There are costs attached to hosting a trade show booth, but these costs can be far outweighed by returns, providing the trade show goes well, that is.
All going well, you’ll leave the trade show energized from all the positive meetings you’ve had, inspired by the other booths you visited, with bags of buzz about your business, and with a sense of purpose for when you get back into the office.
But first, making sure it goes well. Here are five tips to get you started.
Plan Well in Advance
Your trade booth success doesn’t begin on the day; it begins many weeks and months before, in the planning stage. This is where you need to outline exactly what you’re trying to achieve by attending the event, what kind of booth you’ll have, and so on. If you plan your day properly, then it’ll be as smooth as running water. But if you don’t prepare properly, you’ll quickly be found out once you’re at the event.
Have an Energetic Team
Your booth and product/business are a small part of the day’s success. What will determine how successful your day is will be the energy and enthusiasm of the people manning your booth. It’s their job to be engaging, friendly, and not too pushy.
If you don’t already have the right type of staff (or the staff at all) to do this, then look at a company like Kru Live and get the right team for your show.
The best staff can help improve a lackluster booth, but the best booth can’t make up for inadequately prepared staff, so make sure everyone’s hyped for the day and know exactly what they’re there for.
Make It Fun
A lot of the details of your business can be straightforward and boring, but a trade show is not one of these details. If you want to get people to visit your booth and remember it afterward, you need to give them something to remember. And they’ll have nothing but positive things to do if your booth makes them feel happy!
You can dress up your company in a variety of ways, such as video games and interactive displays, and also have things like photo booths and free food/drink for visitors!
Don’t Be Pushy
You’re free to get creative when you’re manning the booth, but you’re not free to be pushy. If people tentatively approach your booth, you should be available if they have any questions or need more information, but you shouldn’t aggressively try to get them on board with your company. There’ll be plenty of your competitors there, and if you give them an opportunity to go elsewhere, then that’s just what they’ll do.
Following Up
Your work doesn’t finish once the trade show has finished. It’s only just started, in fact. Now’s the time to follow up on all the leads you made during the event. The bottom line of trade show success lies in the business it generates for your company, so make sure you’re not dragging your feet as soon as you’ve dismantled the booth.
