10 Tips for Having the Best Trade Show Booth
Some estimate that there is about 30,000 trade shows each year in the United States. That means trillions of business deals are done at trade shows every year.
So if you want the best trade show booth, read on for our top tricks.
1. Design the Right Space
With a tradeshow floor of dozens or hundreds of booths, it is vital that you create an atmosphere where people want to stop and stay.
Instead of the usual hard candy in a bowl, you could serve fresh baked cookies, coffee, or even a signature drink that aligns with your brand.
Food and drink naturally draw a crowd. But more than that, it sets your booth up as a place to hang out and chat.
Make sure you have couches or some kind of comfortable seating area. If nothing else, at least have tall tables that people can rest their purses and plates while they visit your booth.
From media walls to hanging pendant banners, discover more expo displays you can use to wow at your next event.
This is one of those trade show tips that leads to the ideal atmosphere where you can organically begin conversations about your brand.
2. Promotional Giveaways
You may be thinking ‘duh, everyone knows this. But forget pens and gum, we suggest giveaways that are highly visible. For example light up lanyards and big stickers that are part of a game.
If you give a big prize to those wearing your merch around the trade show you will have hundreds of advertisers walking around the sales floor. People will want to get in on it too and flock to your booth.
3. Social Media
Both before and during the event, you should be promoting the trade show on social media. Your existing customers may want to drop by and see what’s new.
Design a contest for people at the show. They could take a selfie with one of your props and use a hashtag you want to be entered to win a prize.
This is free marketing to everyone on their social network who is not at the event. You may even generate leads from people who did not attend. That is leveraging your booth to the max.
4. Best Trade Show Booth Means Interaction
“The best trade show booths are the ones that create an experience,” said Todd Kuna, Senior Account Director at CG Life.
Get your team together well ahead of the event to brainstorm how you can design an interactive exercise that makes sense for your brand. This is your chance to be creative and think outside of the box.
Interaction draws the crowds. Virtual reality is always a popular way to create an engaging experience in a small space.
There is a lot of power in a physical, interactive activity or game to get people engaged with your brand.
Interactive (and interesting) touch screens are another way to get the crowds interacting with your business.
An amazing example is Charity Water, a non-profit that creates safe and clean water sources for remote villages in developing nations.
At trade shows, they have a 50-yard platform and encourage attendees to walk two 40-pound jugs of water across it. This allows attendees to experience what the villagers in developing countries must do daily for miles. This brand has found a way to make an unforgettable experience that connects participants with their brand.
How can you do something similar with your brand?
5. Actual Samples
If you sell a product, have samples. That way customers will see precisely what you offer. You could even sell the product at your booth.
Customers will be drawn into any sample, either thinking it may be a giveaway or for purchase. If you want to give away your own products at the trade show, it could also bring in a crowd.
6. Presentations
If there is an opportunity for you to make a presentation at the trade show, take it. This extends your booth’s reach to those who only attend presentations or who might not visit your booth.
Read business presentation skills 101 to make sure you put your best foot forward.
7. Clean Booth
Everyone starts off with a pristine booth but as the day or weekend gets underway, trash begins to accumulate.
Train your staff to be on the lookout for stray wrappers and napkins on your trade booth floor. Your trade booth is representing your brand, you want to give potential customers the best impression possible.
Ideally, you’ll have a small can in your booth for garbage.
On a separate but related note, your employees should not take their breaks at your booth. Eating at the booth gives off an unprofessional air. Schedule breaks and send them out to the courtyard or lobby.
8. Set Up Advance Meetings
It is important that you market yourself before the show. Reach out to attendees as early as 6 weeks before the event. Set up meetings with them at your booth.
Frame your meetings about networking. Let them know you want to know more about what they do.
Collecting contact info from past attendees comes in handy for this type of trade show preparation.
9. Swap Leads
After the show is over, connect with other organizations that have a similar target audience as you do and trade business cards.
This is a genius display booth marketing technique because it allows you to double your prospects.
Don’t swap with direct competitors because fighting for the same customer will just drive your prospect away. Instead, work with those companies that are targetting the same demographic that you are.
Bonus: many of the vendors at the trade show may become partners or clients in the future.
10. Follow Up Fast
Follow up with your leads as soon as possible after your show. This is one of those trade show tips that is vital.
The longer you wait to follow up the more likely it is that your leads have forgotten who you are and why they were interested. The day after the show is the ideal time to reach out.
Wrapping Up
We hope you have enjoyed these ten tips to make yours the best trade show booth on the floor.
Remember that if you plan wisely, promote on social media ahead of time and focus on creating a memorable experience, you can’t go wrong.
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