It’s a little-known
fact, but 81% of the attendees at trade shows have buying power for their
companies, according to CEIR: Thе Spend
Dесіѕіоn: Analyzing How Exhіbіtѕ Fit Into Ovеrаll Marketing. Which means you
really should be questioning just how much effort you need to put into your
industry trade show when it next comes around.
There are thousands of trade shows that
take place every year and even though the specifics for each industry varies,
the premise is just the same when hosting a stand at your trade show. Make an
engaging booth with friendly staff and plenty of reasons for people to stop by
and visit you, and you’ll make the most out of the opportunity.
According to CEIR: The Role and Value of Face to Face, 92% of people attending
trade shows are there to see new products on display. Which perhaps isn’t
surprising, but it should certainly make you want to dedouble your efforts and
grab the opportunity to show off your new products with both hands. Here are
some great tips to help you to stand out and gain attention from your peers at
this years’ trade shows.
1. Booth
location and layout
A prime location at a
trade show is important because it is likely to be a position with high
footfall and plenty of potential new customers. To gain access to these coveted
positions, you will probably need to apply early to secure your place. So be
prepared to plan a year in advance of attending a show if you want to have a
prime location. You could negotiate a contract with the trade show to attend
year on year, thus securing a prime location by including a stand for several
years to come.
With a prime location
secured and the chance at heavy footfall during the trade show then the next
thing to consider is the layout of your booth. When thinking about layout you
need to consider customer engagement with the booth and your staff. Here are a few points to consider when
designing your booth;
●
Stay
on brand from top to bottom - Try to keep your
branding consistent throughout the stand and make sure the colours match your
brand.
●
Tell
people exactly what you do - Explain to your
audience in a clear concise manner exactly what you do
●
Stand
out - Use bright colours and lighting if it
is on brand.
●
Be
playful - You could capture the customers
attention with a unique gimmick which requires interaction from the trade show
attendees.
●
Put
your name on it - If someone is to walk away from
your booth with something from you, ensure it has your branding on it.
●
Go
with the unexpected - Something to spark a
question from someone who is intrigued by your stand, or at least will strike a
sense of amusement.
●
Set
a scene - Settle on one theme which will keep your
trade show attendee engaged and hopefully asking questions.
●
Make
the most of your space - If you have space,
ensure you fill it with customers and ways for them to interact with either
your staff or your booth
●
Keep
it clutter-free - A clear space will ensure there is
nothing to distract your customers from what you are selling.
2. Booth
staffing
Ensuring your staff are
trained and knowledgeable about your services or product is essential when
selecting staff for your trade show booth. Training staff can start as early as
a few months before the event. This, of course, depends on the complexity of
your products or services, but will be vital if it is a product or service that
requires in-depth or specialist knowledge and understanding.
Employing staff from an
entertainment industry background to front your stall, for example a magician
or actor, who can then direct any potential customers to the staff trained
in-depth about your product or services, can be a way of ensuring some direct
interaction from trade show attendees.
3. Promoting
your booth
Start promoting before
the trade show begins. If you aren’t notifying the trade show attendees before
the event that you are going to be there, how will they know to look for your
booth, or know where your booth will be? It can be a crucial key to gaining greater
footfall at the event.
Social media is a great
platform for you to start a promotional drive for your trade show booth, with a
variety of options available. Using Facebook's promotional tools, you can
increase your audience through advertising and ensure a higher engagement from
potential trade show attendees. Using Twitter and Instagram effectively can
make your time at the trade show very effective for your business.
4. Promotional
products
There is a high
probability that you will be giving away items for free to potential customers
and attendees at the trade show. Here is a list of potential giveaway items
that could be stocked on your booth;
●
Promotional pens
●
Promotional stationery
●
Branded lanyards
●
Promotional mugs
●
Branded promotional USB
drives
●
Branded apparel
●
Branded power banks
●
Promotional sunglasses
5. Competitions
Everybody likes to have
a chance of winning a spectacular prize when it’s offered for free, so offering
some form of prize to people for interacting with your booth is a great way of
rewarding them for engaging with you and your business. Ensure the prizes you
offer are aligned with your business, because you don't want to attract the
wrong kind of interest, or people who have no genuine interest in your product
or services.
6. Offer
some special deals
Make sure you reward
people for taking an interest in your booth at the trade show. Give them
promotional offers and reduced prices on your products or services. These can
be given as voucher rewards or codes, one-time-only money-off promotional
discounts, or even as free add-on items if they are to buy your product or
services right there at the show.
From branding
everything and ensuring you have the ideal layout and staff on your booth, to
offering your customers an engaging experience and some free items along with
chances to win great prizes and take advantage of special offers, there are
lots of ways of catching the attention of your trade show attendees.
Trade shows are a fun
and engaging way to drum up new customers and raise your brand awareness and
you should definitely take advantage of the options available to you when
planning to take part. And with these tips you shouldn’t have too many promotional pens left over at the end of the
event.
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