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We’ve all seen it: the frantic emails, the 37th version of the spreadsheet, the exhibitor who somehow thought their stand build “just happens” on the morning of the show. Spoiler: it doesn’t.
A great event doesn’t start on opening day. It starts months before, with how you prepare and support your exhibitors. Get that right, and you’ll see calmer teams, happier exhibitors, and a lot more rebook forms sliding across your desk. Get it wrong, and you’ll be chasing logos at midnight while exhibitors quietly wonder why they signed up in the first place.
Why early support matters
Exhibitors aren’t just names on a floorplan. They’re your partners in making the event a success. And like any partnership, the relationship is built on trust (and the occasional polite reminder about deadlines).
- Clarity beats chaos: Automated communications mean exhibitors know exactly what’s due and when. No more “didn’t see that email” excuses.
- Professional sets the tone: A branded, online exhibitor hub shows you’re organised and serious about helping them succeed.
- Less firefighting, more focus: When exhibitors hit their milestones, your ops team can focus on delivering a great event instead of herding cats.
Case in point: AIME’s Info Hub
At the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), managing hundreds of exhibitors and hosted buyers across time zones was a logistical nightmare. Their old platform collapsed under pressure (literally! It suffered a system outage before a critical deadline). By switching to Eventflow, they built their own “Info Hub”: 47 team types, 40 user journeys, all branded and managed in-house. The result? Zero outages, full control, and over 1300 exhibitors and hosted buyers submitting content correctly and on-time.
The ROI payoff
This isn’t just about making life easier for your ops team (though it does). Exhibitors who feel supported turn up ready, polished, and primed to make connections. That translates into:
- Stronger onsite results: Better prepared exhibitors = more productive meetings.
- Happier exhibitors: Which leads to higher rebook rates and a healthier sales pipeline next year. At BIBA — the UK’s largest insurance broking event — exhibitors called the new online exhibitor manual “a game changer” compared to PDFs and spreadsheets.
- A better show for everyone: Attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders all benefit when exhibitors aren’t stuck scrambling.
More proof: From Goodwood to EBM Expo
At Goodwood, Eventflow cut down admin so their team could focus on nurturing sponsors and exhibitors, vital for long-term partnerships.
At EBM Expo, the team onboarded in just two weeks, replacing an outdated system with a fully branded hub. Exhibitors loved the simplicity and organisers gained back time to focus on growth.
How to get started
- Don’t wait until six weeks out. Start exhibitor onboarding at contract signing.
- Automate the boring stuff: reminders for forms, deadlines, and logos.
- Create one central hub for everything, not a shared drive from 2008.
- Track activity so you can spot at-risk exhibitors before they become a crisis.
Final thought
Smart exhibitor management isn’t about fancy tech for the sake of it. It’s about giving your exhibitors the support they need from day one so they can shine when the doors open. And when they shine, so do you.
If your current system still looks like spreadsheet chaos and midnight chasing, maybe it’s time to rethink how you set your exhibitors up for success. Try Eventflow for free today.
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