Trade shows and exhibitions are great ways to build awareness around your brand and products, but with the thousands of other exhibitors all vying for the same attention, it can sometimes be difficult to set yourself apart. So, in order to get the best ROI out of your time and resources spent on your trade show or exhibition event, you need to do some proper planning.
Here are some of the methods you can use to get more attention for your exhibition booth.
Evaluate Past Results
If this isn’t your first time at this exhibition, the first thing you should do is evaluate your past years’ performance. Also, gather data from other exhibitions you have attended as well. The goal here is to get a clear picture of the errors and mistakes you might have committed in the past as well as what actually worked.
You should also take the time to do a little spying on competitors as well. It is essential in this space to always know what the competition is up to and try to emulate or improve on what worked for them. You should also check past years’ awards winners and examine their trade show displays and vendors and see if you could integrate some of their strategies into your campaign.
Start Planning In Advance
The earlier you start planning, the more you will be able to formulate a better strategy and start thinking of things like giveaway packages. Promo items are one of the standouts at most trade shows and you have to make sure you leverage them the best way possible.
Joel Klette of Business Casual had a great innovative example of how he was able to prepare a list of swag items well in advance by inquiring Twitter users who were going to a convention.
Evaluate Past Results
If this isn’t your first time at this exhibition, the first thing you should do is evaluate your past years’ performance. Also, gather data from other exhibitions you have attended as well. The goal here is to get a clear picture of the errors and mistakes you might have committed in the past as well as what actually worked.
You should also take the time to do a little spying on competitors as well. It is essential in this space to always know what the competition is up to and try to emulate or improve on what worked for them. You should also check past years’ awards winners and examine their trade show displays and vendors and see if you could integrate some of their strategies into your campaign.
Start Planning In Advance
The earlier you start planning, the more you will be able to formulate a better strategy and start thinking of things like giveaway packages. Promo items are one of the standouts at most trade shows and you have to make sure you leverage them the best way possible.
Joel Klette of Business Casual had a great innovative example of how he was able to prepare a list of swag items well in advance by inquiring Twitter users who were going to a convention.
He started using the convention’s hashtags to get their votes on which type of swag they would like to get. He also used image rich tweets to catch readers’ attention. He was then able to not only create a list of items but to generate significant social media buzz for his brand and services at the same time.
Think Of Unusual Gifts
If you’re going to give gifts to attendees, make sure they stand out and that your visitors will actually remember and use them. What this does is reinforce your brand’s image into their mind and works as a form of advertising whenever someone sees them use your products.
Generic items like mugs and pencils are not only forgettable, but they might even aggravate passers-by and give them a negative impression of your business. Instead of pencils, notebooks and calendars, think more like headphones, laptop skins or quirky USB dongles. Anything to stand apart from the rest while giving them something of actual use that will increase your brand’s visibility as well.
You should also try to outdo your competition by giving away bigger swag bags. Why do you ask? Well, the psychology behind this is simple. Trade show and exhibition attendees are usually bombarded left and right with offers and promo bags, and more often than not, the bigger guy usually emerges as the winner. This is because attendees will have the tendency to use the bigger bag as a receptacle for all the other smaller ones. So not only will they leave with your items, your huge bag will also serve as walking billboards around the expo.
Make Sure That The Booth Is Visually Pleasing
But, at the end, the most important aspect of any exhibition remains the booth. If you make the mistake of setting up a booth that isn’t appealing, then people are less likely to flock to it, it’s just that simple.
In this case, again, research goes a long way. Try to walk the floor of the particular exhibit you’re going to attend and start asking questions so that you can gather intelligence. Try to find out what exhibition stand designer created the booth, how well it performed and how much it costs in total. Even though not everybody will be willing to share that information with you, it’s always better to try. If you aren’t directly competing with them, they are more likely to divulge some information.
You can also research different display stands using websites such as https://www.discountdisplays.co.uk/ who have a wide range of banner stands, display boards and exhibition stands. Taking a look at collections like these will help you visualise what you would want your stand to look like and what items you’re going to need to take with you.
Functionality has to be accounted for as well. Before you meet your designer, you have to have a clear plan in mind. For instance, if you would like to have a display area and an area where you could discuss with clients face to face to close them on a sale or for market research, then you’ll have to factor this in as well.
