Trade shows can be a great way to market your business and get in front of potential customers. However, standing out from the competition can be tough. Here are some ways you can make your business stand out at a trade show!
A trade show is an event where businesses in a particular industry showcase their products or services. Trade shows can be a great way to market your business and get in front of potential customers. It’s a brilliant way of broadening your reach, as well as your network among people in related industries.
People often invest a lot of money in a trade show. If you decide to take a stand at a trade show, you’ll have to pay for it, and the cost can run into thousands of dollars for well-known and large-scale trade shows that have a good reputation in your industry. But paying a lot of money to have your spot at a trade show isn’t enough to guarantee you’ll get a good return on investment. Here are some additional things you need to do to ensure your business stands out at a trade show.
Decorate Your Stand
Your stand is your space at the trade show, and it’s important to make sure it looks good. This will be the first thing potential customers see when they walk by, so you want to make sure it’s eye-catching. Ensure your branding is visible and that your stand looks professional. You may also want to consider hiring a professional designer to help you make your stand look its best. In the least, make sure you know the exact proportions of your stand, the table you’ll be given and any structures around your stand that may restrict what you can do with the space. This way, you’ll be able to get a table cloth of the right size, pop up banners and other materials to help your stand look good.
Giveaways
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Giveaways are a great way to attract attention to your stand and get people talking about your business. But don’t just give away any old thing – make sure it’s something that’s actually useful to your target audience. For example, if you’re a travel company, you could give away luggage tags or travel adapters. If you’re an eco-friendly business, you could give away reusable water bottles or gadgets made from recycled materials. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s relevant to your business and that it’s something people will actually want to use. Package everything up in specially made custom grocery bags with your branding on them. When people reuse these bags, it’ll help your brand and message travel further.
Have A Competition
Running a competition is another great way to attract attention to your stand. People love the chance to win prizes, and it’s a brilliant way to get people engaged with your business. Again, make sure the prize is relevant to your target audience and that it’s something they’ll actually want. For example, if you’re giving away a trip, make sure it’s somewhere people would actually want to go. If you’re giving away a voucher for your services, make sure it’s for an amount that people will actually use.
Set Up Appointments
You should always have a few members of staff looking after a stand, so that one individual doesn’t get fatigued with being always ‘on’. This also means that you’ll have some down time throughout the trade show too. Look up other delegates and businesses also attending the show, and contact the ones that you’d like to meet ahead of time. Scheduling meetings helps to give you focus and purpose at the show, and it’s a good back up plan if you don’t get lots of people proactively coming to your stand. If you have space, set up a small seating area behind or to the side of your stand. You can host your meetings there, and this is a good way to make your stand look busy and important to others.
Have A Calendar Of Special Events At Your Stand
Anyone attending a trade show wants to attract crowds to their stand. It’s human nature to follow the crowds, and as soon as a few people gather at your stand, more people will come! Creating a calendar of ‘events’ at your stand is a good way to attract the crowds. For example, offer coffee and pastries in the morning, or host an informal drinks reception later in the day. Live demonstrations or special guest speakers can also work wonders – just make sure your demonstrations or speakers relate to topics that your target audience will be really interested and engaged in.
Be Prepared
Finally, make sure you and your team are prepared for the trade show. This means having plenty of business cards on hand to give out, as well as any other materials you think attendees might find useful. It’s also important to be prepared mentally – you’ll be talking to lots of people over the course of the show, so make sure you and your team are ready with a few key soundbites about your business that you can share easily. You should also have a plan for following up with any leads or contacts you make at the show. Add people to your mailing list, or exchange business cards so that you can get in touch after the event.