sometimes, it’s to change direction completely.
To summarise, the reason it’s important to make decisions early is so that you leave enough time to give yourself a choice and to ensure you have the right people around the table who are confident enough to challenge you when necessary.
So, while we’re comfortable asking the critical questions, the real question is: are you comfortable hearing the answers?
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