5 ways to have a strong offseason

By Stephanie Lamie

In many industries, a year can feel like a burst of trade show activity followed by an offseason lull. While the blast is important—80% of trade show attendees say in-person events are the most trusted way to discover new products and services—there’s value in the offseason too. While it’s time for staff to rest and recharge, it’s also time to prepare for the next round of exhibitions. Here are five ways to maximize downtime after trade show season and set your team up for success when events heat back up.

Evaluate the past season

Now that you’ve had time to catch your breath, did you find the success you’d wanted at this year’s exhibitions? Examine the wins and determine how they can be repeated. Then consider the areas you’d hoped to have better results, and make a plan to address them at the next opportunity.

This is a good time to look closely at any available data. Study the resources you put into events, including staffing, fees, equipment and beyond. Outline the benefits, like sales, leads, registrations or other available metrics. Look back at each event you attended—perhaps your target demographic wasn’t represented as you expected. What you find during this process can help guide your strategy for next year.

Make improvements

As your plans for 2025 come into focus, keep your eye on what can be improved. Perhaps you’d like to dedicate more time to training your employees for the demands of exhibition day. Or your paper displays and handouts can be replaced by QR codes and digital displays. Maybe your event giveaways could use a refresh. Something fun, like sunglasses or can holders, can get your logo more looks during events. This also is a good time to replace or add banners, flags and signs to improve the look of your booth.

Anticipate what’s coming next

Use this opportunity to explore changes that may impact the trade show industry in the future. You might have heard about an organization applying an innovative approach at a recent show. Dig deeper and see if that strategy can be adapted to fit your needs, goals and budget. If there are emerging social media platforms, virtual reality experiences or AI tools with potential to impact your pre-event outreach, the time for research and experimentation is now.

Get to what’s on hold

You likely pushed aside a task or two for the sake of dazzling attendees. Now that you have time before your next trade show, you can get back to what’s on hold. Maybe it’s routine email list maintenance. Maybe it’s updating your team’s lanyards or ID badge holders. Maybe it’s planning how to best incorporate interactive features into your presentation, like a prize drop or prize wheel. Whatever wasn’t a top priority during the hustle and bustle of trade show time can move near the top of the list now.

Maintain relationships

Don’t let the connections you made at this year’s trade shows get left behind. Networking is one of the most important aspects of events for many attendees, but those relationships need to be maintained. Reach out to others in the industry, potential customers or other individuals you met. Maybe it’s just to grab a cup of coffee, or maybe it’s a formal in-office meeting. There may be possibilities for collaboration, sharing of ideas or business referrals, or just good conversation. Draft a trade show follow-up email and be sure to check in with new contacts.

Set yourself up for success

The trade show offseason is a time to reset, reflect on lessons learned and strategize for the future. Take time to evaluate your past approach, find areas to improve, think about what’s next, tend to work you put off and follow up on leads. That way you’ll be primed and ready when the exhibition hall lights turn back on.

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