Spice Up Your Trade Show?

Trade shows are an excellent tool to generate new leads and promote your business. By attending a trade show, you are getting your name out in the open to new audiences, and showcasing what you have to offer. New faces can get a delicious taste in your business and successful exhibitors can become a sought-after attraction at the show.

But how do you become the successful exhibitor that people wait in line to see? How do you ensure that people don’t glance over your space and quickly move on, or avoid eye contact and run away like you are an annoying shopping mall vendor? How do you become the exhibit that people rave about after the show?

Finding the exact recipe to ensure that your exhibit will be the delicious treat that everyone seeks may seem impossible. But we’re here to tell you that it isn’t. In fact, we’ve included some of our favorite secret ingredients that are guaranteed to make any trade show attendee’s mouth water and for your exhibit to be a hit attraction.

Webcast

Creating a live webcast from the trade show floor can engage customers and leads that were unable to attend the show. You can create a webcast that feels like a live news program with interviews from booth visitors, reports from booth staff members who discuss the industry’s latest trends and engaging new products, and even go into the field for demonstrations. Streaming a live video to your website from your exhibit gives others the opportunity to taste your business and want more.

Chairs and Rugs

Trade shows are notorious for being long and tiring on your feet. Often, attendee’s will skip out on a booth simply because they are sick of walking and their feet are hurting from the hard floor. Two simple ways to please trade show attendees are providing comfortable chairs and rugs. You read that correctly. Chairs and rugs. Having comfortable chairs in your booth is a stress-free way to entice attendees to take a few minutes to come into your booth and take a load off. They are able to give their feet a break and re-energize. Soft, plush rugs are another way to delight attendees. The instant they walk on your soft rug, their feet will rejoice and they won’t want to leave and return to the hard trade show floor. Watch the faces of visitors to your booth as their feet instantly enter heaven. Not only will they sing praises of your comfortable environment, but it also creates a great conversation starter.

Trade Show Attractions

Direct trade show traffic to your exhibit with creative attractions. Stuffy, plain, dull exhibits are in surplus and typically are the first booths to be skipped. Add a splash of fun with photo booths, prize wheels, money blowing machines, and prize vaults. These fun and exciting attractions will reel in attendees and will set you apart from the other booths. Plus it’s easy to chat with visitors while they wait in line. You can ask them what their needs are, showcase products, and turn these visitors into leads.

Promo Items

Remember the time you attended your very first trade show? You probably stopped at every booth possible, picked up every free item you could get your hands on, and went home with a bunch of random items that did nothing but collect dust. Fast forward a few years and free pens at a trade show no longer entice you. It’s no longer enough to give out the cheapest product possible with your logo stamped all over it. Instead, hold a raffle and give away some of the ripest, most delicious items you have. Showcase these items at your booth and let everyone know they have the chance of taking one home. This will set you apart from every other booth that is throwing their cheap product at everyone who walks by. Attendees will remember the amazing raffle you had and will be envious of the winners.

Photo Booth

Need a way to break stuffy business people out of their hard shell and start some fun? What better way than with a photo booth?! Attendees can take a break from the craziness of the trade show to get with their buddies or meet new people, use silly props, and take home a picture that they will never forget. It’s an easy way to pull the masses into your booth. Incorporate unique backgrounds such as a fashion runway, the beach, a magazine cover, etc. Photo booths with social media integration are a great way for visitors to see their photo posted live on your companies Facebook and Twitter, and allow them to feel famous. It’s a lasting memory just waiting to be created.

Social Media Marketing

Older businesses often miss out on social media and online marketing during trade shows because they don’t see the importance of such methods. However, social media is the largest and most widely used platform and it’s easily accessible. Don’t miss out on social media and online marketing because your company prefers to rock it old school. Utilize Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube before, during, and after the trade show to stay top of mind and relevant with potential leads. These marketing campaigns will complement the more traditional marketing methods, and create a larger online footprint for your company.

Professional Shoe Shine Service

Consider hiring a professional shoe shinning service. Business professionals will be so surprised by your level of sophistication, attention to detail, and so thankful that they are not receiving yet another pen. Visitors will have the opportunity to sit down and receive a complimentary shoe shine, which will allow staff to speak with prospects about what you have to offer. Word will quickly spread about this unique and delightful service, and will set you apart from every other exhibit at the show.

Company Branded Clothing

Even been to a booth and have no idea who to speak with? Or have you been in a booth and had an individual stare you down until you realize they are booth staff? This uncomfortableness of not knowing who to start the appropriate conversation with can be discouraging. Create a cohesive look in your exhibit by having your staff all wear the same company branded clothing. Include your company’s name, logo, and website on the clothing, and make it easy to see, while also looking professional and stylish. This will easily direct prospects to the appropriate person to speak with about your company and create an atmosphere of professionalism. Then hold a raffle every hour to give away the same or a similar company shirt with your logo on it for visitors to take home. It’s an excellent and informal way to collect information from attendees and turn them into leads.

Live Product/Service Demonstrations

It’s easy to rave on and on about your product/service and how amazing it is. What isn’t easy is for a prospect to grasp why they need your product or service. The last thing you want at a trade show is for a prospect to suddenly have that glazed over look that singles that there is no activity going on upstairs anymore. You know that look. It’s like all brain activity has shut down. Live product demonstrations are a great way to fill this gap between talking and understanding of products and services. Featuring a live product/service demonstration will engage attendees, direct traffic to your exhibit, and create awareness of your brand and how it is better than every other brand out there.

Don’t miss out on prospects because your trade show exhibit is bland, old, and simply not enticing. Spice up your exhibit with our favorite ingredients and create a masterpiece that prospects will never forget, and will keep them coming back to your booth every year. For more tips on creating a memorable trade show booth, contact us today!

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