Exhibiting At A Trade Show – Here’s What You’ll Need To Stand Out
Attending trade shows is great for small business visibility. It’s the kind of in-person marketing that gets you right into the heart of both local and regional commerce, and you can even pick up some global contacts along the way. Genuinely, if you have a good experience at a trade event, you’re going to create some amazing buzz for your business.
But that means standing out, and we all know that’s easier said than done. After all, you’re going to be packed onto a trade floor with hundreds of other businesses, all of whom will be trying to achieve the same thing. How are you going to stand out in such a hypercompetitive market?
By using the points below. They’re the kind of marketing tips that always carry value with them, and you can put them to good use when exhibiting yourself. Check them out.
Exhibiting at a Trade Show – 5 Practical Ways to Stand Out
Ways to Stand Out When Exhibiting at a Trade Show:
Booth Visibility
A visible booth isn’t just about getting a good spot on the tradeshow floor. It’s about putting together a stand that will be able to catch the eye from across the room. This usually means building your booth to be taller, larger, and more colourful than any others.
You can also make very good use of signage here, which can broadcast your business’ name to anyone who’s passing by, no matter what side they’re approaching from. If they can see your name lit up in lights, standing higher than the booths around you, they’re more likely to be intrigued and want to come and have a look.
Remember, colour and light tend to appeal more than a banner that’s been put up in the back, but you can combine both of these methods if you prefer this kind of look. And don’t forget to dress up your stand area to the maximum degree. Standing out is all in the decor, and the more you have to show for it, the more you’re going to stick out in someone’s mind.
Ways to Stand Out When Exhibiting at a Trade Show:
Dress According to Your Brand
This will mean dressing professionally, obviously, but it also means putting your brand’s colours, style, and logo on as well. It’s why so many businesses get t-shirts made before big events like these; if you can easily slip one of these on when you’re behind your stand, you’re going to look and feel the part.
You can then easily switch out of it when the time comes for a meeting or a speech you’d like to attend. Take the shirt off, make sure you’ve got your usual professional clothing on, and go off to make a good impression elsewhere. And if you can dress in a suit (or whatever style of clothing matches your brand) that’s the same colour as your booth’s banner, that’s even better!
Branding is important at trade events, no matter what capacity you’re attending in or what you’ll be getting up to while you’re there. You need to know your business’ name and logo is getting as much air time as possible, and sometimes that means wearing it on your chest everywhere you go.
Ways to Stand Out When Exhibiting at a Trade Show:
A Friendly Persona
The best trade show exhibitors are the ones who have a smile and a greeting for everyone who comes near. Even if the person is doing no more than a cursory glance at your booth, make sure you treat them just as you would someone who comes up for a proper conversation.
Not only does this feel more appealing, simply by virtue of being human, but it can be enticing as well. Someone who wasn’t considering your business can very quickly become an interested prospect when you have some simple manners for them!
You’ll stand out through this persona, where many other booths may fail to take it into consideration. That will make all the difference to how well received you are, and how many people will want to come by.
Even word of mouth marketing makes its way around the trade show floor, and the businesses that clearly put in the effort are going to be more readily recommended.
Ways to Stand Out When Exhibiting at a Trade Show:
Free Merch
Everyone remembers a trade stall who has free merch for them. That’s the kind of free sample marketing that businesses can always benefit from! So why not get some merch made up for your time at the event? Work with a company like Aura to get all kinds of things printed, such as notepads, card decks, and booklets.
Get a few different things made, pop them all into gift bags, and pass one to everyone who comes over to your booth. If the merch you make is useful, and who doesn’t need a spare pen or notebook in a pinch, people are going to both love and use the items you hand out.
And seeing as your name, logo, and mission statement is likely printed or stamped on the merch, your image is going to be right in their face at the same time. If they had forgotten about meeting you before, they will certainly remember you now!
That’s the kind of impression that money can’t quite buy, but you can certainly invest in it with quality material, well made merch pieces that can be readily passed around. You could even make clothing in the same vein, but feel free to put a small price tag on bigger items like these.
Ways to Stand Out When Exhibiting at a Trade Show:
Plenty of Breaks
You’re here to make new connections and hopefully pick up some new clients. That means you need to be switched on for as long as possible, but no one can do that without taking a break! So be sure to take plenty of them, and if you can, have more than one person manning the booth you’ve got set up.
This will take the pressure off of you, but it will also ensure your booth looks well maintained, active, and no one has to pass by awkwardly when there’s no one around to talk to. People may want to come over and have a chat, but if there’s no one there to speak to, they’re going to have to move on!
However, don’t let this possibility prevent you from taking the breaks you need. Make sure you have a proper lunch in the middle of the day, and have at least 15 minutes to yourself in the mid morning and late afternoon. These are the times you can stretch your legs, get some water, grab a snack, etc., and these things go a long way to keeping you feeling your best.
Plus, you never know who you’re going to run into when you’re on these breaks. You could bump into the exact person you were hoping to meet, and at a time when most other people will be elsewhere, focusing on their own stands, meetings, and conferences, etc.
Impressing at a Trade Event: The Lowdown on Exhibiting at a Trade Show
The first thing to congratulate yourself over is getting a stand in the first place. This means you’ll be in pole position to bring people over, get the word out, and make some impressions face to face.
If you can then build on that by presenting yourself in the best way possible, you’re sure to come home with new numbers, more sales, and even some very valuable, exclusive offers.
This is a best case scenario, of course, but who’s to say you’re not capable of that? Keep that in mind when you’re exhibiting. You can stand out simply by aligning yourself with your own brand image and values, and by going the extra mile to showcase your excellent customer service!
Photos by freepik.com
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