Trade shows are among the best avenues for any company to strut its wares, gain new customers, and just plain show off. These events, however, are often a hit-and-miss. Companies that play their cards right will be seeing an influx of new clients and/or shareholders; those that don’t, on the other hand, end up as mere footnotes on the event booklet of an average trade show goer.
There’s no “secret” to trade show success. In fact, standing out at such an event only requires focus on two basic concepts: a great-looking booth and the right people to man it.
What Makes a Great Trade Show Booth?
Believe it or not, there’s such a thing as a “perfect display” when it comes to making an impression at a trade show. If set up appropriately, Smash Hit Displays says a trade show display increases a company’s chance of attracting more customers — not to mention numerous business deals — tenfold. To be successful, a trade show booth must be excellent at conveying the brand’s message; in essence, the display must do the talking.
A booth must be attractive; bar none. People are almost always drawn to visuals, and trade show booths are no exception. Designing the booth, however, shouldn’t be all random. Everything in its design must echo the company’s messaging and should be visible from a distance, at any angle possible. Bright colors and a design motif that looks like it’s been spent considerable time on is enough to make visitors stop by instead of walk past.
Lastly, a booth needs to relate heavily to the company’s expertise and niche. Trade show attendees don’t attend events for the sake of it: they’re looking for something of value. Any boot, regardless of how well it is designed, would fail outright if it doesn’t have something valuable to offer the attendees. The freebie can be anything from an industry primer, top 10 products or trends list, or anything else. What matters at the end is that the booth must give out something worth taking home.
Get Moving, Stop Hoping
Companies typically make the mistake of having their employees sit around the booth all day, waiting for something to happen. That shouldn’t be the case. There’s a reason interpersonal communication is such a critical part of business: it is, after all, the heart and soul of sales efforts. The latter, in turn, are at the core of every company’s existence in history. If communication efforts fail, the business fails as well.
If done properly, proactive marketing while at a trade show will lead to massive gains. It presents the opportunity to spend less money and secure more connections, compared to companies who erroneously tell their employees to simply lounge around in the booth all day.