Our goal? Help HoReCa Adria bring you great contacts, real conversations, and new deals and make sure every euro, hour, and ounce of energy you put into your trade show appearance pays off. That's why we've rounded up 50 practical tips in one place, everything from pre-show prep and booth setup to following up once the doors close. Hope they help you walk in prepared, maybe rethink a thing or two, and get the absolute most out of HoReCa Adria.
This text was originally published on Adriano Požarić's LinkedIn profile, which we have included in full below.
If you've ever spent three days in an exhibition hall in Opatija or Zagreb, you know exactly how it goes: your legs are quietly aching, you've had seven espressos before the first break, and your colleague from sales has ducked behind the info desk for the sixth time to eat a prosciutto sandwich in peace and scroll through Instagram.
You've paid for the stand space, hauled in the heavy artillery (combi steamers, loungers, refrigerated display cases or software terminals), put up the roll-up banner, and now you're waiting. Waiting for that legendary hotel group director to walk in, the one you've been exchanging glances with for a few seasons now.
A trade fair isn't a holiday with cheap pens whose logo is half scratched off. A trade fair is a temporary office and showroom you've invested capital and time in. In sales itself, the internet has sped up preparation, but it hasn't killed the handshake, the smell of coffee, or the feel of satin hotel cotton — everything that, in the end, rounds off a good deal.
The list below also doubles as a short introduction to our workshop for HoReCa Adria exhibitors, which we'll be holding in late August in Opatija. I put together five cult books on trade fairs (Cox, Masiello, Rio, Lorenzo, Parker) and combined them with the reality of the Adriatic season. Here are 50 ultimate Do's & Don'ts, organized by phase, so your appearance at HoReCa Adria isn't corporate tourism, but the most profitable investment of the year.
PART 1: Pre-Show Engineering (How to win before you even unpack the boxes)
Skip Cox teaches us: a trade fair isn't planned by gut feeling, but by math.
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DO: Arrive with your schedule already 50% full. Walk-in visitors are dessert; pre-arranged meetings with key buyers are the main course.
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DO: Map out your "Dream 100+" list. Make a list of 50 hoteliers and 50 restaurateurs, architects, holiday-home owners... whom you absolutely must bring to your stand, and send them a personalized VIP invitation.
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DO: Choose a corner stand whenever you can. It opens the stand up on two sides and subconsciously invites people in. A corner is worth more than 10 extra square meters.
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DO: Have a clear and brutally honest KPI. Forget "we want visibility." The goal is: "35 qualified meetings, 15 quotes issued, 5 contracts signed for the season."
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DO: Send personal invitations, not a generic newsletter. An F&B director doesn't respond to "Visit us at stand B12," but to "We have a new solution for cutting glass-washing costs - I've booked you a time slot and an espresso for Thursday at 11:00."
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DO: Reactivate your "sleeping" leads. Who told you last year, "let's talk in autumn"? A trade fair is the perfect, natural excuse to reconnect.
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DO: Align your team with a 15-minute briefing the day before. Everyone needs to know who greets visitors, who demonstrates, who negotiates, and what the discount policy is.
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DO: Prepare your digital materials for "one click." PDF catalogs, spec sheets, and price lists need to be on every team member's phone, ready to send via WhatsApp or email while the client is still standing right there with you.
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DON'T: Don't plan your stand size without an activity plan. An oversized stand with two tired people looks like an abandoned warehouse. A smaller, packed stand that's bursting with energy is far better.
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DON'T: Don't pick your neighbors blindly. If you're next to a complementary brand (say, you sell porcelain, they sell premium coffee), you share an audience. If you're next to a loud speaker blasting for no reason, you'll just lose your nerve.
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DON'T: Don't print tons of heavy catalogs. People don't want to lug five kilos of paper around the hall. They want a summary and a (working) QR code.
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DON'T: Don't leave logistics for the last minute. The chaos of assembly and the hunt for an extension cord an hour before opening kills your team's sales energy for the whole day.
PART 2: Stand Architecture & First Impressions (3 seconds to decide)
Julien Rio and Priya Parker prove it: your stand isn't a shop window, it's an interactive playground.
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DO: Remove physical barricades. A counter placed across the entire front of the stand feels like a border crossing in a country behind the Iron Curtain. Open up the entrance and pull the counter inward.
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DO: Communicate your value in 3 seconds. From 10 meters away, a passerby has to be able to read exactly what problem you solve (e.g., "We cut food waste by 30%," not just an unreadable company logo).
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DO: Enable touch and the senses. In the HoReCa world, a poster sells nothing. The feel of a door handle, the weight of a bar spoon, the texture of a tablecloth, and the sound of steam from a machine - that's the finishing touch.
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DO: Activate scent and movement. A live demo, a machine being opened up, croissants being prepared, a showcooking session, pulls people in like a magnet. People subconsciously gravitate toward wherever something is happening.
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DO: Divide your stand into 3 functional zones: an Attraction Zone (walk-through), a Demo Zone (experience), and a Negotiation Zone (seating and details).
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DO: Set up a hidden storage zone. Jackets, boxes, half-empty water bottles and backpacks belong behind a screen. Clutter sends a message of disorganization.
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DON'T: Don't write novels on your stand walls. Nobody at a trade fair has ever read fine print about your company's history since 1894.
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DON'T: Don't turn your stand into a hands-off museum. If a customer isn't allowed to touch the equipment on display or sit in the chair, you've missed the point of the medium.
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DON'T: Don't skimp on lighting. A poorly lit stand looks dull and cheap, no matter how expensive your equipment is. Warm, directional light on your key product works wonders.
