Did you know that the size of the trade show planning industry within the US is expected to be $18.2 billion this year? Additionally, within the US, the number of businesses in the conference planning and trade show industry is greater than 7,000.
If you’re thinking of setting up a trade show booth for your business, you might be feeling stressed about how to get foot traffic and engagement at the trade show.
This article will review the best methods for improving your trade show booth and help you get more engagement at trade shows than ever before! Read on to learn more.
One of the best ways to improve your trade show booth is to build the hype beforehand. To do this, create a multi-channel campaign. This way, you can inform your prospects and customers wherein the trade show you’ll be - and what they can expect.
Be interactive. With your outreach campaigns, involve your prospects before the trade show even happens. For example, have attendees vote on which swag items they want you to have at the trade show.
Then, build suspense. For example, you can put together an email campaign that mentions a surprise that visitors to your show booth will receive.
You should also leverage social media. Promote your event on your social media posts, tag the trade show hosts, and use the right hashtags.
Finally, make it possible for trade show attendees to make an appointment to meet you before the trade show. This way, they can be sure to stop by.
Another great way to up your trade show engagement is to focus on trade show booth design. After all, if the show booth has a great design, people will be naturally drawn to it. One strategy you can use is to ensure your message is simple.
After all, the trade show will be packed with companies attempting to get their message out. If you want yours to be memorable, you need to keep it simple.
You should also choose a theme for your trade show booth design. To do this, reflect on your service or product, your value proposition, and how and what needs you fulfill when serving your ideal customer.
Then, combine all this with a unique, fun theme. For example, if you offer a global communications solution, your theme could be related to global travel.
You can also include some high-tech solutions. For example, you can create videos interspliced with a user-generated content slideshow that plays at your booth and inform passersby about your services.
You can also use a tablet or touchscreen to help people learn more about your product or service.
One of the best strategies you can use to improve trade show booth engagement is by offering great swag. One great option is the classic tote. Even though many other booths will be giving this out, this is a swag option that people will be interested in.
After all, when someone goes to a trade show, they’re constantly getting a large number of items from the many booths they stop at.
By providing those who stop by your booth with a tote, you'll be giving them a solution. They can put all the objects they’ve collected already in the tote. As a result, they'll want to get a tote from you.
Make sure your totes are branded. This way, people will remember your brand when they leave the trade show.
Another great swag idea is a trade show survival kit. Like the last swag idea, this is a swag item that will help people, so they’ll be grateful to you and be more likely to keep your branded swag.
In a trade show survival kit, you can include items such as a small snack, a bottle of 5-hour Energy, hand sanitizer, Band-Aids, chapstick, mints, and Advil.
Finally, another great swag option is a mobile device charger. People will be on their phones constantly, tweeting, taking notes, and checking their schedules. Make their lives a little easier by offering branded mobile device chargers.
When it comes to how to improve trade show numbers, one of the best things you can do is create an experience. Instead of simply hoping that people will stop by your booth, you can offer a fun, interesting activity they can be involved in. For some amazing inspiration, check out Exhibitor Live's Exhibit Design Award Winners.
For example, you could have people take part in a scavenger hunt within the trade show space. Another option is to have an old-fashioned game (such as a branded Jenga) that people could play when they stop by.
The best way to create engagement, qualify leads, and collect remarketing data is to use a photo booth. One reason for this is that people will have fun standing in front of the camera and taking pictures to remember their time at the trade show and the people they’ve met there.
Another reason is that you’ll have pictures and contact information (if they provide it to you) of the people who stop by your booth.
You can also ask people for permission to share the pictures they take on social media. This will up online engagement with your brand.
One great photo booth option is Outsnapped’s FutureFoto. They also have a Ship & Deploy Booth. With the Ship & Deploy option, you can have a booth with slideshows as well as scratch and win incentives.
This makes it possible for you to drive traffic to your tradeshow booth, qualify leads with surveys, and collect valuable remarketing data.
To learn more about the Ship & Deploy option, you can get more information here.
To use social media as effectively as possible for marketing your trade show booth, you also need to use it during the event. This way, you can draw more people in during the trade show and benefit afterward. To do this well, start by staying in the spotlight.
When you’re posting from the trade show, use hashtags related to the trade show. This way, people at the show will know that you have a booth there.
You should also be candid when you post. Share videos and photos of what’s going on behind the scenes.
Some examples of this would include networking events after-hours, what’s going on at the show itself, and what you did to prepare.
You should also boast about any of your booth’s highlights. Whether this is awesome swag, a great presentation, or a fun photo booth, brag about it on social media.
This will get more people interested in stopping by. Finally, it’s smart to share the knowledge you’re already sharing at the trade show.
For example, if you’re giving a talk or taking part in a panel, think about sharing this on social media.
In addition to getting you more attention from people who may have missed your talk at the trade show, you’ll get more attention online, too.
Another strategy you can use to get more people interested in visiting your trade show booth is to offer free food. People will likely be hungry while wandering around visiting a large number of booths, so you’ll be offering something they might be dying to have.
When you choose what food to serve, make sure it doesn’t require anyone to hold a plate or fork while they’re eating.
When you offer these treats, use this time as an opportunity to talk with the people who stop by to grab a bite. This way, you can talk about your product while they’re enjoying the food you’ve put out.
Be smart about where your trade show booth is located. The better your location, the more likely you’ll be to get a larger amount of traffic. The best places to focus on include the booth areas close to the entrance and those where traffic flows meet.
Additionally, places to focus on are those close to interest points, like restrooms and cafes.
Calculating the return on investment of a tradeshow exhibition booth can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. The first step is to determine the cost of participating in the tradeshow, taking into account the cost of renting or purchasing a booth, travel expenses for staff, advertising and promotional materials, and food and drinks for customers. Then, calculate the revenue generated from the tradeshow by looking at sales figures generated from customer leads collected during the event. Finally, subtract the cost of participating in the tradeshow from revenue to get your return on investment (ROI). Do this for all of your tradeshows to figure out your average roi for trade shows.
Now that you’ve learned about the best methods for improving your trade show booth, you might be looking for more information. Maybe you want booth design ideas, or you want to learn about other types of swag you can give away.
Whatever information you need, we can help. At OutSnapped, we’re experts when it comes to cool trade show booths.
We also offer the FutureFoto and Ship & Deploy services we mentioned earlier in this article. If you’re interested in these services, you can book them with us now.
You can get rid of your trade show exhibit by selling it, donating it, or disposing of it responsibly. Contact trade show organizers or industry associations to see if they have any suggestions for selling or donating the exhibit. If you need to dispose of it, check with your local waste management authorities for guidance on how to do so properly.
A pre-trade show email should include information about your company and the products or services you will be showcasing at the event. You should also provide details about your booth location and any special promotions or giveaways you will be offering. Don't forget to include a clear call to action to encourage recipients to visit your booth.
Some trade show best practices include setting clear goals, choosing the right trade show to attend, preparing a detailed plan, training your staff, creating an engaging booth design, promoting your presence before the event, and following up with leads after the show. It's also important to measure your results and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Some trade show booth design best practices include creating an eye-catching design, using high-quality graphics and images, incorporating interactive elements, keeping your messaging clear and concise, and providing plenty of space for visitors to move around. It's also important to consider the flow of traffic and make sure your booth is easy to navigate.
Trade show exhibits are displays that showcase products or services at trade shows, conventions, and other industry events. They can range from simple tabletop displays to elaborate custom-built structures, and are designed to attract the attention of potential customers and generate leads for the exhibiting company.
