How to Build Lasting Business at Wedding Shows (and not the way you might think)

[Read Time: 5 minutes]

I like wedding shows. I like tradeshows in general, but I really like wedding shows, and I think they are a valuable use of your money to market your wedding business.

Sure, they're expensive, and the venues are questionable at times, but there are genuine benefits to attending...but the biggest benefit is more than booking the brides.

Before getting to that part, we must first prepare FOR the show.

A significant amount of preparation is needed for a wedding show (way more than you might think).

If you're familiar with wedding shows but have never participated in one, this list will really help.

BTW, this list will also apply nicely to tradeshows of any industry in case you’re still a “part-time professional” still waiting to go full-time.

Full Disclosure - I'm a bit of an enthusiast for tradeshows in general, regardless of the industry, so I have some strong opinions on the "whats and what nots" and the "shoulds and should nots." Of course, these are my opinions, and, as always, if you disagree, you have the freedom to be wrong :)

Taken from decades of tradeshow attendance and participation, I present to you, for the very first time, My Wedding Show List:

• When booking your space, request a corner booth facing toward the middle (not the wall). You get the best visibility from the attendees.

• Get there early and get set up as quickly as possible.

• If you can set up the night before, that is preferable.

• Stock your booth with as many giveaway materials and promotional pieces as possible. You never want to run out.

• There are a TON of ways you can decorate your booth. Have fun, but stay on brand and be classy.

• Do Not use the stock curtain they provide. Bring your own and hang it, or hang it over theirs.

• NEVER use the cheap cardboard sign the show host provided with your name on it as your signage...EVER. It's a placeholder for your booth, that's all. Pitch it once you move in.

• Bring your own flooring (carpet squares are great) if you can. Of course, this only applies to convention halls and not hotel shows.

• Do Not use the table or the chairs they provide for your booth. Why? Read on.

• You should never sit during the show. You're there to work and talk to people, not be a customer service agent behind a desk or table. Plus, it creates a barrier between you and your prospective clients.

• Do Not eat while in your booth. If you need to grab a bite, bring a protein bar to eat while taking a potty break.

• Dress like you're going to dress at the wedding.

• Show off lots of work! Books, prints, as much as you can gather up. This is your time to show off your goods. You can't have too much.

• Be friendly but not TOO friendly. You're not selling cars - you're offering them the opportunity to have their wedding preserved in photos by you.

• Don't act like you're selling cell phones at the mall. This is a tough reality. Not everyone WANTS to talk to you. For those that ignore you, pretend they already booked their photographer and don't need another one.

• Attitude is everything. If you feel confident and successful, you’ll appear confident and successful. Perception becomes reality.

• When you meet with prospective clients, talk about weddings. Tell stories about weddings. Show photos of weddings and tell stories about the moments in the photos. They weren’t there, but you can make them FEEL like they were there. Your passion for your craft will come out. THIS is your time to shine!

• Ask questions and answer questions. It's an exchange, not a negotiation. You want to sound like the photographer who CARES the most. You may also be the best photographer, but the one who cares will be the one who wins.

• Don't be afraid to talk money. Be confident with your rates. If you want to have a "Show Special," fine, but stick to your rates. I prefer adding something to the package rather than lowering your price when it comes to this stage of the sales process.

• Wedding shows are an opportunity to educate the bride and her mom. More than likely, they're new at this, so be the one who teaches them. They might book you, or they might not, but YOU will be the authority, and moms don't forget that.

• This is your prime chance to let your personality come out. At a wedding, you're not the star of the show, but here, at the wedding show, you can be. Be funny, be friendly, and let them see the type of person they're entrusting this day with.

• Get cozy with the show organizer. Every show needs photographs, so why can't they use yours? Whenever they need help with promotion, be THE ONE who provides it. This goodwill goes a long way for the next time (booth upgrades, better positioning, guest speaker for Q&A and a media resource).

• One huge benefit of being ready early is when the local TV station comes by for a quick LIVE segment (typically before the show opens). Your biggest assets are visuals, and the TV segment needs visuals. Prepare your elevator pitch in advance so you can be ready when the reporter is looking for a vendor to chat with (and make sure you plug the show).

• Almost every show has an "ask the professionals" segment on stage where folks can ask about planning a wedding. Volunteer to do this! Being on stage in front of everyone as a professional in your industry is worth the price of the entire show. While others are in their booth, you get a priceless moment on stage as the authority for wedding photography.

• NEVER leave early. Stay until the very end and possibly even later. Many brides don't like the crowds, so they get there late. Be available to them. I've booked several weddings with brides who just wanted to "pop in for a quick look" but ended up staying and chatting for 30 minutes while all the other vendors were packing up to leave.

• There is a truckload of other tips for tradeshows in general that I highly recommend you peek into. These are the biggest ones.

OK, now that you have a solid arsenal of how to prepare for the show itself, let me tell you the real reason WHY you should be attending a wedding show.

The Other Vendors

If you've done your job, arrived early and have your booth looking good just about the time the others are rolling their plastic tubs in, you can now take full advantage of your extra time and start working the room.

Everyone at this show is a professional that caters to the wedding industry.

Everyone at this show has a business and needs two things: Referrals and Photography.

They might not need photography today, but they do need referrals today, or they wouldn't be at a wedding show. They'll need photography later.

This is where you come in.

Take the time to meet the people at every single booth. Introduce yourself and find out how YOU can help THEM.

If you're chatting with a booth that caters BBQ, give them your card and tell them if you meet a couple having a country-themed wedding and want to serve BBQ, you'll send them their way. This is a qualified referral! And if they need any photos for their website or a new brochure, tell them how much you'd love to help...and eat the props after the shoot.

"But what if the bride meets them before I can refer them?" Simple.

If you're chatting with a bride who mentions they hired your new BBQ friend, you can congratulate them on a great choice, and now your support becomes social proof for the bride.

After the show, you return to the BBQ booth and say, "Hey, did [insert bride's name here] stop by to see you? I told them about you." They don't know who came first, but now they know you cared enough about them to pass along a referral.

THIS is how connections are made.

Every vendor at the show (and most shows have a LOT of vendors) can benefit from what you do as a photographer.

Be the one who reaches out to them. The one who says things like, "Whatever you need, just lemme know."

Be the one who goes the extra step to gather a business card or contact info from each vendor before the show and contact them AFTER the show with a thank you for chatting with them (and, of course, a reminder that if they need anything at all, just let you know).

Relationships are the most powerful part of being a successful wedding photographer. When you take the time to get to know the players in your industry and help them get to know you, seriously, good things happen.

Don't forget, you'll see some of these folks again...at weddings!

Starting your connection at a nice common ground like a wedding show is so valuable.

Yes, it may be pricey on the front end, but what is a career of referrals worth?

Working a wedding show isn’t exactly the kind of sexy wedding photography topics you typically read about or see on YouTube. This is the inner game of wedding photography.

THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter - how to become and build a career as a wedding photographer.

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If you're interested in becoming a wedding photographer but don't know where to start, I can help.

I'm looking for one ambitious photographer to work with one-on-one and help become a wedding photographer.

Call it a mentorship or training program, but for the right person, this could legitimately change their career (I'll leave the price a secret for now, but it's crazy).

Want to learn more? Shoot me an email at [email protected]