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DON'T: Don't create cognitive overload. You don't need to display all 400 items from your range. Showcase your hero products and the season's bestsellers.
PART 3: Behavioral Etiquette on the Stand (how not to chase visitors away)
Lisa Masiello sets the standard: nonverbal communication sells before you've even said a word.
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DO: Make eye contact at 5 meters. A warm look and a slight nod open the door without being pushy.
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DO: Use smart, contextual observations. Instead of generic phrases, say: "I see you're looking at the induction hobs - have you already started prepping your kitchen for the new season?"
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DO: Rotate your team in shifts. Nobody can be charming, sharp, and focused for eight hours straight on their feet. Two hours working the stand, half an hour's break out of visitors' sight.
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DO: Dress in a coordinated, professional way. You don't need to wear a tuxedo, but branded, clean, and elegant clothing creates the impression of a tight, serious team.
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DO: Spot the "person with the floor plan." When you see an investor with restaurant blueprints tucked under their arm, cut off every casual conversation. That's a deal to be closed today.
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DO: Give a transparent price range. If you answer a pricing question with a mysterious "well, that depends, send us an inquiry and we'll see...", the customer walks straight to the competition. Give a range: "The basic model starts at X, and the standard package for a venue like yours runs around Y."
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DON'T: ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN: phones in hand on the stand. If you're staring at a screen, you're sending a nonverbal signal: "I'm busy, don't bother me (and honestly, I can't be bothered)." Phones are used exclusively in the storage area.
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DON'T: Don't eat sandwiches or snacks on the stand. The smell of burek or chewing an apple in front of passersby instantly wipes out your entire marketing budget.
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DON'T: Don't sit while visitors are walking around. When you're slumped in a chair and the customer is standing, the power and energy dynamic is completely wrong. Get on your feet the moment someone slows their pace.
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DON'T: Don't form "cliques" with your colleagues. Three employees standing in a circle, backs turned to the aisle, chatting about last night's match, equal an impenetrable wall for any customer.
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DON'T: Never ask, "Can I help you?" 99% of the time the answer is automatic: "Thanks, just looking."
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DON'T: Don't abandon your stand at 2 PM on the last day. The most serious buyers and directors often show up in the final hours, once the biggest crowds have passed. If you start packing boxes early, you come across as an unprofessional amateur.
PART 4: The Psychology of Conversation & Qualification (the customer in focus)
Priya Parker and David Lorenzo remind us: a trade fair is about solving other people's problems, not delivering your own monologue.
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DO: Ask 3 qualifying questions in the first minute. Find out: 1. What kind of property do they run? 2. What's their biggest operational problem right now? 3. What's their investment timeline?
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DO: Listen 70%, talk 30%. Your stand isn't a podium for your monologue. Let the hotelier tell you about their staff shortage or how their dishwasher has become a bottleneck.
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DO: Tailor your pitch to your counterpart's profile. A boutique hotel owner wants aesthetics and guest experience; a head of technical maintenance wants reliability and a 24/7 service network across Kvarner, Dalmatia, Zagreb and Istria.
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DO: Be courteous to the competition too. When colleagues from the industry come by to "scout," stay professional and measured. People switch companies — today's competitor is tomorrow's distributor or partner.
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DO: Turn your giveaway into a personal ritual. Instead of letting everyone grab from a bowl, hand over a gift bag with a premium sample personally, explaining why you're giving it to that specific person.
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DON'T: Don't waste 45 minutes on "free coffee hunters." Learn to tell the difference between a decision-maker and someone just after a free espresso and a chat.
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DON'T: Don't "dump" all your technical specs at once. Focus on solving the problem. Technical details belong in the quote.
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DON'T: Don't promise impossible delivery deadlines. Tourism season doesn't forgive a three-week delay. One broken promise made at a trade fair follows you for years.
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DON'T: Don't get into price arguments. If someone tells you "the other guy is 20% cheaper," calmly reply: "We're familiar with their model, our price includes year-round on-site maintenance within 4 hours."
PART 5: The Post-Show Protocol & Follow-up (where the real profit lies)
Skip Cox and Lisa Masiello underline it: if you don't send a follow-up within 48 hours, you've burned your money.
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DO: Take notes immediately, within the first 60 seconds. After 47 conversations in a day, your memory is worth zero. Photograph the business card and write down one key sentence from the meeting in your phone or CRM.
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DO: Send the first materials the same day. If the client receives the agreed PDF while having a drink at their hotel that evening, you've left the impression of rocket-speed reliability.
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DO: Personalize your follow-up within 48 hours. Never send a generic mass email. Write: "Mr. Marko, following up on our conversation at HoReCa Adria about renovating your terrace in Rovinj..."
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DO: Have a clear "next step." Don't end your email with "Well, talk soon." Offer an option: "I suggest a quick 10-minute call on Tuesday at 10:00 to go through the specification."
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DO: Be persistent - apply the 3-touch rhythm. If the client doesn't reply to your first email, that doesn't mean "no", it means they're busy putting out fires. Send a short, polite reminder after 7 days.
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DON'T: Don't leave business cards in a drawer for 10 days. The value of a trade fair contact drops by 50% every 48 hours. After two weeks, they won't even remember your stand.
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DON'T: Don't think of a trade fair as a marketing expense. A trade fair is a sales process. If you properly integrate every contact into a long-term database and CRM, one week at HoReCa Adria will feed your sales for the entire year.
See you at the end of the month at the workshop in Opatija!
This was just a quick "cheat sheet" you can print out and stick on your office wall. At our upcoming workshop for HoReCa Adria exhibitors, we'll go through real stand scenarios, demonstrations, customer-qualification exercises, and exact communication templates.
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