Gearing up for a big trade event means that you need to think far ahead of your competition and make yours the most attractive display there. This means looking through all of the options available to you when it comes to trade show booth selection. It also means keeping in mind five fundamentals of great booth design.
When it comes to trade events, you have just three to five seconds to make that first impression on the customer. That will influence their decision to pause at your display or to merely walk on. By using these fundamental elements, you can get that trade booth looking just right so that the right eyes fall on it.
1: Graphics
Being flamboyant is one thing, and being tastefully creative is quite another. Get the attention of your audience by investing in the right colours and design that will really make your booth come alive. Graphics associated with your booth should have visuals that are relevant to your brand. High resolution graphics will give your booth a smarter look. A good booth designer can help to come up with graphics that are ideal for your brand.
2: Branding
Your brand needs to be burnt into the memories of anyone who glances at your tradeshow booth. This can be done by using logos in the right places. Logos on the booth need to be strategically placed at all visible parts of the booth. It’s a good idea to place brand imagery at eye level so that anyone stopping by will notice it. A creative designer who is part of the trade show booth services company can help you to come up with a neat slogan that will encapsulate just what your brand is all about.
3: Lighting
Getting people in the right mood can be done by using the right kind of lighting for your tradeshow booth! Your tradeshow booth services provider can help you to select the appropriate mood lighting for your booth. Lighting also helps to make a small booth look considerably larger, or to highlight the main elements of a booth.
4: Interactivity
With all of the latest technology available within your reach, you want to be using it to make your booth as appealing to customers as possible. People love to interact with a booth, so using plenty of touchscreen facilities is a good idea. Since people love to share with their social networks, and take selfies, putting up a photo booth is also a good idea, as well as giving them a way to quickly share these images with hashtags that refer to your brand.
5: Promotional gear
Another thing everyone loves is freebies! Make your promotional gear as helpful as possible, while giving yourself a chance to showcase what you do to the world. One way to do this is by handing out fun badges that people can wear on their bag, or giving away laptop sleeves and other such materials that will definitely be noticed by people outside the show.
Launching a product at a trade show can be a great way to focus on your event marketing strategy and spotlight a new product in front of a targeted audience. There are times, however, when launching a product at an event can put your company at risk of losing potential clients and damaging your brand’s reputation.
At Macworld in 2007, Apple unveiled the first generation of a revolutionary product: the iPhone. But did you know that while Steve Jobs was conducting the demonstration, Apple employees behind the scenes weren’t sure it was going to work?
Avoid the tension by asking these four questions before unveiling a product at your next trade show.
Will the product be ready for show time?
First impressions are everything. If your product is “glitchy” or not working at 100 percent it can be a big turn off for attendees and prospects.
Before focusing all of your pre-show marketing on a new product launch, work backwards and triple check your new product will be fully functioning for the show. The product should probably be in beta a few months before the show in order for testers and tech teams to work out any kinks.
If the deadlines are cutting it too close, consider taking a different approach to your trade show strategy. Preparing for an event is hectic enough as it is — you don’t want to be put in the position of scrambling to change all of your event collateral last minute.
Will the product be available to demo at the show?
Your product may be ready for launch but if a prototype or master version won’t be available for demos at the event, you might be setting prospects up for disappointment.
Ensure you will have the product available and the resources at hand to successfully demo the product at the event (transportation, electricity, Internet, enough booth space, etc.). If your product is Internet- based, consider having a hotspot at your booth since Wi-Fi can be spotty at event venues.
Some software and services companies may be able to get away with not having the product to demo if booth staffers can talk in detail about the new product’s features. Consumer companies, however, should think hard before unveiling a new product with nothing to sample.
For instance, Jelly Belly announced they would unveil a new beer-flavored jelly bean at the Winter Fancy Food Show in 2014. If they came to the show with no beer-flavored beans to try, there would have been disappointment all around.
Before centering your strategy around a product you won’t actually have at a show, consider whether prospects would be ok with no demo, or if they would walk away in frustration.
Is another company unveiling something bigger, or similar to my product?
Nothing is worse than having the biggest announcement in your company’s history and seeing it overshadowed by a competing brand. Do your research and make sure the bigger players in the market aren’t unveiling anything revolutionary.
To accomplish this, check the exhibitor list often to look for competitors. Then, monitor their newsrooms or online press kits for news about any potential product unveilings at the show that could take attention away from your product.
Pro-tip: Some trade shows offer a press room that aggregates event content from other exhibitors. If the event offers an online press room, monitor the page or sign up for news alerts to receive emails each time a new release is posted to ensure you’re not missing any important news.
Can I offer a beta test version to attendees?
Sometimes it’s not realistic that a product will be 100 percent ready for a trade show; this doesn’t necessarily mean you should refocus your trade show objective.
As long as the product doesn’t have too many technical issues, offering prospects a beta version is a great way to get valuable feedback before it goes public. Prospects get to try the product for free (and hopefully get hooked) and you get suggestions for improvement. It’s a win–win situation.
Pro-tip: Get even more benefits by offering prospects the chance to try a beta version in exchange for their contact information. These prospects can then be added to email lists or marketing automation platforms for future content marketing initiatives.
Unveiling a new product and exhibiting at a trade show can be a company’s two biggest milestones in a calendar year – the urge to combine them into one mega event is logical.
Sometimes taking risks pays off, but other times, risks can cost time, money and clients. Before you decide to launch a product at an event, make sure your product and brand shine in the brightest light.
Author Caterina Lui is a senior customer content specialist for Virtual Press Office, PR Newswire’s trade show marketing solutions division. VPO helps global event professionals, exhibitors and trade show marketing managers reach their goals through news distribution and online press kit creation. Follow Caterina at @VPOEventZone, our Twitter channel dedicated to the trade show industry.
Trade shows are all about being noticed, and this can’t happen without staying on top of your game. In a study at the end of 2015, Exhibit Surveys found that 64% of trade show attendees were not existing customers of the trade show exhibitors they visited, and 38% stated that their visit influenced their purchase intent.
Staying abreast of the latest trade show developments is imperative to attracting that curious 38% of the crowd. Efforts should involve researching the most up-to-date trends and technologies and being among the first to present them to the public. Innovative merchandising and brand concepts, after all, are being developed at record speed.
The following are some new and inventive ideas for trade show exhibitors, and tips on how they can get ahead of the game.
Trade Show Exhibitors: What to Keep In Mind
1. Unique Experiences
In this modern age, experiential marketing is by far the most effective means of grabbing a consumer’s attention. A trade show booth is nothing without a memory that attendees can take away. Since typical 10 x 10 booths are a bit limited in space, designers must invoke an innovative spirit to make the most of that 100 square feet.
Creative ideas for experiential booth marketing always involve the attendee. Perhaps you can hire performers or have your marketing team create a game attendees can play. Whatever experience you choose, as long as it involves your branding, you are good to go! It’s important to remember to use your imagination. Experience is all about what you make it.
3. Technologies
Wearable technologies are taking off. Gone are the clipboards and the branded pens.
Boosting marketing and igniting conversation, attendees simply don these wearables around their necks (much like a name tag). Prior to the show, both vendors and consumers fill out a profile. This data is immediately transferred when a person is interested in an individual booth, and they touch devices with the vendor.
Wearable technology has greatly simplified information exchange. Just be careful as to not forcibly swap data. You run the risk of isolating your business if you accidentally connect with uninterested consumers via faulty technology.
3. Booth Design
The first step to grabbing an attendee’s attention is to personalize the experience. What can your booth offer attendees that can be internalized as a personal takeaway? This should be about fostering a positive and personal connection to your brand.
In some cases, companies have bypassed booth regulations, and have parked trucks outside—guiding attendees to a booth experience that was literally “thinking outside of the box.” Mobile displays are another trend that has been taking off in 2016. Why explain to a consumer your equipment, when you can show them? For some companies, booth design that falls outside the realm of the traditional has been incredibly successful.
