Bubbles Top Tips for Exhibitors and Visitors at ISE 2023

Trade show season has officially begun for 2023, and here at Bubble, we could not be more excited! If you are starting the season with ISE 2023, then you are in luck, as it is a great trade show to kick off with for both exhibitors and especially visitors. Here is a guide with helpful tips and tricks from our seasoned ISE veterans who have supported clients and walked the halls as visitors.

Our Top Tips For Exhibitors at ISE 2023: 

  1. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE AND COMMUNICATE! We can’t stress enough how important it is to communicate your attendance and what you will be showcasing through social media, emails, PR, and the list goes on… Visitors like to plan their schedule before attending the show, and the likelihood of an unplanned visit to your stand and buying from you is very slim
  2. The two weeks to show open countdown checklist – Make sure all your meetings are booked in, all staff attended have pre-registered for their exhibitor passes, downloaded the event app, and all merchandise is with you or on track to arrive 
  3. Why should I come to your stand instead of your competition? Run a competition or host a drinks event on your stand to draw people in as they walk past. If you do run a competition, giveaway a really cool prize to make it worthwhile
  4. Body language is really important! You wouldn’t dine at a restaurant where you are greeted with crossed arms, minimal attention, and maximum attitude, would you? The same applies to your stand. Brief your team beforehand on how to greet visitors, make sure no phones are on the trade show floor and most importantly we understand how tired you might be but smile
  5. Eye-catching and welcoming stand. Your stand design is crucial in getting your message across. Describe what it is you do in signage, don’t overcomplicate it with marketing lingo. Make your stand a welcoming and comfortable space with somewhere for people to sit, have a drink, and a conversation. Make sure you also use a reliable freighting company to ship your stand so it arrives on time and in one piece! We recommend Exhibition Freighting or Freight Minds
  6. Don’t become zap happy. Not every lead is important, relevant, or valuable. Think quality, not quantity. The lead criteria should be – do I want to speak to them afterward? Key tip – don’t leave it too long afterwards to follow up on the lead and make it creative – a handwritten note? 
  7. Tweep tweep – AVtweeps or even better, #avtweeps is one of the most important hashtags of the show if you want to find out what is going on. The official show hashtag is #ISE2023
  8. Take a break, have a Kit Kat – Break? Lunchtime? What is that in trade show jargon? Does it exist? One thing that definitely does is a queue outside the toilets! Peak times during the day do not exist in the trade show world. It is always busy. Pack yourself snacks for during the day and be sure to always eat breakfast as not only is it the most important meal of the day, but you don’t know when your next meal may be! 

Our Top Tips For Visitors at ISE 2023:

  1. What’s the plan? There will be a lot to see at ISE – you can easily spend one day in one hall alone, so arrange all your meetings beforehand so if you can plan your visits by hall, so you won’t be walking from one end of the venue to the other constantly to visit exhibitors
  2. Enjoy a pasta or a burger – It’s important to take a lunch or snack break during the day to keep your energy up. There will be delicious food trucks/ restaurants both inside and outside the hall. We would also recommend carrying a water bottle around with you to keep you hydrated. There will be drinking fountains around the show where you can refill it 
  3. Print or download your schedule – Don’t get caught out with the time difference in Barcelona! Print or download a copy of your schedule before the time updates on your devices
  4. DON’T wear new shoes! We don’t recommend it! Pack a capsule wardrobe so you can pack less and you always have something to wear – comfy shoes are a trade show must! 
  5. Get some fresh air – Shows in the AV and installation sector are full of bright lights and no natural light – even if it’s raining, a bit of fresh air will perk you up. There are open spaces between each group of halls, so whilst walking to another hall try and catch some fresh air 
  6. A portable charger is the ultimate best friend. Charging points are hard to come by at ISE, so we recommend taking a portable charger or charging your phone at an exhibitor’s stand whilst chatting to them
  7. ISE Daily – The ISE daily is a great resource to have. It has an exhibitors list and all the latest news and products that are being showcased. showcasing. Stay in the know and be sure to read it daily during the show
  8. The ISE App is your best friend! The ISE app has the floor plan, a list of all the exhibitors, conference schedules, and more.. It has all the ISE information you’ll need during your time there 
  9. Unsubscribe – Don’t let exhibitors zap your badge if you’re not interested
  10. What time do you open? Don’t get caught out by arriving too early or late. Find out what time the show opens every day. Keep a check of the timings on the ISE App and website at https://www.iseurope.org/welcome. The show opens at 10:00am everyday. On the last day it closes at 4pm 
  11.  HAVE FUN! The most important tip is to just have fun, enjoy yourself and make sure you visit not only as many parties as you can but see some beautiful sights in Barcelona. The city culture is more late-night dinners around 11:00pm and later starts in the morning.  
  12. Here are some restaurant recommendations of places in town – Pez Vala, Moments (two Michelin stars so expensive but very nice), Disfruta, Alkimia, Cocina Hermanos Torres and Fismuler

Book a meeting with Sadie Groom, to find out how Bubble Agency can help support you with your PR, Marketing or trade show needs by emailing us at hello@bubbleagency.com. If you see us in our orange striped shirts, be sure to come and speak to us!

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A Few Kind Words...

Kapil Gadhire, Head of Marketing, Magnifi

From the word go, team Bubble was super detailed, efficient, and exhaustive in their approach. They are true partners and make an effort to understand the ideology and end goal to plan the perfect media pitch and strategy.

Lauren Myers, Director, Integrated Marketing – Ross Video

Working with Bubble during and after IBC 2022 for PR and press support was exceptional. Their professional approach, strategic communication, and extensive media network generated significant exposure for our brand. Bubble's on-site support was outstanding, ensuring our story was accurately told to a global audience. Their post-IBC efforts further amplified our reach and provided valuable analytics. An experienced, professional team and a total joy to work with.

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Gavin Bunker, AE Live

Bubble were fantastic throughout the whole process and helped us deliver a successful event to celebrate our 30th corporate anniversary with industry peers.

Robert Cloudt, Synchronized

Bubble has been tremendously helpful to bring our marketing communication to the next level, very responsive and thinking with us together on the rightful messaging and timing across different media’s. Definitely a recommendation in case you need a well balanced media agency to help you out.

Carla Molina Whyte, Farmerswife

Working with Bubble Agency for a tradeshow has been truly amazing. The bubble team is incredibly helpful and talented. We are very happy with the results and with all the coverage we got prior and during the tradeshow!

Silvia Candido, Ateme

As usual, we were super busy before and during a tradeshow this year. What a luxury to have Bubble take care of our media relations and our social media accounts! We saw a surge of followers on LinkedIn and got good coverage in a number of publications.

Meg Travis, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services, Director, Global Head of Marketing & Communications, Entertainment Services

The Bubble team made everything easy at MPTS! From advising before the show, to facilitating client and press conversations during the show, to making recommendations on how to make the most of the connections we made there - we rely on Bubble as a key strategic partner for our sales and marketing teams.