Over 20 years we have run hundreds of exhibitions and welcomed thousands of exhibitors. Those who get the most out of an event share one common trait — early and thorough planning. This checklist is built on their practice.
Six months before the show
This is the strategy phase. The decisions made here shape everything that follows.
- Set the goals for participation: number of leads, contract value, brand awareness, market research.
- Choose the right exhibition from the CATE portfolio for your industry and audience.
- Book the stand: shell-scheme, corner or custom build. The best locations are gone 4–6 months out.
- Approve the budget: rent, build, logistics, travel, marketing, giveaways.
- Confirm the stand team: who travels, which languages they speak, who handles sales and who runs demos.
- Request visa support from the organiser (invitation letter).
Three months out
Operational processes kick in: design, marketing and logistics.
- Finalise the stand design and hand it over to the builder.
- Translate the catalogue, presentations and POS materials into Russian and Kazakh.
- Set up a mini-site or landing page with a QR code on the stand to track leads.
- Order handouts and branded giveaways.
- Sign contracts with the logistics provider and customs broker for shipping equipment and samples.
- Launch an email campaign inviting your target customers.
One month out
Final mobilisation — details, schedules, contingency scenarios.
- Confirm B2B meetings via the CATE matchmaking system.
- Run a brief session for the stand team: product training, scripts, objection handling.
- Confirm hotels, airport transfers and interpreters.
- Prepare promotional social posts: teasers, countdown, announcements.
- Print press releases for journalists visiting the stand.
- Charge and test every piece of demo equipment.
Show week
Two to three days before opening — arrival, build-up and final preparations. On opening day the team is at the stand an hour before doors open. All materials are out, demo equipment is working, badges are picked up and the lead scanner is configured. Every evening, a five-minute team huddle: which leads came in, what carries over to tomorrow.
The key discipline is to capture every contact immediately, without putting it off. Use the CATE badge scanner, add notes right after the conversation, photograph business cards. By the end of the day all leads should be in the CRM.
After the show: follow-up
This is the most important — and the most underrated — phase. Up to 80% of deals from a trade fair happen in the first 30 days after the event, but only if you contact your leads promptly.
- Within 48 hours, send a personal email to every lead.
- Segment leads by priority (hot / warm / cold) and assign an owner to each.
- Within 2 weeks, hold a call or Zoom with hot leads.
- Run a series of 3–5 emails with additional materials and case studies.
- After 3 months, analyse conversions and assess ROI.
Top 5 beginner mistakes
- Late registration. The worst locations are what remain — by the entrance, in corners, in traffic-cut zones. Book the stand 4–6 months in advance.
- Understaffed team. One person cannot cover 30 m². Minimum: 2 sales staff plus 1 assistant.
- English only on the stand. Most regional buyers prefer Russian. The catalogue must be available in two languages.
- No follow-up. Collecting 200 business cards and dropping them in a drawer is the most frequent and most expensive mistake.
- No goal and no metrics. "Just showing the product" is not a goal. Without clear KPIs you cannot assess the value of participation.
Need a hand?
We can handle everything — from exhibition selection to follow-up. The CATE team will guide you end to end.
CATE services →