- Whether you are to your industry or you are looking for ways to gain more attention to your brand, trade shows are a great way to get your name out there. There are ways to make your booth more fun.
- Consider hiring an exhibit consultant who can help to improve your display for the event and ultimately encourage others to stop by your booth.
- Getting creative and thinking outside of the box, such as sending out email invitations, throwing an after-party and giving away memorable gifts may help draw attention to your booth and brand.
When attending a trade show, exhibitors want to get the most bang for their buck. Unless your budget is high, the largest booth spaces and flashy exhibits aren't usually available. So how do you improve your footprint in the industry without the largest and flashiest exhibit in town? Follow these eight trade show tips.
1. Work with an exhibit house to design your booth.
It's tempting to go to the trade show exhibitors' portal and just get both your booth space and an exhibit all in one spot. The problem, however, is that these exhibits tend to blend together. Let's face it, if you want to increase your company's profile in your industry, you don't want to blend in with the crowd. Blending in means you won't get noticed.
Instead, work with an exhibit house that can guide you creatively. Your exhibit house partner can help you to design something that stands out and is within your budget, including shipping and installation and dismantling costs.
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2. Offer an experiential event.
Experiential events are very popular at trade shows. Often, show attendees will flock across the trade show floor to find out what's going on. An experiential event can benefit exhibitors by immersing people in their brand. This can be done in some clever ways, such as virtual reality or augmented reality experiences.
Alternatively, brands can offer more modest events, such as having a magician at your booth to show visitors how to magically find tax deductions. Experiential events are wildly popular and can be a great way to get noticed not just by attendees but by others in your industry.
3. Invest in a great video.
Trade show attendees have short attention spans. If you want to capture their attention, invest in a professional video of under three minutes in length to describe your product and make it look in demand. A truly professional video grabs people's attention and can significantly improve people's opinion of your business. Videos are affordable and worth investing in to capture your desired audience's attention.
4. Plan in advance.
The best way to stand out at a trade show is to have a solid plan in advance about how you intend on putting your brand front and center. Several weeks in advance, begin thinking of ways to engage your audience and get others talking about your brand. For instance, post a survey for your current customers and vendors that ask questions, such as what types of giveaways they prefer to get at tradeshows. If your company schedules appointments for installations, have the schedule with you during the trading show; this will prevent the risk of trade-show goers backing out of probable deals.
5. Offer unique giveaways.
Refrigerator magnets, mugs and logo pens are expected at trade shows, which means they are unoriginal and expected. Stand out from the other booths by giving away something unexpected. For instance, branded socks, headphones or phone skins are items that consumers will use, and your brand will be unforgettable.
6. Know the competition.
Do your homework. Check out a few of your competitors to learn what they may be bringing to the trade show. Try searching their website to check for videos that may have been posted from previous tradeshows and take note of what they are doing to gain customers. For instance, do they offer contests, have great giveaways and/or offer discounts to those who sign up at the trade show?
7. Send email alerts.
When preparing for a trade show, contact the organizer and request a list of all attendees. Once you receive the list, send a personalized email with an invitation to those whom you would like to meet. This will save you a tremendous amount of time at the event, because you will have advance knowledge of other vendors you will like to meet.
8. Be seen and have fun.
It can be difficult to network at trade shows. If you want your brand to be the one that is being talked about, you need to make your presence at trade shows fun. There are several different ways to accomplish this. For instance, consider throwing an after-party for everyone. This will allow you to get to know others, and they will have an opportunity to get to know you and your brand. These are just a few of the many ways you can improve your business's visibility in your industry. As your business grows, your exhibit can get significantly more sophisticated, communicating more success. In the meantime, invest in what will help your business get noticed the most.