Staying One Step Ahead
Staying on top of trade show trends means knowing where to look. If you are waiting for inspiration to pop up on social media, chances are thousands of people are already familiar with the concept. You need to find the trade show exhibitors that attract your attention, and ask them who their exhibit companies are.
One of the deepest repositories for new information regarding the booth design industry are exhibitor award shows. Noting the concepts and methods that designers are winning awards for is the first step in familiarizing yourself with the marketing potential of a booth idea. Exhibitor Magazine holds their 31st annual Exhibit Design Awards this year, and if you are looking to what is trending for booth design, you will want to be there.
Trade show exhibitors will definitely think up a host of new ideas by the time this article is published. Creative ideas are inspired by those who are open to trying anything new.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/marketing/trade-show-exhibitors-keep-trade-show-marketing-fresh-01651193#Q68Vjim701VbfZVM.99
Attending tradeshows serves as a way for healthcare companies to accelerate and put themselves ahead of other industry-leading companies. Although other media channels have plenty of advantages for B2B marketers, nothing compares to the face-to-face contact at tradeshows that helps build direct relationships with current clients and prospects. However, tradeshows can be expensive and require extra time, making it imperative to generate leads and show ROI. The key to tradeshow success is utilizing a robust marketing automation tool throughout the process along with other integrated efforts.
From increased efficiency in information collection, to consistent lead nurturing and accurate ROI, marketing automation can yield dramatic results for trade show exhibitors. With proper strategizing and planning, your tradeshow efforts can get the desired buzz and results through marketing automation. Here are tips on how to use marketing automation to its fullest potential during the three key stages of a tradeshow.
Pre-show. When it comes to tradeshows, preparation is key. If you want clients and prospects to know that you are going to be at an event, you need to inform them. Develop an email campaign leveraging targeted email blasts that have a dedicated landing page with a form that will encourage attendees to register for an event or sign up for an appointment at the show. Be sure you’re targeting your outreach by segmenting prospects and customers, and providing relevant content to each group. In an effort to execute an integrated campaign, tie in other elements like a direct mail, social media and your company’s blog and ensure your corporate collateral is up-to-date and ready for distribution at the show.
Showtime. Nothing beats facetime with prospects, giving you the chance to really showcase your product or solution and industry knowledge. With marketing automation, there’s no longer a need to manually input information from each booth visitor or rely on a sales rep to keep track of business cards and input them in the CRM. Instead, you can employ a landing page in kiosk mode on a tablet where leads can input their information directly to your marketing automation tool which allows you to quickly collect prospect details for post-show follow-up . Enhance your social media presence leading up to and during the tradeshow. During the tradeshow, use the event hashtag or even create your own to participate in conversations through channels like twitter. Make sure to connect with prospects and clients on social media platforms to show them their importance to you and the business.
Post-show. Following up with attendees is one of the most important steps. First, look at your marketing automation system to segment leads and decide which prospects are most important. After creating a list of hot leads, assign sales ready leads to reps for individual follow up emails to thank them for stopping by and provide them with valuable content to keep them interested. The rest of the leads can be put in a thought leadership/educational campaign to keep your company top-of-mind. These drip campaigns should feed prospects best practices and include relevant content, such as a recap blog or key takeaways, to remind them of your expertise and offerings.
Overall, attending tradeshows is an opportunity to create personal relationships and promote your brand in a positive light. After putting time into planning your presence at the event, marketing automation can make it easier for you to track, measure and report on your event’s performance. At the next event you decide to attend, make sure to utilize a marketing automation tool to promote your presence before, during and after the event and gain the most value from your experience.
Achieving high event registration sales accomplishes a twofold purpose: you generate a profit from the sales of those registrations, and achieve brand awareness from attendees who will be learning about your company or organization. The process is easier said than done if you’re not privy to the tricks-of-the-trade employed by successful sellers and marketers.
1. DON'T SETTLE FOR ONE REGISTRATION TYPE People like having choices. Give potential attendees multiple options. Aside from a basic registration, what other options can you add Here are some ideas:
EARLY BIRD Award those who reserve their registration early by giving them a discount. Whatever date you begin selling registrations, create a window of opportunity for attendees to get a discount. If you begin selling registrations two months out from the event, for example, then consider a discount price for the first two weeks. Heavily advertise this to get people to take advantage of the offer. Aside from the cheaper price, early bird sales also ensure that those who buy early are guaranteed a spot. This also prevents you from having too many registrations that have to be sold last minute.
HALF-DAY OR PROGRAM SPECIFIC REGISTRATIONS If your event spans the course of a weekend or a whole day, then provide partial day access for those that cannot attend the whole event. Keep in mind that there are those who would like to attend but are unable to spare a weekend or even a full day. Provide people in this situation with the option to attend for just the afternoon or evening portion of the event.
LIMITED ACCESS REGISTRATIONS If the event contains multiple booths, workshops and presentations, consider providing registrations that are only good for a certain aspect of the event. Some attendees may only be interested in just one of the workshops or just want to attend one lecture.
Limited access registrations give these attendees the option to do just that without having to pay the price of a regular registration.
2. GET SPONSORS INVOLVED Remember, a bigger turnout means more potential new clients for the sponsors, so they are just as invested as you are for a successful event. Also, sponsors likely have bigger name recognition than your company; if they didn’t then they would be the ones turning to you for sponsorship. Make yoursponsors help you by offering all the same registration options and discounts you give your own followers.To make the work easier for your sponsors, let them use some of your own marketing material. You can, for instance, give them email copies of your own newsletters complete with a call-to-action and link to the event page. This way, sponsors can use the copy for their own newsletter and not have to write up their own.
3. MARKET YOUR EVENT AS EDUCATIONAL AND FUN The primary focus should be the educational content. However, keep in mind that guests don’t just consist of your core demographic; they also consist of family members, friends, and third wheels of that demographic. Do you think these people really care for your event and all the workshops and lectures that will probably put them to sleep?
To make it worthwhile for them, promote the fun aspect of the event. Will there be entertainment, such as an after-event dance party or a professional entertainer? If so, then there is no such thing as overemphasizing it.
4. UPSELL REGISTRATIONS Upselling is somewhat of a controversial sales tactic due to its overtly promotional nature. However, most people agree that upselling can be effective as long as you don’t shove one product after another down your customers’ throat.
Keeping it to one product after a purchase should work just fine. In this case, upsell your registrations at a discount price as a thank you offer for customers that make a purchase or sign up for a service. Be sure to include a strong call-to-action. Here is a sample of how to write an upsell offer:
Thank you so much for being a (company name) customer. As a token of our appreciation for being a valued customer, we would like to offer you a chance to be one of our guests for our upcoming event. Click below for an exclusive, discount registration price available only through this page.
5. STREAMLINE THE PROCESS Simplify the process for your attendees by using a software program like Eventinterface. Such programs contain features that make it easy for you to include discount codes and multiple payment options. This also includes options for foreign transactions to enable foreign payments.
This comes in really handy if expecting oversea guests. For all other guests, it just makes the process easier for them as their registrations can be reserved online by just inputting their basic information.
6. HOST FRIENDLY COMPETITIONS WITH GIVEAWAYS Use your social media outlets to host a few contests with registrations as the winning prizes. Consumers love interactive experiences, and a competition is a great way to get participants involved in a way that draws hype and anticipation. So what kind of competition should you host? Create a contest that requires participants to use their own social media accounts to advertise your event.
Trade shows create for an amazing marketing opportunity, but only if you play your cards right. When exhibiting, building a lackluster booth is not going to make anyone want to come inside.
Here are a few tips to consider if you want to create a visually appealing trade show display that will draw attendees and keep them engaged.
