It’s one of the stand-out events on the Australasian hospitality and gaming industries’ calendars, but how do you – as an exhibitor – ensure you make the most of your time at the Keno Australasian Hospitality and Gaming Expo? We’ve listed ten tips to help you make the 2024 AHG Expo your best yet.

1. Nail your pre-show marketing: It’s important that you make it known that you’re attending Expo – it’s an invaluable place to network with potential customers and other businesses, and they should know to look out for your stand. If you’re not sure where to start when it comes promoting your attendance at Expo, make use of the free marketing resources and PR expertise we offer to all exhibitors we offer as part of the cost of their stand. In the Marketing Toolkit, you can find email graphics, website ads, event logos, editorial copy, social media tips and contact details to reach out to our on-hand public relations experts to cover your PR and media coverage.
2. Plan your stand: A trestle table and a poster don’t cut it anymore – you will need to spend time planning your stand if you want it to be eye-catching and engaging to passers-by. Consider everything from the colour-scheme to the equipment you will need to make sure visitors want to stop by your stand. What are the most interesting aspects of your business? Showcase them!
3. Create incentives: Drawing visitors in is one thing – making them stay is a whole other story. Come up with fun activations and competitions that will give visitors no choice but to linger around your stand. Business card draws and similar competitions where an exciting prize is up for grabs (it could be as simple as a product or a voucher to use your services) will create a buzz during Expo, but you should also promote what you’re doing on social media before the event to draw people in before the event itself.
4. Create hype: What are you bringing to Expo that will get people excited? Whether you’re announcing a new product or service or have exciting samples or activities to try, make sure your audience is in the know on social media. You never know – you could be the sole reason they come along to Expo.
5. Freebies: Everyone loves free stuff. What are some freebies that you could hand out to visitors who stop by your stand? Better yet, what will they tell their friends about? Again, tell people ahead of time what you’ll be giving out on social media.
6. Be present: Be ready and waiting to chat to visitors when they stop by your stand. Be approachable, and have the answers to the questions the ask. If it’s your business on display but you can’t attend Expo yourself, make sure you select team members who will help – not hinder – the promotion of your products or services. Having someone who sits in the corner on their phone won’t make people want to hang around.
7. Be prepared: If a visitor asks for more information about your business, make sure you have it ready to give them. Whether it’s brochures, flyers about your products and services or simply your business card, make sure you’re never caught out when a visitor – a potential customer – asks for more info.
8. Get there early: You will need to make sure you and your team are ready to roll when Expo opens at 10am – if the crowds come pouring in and you’re still setting up, you won’t draw many people to your stand. Exhibitors are allowed into the hall from 7am both mornings of Expo, so make the most of your time to ensure you are ready and waiting when your first visitor stops by.
9. The team is here to help: If you need clarification or more information about anything related to your AHG Expo experience, make sure you reach out to the friendly expo team! There are plenty of additional resources available to you, too, like the Exhibitor Lounge where you can eat your lunch, have a break or do a bit of work in private, while still looking out over the AHG Expo hall.
10. Have fun: The AHG Expo is the party of the year, so make the most of the add-on events throughout the week. From the AHG Congress on Tuesday March 19 to the free cocktail party on the afternoon of Wednesday March 20, and of course the AHG Expo itself on Wednesday March 20 and Thursday March 21, there are so many great ways to mingle with like-minded industry members and potential business partners or customers. Embrace them as valuable networking opportunities – and have fun while you’re at it!