Whether in the trade show sea of 100 booths or a parking lot event, it’s important that your booth stands out from the rest. After all, that’s why you invested the money and time to exhibit. Why fall short once you are there?
Here are some quick reminders on turning up your booth’s volume.
Reminder #1: Your own experience. Think about the last show/event you attended. How many of the booths and displays stick in your mind? How many stopped you, or at least slowed you down? Make a list of what caught your attention. Next, visit a favorite retail location and walk the aisles. Notice again what packaging catches your eye. Write these down. Review your lists for ideas to improve your own display.
Reminder #2: Kill the “me toos”. Too many don’t pay enough attention to their competitors’ marketing messages and end up with a generic look and feel. Think of how many black/leather/chrome booths with hot chicks in tight outfits you see at a male-dominated show. That’s dollars down the drain. To truly stand out AND BE MEMORABLE, take another piece of paper and put two columns on a sheet of paper; title the left “My Booth”; title the right “Their Booths.” Under “My Booth,” list all the things that you think you might have in your booth (Photos, charts, hoochies, tube tops, etc.) Then, under “Their Booths,” list of all the things you think your competitors will have. Now, cross everything off your list that appears on their list. You can’t use them. Period. Which leads us to…
Reminder #3: Be bold. One of the other issues at a show is booth size. Everyone is pretty much working with the same equipment. As people are strolling down the aisle, you need to throw them a visual wham! The goal of your booth design is to get them to stop so that you can sell. By being bold (not necessarily goofy or offensive), you’re going to usurp your competition who’ll be doing the expected.
Reminder #4: Be clear. Did your last booth kind of look like a garage sale? A canvas banner here, a glossy photo there, a display panel that doesn’t match anything else? Once you stop them, you can draw their eyes where you want them. So minimize the messages for a clean, dynamic impact.
Reminder #5: Collect data. The whole reason you are there is for sales. Maybe they don’t by today but they could buy tomorrow. So invest in collecting data. Train the booth personnel to watch, listen and ask closely for those people who can’t contain their enthusiasm for your brand experience. These are your future brand ambassadors and word-of-mouth royalty. Treat them well. Have people fill out surveys, sign up for future notices and remember these are leads – don’t toss them!
Sound like too much? Feeling overwhelmed? Hire a professional consultant (like me). How much does it cost to have a pro strategize & design your display? Probably less than you think. How much does it cost not to? Way more than you want to know.
