Successful Exhibiting • Trade Show Etiquette • The Nimlok Advantage • Logistics and Shipping • Brainstorm

Staffing: How Many? Where? Who?
As your exhibit space changes in size, so do your staffing requirements. It’s critical that each staff member understands why the booth is designed the way it is, and how to best maneuver through it. Here are three major types of exhibit space and TIPS for using staff efficiently.

INLINE:
This is the easiest. The booths are set up in a row—in a line. The inline booth really makes it easy because people will see you from the side and then approach you from the front.

The difficult part? You often have to sidle sideways like a crab because your exhibit, in essence, is flat. It’s more difficult to face the front, especially if you have demonstrations, equipment or information at the back of your booth.

So while you want visitors to commit—to come as far into the booth as possible—you have to be able to walk backwards and sideways, remembering to face forward. Demo stations or counters at an angle toward the front of the booth help you stay properly positioned. In addition, because you’re in a smaller space, it’s more difficult not to talk with your associates in the booth. You should be able to frequently look up and down the aisles for prospects. There should be nothing blocking your vision of them, or their ability to see your face.

PENINSULA AND ISLAND:
Does it matter if it’s a peninsula—open on three sides—or an island which is open on four sides? Not really because these are larger spaces where the booth staff is visible from the front, back and sides. The rules of good boothmanship are most important: stand up straight, be pleasant and make your guests comfortable.

With this space, chances are you will have more barriers to easy traffic flow, and there will be fewer spaces for people to hide. These larger spaces often include conference rooms, a combination of towers, arches, podiums, theaters, storage and demonstration equipment. With all of this on the floor grid, and each component having a purpose specific to your show expectations, it’s critical that each staff member understands why the booth is designed the way it is, and how to best maneuver through it.

Are there special areas where visitors are met and qualified in your space? Is there more than one major entry point? If so, will you collect identifying info at all entrances? How do people exit with the right materials, giveaways or gifts? Will they meet the right people during their trip through your space? Staffing for these spaces requires an understanding of expectations and people who know their roles.

Double Decker:
Double and multiple level spaces? Consider them like an office building. Downstairs (first floor) is reception with greetings, qualifying and company history. It’s where most products will be on view with general demonstrations and theaters. It’s staffed with the people most comfortable in these environments—friendly greeters, first and second level qualifiers and general technical staff. Generally, downstairs is considered the question-and-answer area.

Upstairs (additional floor or floors) is where the real action occurs. An invitation to go upstairs is reserved for clients and serious prospects that are ready to do business. They may go through a more sophisticated qualifying process, become privy to advanced company info, see demos of to-be-released products, and negotiate deals. It’s also where some serious entertaining occurs.

Upstairs staffing? Senior execs, sales closers, engineers and other technical managers. Problem? Staffers need to float between upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs cannot be considered a private club just for staff and selected clients.

The industry standard for booth staffing says two staff people per 10 ft. x 10 ft. space, but the type of show, your exhibit floor plan and your expectations actually dictate the number of staff involved in each show.

Understanding the “how” and “why” of your exhibit space allows you to select the right “who” to staff your exhibit successfully.

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