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Small and medium-sized business owners — especially those just starting—might find prepping for their first trade show quite daunting and frustrating. The central problem is figuring out how to set up a trade show exhibit and the best way to present it to maximize the return on investment.
A study has revealed that US exhibitors spend $24 billion on trade show exhibits every year, and 54 percent of exhibitors find it hard to measure trade show ROI.
The first step in this direction is finding out the specifics of the particular trade show you have signed up for. Find out the expected footfall, type of visitors, and the layout of the exhibit area. Once you have figured out the specifics of the trade show space allotted to you, you can then move on to planning how to set up your trade show exhibit.
Even though sale tactics, products, and offers will be the core of your trade show presence, the look and feel of your exhibit booth are what will draw attendees to you. Therefore, it’s of utmost importance to set up an exhibit booth that stands out from the crowd. Here we have put together three simple but effective tips for rookie exhibitors.
Some trade shows can feel like an industry garage sale. Don’t blend in with the rest of the companies down your aisle! Make a great first impression with custom trade show displays!
With massive crowds flocking these trade shows, any display only has a fleeting second to attract attention before moving on or being pushed forward by the masses. Only the displays with bold and loud exhibits will compel attendees to stop and take notice.
To this effect, design your display to stand out with unabashedly bold colors and highly readable typefaces for the signboards. Additionally, add to the visual presence of your booth by peppering eye-catching visuals and graphics.
Put more thought into your display and make them readable from up to 100 feet away. Don’t cram the display with too much or too small text; instead, make it readable from far to increase the perimeter of visibility for the sign in the exhibit area. More prominent the visibility of your display, the higher the chance of it catching the attention of attendees making their way around the floor.
Aesthetics play an essential role in the success of a trade show display. A more uniform and eye-pleasing display has more chances of attracting attention than a haphazard one. Ensure that your display has colors, fonts, and design elements across all materials to have a consistent styling to match your brand identity.
Trade shows are tiring experiences with 100s of square feet to be covered on foot. As such, most attendees will be looking for a comfortable space to sit down and stretch their legs.
If you can afford it, plan a booth with space for a dedicated lounging area. Put up a couple of lounging chairs or sofa and turn a part of your booth into a relaxation area. If you can, make it even more comfortable by laying out drinking water and bite-sized snacks for passersby to stop and unwind at your booth. Put up displays and marketing material of your brand and products in this area for the passerby to take notice.
While there’s no guarantee that this will turn all these passersby into clients, it will create a good impression of your brand in their minds, an effective brand recall tool. Moreover, you will end up making a lot of contacts throughout the trade show, which can later turn out to be excellent sales opportunities.
If you cannot afford to set up a lounging area to attract footfall, dedicate a corner of your booth to a demo zone. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and the live demo of your product or service will reel in potential clients. If you have an exciting product in your dossier, it’s best to have enough dedicated space in the boot to showcase its functions, features, and USP to attendees.
At any trade show, you must have noticed a massive crowd around the booth with live demos and product trials. This is purely because of the intrinsic curiosity of human nature. Cash in on this curiosity, and dedicate an open space for live demos and client engagement. Leave enough room for your sales team to interact with the attendees without interrupting the demo or vice versa.
We can summarize the bottom line in three words – bold, hospitable, and engaging. Be bold with your exhibit to stand out, be kind to attendees by providing a resting area, and engage them with live demos. With just three steps, you would multiply your ROI much more than what it would have been with an inconspicuous booth.