Now more than ever, brands are awaiting events to open so they can greet their customers with wide open arms! Being a vendor at an outdoor music festival, agriculture event, or motorsport event can be very exciting. The energy of the crowd and common interest of the attendees electrify conversations about products, helps build relationships, and they create experiences that your customers will never forget. Our staff can certainly help with engaging customers and spark conversations that truly bring a brand to life. This week we offer suggestions for companies looking to expand their retail and marketing presence at live events. Below are some things to consider when signing up to be a vendor at your first festival or outdoor event. 

1. Selecting the right event. - This may seem like a daunting task to narrow down what event is best for you when there are thousands across the nation! Simplify your range by dialing in on your target market initially. Who are you trying to reach with your product? The demographic of your target market can help you choose what event will host the most likely customers for your brand. If your goods or services are only available in a certain geographical location, minimize your search for events that are specific to that area. 

2. Make sure your brand is ready. - In order to prepare for your first event you will need to consider a few things on the business side to ensure you can maximize your return on investment. Before you sign up to be a vendor in a festival, you have to fill out all the necessary company paperwork. You will need to complete an application to get into the festival, secure permits to sell your goods, and perhaps purchase vendor insurance. Taxes vary by each state, and some are even exempt. Make sure that your company has all of the paperwork needed to prepare for it.

3. Visually extend your company. - Instead of brick and mortar placement, or key account location, your brand will be stand alone at your first event. People attending events visually select to visit vendors by a booth’s visual appeal. If you have banners, zap-banners, logos, branded tents, or tablecloths with your logo on them—utilize them! Plan out the look of your booth from a distance perspective. If you are unsure what height or physical set ups are allowed at the event be sure to check your vendor paperwork for rules and regulations of what is allowed inside or outside of the venue space. If your event is going to be outdoors be sure to plan ahead for inclimate weather. The more that you can enhance the visuals of your booth—the more likely you will have customers stop by to visit it.

4. It’s all about location. - When selecting your booth space, you may find that tenured vendors have locations that are grandfathered in. Be sure when selecting your booth location you think about the foot traffic of the attendees, exits and where people may enter into an area, or if there is an event such as a race or music act you know the schedule. Spectators often flood in on the event schedule. Once you know the “lay of the land” for the vendors and how attendees will flow into the venue, you can make the best decision for where your booth placement will be. Ex: Placing your booth location near a food court to maximize times when attendees are sitting and eating or being located on a corner near an entrance.

5. Plan a promotion. - Maximize your return on investment by giving your product an appeal to the guests at the venue. Offer a “show special” where certain items or services are reduced from their regular price, incentivize lead generation by collecting customer information through registration to give guests a prize, or collect email signups for your newsletter and once people sign up with your company allow them to play a game or receive a gift or coupon. The sky's the limit! When you entice potential customers with a  deal or gift, they are more likely to have a positive brand experience. With this increase of consumer interaction your likelihood of maximizing your gross sales (and total revenue) will go up as well!

6. Hire event staff. -  Whether your company is a Fortune 500 brand or a small business, customer engagement and services are key in-person events. Hiring local and specialized event staff can ensure that your customer conversations and reach increase at an event. If you own your business and need to hire sales assistants for the event to help with rush hours, Backwoods Promotions can provide top-notch event staff to help with retail, lead generation, product giveaways and so much more!

Planning for your first event in 2021 is very exciting for not only your company but the reopening world for attendees as well. Our team at Backwoods Promotions excels at providing event staff that promote their passion and excel at customer service. Ready to book your first event and have an idea of the temp staff you would like to hire? Click below for a customized quote.