Although hiring a professional brand ambassador, presenter, or promotional model for your trade show booth is a good way to go, know that it’s not the only way. Many businesses have high success using their own in house staff at their trade shows. This blog will go over the possible pros and cons of hiring your own booth staff through your business and also explore the qualities and type of person to look for to represent your business at the event.

Pros of hiring staff in-house

-Though it’s smart to train any and all personnel attending a trade show and representing your business you might not have to train your own staff as much as you would have if you hired a professional representative. Your staff likely already knows your business’s services and products well. They may need a bit more information about the goal of the trade show and what product or service to focus on, but they could go in with overall more information.

-It will likely be easier to arrange how your staff will get to the trade show since at least one other person from the company should have been going already. Ridesharing can be coordinated and even your flights could be matched.

-Your in house staff will already know each other and be comfortable working together. This will create an environment of comfort that will welcome attendees into the booth and open them up to conversation.

-Your in house staff not only already knows the product or service, but probably already is a fan of the business. Convincing trade show attendees is much easier to do when you yourself believe in what you’re preaching. A professional staffer is talented and open minded to new things and will learn to love your business but it might take some extra time and understanding.

Cons of hiring in-house

-Your in house staff could love the service or product your business provides and already knows the information about them, but are they able to communicate the pertinent information to an attendee? Your tech guy may know the ins and outs of your business but is he going to be comfortable enough to talk to trade show attendees, build relationships, and leave a lasting impression?

-Professional trade show staff often know how to handle small booth emergencies like an unhappy attendee or an empty booth. Many office professionals may not know what to do to gather a crowd when the wave of people lessens. Your customer service representative back at the office might know how to help unhappy customers but will your advertising guru? You should be able to find the right staff for your trade show within your business just evaluate the pool and look for some of the qualities listed below

 

Qualities to look for

-Look for staff in-house that is knowledgeable and loves your product of service. Sending someone to a trade show who doesn’t believe in the products or services won’t be able to convince anyone.

-Similarly, make sure your staff can answer difficult and detailed questions.

-Choose staff that is, day in and day out, energized. Trade Shows offer long and tiring days, so be sure to send someone that can stay upbeat

-One of your in house staff may know all the information, be energetic, and be a people person, but do they want to go to the show? Going to a trade show means leaving your typical work behind which may make some people uneasy about getting behind. If your staff doesn’t want to be there, the information won’t translate well to the audience they’re conveying the messages to. Make sure to choose someone that will be happy to go.

-If you have sales representatives, you may want to look at them first when choosing your staff. They are good at handling customers and know the details of your products or services.

Things to keep in mind

-Save money by using your in house staff at the trade show but consider hiring a professional trade show marketing professional to properly train them. Your staff will be better suited for the trade show environment and know how to qualify potential leads

-Think about how many people you will need at your booth or event. Understand that breaks and lunches work a little differently at trade shows than at the office and you may want more staffing than you think to cover the gaps.