The trade show floor is often described as organized chaos. Trying to stand out from the crowd and be seen as open and accessible to attendees can be hard if you’re not prepared.
Here are some key tips to practice at your next event that can help you get noticed and attract attendees to your booth.
Your booth’s look and feel will be recognized by an attendee. Be sure you are considering every detail of your booth design when planning for your next event.
Your graphics are a big factor when you start implementing purposeful changes to your booth. Make use of the empty space by adding colorful graphics with your brand, front and center. Avoid graphics featuring lots of text or showing products and nothing else. Instead feature some people interacting with your product or work with your team to create something entirely new!
Remember to not separate your booth from the aisle. Place your tables and furniture toward the sides of your booth to allow room for attendees. If you’re working with a larger space, make sure to take advantage of separating walls or structures to create functional areas in your booth space.
Your furniture and accessories matter too! You can add padding underneath your flooring to help you stay on your feet and ready to meet. Lounge seating is inviting and should be used for meetings or important discussions between you and your clients. Also, adding in a hanging sign and/or unique lighting can easily help you stand out on the show floor.
“If you build it, they will come.” But will they stay? Even though your booth’s design does a lot of the heavy lifting of attracting exhibitors, your actions are the most valuable thing that gets them to show up and stay.
Be friendly and open, ready to meet any attendee that stops by. Call them by their name on their badge upon meeting them and if it applies, remember to only scan their badge at the end of the conversation. Scanning before ever introducing yourself and getting to know the attendee leaves an impression that you prioritize lead generation over forming a valued relationship.
Standing in your booth and engaging with each person will bring you the best results. While you are sitting down checking your phone, you could be missing out on crucial conversations. Get the most out of exhibiting by appearing receptive to your prospective customers.
It’s time to switch from the pens and notebooks. Attendees will gravitate toward giveaways they typically don’t find at other trade shows or items they don’t already have.
Think about your audience. Is this event B2B or B2C? A business may be excited to get a product they can reference in the future for marketing purposes while consumers will most likely benefit from items they use day to day, in their own space.
Research your industry and popular trends in the trade show world to get a better feel for what kind of items are working. Incorporate tech-savvy ideas like charging kits with multiple cables and luggage tracking tags.
You may also consider the event’s location and tailor your giveaways to either serve as a memory of that city or as a useful item while attendees are on their trip. Is the event in Phoenix, Arizona? Branded portable fans could be a big draw. Small umbrellas may be nice for an event in rainy Seattle.
Don’t want to clutter up your company closet? Holding a raffle for a big-ticket item is a straightforward way to get visitors. Just be sure that you are able to ship it out to the winner since they won’t have enough space in their luggage. You can also offer up an experience, dinner, or activity. Remember that attendees may already have their schedule planned out for this trip, so the activity may need to be available elsewhere and on their own time.
