Stay out of other companies' booths. Not only is your presence in your company's booth absolutely vital to serving your customers and potential customers, but you help set an example for others. Wandering into other booths disrupts exhibitors who are with clients. If you do this, you can expect others to do the same to you.

Do not solicit in the aisles (known as "suitcasing"). Exhibitions are designed to encourage a free flow of traffic through the aisles. And, they are designed to enable exhibitors to do business in their booths. Show management usually has rules against solicitation in the aisles, with good reason. Companies that choose not to pay for exhibit booths sometimes attempt to solicit in the aisles. They are taking advantage of the money your company spends to make the exhibition happen! They are, in effect, letting legitimate exhibitors pick up their show costs. Be sure to inform show management if you see this happening. Your company deserves to get what it pays for.

Do not disrupt other exhibitors or visitors. Disruptions such as loud music or announcements, shining lights at other booths, using laser pointers across aisles and the like are annoying to others. Visitors to exhibits are there for business purposes, just like you. But if you engage in disruptive behaviors, visitors will perceive you and your company not as professionals in business, but as people to avoid. So you lose business and the respect of your peers and your customers.

It is just good business to use good etiquette when staffing your company's exhibit booth. You and your company can be highly successful, but you have to be careful not to break the rules of good exhibitor etiquette!

Dress To Create A Winning Image (continued)
Take a cue from your customer - you should be dressed the same or slightly better. The blue "power suit" may not always be appropriate, and trends indicate it is being replaced by more casual attire or even a company uniform.

In certain situations, a more relaxed dress code is in order, especially if most attendees are attired casually. You do not want to appear intimidating - as an army of starched-shirt salespeople - and scare-off potential customers looking to avoid a sales pitch. A casual appearance can make you much more approachable. 

If you choose to create a uniform look for your booth staff, be specific. If you decide to use matching sweaters or colorful shirts imprinted with your company's logo, make sure you are also specific about the color and type of pants, skirts and shoes your staff must wear to complete the look. Give careful consideration to the colors and styles of clothing you use. Keeping in mind the makeup of the individuals who staff your booth - make the clothing age and sex appropriate. For example, choosing pants as part of your uniform could promote an attitude of equality between men and women staffers among your customers.

Casual attire is certainly not appropriate for every exhibition, but in the correct situation, you can use it to your benefit and have a more productive exhibition experience.