Trade shows and corporate events are a great way to drum up new custom, launch a new line of products and generally raise awareness surrounding your brand. However, they can also be inundated with businesses clamouring for the attention of attendees, meaning it’s sometimes difficult for you to stand out from the crowd and ensure you attract people to your stand.
Company Exhibition Stand
While that kind of differentiation can pose a challenge, it’s nothing that can’t be overcome with the right foresight, planning and investment. Here are a few pointers on how to make sure the next time you attend a business event, you come away with enough new leads to have made the venture more than worth your while.
1) Prior promotion
How can you expect to generate excitement around your stall if you don’t put in the hard yards to create a buzz before the event kicks off? Advertise your presence at the trade fair via any and every channel you come across: newspapers, TV ads, online banners, pop-ups, social media campaigns and e-mail newsletters are a good place to start. Maximising exposure means you’ll reach a greater number of people and give yourself a better chance of bringing in the crowds when the big day finally comes around. Additionally, you can also contact trade publications to offer interviews and obtain a list of confirmed attendees from the organiser to contact them directly beforehand, too.
2) Look the part
In the world of business, image is everything – especially when it comes to attracting new customers in a location as fiercely competitive as a trade show. Define your budget well in advance of the show and invest the time and resources available to you to achieve as impressive an aesthetic as possible. That means kitting out your staff members in bespoke company workwear, creating visually appealing banners and choosing materials that communicate professionalism and trustworthiness to your target market. This is no time to cut corners or skimp on spending, since it’s the only opportunity you’ll get to make a first impression with the majority of the attendees.
3) Incentivise employees
As the individuals in charge of interacting with the general public and communicating your company’s ethos to the event attendees, the employees you put in charge of your stand are the most crucial factor in determining whether it’s a success or not. One way in which to incentivise them to perform at their best is via a competitive element, whereby the staff member who secures the most email addresses or registers the most leads win a prize. This could be given in the form of paid leave, a free meal or generous discounts to your own products and services. This technique will ensure your employees perform to their full potential, but also strengthen the bond between them and the business.
4) Competition time!
That competitive element shouldn’t be reserved exclusively for those on your payroll, either. People love the opportunity to win prizes, so extend that awesome marketing power to those visiting your stand as well by hosting a competition open to everyone. This could be something as simple as guessing the number of sweets in a jar (a tried and tested technique) or a more complicated challenge that is in some way connected to your business. Don’t forget to solicit their name and contact information in exchange for entry into the prize draw, as that’s the ultimate objective of throwing the competition in the first place.
5) Attraction via interaction
Any stand where people can get involved in a hands-on manner is likely to be more successful than one that simply doles out information or throws a sales pitch in their faces. In keeping with the competition idea outlined above, think of games, puzzles and other forms of engagement to bring people to your stand – and keep them there. Even something as simple as providing free Wi-Fi, perhaps alongside a relaxed space where they can enjoy it and recharge their batteries (both the literal and metaphorical ones) can be highly effective in bringing people to you in their droves.
6) Corporate bundles
Last but not least, corporate bundles and promotional giveaways are almost synonymous with trade shows – so make sure you don’t get left behind by the competition. Indeed, taking the time to consider which freebies to include in your bundles can pay massive dividends, since most stands will simply fill theirs with disposable tat that’s likely to end up at the bottom of the rubbish bin. USB sticks, power banks and travel mugs are all excellent items that add tangible value to the lives of their recipients, while including discounts and offers in with the bundle will encourage attendees to remember your name and open a business relationship with you in the future.