You must make sure that your graphics are making a statement as well. Your graphics should be able to accomplish two goals the minute any passer-by watches them. First, it must capture their attention immediately and give an impression of your brand, either through a bold statement or image. Second, it should also work as a deterrent to those outside of your target demographic so that they don’t crowd your booth unnecessarily.
The best example is a billboard on a highway. The goal of a billboard is to make the biggest impression in the shortest amount of time. This is why you rarely see excessive text on billboards since it would be too hard for drivers passing by at 60m/h to absorb all at once.
Exhibition display stands have to follow the same philosophy; the passers-by are the drivers and your booth is the billboard. You only have seconds to catch their attention, so make sure you make it count for your business.
Make Your Presence Felt
If you’re out there competing against the big dogs, you have to find a way to stand out. One good thing is that the big dogs tend to be very conservative and will be afraid to rock the boat. This is your chance to stand out and become the life of the party. Be loud, make your booth as interactive as possible, give away invites to an after party - everything you can to actually display and convey excitement to the crowd.
And try to create some buzz as well. Buzz, as we often forget it, is all about creating a conversation about your brand. Try to give passers-by an opportunity to actually have a genuine conversation about your products and what their needs and areas of concern are. If you can, try to give them something funny to pass along; this way, people will slowly start to talk about you.
Try To Get The Biggest Line
Another way to generate buzz around your products and service is to have a massive line to your booth. This is one of the easiest ways to generate interest for your brand. This trick has been used by restaurants and pubs for years to get attention to their establishments, and there’s nowhere where this strategy works better than at a trade show or exhibition.
Something as simple as a t-shirt giveaway or an interesting raffle could be enough to get a big line to your booth. Give them an actual chance to win though and make sure that the promo items you’re giving away are actually worth it.
And if it is apparel of some sort, don’t be afraid to ask them to wear it right away. You will be surprised at how many people would be ready to wear your shirt or cap for free if they actually liked your spirit and were impressed by your products and presentation. Sometimes, they will just wear them to make sure they will remember you. In all cases, it is a win-win situation for you and you get added exposure as a bonus.
Try To Create A Stunt
In this day and age of flash mobs and advanced guerrilla marketing tactics, you have to take advantage of all that these marketing methods have to offer. One of the best things about thinking outside the box is that you can generate a huge amount of buzz with a much smaller budget. The big dogs will usually only bother with having their quaint little booth, nice little reps and call it a day. You have to get in your audience’s face and give them something to remember.
One company in particular decided to invite two penguins to their trade booth. In a matter of minutes, they had a sea of curious observers crowding around. They continued along the same vein and started giving away penguin based promotional material. Now I can guarantee that everybody remembered who they were and what they were about when they walked out, and that is the kind of effect that you want on your clients.
If you want your exhibition to be a success, you have to make sure that you keep these few things into consideration. Remember to make sure that your booth pops out and that it catches your target audience’s attention immediately. Also make sure that you leave a lasting impression either by using unusual marketing practices, giving away valuable items, and also, knowing how to pitch your items as concisely and efficiently as possible. If you manage to follow these tips, you’ll create a lasting impression in your visitor’s mind and will manage to gain traction for your brand in no time.
I hope you enjoyed this article about ways to get more people to your exhibition stand at trade shows and professional conferences.
Interested in more articles about field and event marketing?
Read My Blog Posts:
- How To Make A Successful Public Appearance Or Speech
- The 4 Benefits Of Attending A Trade Show Or Industry Expo
Think Of Unusual Gifts
If you’re going to give gifts to attendees, make sure they stand out and that your visitors will actually remember and use them. What this does is reinforce your brand’s image into their mind and works as a form of advertising whenever someone sees them use your products.
Generic items like mugs and pencils are not only forgettable, but they might even aggravate passers-by and give them a negative impression of your business. Instead of pencils, notebooks and calendars, think more like headphones, laptop skins or quirky USB dongles. Anything to stand apart from the rest while giving them something of actual use that will increase your brand’s visibility as well.
You should also try to outdo your competition by giving away bigger swag bags. Why do you ask? Well, the psychology behind this is simple. Trade show and exhibition attendees are usually bombarded left and right with offers and promo bags, and more often than not, the bigger guy usually emerges as the winner. This is because attendees will have the tendency to use the bigger bag as a receptacle for all the other smaller ones. So not only will they leave with your items, your huge bag will also serve as walking billboards around the expo.