Cut the Clutter
Trade show space can be a huge investment. Not only do you have to pay booth rental fees, but the display itself is an expense. Average floor space is $21 per square foot at a trade show. Even if you only rent a 5x5 booth, your cost would be over $500.00.
It is tempting to make the most of your booth by filling every spare slot of space, but a cluttered display can take the focus away from the products you want to showcase. Think about the way the human eye naturally scans a booth. Stand back and survey your display from left to right and top to bottom. Make sure the eye hits on the key points of the display.
Everyone loves prizes. Create a game for your display where attendees can stop and earn prizes. To make the game effective, you should tie it into your product. One idea might be a matching game where each card that is turned over offers a bit of information about your company and products.
Make Your Staff Stand Out From the Crowd
You can create the most beautiful display booth in the history of trade shows, but if your staff doesn’t know how to interact with attendees, you won’t gain much momentum. People staffing your trade show booth should be fully trained—they need to understand your company and products.
They should also be skilled at talking to people and drawing them into a conversation. Effective conversations can occur with some finesse that isn’t pushy but is engaging. Consider investing in some Dale Carnegie business courses to prepare for upcoming events.
Use Attractive Displays
Custom backlit displays create enough contrast with 2-D signage to draw visitors over. If the display is backlit with LED lights, it creates an effect almost like water coming to life. Different variations in hues or colors look brilliant, and people at trade shows will appreciate a gorgeous display.
Giveaways Aren’t Always Necessary
If you can find a freebie that ties into your product or branding in a way that makes sense and is affordable, then freebies can be a great piece of advertising. However, companies sometimes give away things that have nothing to do with the company or are not very useful.
These items tend to get tossed in the trash.
How many insulated drink holders does a person truly need? Do you really need another stress ball to add to your collection? No? Neither do your potential customers.
Offer Your Display in Miniature
Remember that attendees are seeing hundreds, or possibly thousands, of booths at the trade show. Even if your display stands out, the average person may go home and quickly forget all about your product.
If someone shows interest, you should offer them a miniature form of the information. Make sure you have brochures on hand and business cards. In addition, you should do your best to collect information from new leads, so you can follow up after the trade show and try to secure a sale.
Make sure there is signage around all sides of your booth. Touch base with the trade show organizers about specific requirements. You can often add a sign to the top of your display that will grab the eye of attendees from down the aisle.
If you get lucky enough to secure a corner booth, signage on all sides is a must. You want people to easily spot your display and recognize your brand.
Create a Demonstration
No matter what product or service you offer, create a demonstration. If you’ve ever been to a trade show, maybe you’ve seen an excellent example, such as the kitchen knives that cut through anything.
The demonstrator shows how the knife can carve through a piece of wood and then slice a tomato into razor thin pieces. Besides showcasing what the knife can do, the demonstrator is a showman. He speaks in a loud voice that attracts people and is excited about the product. He is knowledgeable and makes the exhibit interactive, inviting people to try the product themselves.
Creating a display for your next trade show doesn’t have to be stressful. Make sure the colors and styles are visually pleasing. Figure out how you can make your booth stand out. Once you do, success should come naturally—and you’ll have more visitors than you have time to talk.
Five common and costly trade show mistakes and how to avoid them
Trade shows are tremendous investments in both time and resources, so making sure you minimize mistakes and maximize your results is crucial. Below are five of the most common and costly trade show mistakes exhibitors make and how to avoid them.
1. Lack of Specified Goals
If someone were to ask you what you wanted to accomplish at your next trade show and you answered, “increase sales” or “generate more leads,” you may be headed for trade show tribulation. While those goals are commendable, they lack specificity. When planning your trade show goals, you should define exactly what you want to achieve and how you plan to achieve it in a face-to-face marketing environment.
The world of trade show and event marketing is ruled by detail- and deadline-oriented marketers. All too often, novice exhibitors fail to properly organize and structure their pre-show planning, resulting in missed deadlines and last-minute fixes. To avoid mishaps, create a trade show timeline 90 days out from your event. Make sure to mark important deadlines as well as milestones you want to reach by specific dates.
3. Rushing Set Up and Dismantling
Your trade show booth is the centerpiece of your event marketing campaign, so making a booth-related mistake can spell trade show disaster. The majority of booth-related missteps occur during set up and dismantling. Exhibitors racing against deadlines often haphazardly set up their booths, leading to damaged or lost parts and blemished graphics. Taking the time to properly set up and dismantle your booth or hiring an experienced installation and dismantlement service will make assembling and repacking your booth safer and easier.
4. Failing to Set a Realistic Budget
Crafting a well-planned trade show budget is one of the most important pieces to the event marketing puzzle. With all of the commotion surrounding the planning for your event—such as designing a trade show display, creating marketing collateral or arranging travel—it can be easy to forget about the logistics involved in getting your booth materials to the show, moved into the event space and assembled. Overlooking ancillary costs associated with exhibiting such as shipping, drayage, booth storage and installation costs can really bust your budget.
5. Forgetting to Follow Up with Collected Leads
Since trade shows are a big investment, you want to make sure you maximize your ROI. All too often, marketers forget to follow-up with the leads gathered on the trade show floor. After you and your team collect and organize leads at your show, you should reach out to the contacts within 48 hours after you get back to the office. By promptly following up with leads, you will increase the likelihood of closing sales and, in turn, increase your overallevent marketing ROI.
By avoiding these five mistakes, you give yourself a greater opportunity to succeed at your next event. The trick to trade show success boils down to smart planning and preparation, especially when setting the event budget.
For small businesses, attending a trade show is no cheap endeavor. However, small businesseshave much to gain by exhibiting. With proper planning and a clear idea of what they want to achieve, small business owners can find the experience of exhibiting at a trade show invaluable. With that in mind, here are a few trade show tips for small business owners to use at their next event.
Make a plan of attack
Trade shows are often bigger and more complicated than you think they will be. You may just expect to show up and find the things you want to see and do, but it can be overwhelming when you arrive if you do not have a trade show plan in place. Instead, check out the list of events and attendees ahead of time and make a plan of attack so you can ensure that you at least get to do the most important items on your list. Otherwise, you could end up leaving with a bunch of regrets.
Networking is Key
One of the biggest benefits of attending a trade show is networking, so make sure that you are psyched up and ready to talk to people about your business. Be sure to find out about any mixers and parties, and get out to as many of them as you can. Bring business cards and even a portfolio or samples, so you’re able to whip them out whenever the time seems right. And if you see the names of people and companies that you think it would be valuable for you to introduce yourself to, do not be shy because you may miss out on opportunities.
Reach Out to the World.
If you are going to exhibit at a trade show, you will need to do more than just shake hands and greet visitors who come into your exhibit. You can reach out by demonstrating your products or services to get attention. You can also drive people to your area with giveaways and contests. While you do not want to become annoying, remember that there is a certain amount of showmanship involved in attracting people at trade shows, so you have got to be willing to put forth the effort.
Be Ready for Questions
Think about the questions your customers routinely ask, and make sure you have all those answers up because visitors to your booth are likely to ask you similar questions. Also, make sure you have collateral or brochures ready as well to answer visitors’ questions. The more informed you are the more likely people will be to trust your small business and the more likely a prospect is to keep your company in mind.
Your marketing team can go all out before a trade show. They can create a compelling booth design, write informative collateral and come up with exciting giveaways to grab attention.
However, no matter how great your marketing team might be, none of these marketing investments will ever pay off in closed sales--unless your sales team shows up prepared.
If you want your sales team to generate trade show successes, you need to develop a strategy that goes beyond marketing.
First, create a schedule for who will be working at your booth throughout the event.
Ideally, at least two members of your sales team will be there at all times during exhibition hours. If a particularly hot prospect comes to your booth, you'll want one sales rep exclusively focused on building that relationship. If other visitors arrive at the exact the same time, your second rep can play interference.
However, don't tether your sales team to a table all day. Make sure you're giving each sales rep time to hold scheduled, one-on-one meetings with prospects.
