Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show Booth: 22 Tips

Editor’s note: This column is adapted from a recent e-mail Calacanis sent to his newsletter subscribers.

The following points about getting the most out of a trade show booth are general and are intended to apply to everything from working a generic folding table at a 50-person SIG (special interest group) event to a custom-built booth at a trade show such as the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This list is far from comprehensive, but I did query several event executives to get their insights. If you have ideas to add, please e-mail me or post a comment, and I’ll include them in a follow-up.

1. Define your goal. To maximize your investment in a trade show booth or conference table top, you must define your goals. A booth is but one of many ways to obtain value from a conference. In fact, even attending a conference can be a way to help your company grow. It’s important that your entire team, from marketing to product to the CEO, agree on the goals long before committing to an event.

The most frequent reasons I’ve heard for hosting a booth are:

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