In-person venues give marketers a unique opportunity to engage with customers and prospects on a far more personal level. From grandiose exhibits to tabletop pop-ups, displays at tradeshows and events have one purpose—make people stop. And smart exhibitors make sure people stop for the right reason. While giveaways and trinkets are a bit of a necessary evil, people are going to remember the booths that gave them something of real value to take away.
And for all the investment you have made in creating this awesome customer experience at the event, make sure you properly promote yourself BEFORE the show begins.
One thing often overlooked when creating a booth design is who will actually be walking the floor. Take into account the specific audience for each event and anticipate the questions they’ll be asking. Hopefully, you have some market research on hand to help define your target profile beyond the demographics provided by the show.
While your main graphics may be a bit more generic to your company, enabling you to use them from show to show, make sure you’re incorporating elements of the overall display that can be targeted to the attendee profile and the industry itself. This can take shape in some smaller graphics that are easily interchangeable to provide a cost-effective method of tailoring your message or in the giveaway and products on hand.
Even if you’re telling a complex story, keep the message simple to make the most impact. Highlight a few key points on your display; don’t overwhelm people walking by with so much information that your message gets lost in a sea of panels and wall displays.
From across the show floor, bold, vivid graphics should clearly emphasize what your business does and invite people to stop by. Let the graphics emphasize the message, and don’t weigh down the overall appeal with a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo. Make it relevant to ALL attendees. Even a 10×10 space can be a welcoming one, if the right strategy is employed.
Fun, informative demonstrations can introduce attendees to how products work, giving visitors firsthand knowledge of your capabilities, and can tie into a promotional giveaway.
Interactive touchscreen tours or cutaway floor products are good for grabbing attention and act as natural stopping points, where salespeople can interact with visitors. The more creative and unique the better, but always keep in mind the relevancy to your business. (How many times have you registered for a product you had no interest in just to win an iPad?)
Now that you’ve created that show-stopping first impression, get ready for the real work to begin. Creating a beneficial experience for an attendee involves almost every facet of your booth, from the people available to field questions and how appealing your products look, to the lead capture and nurture campaigns set up to send follow-up information after the show. (We even have an opinion on carpet padding, if you’re interested.)
See if there are any relevant sponsorships that will keep your brand top of mind during the show. Is the event running any contests or promotions that make sense to your business?
Enhance your messaging throughout the venue itself, and draw people to the booth, using escalator or floor graphics, pop-up banners in the lobby or hotel room keys…which can all be easily created, but are often overlooked.
Workshops held in private rooms at the convention center can be a source for a captive audience in addition to the booth or think about an after-hours event. Celebrities, entertainment, free food or industry experts are all good ways to attract visitors.
Contact the coordinators to find out about daily ‘from the floor’ updates they may be coordinating. And always have a mix of sales and technical knowledge personnel on hand at the show.
Don’t overlook these key areas that round out how your company is perceived and that contribute to an attendee’s encounter with your brand. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Visually presenting your company’s message at an in-person event requires a different kind of finesse than appearing on a relevant website. The approach is much more upfront and personal, seeking immediate engagement with the viewer, which goes far beyond a digital ad’s call to action.
Trade shows are time-consuming and tiring for many attendees. And they’re very costly for exhibitors. Make the most of your investment by setting your strategy early, promoting a clearly recognizable message and creating a positive interaction with everyone who chooses to stop by your booth.