blog

If you are planning to start trade show marketing, you need to figure out who to best utilize your space, and bring excitement to that space with your trade show exhibit.

Hiring an experienced trade show exhibit designer is the perfect place to start if you want a trade show booth with energy and eye-appeal which also expresses your value proposition. The first step for a successful trade show display is for it to quickly and concisely meet your goals, express your brand while having style and drama.

Depending on your budget, you then need to decide whether you want to buy or rent a trade show booth. Should you have a custom trade show exhibit, a modular trade show display, or a table top booth display? You then may consider rehabbing an preowned trade show booth depending on the look and feel you are after. Your trade show display design company can help you with these important decisions.

Your marketing goals are the starting point from which you begin to design your display, also incorporated are your logo and company message.

Work stations within the trade show booth can be set up to talk with potential customers or to discuss new product information with new or existing clients.

Your company’s trade show exhibit needs to meet the marketing objectives and goals of your company. For more information on trade show booth design, contact The Exhibit Source.

Permalink |

It is important to make connections in real life. For many, handshakes and eye contact are necessary for building trust and creating a strong client base. Trade Shows are one of the best ways to network and create relationships in person, and they are still a critical part of a successful B2B or B2C marketing campaign. Trade shows give you the chance to market your products to vendors and consumers. If you’re planning to attend a trade show, here are four things to keep in mind.

Network

Most exhibitors focus on marketing to the attendees of a trade show, but don’t forget to network with the other vendors as well. Does the business owner in the booth next to you have shelf space in his shop that you can use at a discount? Does the person behind you have a complimentary product? Can you partner together for referrals? Arrive early, set up your booth quickly, and network with the other exhibitors before the crowds arrive.

Pay Attention to the Booth Experience

Forbes narrows down a successful performance at a trade show to one thing: the booth. You will be surrounded by trade show booths that are full of interactive, multimedia equipment and expensive furnishings. However, you don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete with these flashy displays. A portable banner stand displays your logo and a business description to anyone who walks by your booth. These stands are an effective and professional alternative to more expensive designs.

Entice attendees to come to your trade show booth display with giveaways or fun activities in your booth. Once you have them, make sure that you keep them. You need your most articulate sales team on hand, as they are just as critical as having the right decorations. Your sales team needs to simultaneously convince every single person who enters your booth that they need your product while also appearing low key and not pushy.

Find the Right Show

Virtually anyone can put on a trade show. Before handing your hard earned money over to a random show producer, investigate the options. Is the show affiliated with a professional organization? What was last year’s attendance? How will the show benefit you? If the show producer can’t answer those questions satisfactorily, you shouldn’t buy a booth.

Use Social Media Strategically

Trade shows may be as old school as an ancient marketplace, but there’s no reason to ignore modern technology while you are there. Social media should be an integral part of your trade show plan. Use your social media accounts to build awareness and excitement around the show. Plug giveaways and convince your followers that they need to visit your booth. Before the show, find out if there is an official hashtag and begin participating. Also, create your own hashtag to promote your contest or your conversations and include it as well.

For more information on trade show booths, contact The Exhibit Source.

B2C

Permalink |

If your business growth is based on networking, relationships, face-to-face, and word-of-mouth then trade show marketing may be right up your alley.  Trade shows are an exceptional way to get your company and your product seen by new potential customers. If you want a venue where you can express your value proposition and show you product, trade shows are for you.

However, there is no use attending unless you do it right. Trade shows, done right, can produce a great ROI. But first, you have to attract people to your trade show booth. This means that your trade show display must be eye-catching, efficient and effective.

Trade shows are significant opportunity for brand enhancement and product visibility. With the right trade show booth and staff, you can promote new and existing products, generate leads and drive incremental sales.

There are many benefits to participating in a trade show, not the least of which is learning about your industry, your competition and your customers. But the main point of trade shows is to meet new and prospective clients; and you can do this by attracting the them to your trade show booth through effective graphics, with interactive areas and for space to sit and talk.

Everyone can put up a sign, open a card table and give out a trinket. But can your trade show booth be THE location on the show floor? It does not have to cost a fortune, or blow your marketing budget for the year. But, it should be effective, captivating and give you the most bang for your buck. You are representing your brand, your trade show booth needs to convey your confidence in that brand.

Contact The Exhibit Source and see how we can help you drive qualified potential customers to your trade show booth.

Permalink |

Trade shows are a vital platform for a trade marketing strategy, but surprisingly a high number of companies have very poor booths set up for such shows. Why do these companies present their products and services, which are actually good, so poorly? There are several reasons, but most companies have poor trade show booths because of lack of interest or poor understanding of trade show marketing. If you are planning on setting up shop at a big trade show, here are some tips to make a big impact.