If there's a conflict between the booth schedule and a personal meeting with a hot prospect, your sales team should always prioritize the one-on-one meeting. Personal attention is more likely to land to a sale; a quick handshake on the trade show floor probably won't.
Your presence on the trade show floor is important, but make sure you aren't relying solely on your booth to generate connections.
Reach out to your prospects to schedule meetings in advance--even if you don't know them personally yet. Your prospects might not be ready to give you a seat at the boardroom table over the phone, but they might be open to a quick lunch.
Your sales team also needs shared buyer profiles, so they can focus on making connections with the right people. Defined buyer profiles help your sales team know when to work on building a real relationship. It also gives them permission to politely end a conversation when they aren't talking with a true decision-maker.
Before the show, make sure each person on your sales team has a compelling 30-second pitch prepared for people who are unfamiliar with your company. Remember, these pitches need to be consistent with the brand message you want to convey to the decision-makers at this particular trade show.
Finally, make sure your entire sales team has a full understanding of their specific sales objectives. For example, if you typically have a long sales cycle with a complex deliverable, you probably won't close many deals on the trade show floor.
Instead, your team should focus on filling the top of your sales funnel with prospects, knowing that the real work starts when the trade show ends.
For any business venture or decision it’s always wise advice to follow “what gets measured gets managed.”
The purpose of attending a trade show is to ultimately grow business, customer base and sales. Without a budget and tracking it, is your company actually getting a return on the investment by attending a trade show? Instead of worrying about how many badges you scanned or business cards you received, tracking these five metrics might help you get an idea of your business’ ROI of attending trade shows.
Pre and post show – Website traffic: Track your website hits pre-show, the average number of visitors, and what kind of direct and organic traffic it is receiving. Comparing that to those same numbers almost immediately after the show is a pretty quick and simple way to see what kind of impact you made at a trade show. If you did well, both direct and organic traffic should have increased.
During the show – Social media interaction: Technology at trade shows is becoming more and more important. Launching a product or will be demonstrating one? These can and should be audience interactive. Thanks to social media, these interactions don’t just have to be limited to those in attendance at the trade show. Using apps like Periscope, Twitter, the Facebook Live feature as well as Snapchat or Instagram allows you to share these moments with anyone who may be interested in your business but aren’t at the trade show. Creating a hashtag for your booth theme, product launch or demonstration and having attendees or reporters tweet about the event using it would help you keep track of social engagement and what people are saying about your product or demo.
Post show – Lead responses: Contacting any leads at a trade show should be done very quickly after the show. Track your email open rate, click through rate, and opt out rate and lead-to-sale conversation rate. This will not only tell you how warm these leads were to begin with but how effective your follow-up plan and emails are.
Pre and post show – Goal achievements: Whether this is your first trade show or you’re a seasoned veteran, you should have an idea of what you want to accomplish by attending a trade show and if those goals are going to make attending this show a successful venture. Set reasonable and trackable goal but don’t just write them on a check list – plan how you’re going to achieve them and what steps are necessary to do that. After the show, you can track how many of those goals you think you reached, was the work needed to achieve them not enough, enough or too much cost to do so? It’s a good way to evaluate time and capital spent on trying to achieve those goals.
Pre and post show – Budget: This is fairly simple but ultimately, if you’re spending more on cost-per-contact and cost-per-lead than you’re making back or generating leads from, then your ROI for attending a show probably isn’t very good. Before committing to exhibiting at a trade show, you should already know the cost of the booth space and materials. You should be able to pre-budget shipping, travel, labor and any travel and hospitality costs. Plan what you think is worth spending and how many contacts, leads and sales you would need to generate to make the spending worth it.
There are a number of apps, both free and affordable, that can help you track nearly everything on this list.
Is your event website failing to generate enough repeat visits and continued engagement from your website visitors? If the answer is yes, chances are that the website is not providing them with the compelling interactive content and engaging experience that would give them a reason to stick around and keep coming back periodically to check what’s new.
As a trade show organizer, your primary focus is on managing the innumerable logistics for the actual event, and rightly so. You probably don’t have the resources to keep generating and posting new content on the event website. Well, the silver lining is that you do not have to do the heavy lifting all by yourself! By featuring an interactive product gallery on the event website and inviting exhibitors to upload beautiful visuals as well as engaging descriptions, you can quickly elevate your event’s digital presence while putting in very little effort from your side.
Here are some compelling reasons your event website absolutely needs an interactive product showcase gallery:
1. Early Engagement An interactive product gallery provides prospective attendees with a sneak preview of what’s on offer, building a compelling case for them to register for the event to be a part of the early wave of adopters of new and the most technological advanced solutions in their industry.
2. Exhibitor ROI Interactive product listings also help exhibitors engage potential buyers ahead of the event since most attendees will add an exhibitor to their pre-show planner is their interest is sparked by their listing on the website. Many of them will also send exhibitors questions and request to meet at the event or to attend exhibitors’ special events at the show. Featuring a product gallery thus helps you provide higher and quantifiable ROI to exhibitors.
3. Increased Traffic & Attendance When registered attendees and exhibitors share visually engaging exhibitor-generated images with their own friends and followers on popular social media channels, and link these back to the product gallery on your event website, they indirectly help you engage untapped audiences, and boost traffic and attendee registrations for your event.
4. Additional Revenue By adding additional product listings to enhanced eBooth packages, you can not only boost participation from exhibitors, but also generate additional revenue from your event’s digital assets.
5. Search Engine Strategy Last but not least, exhibitor-generated content in the product gallery can be great for your websites’ organic search visibility as well as ranking. By making website visitors spend more time browsing through your website, you can directly influence your presence on leading search engines. But that’s not all. The additional content also boosts your chances of being found for keywords that are popular with your exhibitors’ audiences.
In summary, if your event website doesn’t showcase exhibitors’ products, your event promotion strategy is lacking firepower. Contact your event technology provider to add this invaluable interactive feature to your event website in your current show cycle and be amazed by the results you achieve with minimum investment of time and effort!
Trade shows are all about the experience. A lively trade show often has music, art installations, a mascot or two, and lots of vibrant, interactive booths. At the end of the day, you want trade show visitors to remember your booth, and more importantly, to engage with your product. A successful trade show will generate a substantial amount of leads, which in turn creates measurable ROI. So, what’s an effective way to attract visitors to your booth? Adding a photo booth to your trade show display! Here are 4 ways a TapSnap photo booth can generate buzz for your brand and how it can transform any exhibitor space from boring to brilliant.
Drive traffic
People love taking pictures. People especially love taking pictures of themselves. Having a photo booth as a centerpiece creates immediate interest, and visitors will gravitate towards your booth looking for a fun, memorable souvenir. The photo booth is naturally a group experience, so you’ll have people coming in droves with their friends and co-workers. As visitors wait in line to get their picture taken, use this opportunity to promote your services and get to know your audience. Exchange business cards, shake hands, and ask people questions. The photo booth line creates a perfect opportunity to network.
Harness the Power of Social Media and Marketing Promos
After someone takes a photo with a photo booth, that’s not the end of the story. Photo booth companies have the ability to create custom backgrounds and custom prints. To create a modern, lasting impression, develop a social media campaign surrounding your trade show stand’s photo booth pictures. Include features such as a Facebook link, Twitter handle, and Twitter hashtag on the photo booth background and printed pictures. Photo booth users will have a souvenir that conveniently promotes your social media pages. Furthermore, people are likely to share their pictures on their own social media pages which allows your brand to reach audiences beyond the trade show.
In addition to your social media page links, you can include a promo code on the photo that people can use for your service. The promo code could be for a free trial, a discount, or a raffle contest. This simple marketing tactic may convert visitors to use your products or services.
