There are countless benefits of having a booth at a trade show. However, just because you have a booth at a trade show doesn’t mean that you’re promised any sales. There are a few aspects you need to know before diving too deep into your planning. You need to learn about the specifics of the trade show you are registered to have a booth at. From the types of visitors the show attracts to your booth size, you need to know everything before the event. Your success is affected by how much effort you want to put into your booth. While this can get overwhelming, we pulled together 3 tips to help you have a successful trade show.
Your first impression matters
Your first impression has a high correlation with the long-term status of your relationship with a client or prospective client. So, there is not much time to spare on your initial presentation. This also correlates to someone’s first impression of your brand because your brand imagery affects consumers opinion. When you’re at a trade show, you need to make your booth stand out from others. This can easily be done regardless of your budget.
Give attendees something to interact with
There are many benefits to having something at your booth that attendees can interact with. When people see others engaged with a brand, it makes them want to see what the buzz is all about. While there are many ways to draw attendees to your booth, you need to make sure you have employees available to engage with them. Below are a few examples of how you can draw attendees to interact with your booth.
- Promotional giveaways: The easiest way to have attendees interact with you. Also, they are the most visible to help extend your booths reach. You can hand out stickers, wearables, light up trinkets, etc. However, these types of items can get pricey. You can have attendees drop business cards in a bowl, then pull names to receive an item. Also, this opens the door to potential clients. You can follow up with everyone who gave you their business card. You never know who might become a client!
- Promotional items: You should have plenty of business cards, brochures, or magnets that have your name or logo on it. To help yourself better stand out, you should look into promotional items that are different. This will help people remember your company better than everyone who just hands out pens. For example, if you’re a tech company consider handing out portable charger ports or phone chargers with your logo/company name.
- Make your product or service interactive: While not all brands are easy to display, make it interactive to draw interest. If your product or service is online, bring laptops or tablets to show attendees a demo. You can even allow them to play around and get used to it. Not only will this draw attention to your booth, but it will help generate interest in your product/service. If this doesn’t work for what your company offers, bring a portfolio of your work to show off. You could also consider showing it on a projector screen.
Follow up fast
You need to follow up with any leads soon after the trade show. The longer you wait to follow up, the longer they have to forget your company. People interact with so many different companies at trade shows that it gets hard for them to remember everyone. As much as you want to believe you stuck in their head, it’s hard to remember every single company and product you come in contact with. By following up the day after, you will have a better chance of potential clients remembering your company.