According to a recent survey, more than half of expo attendees said that event vendors are a deciding factor in whether to attend an event for the first time.
That means retaining high-quality vendors is key to attracting attendees. Disappoint your vendors, and you’re risking potential sales.
Keep on reading for three ways to keep your event vendors happy — and signed on for another year.
1. Help your vendors sell more
Your vendors are at your event for one reason: to sell their product. You need to make it easy for them to sell (and more importantly, for attendees to purchase) those products.
Square research found that 37% of buyers say their top pain point is slow lines. If your payment processing is slow, you won’t just frustrate attendees — you’ll sell less merchandise, leaving your vendors wondering if your event was actually worth their time.
Pro tip: Cashless payments, either by phone or RFID technology, can help speed up spending, decrease wait times in lines, and keep attendees coming back to your vendors. The seamless experience will delight your attendees, while keeping your event vendors happy.
2. Boost brand awareness for your vendors
When attendees are stoked about your vendors, that’s good news for your vendors — and your event. Use your social media and event apps to not only get people excited for your event, but to get them excited for the vendors that will be there. Because if your attendees aren’t hyped to check out your vendors, you better believe your vendors won’t be hyped about partnering up again.
Pro tip: You can boost awareness of your vendors long before the day of your event. Highlight your vendors on social media. Use these pre-event vendor reveals to get people excited, conduct giveaways, and even share sneak peeks of setup on the day before.
3. Drive customer loyalty for your vendors
Your vendors don’t just want people to know about their brand. They also want to turn your attendees into their loyal fans. So how do you make your vendors stand out long after your event? Create memorable connections between your vendors and your attendees.
Your event might be organized around static booths, but it’s your job to get your vendors and attendees up on their feet and interacting. Ultimately, your vendors are looking for new, loyal fans — if you don’t deliver, your vendors won’t bother coming back next year.
Pro tip: Keep attendees and vendors engaged by providing entertainment in unexpected places. For example, have some of your top vendors give a pop-up demonstration or talk near your food stations. That way, attendees will be entertained while they’re waiting in line for food — and will have a chance to chat with your other vendors.
Engage event vendors with moments of connection
Each interaction at your event, no matter how short, is an opportunity to build memories for attendees. Discover how investing in these moments can help you stay competitive and better engage your vendors in How to Create Moments of Connection at Your Event.
