The numbers do not lie – trade shows are still the biggest events in the respective industries, the visitors are mostly action-makers and the chances for promotion of your business and your brand are just immeasurable. However, it is not just enough to have a booth at a trade show. You need to make it stand out and you need to be able to entice people over and to keep their attention once you get it. So, how do you do it?
1. Assemble the best trade show team
Before you can have the best possible trade show experience, you need to have a team who will know how to do their job and who will be on top of things at all times. You will most likely be finding the backbone of your team from inside your business, but there is also a chance that you will need to go outside for talent, finding trade show staff that will add to your business. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that these need to be people persons and that they need to know how to work with visitors and how to promote your business in the best way possible.
2. Make your booth stand out
There is so much to choose from when you are designing your trade show booth that you really need to get into it if you want to do this on your own. The good thing is that professionals will gladly help you choose the best exhibition displays for your needs and for your budget. For example, not everyone needs a gigantic platform where their few products will seem like suspended in space. You should do your research and come up with a display and a booth that will make sense for you.
3. Use the web
Trade shows may be a very traditional way to promote your business, but this does not mean that new technologies are not to be used for your trade show needs. For instance, you need to Tweet like crazy about your booth and your trade show, weeks in advance. You can use Facebook and other social networks to offer special deals and to entice people to come and visit you. You can also encourage your visitors to share their experiences at your booth with the rest of the general public.
4. Check out the competition
While checking out your competition will not directly promote your business at a trade show, it will only have a beneficial effect for your operation. Namely, you will see what the competitors are doing, how you can improve your promotional techniques and how you can attract more visitors and more users of your brand/business in the future.
5. Network like you never networked before
You can do a ton of business promotion face to face during trade shows, simply by networking. All of the biggest players will be there, potential new clients, partners and suppliers. This is where you can employ your personal charms and where you can let your personality work for your brand. Trade shows are a great place to make friends and build relationships and you should do this as well.