What should you know before exhibiting at BBC Good Food Show and other major trade shows—what sells, what's the ROI, and what are the logistics?

Trade show ROI varies significantly; several members reported mixed or poor returns. **BBC Good Food Show (Birmingham)** has worked well for some (profitable enough to justify the cost), but others found weak ROI due to high volumes of freebie-seekers and casual attendees rather than serious buyers. Members who exhibited reported that attendance by serious trade buyers drops significantly mid-October through Christmas as the industry focuses on Christmas trading.

**What sells:** Members with Seedlip and Bounce! experience found success, though specific product recommendations weren't detailed in feedback shared. Hard seltzers and spirits were offered as samples.

**Logistics and venue concerns:** - **Excel events** (including IDE—Industry Drinks Event) are frequently criticised for poor ROI relative to cost and notorious logistical disorganisation. Several members warned explicitly to "avoid" Excel events due to these issues. - Exhibiting typically requires samples for tastings, stand setup, and freight handling.

**Forwarder contacts for inbound/outbound shipments:** - **Vidale Nordest** — used for Italy shipments, may work bidirectionally - **Alpi UK** — successfully used for Germany shipments - **Supply Chain 21** — Richard Jones (richard.jones@supplychain21.com) can assist with logistics - Avoid **Albatrans** (reportedly refusing Italy shipments) and **Hillebrand** (described as difficult to work with)

**Caveat:** One exhibitor's 2019 experience was very negative; event quality and attendee composition appear highly variable. The consensus leans toward caution: unless you have a specific, targeted reason to exhibit, the cost often doesn't justify the outcome, especially at larger events like those at Excel.