Create a Hangout Lounge
Trade shows are busy, and oftentimes sitting down for a break is a luxury. A photo booth is a wonderful centerpiece for a visitor’s lounge because it allows people to kick back, relax, and take snapshots with their friends. Trade show goers will associate the photo booth with a positive, fun experience, and hopefully spur them to come back next year.
Make an Impact Even After the Show is Over
After a busy day of setting up, networking, selling, promoting, and finally cleaning up, you’ll want to trust that your trade show booth made a lasting impression. Luckily, a photo booth allows for impact even after the show is over. In addition to photo booth users sharing pictures via social media, you can drive trade show visitors back to your website by creating a landing page for all the pictures taken that day. Visitors can scroll through the hundreds of pictures taken and enjoy seeing who else got to take some goofy, fun snapshots. A digital photo kiosk can also capture email addresses to create an email marketing list.
With a photo booth, you make your visitors the stars of the show, while simultaneously creating hype surrounding your brand. A photo booth will always create a lasting, positive impression.
When marketing from trade shows, a lot of exhibitors have too many apprehensions and end up messing up with a lot o factors that can make you trade show exhibit stand out of rest. There is so much in this technologically driven world which should be incorporated in the exhibitions arena to ensure that the results and outcome in terms of marketing. Despite trade shows being an age old way to promote the products yet is most adaptable industry to changes and accepting innovation. So as an exhibitor you must tap on this USP and make most out of trade show marketing. But before that, ensure that we want to bust these thought bubbles that you have in your mind regarding exhibit marketing so that you embrace marketing with a distinguished approach and formula.
1. B2B social media is boring: Everything and anything is only boring if you make it so. Nothing can ever change the way an industry is looked at. Definitely B2B is more serious and factual however it is not essential to present those facts in a boring format. You can always experiment with the content and pep it up to generate the reader’s interest and make them more inclined towards knowing your company and product. Additionally, B2B has an added advantage of having a well defined reader persona who understands the industry well so you if targeted right, your content can be excellently presented.
2. You cannot script face-to-face marketing: During exhibitions, your pitch must be perfect and then only you can achieve sales is absolutely true. But what most of the exhibitors ask is how we can have a pitch perfected in a face to face interaction wherein impromptu questions can be raised. But what these exhibitors fail to understand is the fact that at the end of the day, it is your product and there is nothing that you don’t know about it. So, try and frame every questions that pops into your mind as an attendee starting from the basics to the most technical ones and frame a rough response to them all. This way most of the leads that come your way will have perfectly framed answers to their queries making you the super hero for your company.
3. Trade show marketing ends as the day ends: This is a big time myth that as an exhibitor, the process of marketing ends as soon as the clock strikes the time nearing the closing of the exhibition. To bust this thought, we want to tell you that we have seen a lot of exhibitors who do not update their feeds or send across follow up mails to their leads after the trade show thinking that they will not be responding back or active on their machines. However, these exhibitors are also the ones that do not have a good trade show ROI as they fail to create memory retention in the minds of the visitors due to their post show absence.
4. Staff presentation does not impact the sales: Your staff is the face of your product and brand and their way of talking, presentation skills, management skills everything matters a lot. It might be true that your product speaks for itself but unless there is a good point of sale created by your salesperson, you will always fail to create an impact on the attendee. So ensure that your staffs is well presented, well dressed and well active during the exhibition.
5. In-booth presentation remains constant: This point changes from industry to industry but bringing in the change in your interiors and presentation style of the booth should never be constant on year on year basis. You should keep on changing and altering the way your interiors are in every exhibition and make your design element as the talk of the town every time you attend a trade show. This change in marketing approach will attract new and retain your old clients at the same time.
So, now that we have spilled the beans on a lot of marketing tips we genuinely hope that you inculcate good marketing practise and make most out of the next trade show you visit!
A trade show booth is more than just a back wall display. Booths need proper lighting, need to be inviting with a sense of depth, and have a well-designed layout. Recognize that not everyone that attends the event is knowingly seeking out your product. Give them a reason to come to the table.
Don’t put a table between yourself and the customer
It is very easy to become detached during the slow traffic times during a trade show. You may find yourself absorbed in checking e-mails or tending to other issues that have risen at the office. If you are behind a table hidden by a computer screen you are not engaging people at all.
Set your table up in a manner that invites people to come into your booth and engage them. If you are not positioned out front and show accessibility your booth will not show that it wants to communicate. Give visitors the comfort of browsing your booth but remember it will not sell itself. It needs you out there, front and center.
Don’t Always Be Closing
Engage the attendees at a trade show and try to engage with them in a genuine way. Tell the story of what products and services your company delivers and encourage people to share their experiences and needs and how they can relate to your industry.
People generally like to tell their story, even if it might not result in a sale, it will also give you a better sense of who is attending these events and what they are looking for. This will help you be more effective and prepared for future events.
Not always thinking about where each visitor discussion will land you financially will help you realize the importance of personal contact and relationship building at the trade show. Be sure to get their contact information and make notes on what you discussed. Keep what you need to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss future business opportunities.
Other design elements that will increase your booth’s trade show appeal:
Illuminate your booth with lights/use a dark or black backdrop to make your display pop.
Make a prominent display of your logo and branding.
Set up a computer and TV with a slideshow to showcase your products.
Have The Right People Showcasing
Finally, your product in your booth. Your tech people may be the most knowledgeable about the products and services you offer but they might not have strong people skills. It is critical that you have a strong communicator who is engaging with your visitors. Choose the right person to be your voice. In order for your booth to be successful, bring in new business and leave visitors with a good impression, you need to prepare and have all the right elements in place.
Now, go out there and use these tips to plan and design your next trade show booth that will wow your visitors and set you apart from the crowd.
As a promoter of a Trade Show app, I have the privilege of visiting many Trade Shows. During many such visits, I have had a chance to pick the brains of some of the best event profs across various industries.
While showcasing the Trade Show app, most of my interactions happen with the Sales and Marketing guys. While I try to pick ideas on various activities related to Trade Shows, one of the most burning question, ‘How to make the most of all your interactions from the Trade Show’ is often asked by Sales and Marketing people. It is a no-brainer that your Trade Show participation can only be considered successful if the prospects that came visiting your booth are converted into customers down the line. An effective follow-up campaign is required to make sure that the prospects don’t fade away into oblivion.
With this question in mind, I have been doing my own little research on what constitutes a ‘Successful post Trade Show follow-up’. To this effect, I have pursued answers from many seasoned Trade Show Exhibitors to compile a list of ‘must-dos’ post Trade Show participation.
In an increasingly competitive business environment organizations are constantly looking for smart ways to stretch Trade Show budgets, without jeopardizing performance. Marketers make continual efforts to create better engagement and drive sales without having to spend big money. Making small changes to Trade Show budgeting will not only help save costs but also deliver a sizeable return on investment.
In fact, 70% of Trade Show expenses can be effectively managed if planned carefully. Start by listing down cost heads for coordinating Trade Shows. Then plan in advance to avail special deals and offers and to avoid hidden costs that crop up on last minute requests. Register at the earliest and avail of early-bird prices that organizers might be offering – including free services that may only be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Travel and accommodation costs too can be reduced through advance planning by availing deals for travellers who book early.
often hear this question: “Help, please! My trade shows are under attack from management! What is the value of meeting a customer or prospect on thetrade show floor versus in their office?”
Trade Shows Work
An estimated 110 million people attend more than 4,000 shows in the United States and Canada every year. How many clients or prospects can your sales reps see per day? Maybe 3-4 or 6-7?
Consider a 20 total hour show with 10,000 attendees. You have the potential to visit with up to 500 people per hour. Even if you only meet with 5% of those attendees, you’ll end up with the opportunity to connect, face-to-face, with 25 people per hour. To achieve the same level of success, one sales rep would need 20 weeks!
The Numbers
Trade show exhibiting is a great value. Consider the following numbers, provided by CEIR.
For the past 10 years, an average of 81%-83% of visitors have some kind of buying power.
