If your company is going to invest thousands of dollars into attending and exhibiting at a trade show, you better be doing everything in your power to capitalize on every avenue of lead generation that trade show offers.
The keys to success come down to careful planning and research. Here are the top 8 things you should consider when planning for your next trade show:
1. Booth location is key.
One of the best ways to attract potential prospects to your booth and not your competitors is to reserve a great location. Typically, the sow show organizers know where the best locations are and charge a premium for them. When booking your booth, ask the organizers what space they recommend. More often than not, they’re going to help you secure the best location. And if it’s pricey, a good location is the best investment you can make at a show. You can have the best booth design and giveaways, but if you’re stuck in a tucked-away corner, nobody’s going to find you anyways.
2. Brand it!
Use bright colors and make sure that your booth represents the best of your brand. It will make all the difference between visitors stopping or walking by.
Make your messaging clear, concise and able to be seen from every direction as well as near and far. This is your first impression to potential clients and customers, so make sure it’s a positive one. Add extra lighting to your booth setup, and keep your booth’s graphics clean and straightforward. Also, have a variety of different display options to appeal to different people. Some people like flyers, pamphlets, and reading materials, and other want a more immersive interaction with AI or video. Play to your audience!
3. Be warm and welcoming.
Being well branded with an appealing design only matters if your booth is approachable. Smiling faces and professional booth attendants are important, as are welcome gifts. People are more inclined to stop by a booth that has a meaningful giveaway (something they can actually use) and a staff member who is ready to have an actual conversation (rather than a straight-up sales pitch).
4. Get great giveaways.
Everyone likes a little incentive and giveaways are a great way to attract people to your booth. The giveaways should be relevant to your brand company and culture, these are small ways to reinforce who you are and what you stand for! Make sure you have branded giveaways that are things that people will actually keep in their bags, and be sure that they’re branded with your company colors and logo. A few things we love receiving at trade shows are:
- Beer openers/cork screws
- USB chargers
- Reusable water bottles
- Beach towels
- T-shirts (NOBODY can pass up a free tee)
Be sure that you require something of attendees in order to receive the goods. Ask them to fill out a simple form and provide their email address before you hand them a t-shirt. That way, you’re securing a lead in return for your free collateral.
5. Offer show specials to booth visitors.
Make sure to highlight your show specials so that buyers know that they need to buy at the show in order to receive the discount or special offer on your products or services. Make sure your show special is posted and very clear on your onsite collateral as well as on your website.
6. Be a good host.
Trade show attendees are usually not used to all the walking around.
Offering snacks and drinks will be much appreciated. Your drinks or snack offer should be in line with your company culture or theme. Water bottles and any packaging should come with your branding or business card attached to help remind them where they received it from.
7. Take advantage of social media.
Hopefully you are already doing pre-show marketing activities such as press releases and reaching out to key accounts and prospects. It’s equally important to spend some time creating a social media plan. You can post things such as special offers, news or other event related items. Some of the best ad dollars you can spend are targeting event-goers with geo-fenced social media ads and ads targeting people who like the event pages. Take advantage of meeting people at your booth by asking them to give you a follow right then and there!
8. Continue the conversation.
Every single conversation you had at the trade show is meaningful to your business. Continue every conversation with a follow-up email to folks you had a personal chat with, even if the email is simply a “It was great meeting you at the show.” You never know when that contact might come in handy in the future.
If you really took advantage and collected hundreds of emails (thanks to your giveaway or contest), automated marketing will be your best friend. Build an email campaign that has your company info and other news, and continue the conversation seamlessly via marketing automation. It will keep your new contacts in the loop on your business, so when the time comes that they’re looking for a partner like you, your company will be top of mind.
It takes a significant amount of planning and commitment to have a successful trade show and the above items can improve your ROI by helping you create more traffic and make new connections!
