Why participate in a trade show in 2025?

If you have arrived at this article, it is certainly because you are planning to participate in a trade show.

Good news: you've come to the right place.

At Cardynale, as an expert in connected business cards and networking.

We are well placed to know that these events are a great opportunity to boost your business ✨

In this article, I will therefore give you all my tips for success, illustrated at the end by our feedback at Cardynale during the Web Summit 2024. 😉

Sit back and have something to eat and drink.
Let's see it all together!

What are the advantages of attending a trade show?

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I like to summarize this by saying that attending a trade show is investing in the future.

Here are the 4 main benefits In my opinion:

1. Develop your network

I'm not teaching you anything, a living room is the ideal place for meet new customers, suppliers or partners.

The interactions face to face make it possible to create authentic and lasting connections.

There is nothing better for getting to know each other and making new friends. strong partnerships 🤝

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2. Increase your visibility

Obviously, the participation in a trade fair Offer a visibility precious.

With an attractive stand and a good communication strategy, your company can make an impression and strengthen its branding 📣

What is interesting, of course, is to communicate before, during and after the event on networks, by email, etc.

Dare to make noise!

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3. Discover business opportunities

Les trade shows bring together businesses and decision makers.

It is a unique opportunity to present your products and services to an interested audience, who came especially for that.

You will thus be able to identify prospects and who knows... consider new ones. partnerships.

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4. Get feedback on your product‍

By talking to people from all walks of life, you can easily gather opinions on the use of your product.

Do not hesitate to ask questions, ask for their sincere feelings from the people you meet.

No matter how old it is, it is clearly worth its weight in gold, and it would be a shame to deprive yourself of it! 😎

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How do you prepare for a living room?

I can only recommend that you refine theorganizing of your next living room.

The aim: to avoid arriving as a tourist🧍🏼 ‍ ♂️

Good preparation is essential to maximize your impact.

Here are my tips:

1. Define your objective and budget

Everything depends on the budget you want to put into this type of event.

Once the budget is set, set your main goals:

- Generate leads?
- Work your Personal branding?
- Get user feedback?
- Find strategic partners?
- A bit of all that at once?

Each living room can serve several purposes.

It's up to you to prioritize those that are strategic for your business.

In my opinion, the ideal is to have a main objective, then sub-objectives that will be your “side quests”.
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Always keep in mind why you chose to participate in a trade show, and the end result you would like to achieve.
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2. Design a custom stand

If you are lucky enough to have a stand for a day or more, it is essential to prepare it as well as possible.

A well-thought-out stand attracts attention.

Think of a Impactful decoration and invest in hardware high quality (roll-ups, posters, etc.) 🎨

If you don't have the opportunity to contribute these elements, try to be disruptive.
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😎 Quick tips 😎

When we participated in the Web Summit, William had the idea to create a quick design with “Free Connected Business Cards” written on it and then display it on his computer screen.

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3. Prepare your communication materials

Business cards, brochures, presentations... Everything has to be flawless.

Your communication strategy Pre-show is also crucial: teasing your presence on social networks or by email. 📬📱

You can never do too much!

Why choose a specific salon?

Not all living rooms are created equal.

Your Choice of living room must be strategic and aligned with your goals.

Here are some criteria to consider:

• Your target market :
  Make sure the show attracts visitors who match your ideal audience. Participating in an irrelevant event risks diluting your efforts...
  
  ex: you don't have to do anything at the Agricultural Show if your company publishes a SaaS.
  But hey, you probably already knew that... (and no, loving sauerkraut is not an argument)
  
  
• The sector represented :
  In the same vein, the show should be in line with your business and reflect current trends in your market.
  
  
• Size and fame :
  A well-established trade show can offer better visibility, but more specialized events can attract a more targeted audience.
  What is your main objective? Notoriety or business? Refer to the point above.
  
  
• Your competitors :
  Check to see if your main competitors are participating.
  Their presence may indicate that the show is a must in your field.
  To do this, a quick watch on the Linkedin of competing companies and you will be served 🧐

• Specific opportunities :
  Some fairs offer conference spaces or organized B2B meetings.
  These formats can enrich your participation and increase the opportunities to stand out.
  So do not hesitate to reserve 2-3 to test and see what happens.

Taking the time to assess these elements will help you maximize your return on investment, think about it!

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How do I meet new customers?

Well, obviously, meeting potential customers is one of the main goals of trade shows.

