6 Tips for Building a Remarkable Trade Show Booth

6/4/2015 6TipsForBuildingaRemarkableTradeShowBooth

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March 12, 2014 // 10:00 AM

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We have all been to trade shows and have seen row after row of tables with draped cloth andboring backdrops. In this environment, what stands out? What is unique and catches yourattention?

Generally speaking, the answer is nothing. Welcome to the problem. If youre not interesting,people will not be interested.



Creating a remarkable trade show booth is simple, as long as youre willing to invest the time,money, and a little creative juice in the event.

Use these 6 ideas to give you the boost you need to make your next event a remarkable one.

1) Make Your Booth UniqueTrade shows are a large investment in both money and time. If youre going to make theinvestment in a trade show, the first item you should spend your money on is a booth that willstand out. Investing in an expensive booth that you can use and re-use for years to come is thebest option. If youre going to be cheap about your booth selection, you may need to look atanother avenue of marketing.

Additionally, make versatility a priority while selecting a booth so that it can be modified todifferent sizes (e.g. 10x10, 10x20 and 20x20). This will give you the flexibility to increase, ordecrease your trade show footprint while maintaining the visually stimulating elements of yourbooth and staying true to your brand.

Here is an example of a flexible and intriguing booth we developed for one of our clients:



2) Dominate the Swag RaceThere is no arguing that the promotional items you select will impact your overall ability toattract attention and create buzz around your trade show presence. You most likely wont begenerating positive buzz with crappy pen giveaways.

Investing in promotional items that are as unique and as high quality as your offering is the key.If youre worried about the cost, keep in mind that everyone doesnt need to get the big prize(more on this next). Have some quality, relatively inexpensive (not cheap) items that you are willto give out to attendees.

As for big item giveaways, you need to aim for maximum impact. Obviously, you can give theseitems to individuals that are real prospects, but make sure youre taking advantage of theopportunity to collect contact information for followup after the show, before you hand thesegoodies out.

The rest of these big prizes should be part of an attention grabbing, fun and interactive



experience. Why not incorporate a game in your booth and have the big items be the prize forthe winners?

3) Host a Game (With Prizes!)If you have a fun game in your booth relevant to your industry, while your competing entitiesdown the aisle have nothing but brochures, where do you think people will end up? Make surethat your games have an element of fun and attracts positive attention. Leave the good oleraffle and bingo games at the retirement home.

Dont forget to take advantage of this opportunity to collect information. Have attendees sign-up to participate. This will allow you to build a list that can be used after the event.

We recently worked with a client to create a miniature golf hole concept. The obstacles werethemed to the specific event and the target market was likely to be a golfer. Hole-in-one!

Dont limit yourself to golf. It could be any number of games. Think of what your trade showprospects find amusing and relevant. If your game is engaging, has the right execution, andoffer tempting prizes up for grabs, it would give your company the opportunity to be the talk ofthe show.

4) Demo Your Product (or Service)If you are spending money on a trade show appearance, hopefully your product, or service isvaluable and unique in the market. Think of the trade show attendees as recurring sales calls. If



they are your target market, its time to demonstrate your value and show why they shouldaward you their business.

If you have a product, or service that can be demoed, show its realtime value. Think of it like amini-infomercial. Focus on the value you can offer to the audience, not the features. If you canmake it hands on, do it. The more involved the audience is, the better.

5) Use TechnologyMany modern technologies can be applied to the trade show environment to give an exhibitorthe upper hand.

Recently, digital signage and interactive touch screens have been increasingly incorporatedinto trade show booths as a way to attract attention and display value. These elements can beused to show processes, educate consumers, showcase testimonials and many other functionsthat can differentiate an exhibitor on the trade show floor.

Proximity marketing is another technology that you may be able to use to your advantage. Asattendees wander near your booth, messages are sent to their mobile phone containing specialoffers (maybe an offer to play your game) and other messages about visiting your booth. Newtechnologies like the iBeacon can make this possible.

6) Stay Active on Social MediaAlthough trade shows are an in-person event, that doesnt mean that social media cant play a



part in your overall trade show effectiveness. Active social media participation during the showcan help you connect and resonate with two different audiences -- attendees, and those whocouldnt make it.

Those at the trade show can discover that you are there, and if you do it right, you candemonstrate that you are worth checking out. Be sure you are actively using trade show relatedhashtags so that visitors can easily find your posts.

Additionally those that did not make the show can experience the event vicariously throughyour posts. Just because someone is not there, doesnt make them dead to you. Capture all thegoings on at the show and demonstrate the social splash youre making. You never know, theperson tuning in on social media that didnt make the show may be the real decision maker.

Be RemarkableTrade show marketing can be a rewarding experience and can demonstrate a true ROI. Havinga remarkable trade show booth is one element that can help you reach your goals.

What items and strategies have you included in your trade show booth to make itremarkable?If youre interested in incorporating inbound marketing in your trade showinitiatives to maximize ROI, download The Inbound Marketing Guide To Trade Shows.



Topics: Event Marketing

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