Exhibiting at a trade show is a great way to attract prospective customers and create awareness of your products and/or services. A few of our team members had the opportunity to attend Advanced Exhibiting Workshop: Trends & Challenges, hosted by Skyline Exhibits. This lunch and learn discussed trends and barriers companies face when exhibiting at a trade show. This information is of great value to those who invest in trade shows, so we decided to write a blog highlighting key insights from the seminar.
Insight 1: Booth staffing is the most important part of a trade show.
According to Skyline research, 85% of trade show success comes from who works your booth. Typically, the organization selects management, but recently there’s been a shift. Marketing communication or product marketing associates are increasingly leveraged in booths because they really understand the products or services. Trade show attendees are aware of your business more than ever before, so it’s imperative to have knowledgeable staff who are ready to answer questions. Another great resource to recruit to work in your booth are satisfied clients. Who better to rave about your product/service than people who have tried it and loved it? This gives prospective clients an unfiltered look into your company.
Insight 2: A good booth design is key.
Trade show attendees are going to walk right past your booth if they feel overwhelmed by too many things happening in a small space. It’s important to simplify your booth, but make it stand out at the same time. One way to do this is to integrate technology into your exhibit. A flat screen with touch screen capabilities makes it easy for
attendees to interact with your messaging, website or social media pages, and it also allows you to be purposeful in the way you utilize your booth space. A few interesting booth designs mentioned at the seminar were double-decker booths, spaces with designated meeting rooms and flexible booths that expand and collapse to fit different space restrictions.
Insight 3: Measure, measure, measure your results.
What’s the point in exhibiting at a trade show if you don’t know if any qualified leads or sales were generated? Measuring and tracking your results is a great way to know if your investment in a trade show paid off, and it also helps with customer relationship management (CRM). If you track who stopped by your booth, you can send follow-up communication to continue to build a connection, which could turn into sales for your company. It’s also important to track every lead to the staff member who secured it so they can receive credit.
We’d love to talk with you about your tradeshow needs! Please contact us at 614.540.5520 or info@marketingworks360.com.