You cannot staff your exhibit by yourself – even in a 10 foot inline. Even in a small exhibit you will need at least one person to cover you when you leave the booth to take a break or to check out the competition. For bigger booths you should have two to four staffers for every 100 square feet of exhibit space.
Now about booth training – even for the smallest trade show everyone working the space must be trained. Everyone should be communicative and fluent in describing and even demoing the products. Take the hard-line – if your staffer does not show up for booth training, send them home. Sending someone home really makes the point and becomes company lore. In fact – in all probability you will never have to do it again. Everyone should understand your goals, your messages, your demos and your theme and know their role. If there are not enough employees on the payroll, hire temps, friends, or part-timers and train them.