Start with the right approach

Many companies get the basics wrong to begin with. If you want to make a big impact through a trade show, you need the right approach. A trade show is not a public demonstration, so the pitchers in your trade show booth should know when to stop. They should also ask the right questions in the right way.

It is not about how many people look at your booth

The more people walk past and enquire about your trade show booth display, the more successful your trade show is- this has long been the rule for measuring trade show success, but it no longer holds importance. This is the age when targeted, one-on-one marketing is the norm and your trade marketing strategy needs an update. Focus on getting targeted traffic to the show by sending e-mail invitations and marketing your presence beforehand. Think about whom you want to see at the exhibition and target them.

Keep up the momentum

As trade exhibitions stretch on and reach their end, fewer visitors arrive and people in the booths start winding up, thinking that they have finished their work for the day. However, there could be some promising leads in those last few visitors. People serious about the show often come at times when people are less busy, and the last thing you want them to see is tired and disinterested employees closing down the booth. You should stay engaged and keep up the momentum until the trade show is finished to show that you are serious about growing your network and getting leads.

Train your staff

No matter how fancy your trade show booth may be, you will not get enough customers or leads from a trade show if your staff does not do a great job. A good, well-designed booth gets visitors to approach you, but they will make their final judgment based on the staff. Make sure that your booth staff receives training about how to market your products at a trade show, meet the objectives, and maintain their manners and composure once they are there.

For more information, contact The Exhibit Source.

ADCAMO

Permalink |

Trade show marketing is a good investment, with fantastic ROI when done right. However, they do take an investment in time. But there is a way to save time once you are at the show in the design of the trade show booth.

Exhibit Design:

SAVE TIME: Get a trade show display that is faster to set up and tear down. That way you can arrive later at the show, and leave the same day the show ends, saving a day or two. The Exhibit Source can create trade show booths which set up in a fraction of the time. They also offer portable displays as well as traditional custom trade show exhibits.

INVEST TIME: Figure out what really separates you from your competitors in the eyes of your best buyers, and make that as explicit as you can on your exhibit graphics. Make it very clear what products and services you offer. That way, your exhibit will help filter visitors, so only more qualified leads walk into your booth, and you waste less time with unqualified prospects.

For more information on trade show booths that save time and make a big impact, contact The Exhibit Source.

Excerpts – B2C

Permalink |

When you think about a trade show booth, you may often think about people sitting behind a table, waving to people as they walk by. There is so much more to trade shows than being good looking and seeming friendly. According to an article posted on Trade Show News Network, 99% of marketers found a value to trade shows that other marketing channels do not offer. Face to face interaction is irreplaceable and having that in a creative, fun setting allows potential clients to relax and enjoy the experience they have with your brand. While it might be your first time or you may be a seasoned pro, creating a superior trade show booth is not always the easiest task. There is a lot of planning involved and a lot of time invested in creating that ultimate booth for your product or service. If you are able to manage your time, as well as your dollars, you should be able to make a trade show booth that will produce profits in the long run. These tips will help you plan a superior trade show booth.

Plan, then Plan Some More

The number one thing you must remember is that planning is the most important part of this whole project. Start planning months ahead of time because if you don’t, you’re going to wish you did. Just as anything else in life, unforeseen situations and issues will arise. When constructing your booth you must consider size constraints, electrical concerns, and end result aesthetics. Having months to sort these dilemmas out will keep things running smoothly.

Manipulating the Space

Don’t let your trade show booth end up cluttered and closed in. Give your booth some space and eliminate the clutter and the unnecessary. People want to wander through, escape into a different reality which is your booth. The last thing that you want at your trade show booth is a table blocking the entrance way to get into the exhibit even if two very well informed employees sit behind it. Simpler is almost always better so display items and information that will leave the best impression. If your booth space is large enough, consider incorporating chairs or benches. This will give a welcoming feeling, and people will stay longer. Navigating a trade show can be like swimming against a tide so to help attendees find your booth, consider hanging branding from the ceiling. It will act like the northstar for lost potential clients.

For more information on creating the right trade show booth, contact The Exhibit Source.

B2C

Permalink |

Where your trade show booth is located and how your booth looks will have an impact on your trade show success. Use these tips to help you along.

Shoot for a high-traffic location

Be sure to look at a floor plan before you choose your site. Foot traffic is heaviest in certain areas of a typical trade show floor. Look for locations near entrances, food concessions, rest rooms, seminar rooms, or close to major exhibitors. Try to avoid dead-end aisles, loading docks, obstructing columns, or other low-traffic regions.