Here are my tips for maximizing your chances:

1. Interact directly

As you know, trade shows offer a unique opportunity for prospecting and build relationships “face to face” professionals.

This human contact promotes the creation of a relationship of trust, much stronger than an online exchange 🙂

So now is not the time to play shy, be proactive, go to the others!

And if you are not sociable by nature, your best asset will be your smile.

Adopt an open posture, look others in the eye, and you will see, others will come to you much more easily.

2. Attracting attention with an impacting stand

A well-designed stand is a real magnet to visitors.

Invest in attractive visual elements and suggest interactive demonstrations or animations to captivate your audience.

This may include product demos, quizzes, or exclusive offers for visitors... be innovative!

Your only limit is your imagination 🧠 (well, be careful not to report forbidden things by consulting the conditions of the show beforehand, I would not want to be held responsible for anything 👀)

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Quick tip: for the Web Summit we brought back 500 Cardynale PVC business cards that we distributed free of charge to all the people we exchanged with.
They each left with a small souvenir, which could be directly activated during the event in addition!

3. Leveraging networking opportunities

Take an active part in events Around of the show: conferences, workshops or networking evenings.

These informal moments are ideal for expanding your professional network and identify interesting prospects 🗣️🍸

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Quick tips: that's what we did with the Cardynale team. Every evening, after the show, we divided up and went to different evenings to maximize our chances of meeting people! Formidable.

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4. Collect contact details

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Provide tools to easily retrieve information from your visitors (digital form, QR codes).

This will allow you to follow up effectively after the show and convert these contacts into new customers 📧

👉🏻 So obviously at Cardynale, we had brought back our most beautiful connected business cards in order to facilitate this collection.

We scanned our business cards connected directly to the phones of our interlocutors and we retrieved their information via the contact form that popped up once the scan was done.

Also, with our Scan in the Cardynale app, we could scan the paper business cards of our interlocutors directly.

No need to manually copy information, everything is automated and instantaneous 📱

This not only optimizes the contact collection process, but also allows you to leave a modern print and occupational.

A real effective way to keep track of each interaction and maximize conversion potential after the event 😎

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How do you assess the return on investment?

After the show, it's time to measure the results.

Here are the key indicators to analyze:

• Number of visitors at your stand : Compare with forecasts to assess attractiveness.
  
  
• Generated leads : How many qualified contacts did you get?
  
  
• Direct or forecast turnover : Identify immediate and medium-term impacts.
  
  
• Impact on brand image : Analyze the feedback of your visitors and monitor your mentions on social networks.
  
  
• Qualitative feedback from your team : Organize a debrief to understand what worked and what can be improved.

A good Balance sheet will allow you to optimize your next participations 📈

What tips do you need to remember for a successful trade show?

If you had to remember only 5 key tips per step (before/during/after) to transform your participation in the show In success, it would be the following:

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Before the show:

1. Plan the goals :
   Clearly define what you want to achieve at the show (prospecting, partnerships, visibility, etc.) and adjust your actions accordingly.
   
   
2. Get your team ready :
   Make sure that each member of your team is aware of their specific roles and expectations. Distribute tasks (networking, demos, follow-up, etc.) . 👥
   
   
3. Create attractive visual materials :
   Prepare visuals, videos, or product demonstrations to draw attention to your stand.
   Use tools like connected business cards to facilitate contact information collection. 📱🎨
   
   
4. Tease your presence on social networks :
   Start creating excitement on your social networks before the event.
   Use posts, stories, and teasers to keep your community up to date 📲
   
   
5. Organize travel and equipment :
   Book tickets, accommodations, and transport in advance.
   Prepare all the necessary materials: brochures, goodies, stands and business cards.

During the show:

1. Be active on the stand :
   Highlight your products and services with interactive demonstrations.
   Engage visitors by asking questions and listening to their needs. 🎁🎤
   
   
2. 360° networking :
   Don't just stay at your stand.
   Take part in conferences, workshops and exchange with other exhibitors. 🗣️💼
   
   
3. Collect contacts intelligently :
   Use tools like connected business cards or digital forms to retrieve visitor information quickly and efficiently. 🧑💻💬
   
   
4. Take care of your online communication :
   Post in real time on your social networks.
   Share photos, videos and highlights to bring the event to your subscribers 📸
   
   
5. Ensure immediate follow-up :
   Take quick notes after each meeting to personalize follow-ups later 📝

After the lounge:

