Has anyone attended a Trade Fair? Advice needed...

[bettythebuilder]

Help!
I'm due to exhibit at my first trade fair in a couple of weeks time,and although I've researched this on the internet, I still have lots of questions and I'm getting rather nervous about it.
Has anyone been to a trade fair, either as a buyer or an exhibitor?
My main concern is that I'm not sure if deals are actually done at the fair, ie if someone likes my product they will order some, or will buyers just have a look, take a leaflet and then decide when back at the office?
If so, how do I go about getting peoples details so I can chase them up without hassling people?
Any advice would be much appreciated.

I've seen these. Do you design/make them?

I'd be interested in buying a few to give out to clients.

Would you be interested in a reciprocal link - can give you my site details via CAT?

Which baby fair was it. I enquired about stall prices for the mother and baby show but nobody got back to me!

Have a feeling it might be mega expensive???

Hi Charlene, yes, it was a very positive experience. I've already been contacted by a trade mag to give me a mention in the next edition, so I'm hoping the message will reach even more people!

Nannyme - I'm glad you've seen them - no-one at the trade fair had!(Altho that worked in our favour, as people like something new)

I designed them, have them printed and then add the embellishment, cello wrapper etc myself.

I'm not cat enabled (which reminds me, I must sign up for it) but in the meantime you could send me your website details to the email addy on my website.

The Fair was the Harrogate Nursery Fair. It was expensive, even though I had almost the smallest stand possible (the benefits of a small product!) but I have learned so much and made many contacts that I think that it has definitely been worth it.
Some fellow stand holders suggested that baby shows where you sell direct to the public would be good for me to try, but they are even dearer, so I would have to have an even smaller stand. One to think about for the future...

Hi Betty
Glad it all went well for you! I really like your product and think the baby mags would love it - very photogenic,too. If none of them contact you, please feel free to CAT me and I'll happily give some phone numbers

good to hear toi all went well for you betty.
I bet you're exhausted though

Thanks juliab, I will take you up on that.
I am cream crackered, gloworm,so while dd is at nursery, I thought I'd have a coffee and 15 mins on mn.
That was nearly an hour ago...

If they do it again next year the Little Ones Fair in Altrincham was good value for money. I couldn't go (and really we aim at older children) but I know people who did.

Is that near Manchester? If so, it's worth thinking about as it's not too far from us.
A major factor in exhibiting at the Harrogate fair was that it was local so we didn't have any accomodation costs, and my Mum and Dad could come and stay to look after dd.

Hello juliab - I've just tried to CAT you but it didn't seem to work. I'd like to take you up on your offer of contact details for the baby mags, if poss. The email address is info(at)chiggs(dot)co(dot)uk. Tia

Betty - just emailed you!

Juliab - many thanks