Table setup standards

• White tablecloths only — black shows dust too easily
• Flowers on every table — bonus if they are real with water
• Branded pens at every seat
• Free water on every table in glass cups — not plastic
• Have quality control standards for what people bring — some bring elaborate setups. Set expectations in advance.
• No cheap tablecloths — ever

Schedule enforcement

• "Walkers" enforce meeting times on the floor
• Cluster people's meetings — making them walk back and forth is a sign of lack of organization and care

Printed schedules

• Print out schedules for every person at every seat — everyone always asks "who am I meeting again?"
• Bonus points if you put a blurb next to each person: title, company bio

Power and presentations

• 47% of meetings have presentations — power access matters
• Be careful — wires look messy on tables and floors, lots of tripping hazards
• Consider power banks — bonus points if they are sponsored
• iPads and Windows tablets rule presentations — 46% of presentations use a tablet. Try giving them power.

Make introductions

People who make introductions to life-changing people will naturally make others feel inclined to help them in return. The value equation starts to become more about the master connector at the top — they see the value before they've even been asked for sponsorship.

Signage

• How you treat their brand is how they will think of you
• Make aisle numbers clearly visible from afar — account for people standing in the way

Sponsorship placement

• Biggest sponsors at the front for maximum visibility and eyeballs

Photo opportunity

• Give attendees something worth posting to LinkedIn — their bosses are wondering if they even showed up
• Shows competitors they attended and the competition did not
• Approximately $10 per letter for large letter signs

Marketing extras

• Stickers and magnets are a creative and low-cost marketing play
• Icebreaker magnets (Eiffel Tower, landmarks) so people can see where you travel
• Fancy fonts make a visual impression
• You can replicate competitor banner designs in 60 seconds with GPT and Canva

Manicuring the table

• Remove low water bottles, wrappers, and banana peels as they appear
• A sloppy table reminds buyers exactly how much they paid to be there
• A sloppy layout reminds them how much you care — beauty is a form of professionalism, like a 5-star restaurant with forks thrown on the tables
• Be there as a warm teammate — unobtrusive service, not an interruption

The grandma's-watching-first-date standard

• Bring water in 30 seconds without being asked
• Run after them if they forgot their notebook
• Pull out a chair
• Open the door
• Quietly take away wrappers and bring something new without announcing it
• Gently tap on a shoulder to let them know it is time to move

Service recovery

• Own it — say "we" or "I", never "my company sucks"
• They are in the angry boat. It only has one seat. Hop in with them.
• Do not minimize: "it's no big deal" becomes "it is to me"
• When something goes wrong, lead with "It turns out…"

Sales behaviors to coach

• Mirror the other person's energy, vibe, and pace
• Use "Guests" instead of "attendees" or "sponsors"
• Say their last name — it signals you did your homework
• 3-person rule: two is fine, three together looks like gossiping
• Be aware of how often you ask "how are you today" — it becomes noise fast

Benchmark stats

• 68% of shows had tablecloths
• 38% had swag on the table
• 76% used an electronic device for presenting (86% laptops, 14% iPads)
• Custom purse and bag holders are a memorable premium touch