So, you’re attending a trade show and you want to make the most out of it. You want to generate leads and interest and share the news of your brand and your value added proposition. How do you make the most of the tradeshow circuit? With time you’ll gain experience and figure out what works. But here are some tips to get you started.
Location
Book early, if possible, so that you can get a prime spot for your tradeshow booth, such as a corner booth, a larger booth, etc. If you have the option to buy a larger booth this can be helpful as well.
Invest in Your Booth
Beyond investing in the location of your trade show booth think about your trade show exhibit display. Branding, displays, literature, visuals, lighting, all of these things can factor in to how well your display is received.
Staff it Well
Put people on staff at your trade show exhibit who display your brand well. Do they do well at engaging others? Do they serve as brand ambassadors/
Leverage Social Media
People, more than ever, use social media at trade show events. You can have people check-in, at your booth, run a social media giveaway contest, use the hashtag set up for the event, and so forth. Be sure you list your social media accounts on your trade show swag so that you can get visitors to “like”, “follow”, etc.
Swag
Give away something so that you can a) get people to stop out of interest (everyone loves a freebie) and so that you can b) stay in their minds after the event is over.
Swag could be simple like a reusable bag to carry trade show material in, could be a pen, a stress ball, a mug, etc. you could also do a draw for bigger prizes in order to garner more interest.
Follow Up!
Don’t forget to follow-up afterwards. Your trade show exhibit display can help get them to you but it’s up to you to make contact afterwards. Setting things up with an opt-in, sign-up for a contest and your newsletter on location, and other things should lead to contact soon after the event is over so that you can strike while the iron is hot.
Bonus Tip: Walk Around!
Take in the rest of the show, too; see how others are engaging customers, setting up their trade show exhibit display, etc. Doing this at every show you attend can help you gather information to make each subsequent trade show successful.
