# Your checklist for a side event or product launch during a big fair

> A big fair brings your whole market to one city for a few days. A step-by-step checklist for turning that moment into a side event or launch people actually attend.

URL: https://bravodays.com/en/blog/your-checklist-for-a-side-event-or-product-launch-during-a-big-fair
Last updated: 2026-10-21
Publisher: BravoDays (https://bravodays.com)

## In short

- Check the fair programme first and avoid clashing with the official highlights.
- Choose a venue that guests can reach quickly from the fair or their hotels.
- Send invitations early, follow up personally and plan for no-shows.
- Keep the programme short: arrival, one clear message, and time to talk.

## Overview

A major trade fair does something no marketing budget can easily do: it brings your customers, partners, distributors and the trade press to the same city for a few days. That makes it the perfect moment for a side event, a client reception or a product launch. It also means you are competing with every other exhibitor for the same people's evenings. This checklist covers what we work through when planning a side event during a big fair in Istanbul or elsewhere in Türkiye.

### Eight to twelve weeks before: strategy and timing

- **Define the goal.** Is it a launch for press and key accounts, a thank-you reception for distributors, or a small dinner for a handful of strategic clients? The guest list and format follow from this.

- **Study the fair programme.** Check the opening ceremony, official receptions, award evenings and the busiest visitor days. Avoid clashing with anything your guests are likely to attend.

- **Choose the slot.** Early evening on the first or second day often works best. By the last day, many visitors have already left or are exhausted.

- **Set the budget and headcount.** Be realistic about attendance: during a fair, not everyone who accepts will come.

### Six to eight weeks before: venue and suppliers

1. **Venue:** choose somewhere guests can reach quickly from the fair or their hotels. A short transfer matters more than a famous address. Hotels near the fair, rooftop terraces, waterside restaurants and private event spaces all work well.

2. **Transport:** if the venue is not walking distance, plan shuttles from the fair at fixed times, and a return to the main hotel areas.

3. **Technical needs:** for a launch, confirm stage, screens, sound, lighting and power. Run a technical rehearsal in the venue.

4. **Catering:** standing receptions with substantial food work well after a day at the fair; guests are often hungry. Include clear vegetarian, halal and alcohol-free options.

5. **Permits:** check any permits needed for outdoor events, music, branding in public areas or product demonstrations.

### Four to six weeks before: invitations

Send invitations early, because diaries fill up fast during fair week. Make the invitation clear and short: what, where, when, why it is worth their time, and how to get there from the fair. Ask for a reply, and follow up personally with key guests by phone or through your account managers. A personal invitation from someone they know is far more effective than a second email.

**Practical tip:** hand out printed or digital reminders at your stand on the day of the event, with a simple map and the shuttle time. Many guests decide their evening plans while walking the fair floor.

### The week before: confirm everything

- Reconfirm the venue, timings, menu and final numbers.

- Brief hosts and speakers: who greets whom, who speaks and for how long.

- Prepare a guest list for the door, with badges or a simple check-in.

- Prepare press materials and product information if you are launching.

- Assign one person to manage the event on the night, separate from the stand team.

### On the night: keep it short and focused

The best side events respect their guests' time. Plan for arrival and drinks, a short and clear message, ideally under fifteen minutes, then plenty of time for conversation. If you are launching a product, make it possible to see and touch it. Have your senior people in the room and briefed on who to meet.

If the venue has an outdoor terrace, keep an indoor space on hold in case of wind or rain, and decide the cut-off time for switching. Tell guests at the entrance if photos will be taken and shared, and give anyone who prefers not to appear an easy way to say so.

### Afterwards: follow up while it matters

Send a short thank-you message within a day or two, with photos, the key message and a clear next step, such as a meeting request or product information. Share the attendee list with your sales team so conversations started at the event continue.

Tell us which fair you are attending, your dates and the kind of event you have in mind. We will check the fair programme with you, suggest venues and timings that work, and handle the logistics so your team can focus on the guests.

## Related pages

- [Blog](https://bravodays.com/en/blog)
- [Get a quote](https://bravodays.com/en/get-a-quote)

By BravoDays editorial team