When you invest time and money in a booth at a trade show you will want to do everything possible to maximize your return and make as many new contacts and sales as possible.
Renting a booth from someone like Exponents Orlando is just the start of it, and once you have your space confirmed the planning starts so that you create a strategy that ensures you make a good impact with everyone that comes to see you at the show.
Here are some of the most fundamental pointers that should help you make a big impact.
Give yourself plenty of time for planning
Probably one of the most important suggestions of all is to start planning for the trade show well in advance of the date.
It is not usually that hard to spot a company who have just turned up at a trade show with some promotional literature and not much thought about how they are going to stand out from the crowd.
In fact, a lack of planning will ensure that you stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Create a comprehensive to-do list for the trade show and work out all the details and what you will need in terms of promotional items, what product demonstrations or talks you are going to do and how you intend to draw people in for a closer look.
All these things require careful thought and planning long before turn up and set up. Your planning should pay dividends when your booth looks well organized and everything is on-message and professional.
Work on being approachable
It is no accident that some trade show booths seem much more inviting than others.
You want visitors to feel that they can approach your display with confidence and because they are interested in learning more about your business.
The way to do that is to make sure that every person representing the business understands how vital it is to have a smiling face and a professional attitude, in other words, they look interested and give the impression they want to be there.
This positive vibe attracts people to your booth and having a professional and attractive booth design will also be a big plus point.
Use offers and enticements
Not many of us can resist a special offer or the promise of a good deal and it makes sense to use promotions and incentives to attract a good volume of prospects to your booth.
Show specials are always a popular idea and that’s because they often work well, if done right.
This can be something like offering one of your popular products at a special discount that is only available during the show.
Another proven sales strategy is to offer a contest like a prize draw. It is an easy way to get people’s business cards and contact details so you can follow up with them after the show, even if they didn’t win a prize.
Make sure you promote your attendance on social media
If you have managed to get a booth at a popular trade show you should enjoy a reasonable volume of visitors anyway, but it is always a good idea to use social media to boost attendance numbers and let people know you will be there.
As well as using social media to promote the show and let everyone know how to find you, it is also a smart move to make sure you are proactive when it comes to the show’s own social media promotional site too.
It is often the case that the event organizer will have a social media campaign running before and during the event, so use that opportunity to invite people to your booth and let them know how to find you.
Picking the right promotional products
Promotional products are an ever-present and popular staple at trade show events and the reason they continue to be used is that it is something that is often appreciated by the recipient and it is a good way to get your brand in front of a wider audience.
The major issue with using promotional products is always the dilemma of choosing the right ones that represent your business and message in just the right way.
If you make a product that can be offered as a giveaway sample that makes the decision easy, but if you sell a service or a product that is much higher value, you will want to try and find a promotional giveaway that can be considered useful to the customer and helps them remember you.
It can pay to not overthink things when it comes to promotional items and even if you think that a pen or a bag is a bit of a safe choice, these classic promotional gifts still stand the test of time.
Pens are always useful and are a cost-effective way of putting your brand in front of people and the same applies to bags. Remember, that environmental concerns are a hot topic so make sure your bag is recyclable.
Another positive aspect of giving a reusable bag is the fact that people will keep it for longer, which means you should get more bang for your buck in terms of your promotional gift budget.
Other ideas to consider include a USB or thumb drive, which is often appreciated as a useful gift, or a cup or mug with your brand on it, which should get plenty of use and exposure.
If you create a trade show strategy that utilizes all of these main tips and ideas it should help to give you a great opportunity to put your company name in front of as many people as possible and create a favorable impression with many of them.
A trade show can be an excellent way to grow your customer base and if you do everything you can to get the best ROI possible it should turn out to be money well spent.
