Trade shows are absolutely fantastic for businesses, no matter what sector they happen to be in, because they offer a unique opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services, network with industry professionals, and find potential clients all under one roof and in the course of a day or two – when else are you going to get a chance like that to grow your business?
That’s why it’s so important for you to really make the most of being at a trade show, and ensure you can enhance your presence as much as possible while you’re there so you get noticed.
Remember, it’s probably going to be very busy, and there’s so much potential there, but equally, it could mean you get lost in the crowd – perhaps literally.
If you want to make the most of your time at a trade show, you need to work out how to enhance your presence, and here are some ways to do it.
Spend Time Planning
There’s plenty to do during and even after a trade show, but don’t forget there are things to do before you go as well, and if you get this planning stage right, everything else will work out better and fall into place more easily.
For one thing, you need to pick the right trade show. That might seem like an obvious point, but with so many to choose from and so little time (business owners are busy people), it could be that you rush the process of choosing a trade show to attend and end up at one that doesn’t quite match what you want.
It’s far better to slow down and take more time over this so that you definitely find a trade show that’s going to be worth your time and money.
It’s also a good idea to set some goals before you go so you can look back and see whether or not the trade show and your strategy for it was worthwhile. So what is it you want to achieve? Do you want to generate more leads? Increase brand awareness? Launch a new product? Meet new partners, mentors, or investors?
Once you know what you want to do, you can also create a way to measure how well you’re doing, and you’ll have a much more targeted plan so you don’t miss out on opportunities when they come your way.
Create An Inviting Space
When you have a booth at a trade show, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to make it stand out and attract attention, and that’s exactly what you need to do if you want the results of the trade show to be positive ones.
What you’ll want is for your booth to be visually appealing and inviting so that people not only slow down as they’re passing, but actually come over to you to talk or pick up leaflets and so on – that’s your chance to convert customers or make connections, and the more people who come to your booth, the more chance you’ll have of being successful.
You can use a wide range of different displays like backlit panels, digital screens, and even interactive elements to make things a little more interesting and help you stand out – and although it’s true these things cost money, the fact is it could be a wise investment if you do well at the show.
Marketing Materials
When you think of marketing, your mind probably goes to digital marketing because that’s what so many people feel is best these days. And there is some truth to that; digital marketing can be a fantastic way to catch people’s attention.
However, there’s something special about printed marketing materials like leaflets and business cards, and when you’re at a trade show, you’ll definitely need them, otherwise you’re not going to have anything to hand out to people to help them remember you or give them more information.
Something that can really help you stand out when it comes to physical marketing materials is teardrop flags, which are, as the name suggests, banners shaped like a teardrop that you can stand at the front and side of your booth.
They’re very visible, especially if you design them to be bright and eye-catching, and they can give plenty of information, including QR codes, for example, for people to pay attention to.
Even if someone doesn’t have time to stop at your booth for a long chat or to look at what you’re doing, they’ll see the teardrop flag and remember it, and when they see your branding again, it’ll remind them of what you do, and potentially bring in customers even after the event has ended.
Contests And Giveaways
If you want to attract attention to your booth at a trade show, something that’s always going to go down well are contests and giveaways – and not only can they make people remember you and be happy to get in touch with you, but they can also be a fantastic way to get contact details.
All you need to do is get people to put their business cards (and the majority will certainly be carrying them) into a bowl or other container so you can draw a winner later on. In the meantime, you’ve got all those contact details to follow up on after the trade show is ended – it’s ideal.
You’ll need to make sure the entry process is simple, like the one we’ve mentioned above, and that all the rules are clear upfront so people can make a decision about whether or not to enter. And if you intend to contact them, let them know – it all needs to be transparent so that if they don’t want you to do that, they can withdraw or let you know.
Then there’s the prize. Of course, if people are entering a prize draw or other competition, there will need to be a prize – that’s just how it works.
Ideally, the prize should be something linked to your business, but even if it’s not, it has to be decent, otherwise your winners won’t be very happy or, if you advertise the prize in advance (which you should), they won’t bother entering, and you’ll have missed out on a great opportunity.
Article and permission to publish here provided as Contributed Content. Originally written for Supply Chain Game Changer and published on May 18, 2024.
Cover photo by Ketut Subiyanto on pexels.com.