Fail to plan, plan to fail. It’s true for your exhibition booth, too!
That’s why you should always set measurable goals and objectives before a show. Your goals have to be more specific than: “I want to increase sales.”
There’s no need to make it complicated or expensive. It’s easy to do, but resist the urge to overthink your goals. Use simple tools like spreadsheets or free online tracking systems. Then share them with your organization to keep everyone on the same page and working toward the same things!
Your goals should take into account your target audience and answer the question: why are we exhibiting?
Launch New Products
More than 90% of people who come to trade shows are hoping to see new product demos.
You can launch a new product and give people a chance to try it “for the first time!”
When you promise that they’ll experience something exclusive, it builds anticipation for your trade show booth and makes the event more memorable. Then instead of having to advertise on the day, you’ll have people coming to you in anticipation of the big release!
If you do a demo, make sure there is an element of hands-on interaction. This can happen in a lot of different ways, just make sure they are touching, talking, or somehow engaging with the product or brand.
Sometimes having swag at your exhibition booth can feel like they’re receiving a new product even if it’s just something to keep your brand on their mind. Just remember–if you decide to give away swag, you’ll want to use high-quality items. If visitors leave your booth with low-quality swag, that is what they will associate with your brand.
Advertise Well
Don’t forget to get the word out, BEFORE the event too! Advertise well, write a press release, and make sure you use it to illustrate why people should bother coming to your booth! Don’t use a stale script. Think outside the box and make it unique to you and your brand. You can use any current contacts or mailing lists and get the word out. Social media is a great way to get the word out quickly and effectively if you do it right.
Bonus points if you can get attendees to mention you online. Make it easy and fun for them to do! Creating a game-like incentive for social shares can really increase engagement on your social media pages. Attendees will want to get their names up on the scoreboard and compete with their friends. It’s fun for them, and free marketing for you!
It may seem obvious but don’t underestimate the power of a clever photo booth or backdrop. They are social media magnets. People just can’t resist!
Another way to get traffic is to have a larger exhibition booth. Obviously, a bigger space is going to grab more attention! Don’t throw away that investment though. If you pay for a big space, make sure you fill that space and use every square inch to your advantage. Consider location and proximity to food, restrooms, other competitors, etc.
Create Sensory Experiences
We all know that visuals are important, but don’t neglect the other senses with your exhibition booth design!
Think about color, lighting, texture, vibration, and sound.
Get inspiration from past shows and then do something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. If you bring a giant gummy bear, a larger-than-life Wordle game, or a karaoke room, people will be lining up to come in and stay and play. Or even better: lining up to snap some pictures for their social media posting pleasure.
You may not have room for a giant gummy bear in the trailer if you are traveling, though.
An alternate, more portable route, is to project images onto any white background. Then you can create whatever images you want and change them year-to-year without breaking the bank! If you want to take it a step further and make a memorable impact, you can experiment with holographic projects as well.
Decide whether you want to be the high-energy, hyped booth or if you want to be the calm oasis where people stop to catch their breath and relax before heading back out into the chaos. Will you have snacks and water? Think about what your brand offers consumers and try to give them a slice of that in your booth.
Conclusion
If you begin with the end in mind, you can reverse engineer the experience for your customers. When you think about it that way, it just makes sense. Things start falling into place. What emotion do you want them to leave your booth with? Start there and then work backward. With a little creativity, you can bring in visitors on any budget. Don’t be afraid to be bold, stand out, and give them something to talk about!