No matter how much you plan and prepare in advance for your exhibitions things go wrong. Equipment breaks, exhibition space isn’t quite what you expected or something as simple as you just can’t find a pen when you need one. This is where being prepared and having an emergency kit for exhibitions is crucial.
If you are a regular exhibitor you will no doubt know exactly what you will need for each exhibition you attend. However, if you are relatively new to the exhibiting world or simply need a reminder here is a guide to creating an emergency kit to help you out when things don’t go quite to plan.
Plan Ahead
If you attend exhibitions regularly it is a good practice to keep your emergency kit prepared. To avoid having to prepare a fresh kit for each event in your exhibition calendar, just replace each item you use after the event.
Keep a checklist in your kit so you can check you have everything you need and can quickly re-supply when needed. Doing so will enable you to be completely prepared for your next exhibition.
In the planning stages you need to consider what technology you will require for your stand and ensure you have all aspects covered.
The last thing you want at an exhibition is for your electronic devices to run out of charge, be it mobile phones, digital cameras or an interactive marketing tool such as an iPad. Therefore it is vital to make sure everything is at 100% charge before the event begins and keep their respective chargers or replacement batteries on hand at all times.
If you need something and don’t have it – write it down so you can add it to your kit for next time you attend an event.
The Contents of Your Kit
In many cases the knowledge of what you need in your emergency kit improves with experience – the more events you attend the more you will know what not to leave home without! However, to give you a starting point here are some suggestions of things to have in your emergency exhibition kit:
Stationery:
Business cards, scissors, pens, pencils, sharpener, stick-on notes, notepads, sticky tape, stapler and staples, staple remover, calculator, marker pens, glue stick, superglue, duct tape, paper clips, rubber bands, highlighter pens, envelopes, clipboards, Velcro dots, safety pins, string.
First aid/sanitation:
Wet wipes, hand sanitiser, paper towels, tissues, bin bags, headache tablets, antiseptic wipes, lip balm, breath mints.
Tools:
Screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, Allen keys, any specific tools for your stand, spare light bulbs to fit your stand, batteries, multi-plug extension lead, torch, cable tidies.
Refreshments:
Small bottles of water, plastic cups, snacks e.g. cereal bars.
Other:
Travel sewing kit, phone charger, equipment chargers, and digital camera (fully charged).
This is just a guide and so you may need to tailor your emergency kit to suit your business needs and the type of exhibition and events you attend.
Planning is a key stage to each event, once you return you should effectively begin planning for your next exhibition. This means checking and restocking your emergency kit in preparation for the next time you will need it.
If you think we’ve forgotten anything or want to share your own exhibition survival kit with us – send us a tweet @XLDisplays we’d love to share your ideas.
At XL Displays we are experts in exhibition stands and portable display equipment. For advice and more information on how we can help you get the best stand for your exhibition or event please Contact Us or call us on 01733 511030.
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