The average visitor spends 9.2 hours at a 2-3 day trade show.
86% of your visitors will be new contacts.
77% of visitors will remember your company for up to 10 weeks.
Cost per lead from show averages $212.00.
Cost per lead from field averages $308.00.
Cost per sale from a show averages $705.00.
Cost per sale from the field averages $1140.00.
That’s 38% less for a sale from a trade show lead!
How to Use This Info
I suggest you share these numbers with your management and accounting teams. Then couple the information with your own statistics & measurement results, so that you can help everyone understand the importance of your trade show marketing program.
There’s no reason why connecting with people at a trade show should be limited to the booth – in fact, it shouldn’t be. There are plenty of other opportunities to meet new people, discover common ground, and possibly even open new opportunities. (But be careful – you shouldn’t be actively selling outside your booth space.)
So here are a few networking tips for your next show:
Have at least one meal a day with customers or prospects during the show. Even better … make it a small group event and introduce people to each other.
Wear your name badge at all official show events (but not out on the street, to keep from making yourself a target for criminals).
Introduce yourself to speakers and other participants in seminars.
Make a point of introducing yourself to strangers and use people’s names. (Within reason of course … you don’t want to use their name in every sentence!)
At receptions, keep one hand free and always shake hands firmly.
After meeting someone new at an event, keep in touch through e-mail or social media and periodically send notes or links to items of interest.
One of my partnerships is growing well, and we are getting a booth at a tradeshow here in Melbourne. Once you have some momentum, there is nothing like investing in marketing to really kick things along, so I am a big believer in getting out there as early as possible and growing your business. A great way to do this is with a booth at a trade show. Here are my notes from research and experience in doing this. It’s like a “trade-show checklist” that I refer back to and you can too.
Tradeshow JustificationGet your facts before pitching for a presence at a trade show.
Describe your target market.
Be clear if your business currently needs lead generation or brand building. This will alter how you approach the show and how you calculate your ROI and justify the investment.
Find a tradeshow with this target market. Check the industry associations and publications from your best customers or just ask them if they attend any trade marketing events. An alternative is to check if there are marketing events that your competitors have a presence.
Find out the following:
Estimated number of attendees.
Profile of attendees – eg where they are from, what percent are in your addressable market, what their budget is, etc.
Expected reach – I use 20%. It’s a good round number and a good realistic place to start unless it is a really small tradeshow where it may be higher.
Trade show dates
Cost of booth
Additional costs (be realistic here then double it and if you are on the high side, it covers the cost of staff time.). List them out so you can track it later. Include things like furniture hire, printed materials, travel, accommodation, meals, parking, etc.
Partners who might be able to help supply equipment, brochures, etc if you are on a tight budget.
Check any additional promotional opportunities the event offers either free or paid.
You can get all of this with 1 phone call to the event organizer plus more. Put the facts down and decide if it is worth pursuing.
Booth SelectionGetting a good spot on the floor is important. It’s not an exact science, but you can improve your results with careful selection
Most people will walk in a straight line either left or right from the entrance. This or these rows are prime show realestate. People typically visit about 2-30 stands, and they are their freshest when they walk through the door.
Corner booths are better because you have 4.x seconds to attract each visitor’s attention and get them to pause by your stand. Corner booths have 2 sides, so you have twice the chance to catch someone’s interest.
Booths near cafes, stages, mini-theaters the entrance and even the toilet (not too close;-) rank better than average.
Naturally, size matters, but large size is expensive and really moves towards brand building rather than lead generation so if you are a small business then small is ok. If in doubt, ask the show organizer, they should have a good idea which booth is best for you.
Get it Done
So you have enough to put the recommendation forward and lock in you position, go do it. The best marketers win. So lock in your booth in a good high-traffic, high visibility location.
2-3 Month Pre-Expo/Conference/Tradeshow ChecklistEarly preparation really helps to maximize your time on the show floor
Get all the details that the conference organizer needs worked out.
Ask them about the booth details – flooring type, power, internet, lighting, etc.
Ask the tradeshow organizer about their exhibitor marketing resources. They may well have an Exhibitor Marketing Plan PDF or similar.
Ask them about graphics you can use in your online banners pre-event promotions.
Do your 50-100 word company description and make it catchy.
Decide on 3 key themes/offers you will cover. Bigger stands with more people can cover more, but you are better to stick with a few rather than trying to cover everything.
Put a banner on your website like Meet us at Tradeshow XYZ and see ABC.
Put a graphic on your email signature (after all, the tradeshow is target at your customers).
Create an invitation flyer that you can send out. Make sure it has clear registration and address instructions as well as the expo dates.
Update your linked-in page – people will check you out.
Talk to partners for resources.
Talk to printers and designers.
Block out 2 full days for follow-up after the Exposition/Tradeshow. You will need it.
Consider if you want to run a giveaway competition in exchange for business cards. You might find a partner to donate the prize and you will definitely get additional business cards and emails to follow up with.
Consider if you can do something special at or around the trade event that would warrant a press release – good publicity. You can guarantee there will be press at big events. Contact them and let them know.
Get a press release done just in case. It should take you a couple of hours if you copy one from another company. I quite like Apples press releases, but lots of companies put out press releases. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
Let the event organizer know of anything special you have planned. They may be able to help promote it for you.
High-res videos if needed (taking samples from you web material may not cut it. You will need high res for big monitors.
Links to key pages and solution descriptions or company offerings on your website (this is good to give to staff as reminders and you can hand them out.
List of potential customers, contacts, etc.
Ask the event organizer of there is a press liaison officer just so you have it at hand before the mad rush starts.
Email out notification of the event to your existing customers. Just let them know you are attending and that you would love to catch up with them at the trade event if they are attending.
Get a post onto your website that you are attending – the earlier the better. anyone searching for the event will see your site come up high if you are early and have a catchy page title.
Make a rough plan for staffing and send out calendar entries to reserve the time.
Review what opportunities there are for additional marketing from the event organizers.
Join the event’s Facebook Linked-in and Twitter lists so you can stay uptodate. Post if you can.
Trade Show Booth IdeasThe one-sentence Booth Checklist is:
Is it fun yet professional, clear what you are pitching and is it memorable?
How you draw in customers depends a lot on how good your booth looks.
Remember that it is a competitive environment so your booth design just needs a Slight Edge.
Here are some other display ideas for expo booth design – don’t use them all.
Look at object placement. generally larger items are at the back.
Check the number of power outlets available.
What limitations do you have eg is it overseas where you don’t have the same resources as locally?
Celebrities, celeb lookalikes can bring in people.
A Money machine or Prize wheel can attract attention.
Giveaways – Make them appropriate and desirable for your audience. It may not need to be large. Giveaways are for brand recognition and a reminder after the event. Give them away selectively unless you are just in for brand building.
Something for people to touch and feel – people love interaction
A good meeting table
A white board.
Flowers and plants can be good either for atmosphere or hiding cables, etc.
Hand-held scanner for data collection if attendees wear barcodes.
You could try just taking photos, but business cards are the real fall-back.
QR Codes for your product descriptions and website.
Get with the times – link to a topical theme like Green.
Humour – people like something witty
Something eye-catching, some neat technology or display.
Sometimes you may be able to place something on the floor to break the barrier between corridor and booth to draw people into your booth.
Faces in your imagery attracts attention.
Get a gender balance on the stand – gives a better feel.
A projector or coloured lighting can be good. Small projectors can add atmosphere and are flexible. You just need a PC or USB to drive them.
Brochures and handouts – generally less is more, you can always have some tucked away if a customer is interested in something special.
Presentations or banners that ask questions.
Carry bags – usually provided with trade shows, but not always.
2-4 Weeks Out from Your Trade ShowPeople are locking in calenders and you have a lot to do.
