Wedding exhibitions, fairs, showcases or expose\’s are becoming more popular as weddings are still big business. They bring family, relations and friends together for a happy occasion. And Brides and Groom\’s will pay to make their wedding day a memorable occasion for everyone. If this means spending money on specific services or products, they will do it. These products and services are usually seen together under one roof at these wedding exhibition events. Wedding showcases and expose\’s don\’t always invite product / service providers as they are usually the wedding venues own promotion of their wedding facilities. Wedding exhibitions and wedding fairs do. So as a visitor to one of these wedding events how do you get the most out of it? They can take up an evening or indeed a whole Sunday afternoon. Get list of exhibitors: The day before or on the day of the event or immediately before the wedding exhibition, fair, showcase or expose get the list of exhibitors. Look down through each one, understand what they do, how they can help enhance your wedding day and have they a website. Go On-Line, check them out and mark the exhibitors you want to visit and meet. Scan the room: Walk the whole event. Make opinions of the exhibitors stands, attention to detail, pick up their information, don\’t indulge in conversation just yet. Time is precious and you need to use it wisely. Does their brochures / information look professional, does the actual exhibitor themselves look professional? Watch how the interact with potential clients. Are they pushy, forceful, looking for a sale too quickly? Meet with specific exhibitors: From your earlier preparatory work and scanning / walking the room, it is now time to meet the key exhibitors that will help make your day more social and wonderful than you had ever hoped. Listen more than you speak. You need to buy the person first before their service or product. Are they over selling what they do. How long are they doing what they do. Is their specific business linked to a similar business? Can they make a difference? Go through the information: When you get home, go through all the information you have gathered and do this the same day of the exhibition or at least the day after when it is fresh in your mind. Keep the information that was of interest and disregard / throw out the remaining. No point keeping this, unless you really want to. Put the important information into your wedding file with notes written on it i.e. what the exhibitor said, information that you picked up on, things you want to follow up on. Follow-up: Speaking of follow-up, make notes when to follow up with the service / product the exhibitor was offering. Don\’t leave it too late. When the time is right contact or meet them again when it is time to discuss your actual needs and requirements and agree on detail, timelines and of course cost. Think about asking for references and guarantees. It\’s one day in your life that may never happen again.
