You have to do something special to stand out from the competition at tradeshow booth. From the decision on upgrading your old display to hand-picking the best relationship oriented sales people to man your show booth. There are so many options to improve your visibility at your next show exhibition.
Use these four tips to boost traffic at your tradeshow booth to get more customers and expand your brand identity.
How to Increase Traffic to Your Tradeshow Booth
Offer Shuttle Services
Consider renting a small van or bus for the day. It can give you a unique opportunity to increase traffic to your tradeshow booth. Putting the name of your company on the van or bus gives you instant exposure to anyone moving through crowded parking lots. Those who catch a ride may also feel indebted to your company. The least they can do is give you a few minutes to learn more about the products and services that you offer.
Of course, running a shuttle bus also gives you a chance to take control of the experience. If you choose a booth near the tradeshow’s entrance, you can use the location as a pick-up and drop-off point.
Contact Registered Attendees Before the Event
If you ask, many tradeshow organizers will give you a list of attendees who register for the event. Use this information to contact potential customers and create buzz several weeks before the tradeshow.
Sending emails certainly helps, but you shouldn’t forget the impact of snail mail. Snail mail lets you bypass spam filters. It also gives you a chance to use oddly shaped postcards that stand out from the rest of the mail. Irregularly sized and shaped postcards get attention. You can also choose a shape that symbolizes your company (for instance, you could use a computer-shaped card if you own a tech company).
Create an Escape From the Chaos
Tradeshows can get crowded and confusing. Turn your space into a welcoming oasis that gives attendees a break from the chaos.
Offer them comfortable furniture, snacks, and bottled water so they can unwind while learning about your company. They’ll gladly listen to you if they can relax during the conversation. Plus, they’ll tell their friends and colleagues that they can catch a break at your booth.
There’s also a good chance that people will share what you’re doing via social media at your tradeshow booth space. That will drive even more traffic to your booth.
Give Away Products That Attendees Really Want
People go to tradeshows to learn more about the products and services that small businesses offer. But they also go to the events to pick up free swag. Boost traffic by handing out materials that people actually want.
Give away free samples of some of your company’s best-selling products. That will have people dropping by your booth all day. After all, what better way to learn more about a product than to actually sample it yourself?
And sometimes, all you need to do is just tweak an existing idea. Instead of handing out something typical like ordinary key chains, give away key chains that have built-in LED lights. You don’t have to limit yourself to small items.
What strategies do you use to increase traffic to your tradeshow booth?
Tradeshow Photo via Shutterstock, SXSW Bus Photo via Shutterstock, Mail Photo via Shutterstock, Resting Photo via Shutterstock, Cookie Sample Photo via Shutterstock
I love the first and third tip! The shuttle also presents a great way for people in the bus to network with each other.
Aira Bongco
Wow those are amazing ideas. I have always attended events and tradeshows and a place of comfort is really what I need. The cookies are a good idea too as you often go hungry in these events. With this, it is a perfect giveaway.
steve
All good points. Also important is making sure the folks manning the booth are attentive and knowledgeable. There is nothing less impressive than going to a booth and having to seek attention from company reps who appear more interested in talking to each other than engaging with potential customers, or asking about a product or services and being told “I don’t know about that; I’ll contact Corporate and get back to you…. may I have your business card?”
I hadn’t thought of offering a shuttle, that’s a really great idea. I also like the idea of sending something to those that are registered in advance; however, I’d also try to schedule appointments ahead of time as well.
Charles King
I have over 40 years experience helping companies draw a crowd to their exhibit booth. Some of the companies I have worked with include IBM, Nabisco, Ford, Emerson, Solvay enzymes, Lockheed, Nike, and Peterbilt. I have also worked just about every major trade show. I entertain by drawing cartoons, not characters, on paper and printed with the exhibitors logo. I average 30 to 60 drawings per hour
Robert
Trade shows have changed over the last 30 years. They are branding events and not sales events. What was once a way gaining brand recognition has turned into vendors watching a attendees staring at their phones as they walk the show floor.
Tricks and giveaways only lead to unqualified leads that upon follow up do not remember you or your product or service. “Oh I just wanted to win the IPAD” Worse yet is the scan retrieval systems that provides you with a prospect’s home phone number, or no Company, no city. You’re going to make a b2b call on someone’s home line? Let me know how that works out for ya.
My best advice is to have a clear concise audience specific message and obtain the business cards of those contacts that do take interest. No giveaways, no tricks, just here is what we do and how we can help you.
Stay away from National Events. Unless your 3M or Ford these shows are overpriced , booth, services, electricity, carpet, hotels, meals, airfare. in 2017 Washington Convention center wanted $800 a day for internet access. You can imagine my thoughts on that. What you lose in the number of regionals attendees you gain in quality of time spent with the attendee and you’ll be able to attend 3 or 4 regionals for one nation event. Think of all the people that go every year to a national event. But, budget cuts, limit
What these shows organizers and attendees fail to understand is the vendors carry a significant amount of the financial burden so that these shows can be held allowing attendees to gain their required CEU’s. When vendors are driven away, shows now cost the attendees so much more and run the risk of not being held.
Thanks Timothy Carter! Loved the post. For getting more traffic, authority can also do direct mail marketing. I think it will add great value.