23/09/2026
LESSONS FROM MY FIRST TRADE SHOW:
1. Make your product the hero. I slowly realised people from afar thought I was ‘just selling straws’. On Day 3 I reorganised my table to make the carry case the focus!
2. Timing counts. I thought September (pre-Christmas) would be busier. Turns out February (when stores have sold out and are cashed up post Christmas) is far busier.
3. Keep costs as low. Many businesses made a loss attending. Do what you can control to make the time worth it dollar wise.
4. Stand and smile. A few people actually commented they had noticed me purely because of this. If you don’t look energised by your product, why would a buyer be.
5. Make ordering easy. After you scan a buyer’s badge, have an email with your lookbook and order form automatically sent to them.
6. Follow up is when the work really begins. I’m working on this part this week. Nurturing new potential stockists from a ‘maybe’ to a ‘yes’ (hopefully)!
7. Tailor your pitch. I would ask the buyer what kind of business they had to know if we could be a good fit. Also share data, like sell through rates, relevant to them e.g. over 50% for a gift shops or over 70% for cafe stockists.
8. Demonstrate how your buyers would display your product in store. How it looks on your table should be how it looks in their store! I do need to design a ‘Counter Display Unit’ ASAP though!
9. Ask for feedback! The room is filled with decades of experience to learn from. My fellow exhibitors, buyers and event organisers all freely shared their valuable guidance for me.