5 Ways To Ensure You Stand Out At An Industry Trade Show

Trade shows are a big deal, but your visit can be time consuming and expensive. Make sure your budget is well-spent with these five ways to ensure you stand out at an industry trade show.

Dare to be a bit different

When you’re exhibiting at a trade show chances are there will be at least a few other companies that do what you do. That means you’ll be competing with them for the attention of as many attendees as possible.

Stand out by being different.

Get creative with posters, lighting, signage, sound and TV screens. Take a walk round the surrounding area and make sure you can be seen from as many angles and pathways as possible.

You could even create a buzz by running a competition and featuring a leader board with prizes for the top scorers. There’s nothing that powerful company executives like more than a chance to show off their competitive skills!

Make your customers comfortable

Industry exhibitions can be hard work. Poor tired professionals with big budgets often spend hours trudging round a huge hall of trade stands all fighting for their attention. Why not offer them the chance to take a break… at your stand of course.

Many companies avoid creating seating areas as they want to keep visitor turnover and footfall as high as possible. But think about it, the longer a person is at your stand, the more time you’ve got to nail that sale!

A comfortable seating area or even a small pop-up café with free water, tea and coffee can really help to pull in potential customers. And never, ever underestimate the pulling power of good old sweets and candy.

Give away the right giveaway

Think carefully when considering whether to do a free giveaway at a trade show and what to actually give people if you do. Businesses often waste thousands of pounds on pointless and irrelevant freebies that offer no relation or clear connection to their brand or service. We were once given a branded beer mat by a company that made scented candles… no, we didn’t get it either.

Of course that doesn’t mean that all branded merchandise is a waste of your valuable marketing budget. For example, our candle maker could have given away a branded box of matches, a scented tea-light (essentially a miniature of their product) or perhaps a car air freshener of their most popular fragrance.

The days of pens and badges are over, to get and keep potential customers attention you need to think creatively, especially when it comes to trade show giveaways.

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 By WANI Creative – 13 October 2014