Circulate the drafts of any presentations you plan to display at the expo. Naturally you will refine them the night before, but get the draft done. Circulating them creates momentum and allows feedback from the team.
Lock in appointments with existing customers – send a reminder if you have done this earlier.
Send out emails to prospects inviting them along – you never know.
Pre-register your partners, staff and customers so they get into the event easily. This is a good thing to outsource.
1-2 Weeks Out From Your Trade-Show.If you are running up against it at this point – GET HELP!!!
Send out reminders to everyone.
Confirm staffing and adjust if needed.
Complete the staffing roster.
Check you have everything for your booth.
Make backups of presentations.
Review all outstanding items from your checklists
Enlist help if needed!
During the ExpositionLook your best from all angles.
This is my list for customer interactions, you will want to generate your own, but make sure all staff know the goals.
Meet, listen and understand the customer.
Establish rapport, find out what they are interested in and what problems they are trying to solve.
Be a good listener with open questions, active listening responses (‘yes’, ‘ah-ha’, ‘I see’) when they are talking.
Aim for a balanced conversation 50/50 you vs them talking. This will be hard to achieve, but it is a goal not a rule.
Get their business card – give them yours and tell them you will be able to follow up with some sent information if they give you their business card.
Aim to stand out and be the benchmark against which visitors will compare other companies against. You want to be the best.
Agree on an appointment time and date for followup.
Mentally note their name and use their name through the conversation and at the end of the conversation. Names are critically important even in short conversations, and some staff may not be used to this basic sales technique.
When you are talking to a potential customer, just talk to that 1 customer. Don’t get distracted, give them your full attention.
Continually clear clutter.
Don’t eat on the stand.
Be generous with referrals. If a prospect is not right for you, refer them to a company who can help them. Do a walk-around
Stand rather than sit at the stand. People will subconsciously avoid disturbing you if you are sitting.
Track the customers you meet with a write-up in your book along-side the stapled business card. Every conversation and card needs a note in the book. Write a reminder on the business card if needed.
Take a photo of each page in this book and mark it on the page that it is done. This is your backup.
Go through your list of goals with all staff on the trade event booth so everyone is on the same page.
Keep the Social media going through the show. You never know.
Do a walk around of other booths and take photos of layouts or elements that you would like to have in mind for next time.
Twice a day, walk past your own trade stand from each direction and check that it looks its best.
Have a list of meeting topics for staff to work through while at the trade event. There will be dead time so they can have a 2 person meeting while waiting. If you have more than 2 staff they should do this anyway because it will make the booth look busy which attracts people.
Offer your booth as a place to have a meeting for customers or partners if appropriate. Booths that look busy attract more foot traffic.
Aim to look your best.
Enter the best of show competition – any exposure is good.
Be prepared for long days. Keep smiling.
After the EventThis is where all your effort pays off.
At the end of the day, it is the ROI from your trade-fair that counts. It is critical to capture your learnings and follow-up.
Write down your thoughts of what you forgot, didn’t get to, could have done better
Write down what other companies or organizations did better
Write down your notes on the budget
Do your post-event followup:
Send out follow-up emails
Distribute prizes
Send out sorry we missed you
Follow-up with a phone call and remember that most business is closed after 7 contacts.
Rank and prioritize your prospects for additional followup.
Consider a post-show event say 4-12 weeks after.
To Take Checklist To Optimize Your Trade Event MarketingThere is a lot going on, work with lists they will help you and better still, you can hand them to other people
A stapler
Business cards. Actually I hate business cards (I run almost 100% electronic) but conferences are different – a quick exchange, a place to write a note – you need business cards for everyone on the stand.
A big blank book to staple business cards in and write a summary of each conversation you had at the show (you will forget otherwise – don’t kid yourself. Coming back to attendees showing that you listened to the conversation is worth gold.
Brochures – people like to take something with them. Make sure each one has your contat details on them or staple your business card on them
Banners.
Monitors – Let’s face it, many stands have some kind if electronic component to them these days.
Demo kit.
Furniture – What atmosphere do you want to create?
http://BijaCo.com If you’re going to exhibit at trade show, you and your company will make a major commitment of money and time. You better get it right! You...
Small Businesses work with limited budgets, limited personnel and limited resources, something you as a small business owner realize day in and day out. This is the most critical and single biggest factor influencing your marketing decisions.
So how does one optimize on these 3 factors to come out on top, either to become a medium sized business or a very profitable small business? We have highlighted 6 challenges that you need to face up to and come out on top if you want to break free from the small business tag.
1. Detecting your ideal market segment
Remember you have limited money to spend on your marketing budget right? Well it’s important you spend it attracting the right type of people. The logical way to do that is to filter through all the various types of clients you can have to the one which gives you the highest ROI.
Football season is underway and fans everywhere are gearing up to cheer on their favorite teams! Football is a sport that is growing in popularity (a record 111.9 million people watched the 2016 Super Bowl) and so is the tailgating experience! Fans of all calibers are now meeting up before the game to enjoy food, fun, and football on a whole new level. Tailgating is highly social and it’s a great opportunity for businesses to promote their brand to football fans via tailgating items that can add to their experience on game day.
Tailgating is not just reserved for NFL games, it is a trend that is popular among high school and college fans as well. This expands the opportunity for you to promote your business, brand or team and makes it a great option for businesses in any community.
From fundraising to brand awareness, tailgating essentials are a great solution for promotional products during the fall season! Here are a few of our favorite tailgating items that can be enjoyed all season long.
Weather Gear – Never let the weather ruin the tailgating experience. Proper weather gear will keep fans comfortable from beginning to end. The right gear may vary based on location or time in the season, but all will be appreciated on game day. Some ideas for gear you can customize are beanies, fleece sweatshirts, touch screen gloves, and hooded rain ponchos. These items will keep fans happy rain or shine and your brand will be remembered.
Ultimate Trunk Cooler Organizer – Help fans keep all of their tailgating supplies organized in one place. This collapsible trunk organizer comes complete with a cooler to hold your keep your food and beverages cold. Fill the additional storage compartments with additional supplies such as trash bags, paper goods, grilling utensils, condiments, and more! When not in use, this organizer folds completely flat for convenient storage. This organizational giveaway will impress any tailgater!
Bluetooth Cube Speaker – This rechargeable mini speaker makes it easy for fans to listen to their favorite songs before the game. This speaker easily connects to mobile devices to provide a soundtrack to your tailgating experience. Get fans excited with their favorite tunes and take advantage of a great opportunity to share your brand!
The Yukon Tumbler – Keep beverages the perfect temperature while tailgating with this vacuum insulated tumbler. This rugged tumbler is insulated to keep your hot drinks warm for up to 5.5 hours and cold beverages maintain temperatures for 24 hours. Fill this trendy tumbler with some hot cocoa before the big game and never worry about it getting cold!
Trio Blanket Bag – This three-in-one giveaway will be a new favorite for any sports spectator! This cozy fleece blanket will keep you warm on crisp fall nights! When not using as a blanket, it folds up into a zippered carrying bag and can be used as a stadium cushion to keep you comfortable throughout the whole game! The carrying bag also has two large slip pockets for storage of additional items. Use this item as a booster club fundraiser or use as a giveaway to support your brand.
As a marketing professional it’s likely you’ve attended a trade show, manning your own exhibition stand with the aim of generating sales, interest and contacts for your company. If you’ve been invited to attend a trade show as a guest it’s a different experience altogether, but one that you can get just as much from.
Before the trade show
Planning and preparation before attending a trade show can make it far more productive and ensure that you get more out of it. The first place to start is by pre-registering for the event, not only will this generally give you a discount, it means you’ll be processed quicker on the day too.
At least several weeks before the show you’re likely to receive a schedule of workshops and seminars as well as details of who will be exhibiting. This means you can get a good idea of what you want to do while attending the event and think about your overall objectives, reflecting this in your plans. For instance, if your main aim is to re-establish old relationships you can plan ahead and arrange to meet contacts, or if you want to hear new ideas you can ensure you get a front row seat to an innovative lecture.
