WoTS 2026 Marketing Meeting: an inspiring afternoon full of ideas for a successful trade fair participation
By: Roelof Kuipers
On Thursday, June 4, a large group of WoTS exhibitors came to Leusden. The central questions were: How do you attract the right visitors to your stand? How do you ensure valuable conversations during the fair? And how do you build on the contacts you make during WoTS?
During an interactive workshop at FHI in Leusden, exhibitors discussed these topics with one another. At various tables, participants shared experiences, practical examples, and ideas regarding visibility, engagement, conversion, and relationship building. The open conversations yielded many recognizable challenges, but above all, concrete inspiration that is directly applicable in the preparation for the trade fair.
What stood out is that many exhibitors actually apply the same principles. Regardless of the subject, four key insights kept recurring.
- Start on time and make it personal
Personal invitations from sales, targeted emails, phone calls, and active contact via LinkedIn prove time and again to be effective in reaching the right target audience. The workshop participants emphasized that quality is more important than quantity: rather slightly fewer visitors, but the right conversations at our booth.
- Give visitors a clear reason to stop by.
Innovations, case studies, demos, experts at the booth, or a substantive session: visitors want to know what a visit will offer them. A clear proposition and relevant content make the difference between interest and an actual visit to the trade fair.
- Ensure interaction at the booth
An attractive stand is about more than just products or solutions. Demos, interactive elements, gamification, and hospitality create engagement and make it easier to start conversations. The combination of content and experience proves to be a strong way to retain visitors longer and extract more value from encounters.
- View the stock market as the beginning of a relationship
A frequently cited conclusion was that the real value often arises after the trade show. Good lead registration, prompt follow-up, and the continued sharing of relevant content help convert trade show contacts into long-term relationships. The trade show is therefore not the endpoint of a campaign, but the starting point of a new relationship.
Learning from each other
The workshop demonstrated the wealth of knowledge and experience present within the exhibitor group. Exchanging ideas generated energy and inspiration to get started with recruitment, as well as practical tools for trade show preparations. A valuable afternoon in which participants inspired each other to approach their trade show participation in an even more targeted, creative, and effective manner.
Promotional materials that can be used by exhibitors are free for exhibitors and media to use. View the materials at https://fhi.nl/wots/promotie/#Mediakit
