MarketTime’s Ultimate Pre-Show Checklist for Wholesale Trade Shows
MarketTime has become a staple at the nation’s biggest wholesale trade shows. Our team loves attending these industry gatherings and showcasing order writing and our B2B e-commerce platform to prospective clients and leading brands. But our team also understands that prepping for a big show or wholesale market can be hectic.
That’s why our team always references and creates checklists for our clients to reference, ensuring we’re 100% prepared before hitting the road. A well-designed checklist can be a game-changer for your team. With that in mind, we’ve created the ultimate resource for wholesale commerce brands and trade show sales teams.
Why You Need a Pre-Show Checklist
Trade shows are pivotal in the wholesale industry. They offer a great opportunity to connect with retail buyers and showcase your company’s newest products. But if you want to capitalize on your next show, you’ve got to arrive prepared and ready to make some deals.
A pre-show checklist helps organize the logistics and ensures you have the supplies, tools, and resources on hand to win over prospects. The last thing you want to do is fly across the country only to realize you’ve left behind critical marketing assets. A checklist helps you avoid these potentially catastrophic headaches.
Key Elements of Our Pre-Show Checklist
MarketTime has three variations of the pre-show checklist, each tailored to specific roles. We have forms for agency administrators, salespeople, and brands. Our checklists break down your list of to-dos into three categories: one month before the show, one week before, and things to do at the show.
A few tasks on the one-month section include:
- Ensure your flight and hotel are booked
- Email vendors to request marketing resources
- Pre-set appointments
- Invite customers to attend to preview new products
- Update all software and applications
One week before the show, you’ll need to:
- Sync your mobile device or laptop for order writing
- Email customers and give them a sneak peek of new products
- Ensure you’ve received all resources from your vendors
Once you’ve arrived, it’s time to perform a few final checks to ensure you are ready to process orders and engage with customers. Some steps include:
- Connecting to the venue’s Wi-Fi
- Meet with your team to review pitches and strategies
- Pack snacks and drink plenty of water
- Ensure all order writing software syncs every morning and evening
That’s it. The MarketTime checklist will help you stay focused and execute during the show.
Top Trade Shows That Should Be on Your Radar
There are so many great shows in 2024 and 2025 that it can be tough to hit them all. Focus on gatherings most relevant to your industry and set yourself up for success with our checklists.
Here are a few top shows by industry that you should consider checking out:
- Atlanta Market: The gift and home goods market will take place in Atlanta, GA, between July 16 and July 22, 2024
- Toy Insider’s Sweet Suite: The summer event is slated for July 17 in Glasshouse, NYC
- High Point Market (HPMKT): The world’s largest home furnishings industry trade show will be held from October 26 to October 30, 2024
- Lightovation: Lightovation is the world’s largest residential lighting show and will take place from January 8 to January 11, 2025
- Dallas Total Home & Gift: A huge expo showcasing home decor, housewares, accessories, and gifts, scheduled from January 8 to January 14, 2025
- Lightfair: The largest commercial lighting trade show in the world is scheduled for May 4 through May 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada
You can also catch up with MarketTime at several other shows throughout the summer. After we wrap up at the Atlanta Market, our team will head to the Las Vegas Summer Market from July 28 to August 1, 2024, before making our way to NY Now in NYC from August 4 to August 7, 2024.
Demo MarketTime, the Leading B2B Wholesale Software
The free MarketTime checklist can help you make your next tradeshow the best one. However, preparation is only half the battle - you must also equip your team with the tools necessary to thrive.
Enter MarketTime, a leading B2B wholesale software. MarketTime provides B2B solutions designed to make life easier for e-commerce brands in the business-to-business space.
Our no-nonsense software can help you streamline your sales process and generate more revenue. Due to its mobile-friendly nature, it’s also a great tool to bring to tradeshows and wholesale markets. Demo our wholesale order management software today.
