Don’t pitch. Talk! How to actually prepare for a trade show

Cybersec Netherlands is coming up. It’s the place where security companies, CISOs, startups, and innovators meet. Of course, you want to make a good impression. But what does that really mean? A slick booth, new brochures, matching hoodies for the whole team?

That can work. But if you’re not careful, you’ll fall into the same trap many companies do: preparing to broadcast when the real value of a trade show is about connection.

At Beyond Products and Security Innovation Stories, we’re doing things differently this year. No standard brochure rack. No sales pitches. Just conversations. Stories. And most importantly, preparation.

Preparation isn’t about polish. It’s about alignment

A trade show visit is kind of like a first date. It doesn’t work if you only talk about yourself. So, what do you actually want to say, and to whom? Instead of memorizing product features, it’s much more effective to prepare a few honest answers:

• Why do you do this work?
• What kind of customer (or visitor) is a good fit for you, and who isn’t?
• What’s your favorite question to get at your booth?

These don’t need to be rehearsed to perfection. But if you discuss them with your team before the show, you’ll sound much more natural when the time comes.

Here’s how we prepared

What do you actually want to achieve at the event? Once you’ve got a clear answer, you can tailor your artwork, merchandise, and tools to support that goal.

We’ve attended several trade shows to film on location, and it takes more than just bringing a camera. As you’ll see in the video below, we put serious preparation into our work for Ubiqu. For example:

• Who’s your target audience? And more specifically, where will they be at the event? That means figuring out which booths they’ll visit and who the stakeholders are.
• Once you know your audience, you can adapt your booth design and merchandise. What do they want to know? What keywords will catch their eye? Make those visible and central to your presence.
• How will you engage with your audience, and what do you want to get out of the show? For this client, the goal was gathering input from the target audience. So we brought a camera and walked the floor to collect real answers.
• After the event, we edited the footage into articles, video snippets, and LinkedIn posts.

Video: not a polished promo but a human impression

Video plays a big role for us this year. Not because we want to sell something, but because it gives people a chance to get to know us before the event.

We’re sharing short clips on LinkedIn where we talk about who we are, why we’re going to CyberSec, and what we hope to get out of it—and bring to it. That lowers the bar for real conversations at the booth. People know who to approach.

What else are we doing? We’ll be walking around CyberSec with a camera and giving guests the chance to record a podcast at our booth. That gives us instant content for later and lets our audience peek behind the scenes.

Pro tip: You don’t need a Hollywood production. Just film yourself on your phone. Authenticity beats perfection.

Not everything has to happen at the show

A trade show isn’t a sprint. It’s a checkpoint. A lot of the real work happens beforehand, in the conversations you spark on LinkedIn or through your network. And just as important, the follow-up afterwards.

So ask yourself: what do you want people to do after they visit your booth? Maybe not book a demo right away, but read an article, listen to a podcast, rewatch a video, or simply remember you exist.

That’s where good content makes the difference. Not a throwaway flyer, but something worth saving.

One last thing: loosen up

The best conversations often happen at the coffee machine or while casually strolling past a booth. So yes, prepare. But leave space for spontaneity too.

And when you’re there, don’t be afraid to say: “We don’t have a brochure for you, but we do have a good story.”

P.S. Are you attending Cybersec Netherlands?

At Beyond Products, we’re setting up an interview studio on the expo floor where you’ll have the chance to dive into what really drives you—not just what you do, but why you do it and how you want to move the industry forward. These conversations go beyond product pitches. They’re about vision, experience, and the people behind the technology. It’s a great way to get more out of your Cybersec presence and strengthen your position as a thought leader.

Here’s what one of these conversations looks like. Want to join? Sign up directly via our form or email Marieke at marieke@beyondproducts.io if you have any questions.