There are numerous trade shows in the financial sector each year catering for companies in various subsectors such as commodities, RegTech, trading technology and many others. Many companies in these markets will attend several events each year as part of their marketing drive. Having a stand can set you back tens of thousands of pounds, so it is very important to ensure you are making the most of it. 

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Gather all the data

You most probably have an exhaustive list of all events that are applicable to your industry. However, budgets are tight, and you can only choose a few for your company. Having the correct information is incredibly important here – before selecting the events at which you plan to exhibit, make sure you contact event organisers and ask for:

• Audience segmentation – by job title and company function
• Attendee list from the previous year
• Event agenda

Once you have these, you will be able to understand whether the attendees match your target audience and which spokespeople are most suited for a specific event. This way you ensure your budget is focused on meeting potential client companies and their decision makers, as well as giving your brand a strong start by making sure your most relevant spokesperson is there.

Can you get a better deal?

Going back to previous advice in the Financial Marketing: How to Overcome Budget Limits and Demonstrate Impact blog post, don’t just accept the price/package as a given. It is always important to try to negotiate the price or the value you can get from an event. Maybe you have the budget to pay the full package price, but you would prefer a perk that is priced as an extra rather than an included item. Don’t be afraid to ask and negotiate.

Make the most of your stand

We, collectively, don’t have enough fingers to count the number of times we have attended an event and half of the backdrops said nothing relevant about the companies. You paid money for a stand, now make the most out of it by ensuring your brand’s message is clearly stated on the backdrop. Elements to consider:

• Is your logo clearly displayed?
• Do you have your key, core messages displayed?
• Does it say what you do, clearly and succinctly?
• Is the writing in the top half of the backdrop where it can be seen easily?

Now your backdrop is ready to go, how about your collateral? Consider whether the printed collateral targets the audience present at the event. Also, if you are thinking of printing anything that was intended for the web, quickly scan the document and make sure “Find out more by clicking here” doesn’t appear on it. 

Also, consider if your product should be demoed at the event. If you decide to do so, make sure the representative attending is the best person to do the demo. A combination of the right screen, demo and person presenting will make a difference.



As we all know, events can become overcrowded, and people may attend panels for most of the day. Therefore, you should consider what promotional materials would be most attractive to get people in front of yourstand. Maybe they can be a conversation starter; perhaps there is something traditional from the country your company is from that would peak people’s interest. Whatever it is, think useful and memorable.

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Yes, all of the above may seem obvious, but many times these elements are omitted. Does your company miss opportunities because of any of the above points?