Make Sure That The Booth Is Visually Pleasing
But, at the end, the most important aspect of any exhibition remains the booth. If you make the mistake of setting up a booth that isn’t appealing, then people are less likely to flock to it, it’s just that simple.
In this case, again, research goes a long way. Try to walk the floor of the particular exhibit you’re going to attend and start asking questions so that you can gather intelligence. Try to find out what exhibition stand designer created the booth, how well it performed and how much it costs in total. Even though not everybody will be willing to share that information with you, it’s always better to try. If you aren’t directly competing with them, they are more likely to divulge some information.
You can also research different display stands using websites such as https://www.discountdisplays.co.uk/ who have a wide range of banner stands, display boards and exhibition stands. Taking a look at collections like these will help you visualise what you would want your stand to look like and what items you’re going to need to take with you.
Functionality has to be accounted for as well. Before you meet your designer, you have to have a clear plan in mind. For instance, if you would like to have a display area and an area where you could discuss with clients face to face to close them on a sale or for market research, then you’ll have to factor this in as well.
You must make sure that your graphics are making a statement as well. Your graphics should be able to accomplish two goals the minute any passer-by watches them. First, it must capture their attention immediately and give an impression of your brand, either through a bold statement or image. Second, it should also work as a deterrent to those outside of your target demographic so that they don’t crowd your booth unnecessarily.
The best example is a billboard on a highway. The goal of a billboard is to make the biggest impression in the shortest amount of time. This is why you rarely see excessive text on billboards since it would be too hard for drivers passing by at 60m/h to absorb all at once.
Exhibition display stands have to follow the same philosophy; the passers-by are the drivers and your booth is the billboard. You only have seconds to catch their attention, so make sure you make it count for your business.
Make Your Presence Felt
If you’re out there competing against the big dogs, you have to find a way to stand out. One good thing is that the big dogs tend to be very conservative and will be afraid to rock the boat. This is your chance to stand out and become the life of the party. Be loud, make your booth as interactive as possible, give away invites to an after party - everything you can to actually display and convey excitement to the crowd.
And try to create some buzz as well. Buzz, as we often forget it, is all about creating a conversation about your brand. Try to give passers-by an opportunity to actually have a genuine conversation about your products and what their needs and areas of concern are. If you can, try to give them something funny to pass along; this way, people will slowly start to talk about you.
Try To Get The Biggest Line
Another way to generate buzz around your products and service is to have a massive line to your booth. This is one of the easiest ways to generate interest for your brand. This trick has been used by restaurants and pubs for years to get attention to their establishments, and there’s nowhere where this strategy works better than at a trade show or exhibition.
Something as simple as a t-shirt giveaway or an interesting raffle could be enough to get a big line to your booth. Give them an actual chance to win though and make sure that the promo items you’re giving away are actually worth it.
And if it is apparel of some sort, don’t be afraid to ask them to wear it right away. You will be surprised at how many people would be ready to wear your shirt or cap for free if they actually liked your spirit and were impressed by your products and presentation. Sometimes, they will just wear them to make sure they will remember you. In all cases, it is a win-win situation for you and you get added exposure as a bonus.
Try To Create A Stunt
In this day and age of flash mobs and advanced guerrilla marketing tactics, you have to take advantage of all that these marketing methods have to offer. One of the best things about thinking outside the box is that you can generate a huge amount of buzz with a much smaller budget. The big dogs will usually only bother with having their quaint little booth, nice little reps and call it a day. You have to get in your audience’s face and give them something to remember.
One company in particular decided to invite two penguins to their trade booth. In a matter of minutes, they had a sea of curious observers crowding around. They continued along the same vein and started giving away penguin based promotional material. Now I can guarantee that everybody remembered who they were and what they were about when they walked out, and that is the kind of effect that you want on your clients.
If you want your exhibition to be a success, you have to make sure that you keep these few things into consideration. Remember to make sure that your booth pops out and that it catches your target audience’s attention immediately. Also make sure that you leave a lasting impression either by using unusual marketing practices, giving away valuable items, and also, knowing how to pitch your items as concisely and efficiently as possible. If you manage to follow these tips, you’ll create a lasting impression in your visitor’s mind and will manage to gain traction for your brand in no time.
I hope you enjoyed this article about ways to get more people to your exhibition stand at trade shows and professional conferences.
Interested in more articles about field and event marketing?
Read My Blog Posts:
- How To Make A Successful Public Appearance Or Speech
- The 4 Benefits Of Attending A Trade Show Or Industry Expo
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