It’s a great idea to set up some pre-arranged meetings with key clients and figures that will be attending the event too. While booking in meetings can be beneficial, ensure you leave yourself enough time to experience the event and meet new people.
During the event
How you get the most out of a trade show will depend on your own personal objectives but there are some things everyone should do. Firstly, while you’re sure to have individuals and companies that you want to speak to already in mind, don’t dismiss newcomers or start-ups. They could offer you something new or a service at a better value. Going to a trade show with an open mind means you have the right attitude to discover something new and innovative. While you’re there speaking to as many people as possible and learning about different companies, including your competitors, can help you learn about upcoming opportunities, wider industry trends and potential client leads.
Be sure to take advantage of the educational opportunities on offer too, you could pick up new ways of working through seminars and conference sessions.
After you’ve headed home
After the trade show has finished don’t waste the information or contacts you’ve gained from it. Most people leave a show with a bag full or brochures, leaflets and business cards that eventually end up in the bin. Sort through the information once you’re home and decipher what is useful and what can be thrown away. It’s also worth considering what your colleagues may find useful.
If you’ve met someone you think could be a useful contact, drop them an email a few days later to ensure they remember you too. Improving and forging new professional relationships is one of the biggest advantages of attending trade shows and can prove invaluable to business operations.
Trade shows are an excellent opportunity to find new customers and make new contacts, but the only way you are going to get out of your investment in a booth, is to make it a magnet for anyone who is at the show.
One way of standing out from the crowd would be to have some custom feather banners made, and you can browse banners now to find what you want. The art of making your booth a desired destination involves bringing a whole number of different components together, so here are a few tips to consider.
BEFORE THE SHOW Pre-event marketing is absolutely essential if you are going to boost the numbers of people who are going to visit your booth.
Contacting prospective customers and other relevant attendees before the event, gives you the chance to not only let people know where to find you at the show but also allows you the opportunity to incentivize, by offering a special discount or a free sample, if they come to your booth.
PROVEN STRATEGY Another proven strategy that has been used for many years, mainly because it works so well, is to employ the services of a professional corporate spokesperson.
Having someone on hand who can deliver information in a polished way and give your company a highly professional image, is normally an investment that is well worth considering.
You obviously have to find the right person for the job if the strategy is going to work, but when you get it right, a professional speaker who knows how to engage a crowd and work them in just the right way, will allow your booth to attract plenty of visitors.
SIGNAGE MATTERS Dressing your booth in an attractive way and having the right signage can make all the difference to how successful you are in drawing people in for a closer look.
Every business will have a different budget to work with and you might not be able to spend loads of money on a host of high-end booth design features, but one thing that is usually inexpensive but punches above its weight in terms of performance, is signage.
It normally pays to focus your attention and a part of your budget on getting the signage right. It is generally predicted that you have roughly five seconds to catch the attention of an attendee and draw them into your booth, before they pass you by.
One of the best ways of catching their attention is to ensure that your signage stands out, looks professional, and encourages recognition of your business and what you are about.
DEMONSTRATIONS ARE IMPORTANT Another good way of attracting good numbers of people to your booth is to have some hands-on demonstrations going on throughout the day.
Most attendees don’t just want to look at your product, they would like to see it in action and what it is all about. People are often much more likely to invest their time and subsequently their money, if they are able to see your products and can get answers to any relevant questions that they might have.
A DESIGN THAT FLOWS You probably have plenty of ideas about what you want to have on your stand and even know the message that you particularly get across at the trade show, such as a launch of a new range, but you need to ensure that all the elements come together in the right way.
Start by making a comprehensive list of all of the elements that you want to include in your booth, from promotional materials, demonstrations, videos and anything else that you intend to use to attract and encourage people to visit you.
Once you have your list, you need to devise all of these elements into a design that manages to flow rather than looking like a load of different things that seem to have no relationship with each other.
It might even pay to ask an interior designer to come up with a layout plan, that you can use again at other show.
Pay attention to current booth design trends when considering your own layout, without copying what somebody else has already done of course. Clutter is never a good thing and less is more when you consider that you are working within a confined space, so try to keep things like brochures and flyers within reach but out of sight.
Follow some of these ideas and strategies, and hopefully you will cr
Backlit trade show displays are among the fastest growing design trends in the exhibition industry. Backlighting with LED lights not only offers brilliant aesthetics, but also an affordable way to effectively customize a portable trade show display.
According to exhibit expert Nathan Slavik, design-forward exhibit companies are continually developing new and innovative backlit displays and event products, including eco-friendly hybrid displays, modular LED lightbox rentals, and many backlit accessories.
"If your goal is to stand out among the crowd at your next exhibition, a backlit display is the perfect choice," he says.
Backlit Graphic Towers
Ideal for small and corner booth spaces, interior office signage, or to spruce up a current booth layout, backlit trade show towers are available in a wide array of shapes and sizes.
Most models have easy interchangeable graphics, making LED light towers great for calling out sales and new product or services promotion. Now available with wireless enhancement accessories, exhibitors can place their lightbox tower in front of the booth space, or in any location they choose, to help draw in show attendees!
LED Lightbox Counters
Trade show counters offer booth visitors a designated point of contact with your sales staff, and with an LED backlit counter in the front of your inline booth space, you’ll get noticed faster than ever before.
Face-to-face communication is the most crucial element of trade show marketing, and portable pedestal counters make it easy for attendees to identify a point of contact. Using an illuminated lightbox counter will not only impress potential clients, it will also help direct booth visitors to your sales staff.
Many backlit counters on the market also have storage, monitor stands, locking iPad space, attachable literature holders, and user-friendly interchangeable graphics.
Backlit Pop Up Displays
Combining the most common portable display system with the popular backlit trend makes for a bright, vibrant display that is incredibly portable, lightweight, and user-friendly.
Exhibitors looking for a low maintenance display with a powerful appearance should consider a backlit pop-up display. Fluorescent light bars are strategically placed along the curved or straight traditional pop-up frame, making the attached fabric graphic mural glow brilliantly.
Pop-up trade show displays cater to all exhibitors, from beginners to the seasoned pros, and adding LED lighting elevates the classic style.
Backlit Tabletop Displays
Backlit tabletop displays create eye-catching branding opportunities in small spaces, and can often be more effective than exhibiting with a standard free-standing display. Most models currently on the market are built as a traditional LED lightbox display, that include internal LED light strips, aluminum modular frames, and seamless fabric mural graphics with SEG technology.
The second common backlit tabletop display system is the backlit pop-up tabletop, which is simply a mini-version of the free-standing backlit pop-up displays. Both portable display systems feature dye sublimation graphic prints that effectively illuminating solid colors and vibrant graphic designs.
LED Modular Lightbox Displays
Backlit trade show displays give any booth a unique look, but choosing to design a completely custom LED lightbox takes that to the next level. For some companies, creating an exclusive trade show booth is a top priority.
Custom modular aluminum hardware systems have the ability to easily reconfigure a display booth size, allowing exhibitors to maintain a seamless design at every event despite the display space they are given.
LED Modular backlit displays are especially easy to assemble. They include built-in LED lighting across the bottom and top, seamless dye sublimation printed graphics with SEG technology. The SEG technology allows an even distribution on light throughout the graphic mural, eliminating any possible “hot spotting” issues often seen on cheaper economy backlit signage.
- See more at: http://www.trade-show-advisor.com/backlit-trade-show-displays.html#sthash.HENmEfUN.dpuf
To get content containing either thought or leadership enter:
To get content containing both thought and leadership enter:
To get content containing the expression thought leadership enter:
You can enter several keywords and you can refine them whenever you want. Our suggestion engine uses more signals but entering a few keywords here will rapidly give you great content to curate.
Your new post is loading...
