Having attractive trade show displays is the first step to being successful at an event, but there’s more that needs to be done to draw in a crowd. If you are new to
exhibiting, these tips should help you become a hit at the event.
Pre-Show Marketing
You can’t go to a show and expect everyone to flock to your convention booth without a proper marketing campaign prior to the event. One study showed that about 80 percent of attendees already know what trade show booths they are going to visit before even setting foot on the show floor. If you want to be on that list, it’s important to promote your display system by doing the following:
- Social Media – Reach your target audience through Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. It costs little to no money and, since everyone is using these networking websites; you’ll be able to reach a large, like-minded audience.
- Direct Mail – Send out post cards or invitations to your current customers. Have an incentive that will intrigue them to stop by your booth display, such as a free gift or discount.
- Ad in Local Newspaper – If your target audience is more likely to read the newspaper than log in to Facebook, taking out an ad may be the best way to reach them.
No matter which method you prefer to use, begin your marketing campaign at least 3 weeks prior to the trade show in order to give them ample time to plan for this event.
Dress for Success and Comfort
The trade show booth staff will be the face of your company at the event, so it is important they look professional. However, since you and your staff will be spending hours on the convention floor, being comfortable is critical. You can either wear comfortable, yet professional shoes or you can add trade show flooring to your display system. Flooring will definitely set your convention exhibit apart from the others, while also being padded for extra relief from aching feet.
Brush up the Staff’s Knowledge of Products or Services
It’s unrealistic to think that these employees will know the inner workings of every product sold, but attendees will have questions, so knowing how to answer them is crucial. Talk to your staff weeks before the event to make sure they know the answer to basic questions of your products. If they don’t, you may want to consider setting up a training course to refresh their memories.
If a staffer doesn’t know how to answer a question and has no one to ask at the trade show, it is ok to tell the attendee, “I don’t know, but let me call my office to find out for you.”
Your Trade Show Exhibits Should Stand Out
Attendees are drawn to convention booths that are unlike the others. Whether they have a unique design, games, or technology-infused display booths, these exhibits will definitely be remembered. One way to do this is to use custom trade show displays, since they are designed to your liking and will not resemble any other display system.
Visible Signage
You only have between 3 and 5 seconds to grab the attendee’s attention as they are walking by, so they should be able to clearly understand what it is your company does. Having signage that has the name of your company as well as a tagline that will tell them what you do in a short and sweet sentence. If you want to come up with a clever, catchy line, that’s great since attendees will be more likely to remember it. What you don’t want to do is be too clever, to the point that no one understands what it is your business has to offer.
Follow up
About 70 percent of exhibitors fail to follow up after the event, resulting in a lot of lost opportunities. If you want to turn the leads into new customers, it is important to follow up after the event to let them know you appreciated talking to them at the event and hope you can meet to discuss the products or services in further detail. This can be done by either mailing handwritten thank-you cards (with your business card attached) or by giving them a call. Either way, they are sure to remember you when they’re ready to do business.
With trade shows, you have the opportunity to meet thousands of people face-to-face, which can potentially become new clients or networking partners. With these tips you will definitely get the results you are looking for.