Expos are all about energy—bringing people, products, and ideas together under one roof. Whether you’re hosting a local business fair, a food and drink showcase, or a large-scale trade exhibition, the goal is the same: attract visitors, create buzz, and make sure every exhibitor walks away smiling.
Here are 10 tried-and-tested ways to make your expo a success, from planning and promotion to tickets and follow-up.
1. Define a Clear Goal
Before you book a venue or design a poster, decide what success looks like.
Is your aim to attract new customers? Promote local businesses? Create networking opportunities? Setting clear goals will shape every decision you make—from the layout of the venue to how you market it.
2. Choose the Right Venue
Your venue sets the tone for your entire event.
Think about accessibility, parking, nearby transport, and the natural flow of visitors through the space. Good lighting, signage, and facilities make a huge difference to both exhibitors and attendees.
Bonus tip: Always visit the venue before you commit. Pictures can be deceiving!
3. Build Excitement Early
Start marketing as soon as your date is confirmed. Use a mix of channels—social media, local press, newsletters, and posters in busy spots. Encourage your exhibitors to share the event too; their audiences become your audience.
Creating a hashtag or teaser video helps build anticipation before tickets even go on sale.
4. Make Ticketing Simple
Nothing kills excitement like a confusing checkout process. Your ticket sales system should be fast, transparent, and mobile-friendly.
With Comus, you can start selling tickets online in minutes—no contracts, subscriptions, or hidden fees. Just create your event, share the link, and you’re ready to go.
5. Offer Incentives to Attend
Early-bird discounts, free samples, giveaways, or prize draws are great ways to boost attendance. People love a good deal—and exhibitors appreciate seeing full aisles.
You can even track which promotions work best by looking at ticket data and visitor patterns.
6. Design a Smart Layout
A well-planned layout helps visitors explore more and keeps foot traffic flowing.
Mix large anchor exhibitors with smaller ones, place food or demo areas near the centre, and make sure signage is clear.
Don’t forget the basics: good Wi-Fi, plenty of bins, seating areas, and accessible facilities.
7. Focus on the Experience
Think beyond the stands. Add talks, live demos, entertainment, or workshops. These give visitors more reasons to stay longer—and more value for their ticket.
A well-timed live session or tasting event can turn a good expo into a memorable one.
8. Train Your Team (and Exhibitors)
Friendly, informed staff make all the difference. Brief your team on schedules, safety procedures, and how to help exhibitors and visitors alike.
Encourage exhibitors to be interactive—hands-on demos and engaging displays are far more effective than brochures alone.
9. Capture Data and Feedback
Don’t let the excitement end when the doors close. Collect attendee feedback, track ticket sales data, and monitor which exhibitors got the most engagement.
With platforms like Comus, you can connect ticket sales, POS, and marketing tools to get a full picture of what worked—and what to improve next time.
10. Keep the Conversation Going
Your expo shouldn’t end when the last stand is packed away. Share event photos, thank exhibitors and visitors, and start teasing next year’s edition.
Follow-up emails or social media posts are a great way to stay connected—and encourage repeat attendance.
Final Thoughts
Running an expo takes planning, creativity, and teamwork—but when it goes well, it’s one of the most rewarding event types out there. The energy of people discovering new things in person is something that digital can’t replace.
And when it comes to selling tickets, managing exhibitors, and tracking success, Comus makes it easy. You can sign up, create your event, and start selling tickets today—with no contracts, no subscriptions, and no hidden fees.
Because great expos deserve software that works as hard as you do.
