It seems like only yesterday we were unzipping the camera bags for Lancashire Business Exhibition. Fast forward four months, and we’re already reflecting on Merseyside Business Expo; how time flies! For those who aren’t familiar with Shout Network, they are the North West’s leading business network offering support to all businesses through networking groups, exhibitions and countless exciting events throughout the year. The team are a forward-thinking and innovative bunch, and that’s one of many reasons Bellyflop are delighted to be official partners of Shout. Being a partner offers many unique benefits and opportunities, all designed to support you in building relationships and help your business grow bigger and better.

Bellyflop had a fantastic day at the Liverpool Exhibition Centre, and we hope everyone who attended had a similar experience. We were certainly kept busy at the event as Ben looked after the stand whilst Mark filmed the event and interviewed all of the SHOUT partners (sorry, not sorry).

There were many incredible stands throughout the exhibition centre, including an elephant, hybrid cars, a huge truck from Fox Group, diggers, and even a life-size statue of the bumble bee transformer. If you saw our stand and paid a visit, thanks for chatting, and we hope you enjoy the free pens! We also had a free hamper giveaway on our stand. If you entered the prize draw, stay tuned and connect with us on socials, so you don’t miss anything. Speaking of socials, did you see the pesky team over at SPLAT Training?

Bellyflop were engaged in a head-to-head tweet-off with the team at SPLAT training as both tried to conquer the Twitter wall! We were pipped to the post and just missed out on the number one spot! We’ll be at the Shout Expo North West Expo next time, ready to reclaim our title. Don’t you worry!

But these expos aren’t all sunshine and rainbows! They require a lot of thought and planning, definitely not something you can wake up and decide to do. If you’re considering attending an exhibition, here are our top 5 essentials to ensure you have the best time possible.

1)    Get your literature sorted! ?

Please don’t leave this till the last minute, trust us! Thankfully this time, we were ahead of the curve. In an exhibition before Merseyside, our leaflets didn’t arrive until the morning of the event, and that’s a heap of stress you absolutely do not need!

2)    Comfortable footwear! ?

Unless you enjoy the sensation… in fact, unless you enjoy the lack of any sensation in your feet, then comfy shoes are a must. Put the pointy smart shoes away and thank us later!

3)    Hydration is everything. ?

You’ll likely be doing a lot of talking over the course of the day, and very quickly, your mouth will develop a climate similar to that of the Sahara Dessert. Taking some bottled water is an absolute must to keep you going.

4)    Pens? = magic ?

We have the answer if you’re wondering how you can get more people to stop by your stand. Free pens. We experimented with this, and it’s safe to say that offering free branded pens is not only a great way to keep people thinking about your business after the exhibition. We all love free stuff, so folk will be lining up like kids outside a sweet shop to get their hands on free stuff! We know just the people who can help with this too, Steve and the team at Business Gifts UK are on hand for all your merchandising needs!

5)    Enjoy it. ?

Arguably the most important feature on our essentials list is number 5; enjoy it! There is only so much preparation you can put in before the big day. Don’t overthink things, and don’t try to be perfect as it’s simply not possible. Make the most of your day, and remember that building quality relationships will be your most significant and valuable outcome.

Before we get too excited about the North West business exhibition on the 21st of October (only four months to go), we can look forward to the launch of SHOUT Connect, which we absolutely cannot wait for. Will you be there too?

We had plenty of interesting conversations with so many businesses across various industries. We hope that those conversations mark the beginning of some new relationships. Bellyflop provide a wide range of services ranging from video production all the way through to Google 360° tours. If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you grow your business, raise brand awareness, and generate leads all by simply harnessing the power of video, then get in touch today.

Video is undoubtedly the most effective and engaging way to stand out in an oversaturated online marketing landscape. We pride ourselves on the fact that a great video doesn’t need to cost a fortune, nor does it require an enormous marketing budget. Luckily for you, we have over 20 years of experience in the industry, so we understand how best to engage your target audience and interact with your ideal consumers through affordable videos.

A massive well done to the SHOUT team for another incredible event. Everything from start to finish was great, and the social coverage was always top-notch. Our event film is on the way, and we can’t wait to bring you the finished product, but you’ll all have to wait patiently whilst we work our magic in edit! So, until next time folks.