Corporate espionage may bring visions of daring raids and corporate turn-coats to mind, but the reality is that most security breaches occur because someone simply wasn't careful. Setting up trade booths and manning them with employees is a great way to gain positive press and new customers, but it can also be a security hazard.

St. Louis Trade Show Displays Need Proper Security Precautions

In the future, will you be in the St. Louis area setting up trade show displays? St. Louis marketing specialists can tell you from experience that your trade show results can be impacted adversely if you don't pay attention to security issues. Most lapses in security at corporate and industry events are unintentional lapses in proper practice that seem minor at the time but could result in competitors getting their hands on valuable information about your company.

Secure, professionally designed St. Louis trade show displays will naturally protect any proprietary information about your company, but they should also protect the identities and personal or business information of every visitor to your trade booth. Keep in mind that not all trade show results are about the number of new potential clients you've added to your mailing list or how many people accept the free promotional gift you're offering. It's also about the image that is projected by your trade show displays. St. Louis marketing specialists will tell you that security issues are often a concern for exhibit visitors, who don't want to share their personal or even business information with a trade show booths unless they are confident it won't go where it shouldn't.

Security and Privacy Tips for St. Louis Trade Show Displays

Proper security and professional presentation are two elements of trade show displays St. Louis business owners put at the top of a their list of what impresses them most about a great exhibit. Before your employees hit the floor at the next exhibition to shake hands, meet new potential clients, and spread the word about your business, go over routine privacy issues with them. If you visit your own booth before you review the rules with your employees, you may be surprised at how many ways security can be compromised for both your own company and the information volunteered by visitors to your presentation.

Sign-Up Sheets

Almost everyone has some type of sign-up sheet at their exhibition booths these days in order to store names, addresses, and perhaps email addresses and phone numbers as well. While this gives you valuable sales material to work with, it can also be great information for your competitors if they can get to it. Don't ever leave your sign-up sheets lying around unwatched. It takes only a minute to steal a sheet or even take a picture with a cell phone camera. You don't want to give great prospects to the other guys!

In fact, your best approach would be to have an employee monitoring or holding your sign-up sheet at all times. This will not only curtail the problem of someone snatching a sign-up sheet, it will give you valuable face time with each person who wants to join your mailing list.

Cell Phones Are Security Hazards

It's easy to assume that when you're working trade show displays, St. Louis customers and visitors will give you the courtesy of ignoring your phone calls, but it's just too easy for someone from another exhibition to overhear what you're saying in your phone. Don't discuss company information such as sales policies, production schedules or your plans for the next big project roll-out while you're in your booth. Trade show results can completely tank if a competitor overhears any proprietary information. Don't give them that edge – if you need to talk to someone at the home office, be sure you leave the area of the exhibition and find some privacy where you can talk freely.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

It's an old-fashioned warning, but one that your trade show booth staffers need to take to heart. It may be tempting to give certain prospects a "between you and me" pitch about something that's in the pipeline for your business, but this can backfire. Some potential clients will worry that your employees are too open with company information and will assume this same information has been shared with far too many people.

Talking with someone in your booth about anything from your company's shipping schedules to their policies on prices can get you in hot water if you're discussing details that others don't need to be a party to. Competitors are everywhere, potentially listening to what you're talking about without you being aware. Don't reveal new and exciting project information that's supposed to be kept in-house.

Make sure any internal discussions stay just that – internal by reminding any employees working the booth that they should not be discussing business among themselves when working St. Louis trade show displays. Two of your exhibition staffers talking about shipments, sales figures, new product plans or any other internal information could be overheard by someone they aren't aware is listening just a few feet away. Ask your employees to focus on their duties and how they can get better trade show results rather than "talking shop."

By providing security and privacy to visitors at your St. Louis trade show displays, you'll demonstrate your reliability, professionalism and dedication to potential clients' privacy and security.