In a world ruled by digital technology, developing relationships in-person is still an effective marketing tool. Trade shows are important events for companies to reach out and connect with potential clients. This is also the perfect avenue for your business to maximize leads and traffic from their target audience. Therefore, you need to make sure that your exhibit will stand out by using the right equipment, designs, graphics and content. Some basic factors, which you must organize ahead of time, include your business goals, exhibition theme, trade show booth designs and the banner.
This post lists some important factors and strategies that you must take note of to prepare for your next event.
Why should you attend trade show exhibits?
Before you register to participate at any trade show, it’s important to determine whether it will be beneficial for your company as this event isn’t the right platform for every brand. Understanding the concept of trade shows and the benefits they provide are important.
- Assess your competitions
Trade shows gives you the opportunity to see and analyze what your rival companies are doing. This is a great platform to learn new trends, marketing methods and about new products and services in your industry.
- Connect with new people
You can meet new customers and peers through a trade show event. This will help you collaborate with your peers and develop new ideas and ways, to grow your business.
- Brand recognition
Trade fairs are a great opportunity to establish a recognized reputation in your industry and develop your brand. Such events not only help you to connect with potential clients but also with influential people in the same industry. Networking with the right people can help you to grow your business rapidly.
Pre-planning your trade show exhibition
From design layout to content, there are a number of things that must be decided before the big show. Your impression among potential clients largely depends on how you present your brand at these events. Here are certain things to remember to ensure optimal professionalism.
- Determine your goal
To implement a strategic campaign, your primary target should be determined. What are your primary and secondary goals? What results are you expecting out of this exhibit? These are vital questions which will help you determine your approach. The basic goal of any company is to increase brand awareness. Trade shows are the perfect platform to showcase new products or services where you can generate leads and gain profit from direct sales. Many companies use exhibitions to reinforce their position in the industry and to analyze their potential rivals and their business strategies.
- Explore other shows
A great way to gather ideas about trade shows is by visiting them as a potential customer. Exploring industry events that you relate to will help you get new ideas from booth layouts and designs to marketing strategies. You will come across ideas that you may like and those you dislike. You will also understand what will work for your event from the perspective of the audience. Observe and interact with booth representatives, taking note of their acumen. Think about the aspect of their behavior that draws you to interact with them. All these experiences will fuel your creativity and inspire ideas for your show.
- Leave your comfort zone
Increased competition from prospective clients at trade shows can make you feel overwhelmed. However, it’s proven that the booths with the maximum amount of attention from the audience, are those that create the maximum noise. Many brands fail to make an impact despite having quality content and products, because they can’t influence the audience through their approach. The key to success is to come out of your comfort zone and be ready for aggressive marketing. Ensure that your booth representatives are willing to interact and market your brand on the field.
- Pre-promoting the booth
Many brands opt to promote their trade show booths before the event starts. This gives your campaign an extra boost and may motivate people to come specifically looking for your business. However, this is a strategy that is commonly used by different companies. Your focus should be on coming up with a unique campaign strategy that sets you apart. Digital promotional methods are beneficial for reaching out to potential clients.
- Sufficient collateral
If you are planning to attend a trade show event, it’s crucial to decide on materials that the attendees can see or take home. This will help them to remember your brand and contact you when they need to. Ensure you have sufficient stock of business cards at the venue so that you don’t run out of them throughout the event. Choose a unique and tasteful design to create a lasting impact. Brochures and booklets that include your business profile is another important accessory you must invest in. This way you can share your brand’s goal with those who visit the booth easily. Arrange for giveaway bags consisting of souvenirs, company brochures, product samples and business cards to subtly promote your products and create a lasting impression.
- Organizing the booth
To organize an impressive booth, your trade show booth should include high-quality supplies. Make sure it’s well-equipped with proper tension fabric displays, projectors, laptops, feedback and sign-up sheets. You can also decide for outside entertainments as many audiences may even visit the venue with their family and kids. Hire a comedian, or someone to dress up as the company mascot. A simple yet effective way to draw attention to your audience is by arranging for a photo booth as a part of the trade show exhibition. All these have to be planned and organized ahead of time so that you don’t miss any of the details during the event.
- Train the Staff
The behaviour of your booth representatives reflects the company’s principle and attitude, therefore, it’s of utmost importance that your staff is well-versed. If you are seasoned with running trade shows, your staff may already have done this before and understand booth etiquette. However, changing the face of the company from time to time at different events, shows the versatility of the company representatives as well. Ensure they have sufficient time to become familiar and knowledgeable about the objectives of the campaign. Choose staff with outgoing personalities who are excited and enthusiastic to make potential clients feel welcomed.
Standing out in a trade show should be your primary target. From renting the booth to designing a proper exhibition campaign; everything depends on your strategic planning, creativity and investment. Displays dominate a major part of trade show booths. You can rent or buy high-quality trade show displays from Exhibit Express. We offer customized solutions to make your next event a complete success.