1. Debrief with the team :
   Analyze the results of the event, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate your successes. 🔍
   
   
2. Relaunch your contacts quickly :
   Send personalized thank you and follow-up emails.
   Mention specific elements of your discussion to recall the link created. 📧
   
   
3. Evaluate visitor feedback :
   Use customer and prospect feedback to adjust your offer or marketing approach 📊
   
   
4. Take stock of leads :
   Sort and prioritize contacts collected during the event to maximize conversion opportunities 📈
   
   
5. Amplify the impact on social networks :
   Share a summary post, blog post, or A video on your experience at the show to maintain engagement and visibility after the event. 📝

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The Cardynale case at the Web Summit: An Epic Adventure

• In November 2024, it was obvious that we were going to participate in the Web Summit in Lisbon. I mean, with our product, connected business cards, it was a bit like being handed a microphone and said, “It's up to you to play! ” 🤩🎤
  
  
• No seriously, it was the perfect time to show how technology is transforming the way professional connections are made.
  
  
• This show was the ideal opportunity to present Cardynale to an international and connected audience, always looking for disruptive innovations like ours.

Here is a short video behind the scenes of it before moving on to practical advice:

Before the show:

• The preparation was intense, but we were ready.
  
  Booth reservation? Check.
  Coordination of travel/housing? Check.
  Equipment management? Check.
  
  Anyway, we weren't allowed much, so we just took 500 business cards as a gift, our computers and our joie de vivre, and off we went.
  
  
• On the marketing side, we teased the thing thoroughly on LinkedIn. We also issued press releases by reactivating our contacts.
  We wanted everyone to know that we were coming... with heavy loads 📢
  
  
• As for our roles, it was like a well-oiled soccer team.
  The co-founders focused on strategic meetings, Anna, the queen of partnerships, had us review our pitch in English (hello, nice to meet you, hello) and I was there to promote it online, so everyone was talking about Cardynale.
  
  

During the show:

• The show started, and there... it was Show Time ! 😎
  
  We were on our stand like rockstars, with demonstrations of our connected solutions that captivated the crowds. Well, okay, not exactly crowds of fans shouting our name, but it was downright engaging. 🎁🤝
  In fact, we distributed lots of connected business cards.
  
  Can we say we played cards on the table?
  
  Ok, well I'm going out.
  
  
• And of course, networking is the lifeblood. We participated in inspiring conferences (no luck, we haven't had the opportunity to speak yet, but that will come 😏), exchanged contacts with professionals from around the world, and initiated collaborations that, we hope, will propel us to the top of the tech world.
  
  
• Not to mention the live coverage. We communicated on our personal accounts via LinkedIn, on our company page... We wanted to let people know!
  
  

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After the lounge:

• And that's it, the living room is over. But for us, it was far from the end.
  We analyzed each contact collected, contacted everyone again with personalized messages, and started planning the next steps with our new prospects. There is no question of missing the opportunity to turn these discussions into business!

• Then, the famous internal debriefing. We met to discuss what worked well, what could be improved, and frankly... we didn't waste time looking into the whites of our eyes in “well, we did our best” mode. No, we gave it our all! 🔄
  
  
• And finally, the results.
  Boosted reputation, qualified leads, and enthusiastic feedback on our connected solutions.
  
  
• In short, this Web Summit was so cool, it took us out of our comfort zone (speaking in English about our solution was wonderful), a real rush of adrenaline, and a real showcase for what we do at Cardynale.

We can say that it was a success, and we can't wait to do it again. 💪

No really, these 4 days were intense but so rewarding for the whole team.

Participating in the Web Summit was an incredible opportunity to show what Cardynale has in store, to meet brilliant minds and to lay the groundwork for exciting collaborations. 🙌

This show allowed us to be immersed in the global tech ecosystem, to meet potential partners... And above all, to prove that connected business cards have their place in an increasingly digital world.

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Conclusion

We sincerely hope that these tips will help you prepare your upcoming events successfully 💜

The adventure has only just begun, and we are more motivated than ever to support you in transforming every connection into an opportunity ✨

And you, have you already participated in a tech event of this magnitude?

We would love to discuss your feedback, Do not hesitate to contact us on LinkedIn.

Antoine Payre, co-founder at Cardynale
William Bellity, co-founder at Cardynale
Anna Urvoy, Sales Manager at Cardynale
Elsa Ducrotverdun, Marketing Manager at Cardynale

See you soon for new adventures! 👋

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