Consider sharing a booth

New exhibitors often get the least desirable locations. One way around that is to share a well-located trade show booth display with a colleague in a related business. Talk to your sales rep, or try to hook up with an established exhibitor whose products or services complement yours.

Elate the senses

Make sure people coming to your booth can experience your product or service. Let them touch, see, feel, hear or taste it. Are you selling decorative pillows? Display them in an appropriate setting and have samples that buyers can touch. Have you developed a new software package? Be sure to have multiple computer terminals available for attendees to try the package.

Keep it simple

Don't go overboard with trade show booth graphics. One large picture that can be seen from afar may have a greater impact than many small ones. A single catchy slogan that describes your business may say more than long blocks of text.

Gimmicks work

Gimmicks and give-aways can also drive traffic to your trade show exhibit. Hold a contest; have a loud product demo; give away pieces of candy; hire a masseuse and offer free back rubs. Just make sure that the gimmick fits your company's image and the sensibilities of your clients.

For more information on effective trade show exhibits, contact The Exhibit Source.

NYTimes

Permalink |

Exhibit marketing is challenging, but very viable when done correctly. If you are spending money on a trade show booth, employees, marketing materials and travel, make sure you spend that money on the right trade show.

Bigger Is Not Always Better

Just because the trade show is bigger, does not mean that it contains more ideal customers. If you target based on the challenges that your ideal client is facing, see if the show targets that audience, too. You are better off at an event with 100 attendees where you know 30 of them are your ideal client, than an event with 5,000 attendees with 50 of them. You have a narrow chance of finding the one percent in the larger event. But, you'll have a better chance of finding many of the 30% at the smaller event. Creating the right trade show display will grab their attention, the rest is up to you.

Focused Message

Answer the question, "Who would be most interested in what we have, and why would they be excited to meet with us?" If you don't know the answer, your prospects likely will not figure it out either. Your messaging then becomes, "People facing one of these two or three issues will have interest in what we offer."

Once you know your message and the problem you solve, be honest about how many attendees at that conference would care about your two or three messages.

Ask Your Best Clients

Where do your existing customers hang out? Which events do they attend, or where did they attend when searching for your solution? Take a look at their suggestions as there is a chance others facing similar issues to them might be at these events.

If you want to create your own event, plan a special event for your existing customers to invite three of their colleagues from other organizations who might be facing the same challenge your great customer was facing. At that event, do not show your "stuff." Instead, highlight customers who faced challenges and how they solved them, maybe with your stuff. Make the customer the star, not your stuff. Don't worry -- even though you do not show off, they smart prospects will seek you out.

Know Your Goal for a Tradeshow

The goal of most trade shows is NOT to close a deal on the floor. Reps often spend too much time with one or two prospects. Teach a "catch and release" program to attract prospects, qualify, and then schedule follow-up after the show. Hot prospects should have a calendar entry on their smartphone before they leave the booth. Warm ones should be contacted electronically within a day, and then in person within three days of the end of the show.

For more information on trade show marketing, contact The Exhibit Source.

Huffington Post

Permalink |

Here are some ways to make trade shows an investment instead of an expense:

Design

We are seeing more straight-line architecture in trade show booths, which is easier and less expensive to set up than designs with shapes and curves. Colors are cooler, and clients are starting to incorporate light wood tones. Lounge spaces within the trade show booth, with phone charging areas and comfortable seating, are becoming more popular: whether clients want to foster brand awareness, build advocacy, or close sales on the exhibit floor, it’s important to have a comfortable, well-equipped space for meetings that provides an appropriate amount of privacy. As for materials, fabric, plywood, and laminate are increasingly being replaced with more textural and “real world” materials that provide a comfortable, familiar, and authentic experience.

Budgets

The economy has imposed leaner budgets on many exhibitors. The result is smaller, more efficient exhibits and an increased focus on R.O.I.. Simpler  booth designs from aluminum frames with lightweight fabric graphics are more common. Exhibitors benefit from smaller, lighter packaging that results in reduced shipping and labor costs. Several businesses have ‘scaled back’ in order to ‘scale up’. They are really looking at the shows they attend to see if they are actually good shows for them or if they were just going because they’ve always gone or because their competitors go. They have also looked at their booth space sizes and gone smaller when possible. This has allowed them to cut back on the number of shows they attend and the amount of money they spend on booth space, allowing them to spend more money on cool booth designs for the shows they do go to.

Technology

Some businesses have been leaning towards electronic picture frames as a way to display product information, rather than a static graphic. It saves money in the long run and it’s green. As the cost of LEDs and digital signage continues to drop, more exhibitors will make use of these products since they can be updated easily and reused from one event to the next.

For more information on what is trending in trade show booths, contact The Exhibit Source.

business2community.com

Permalink |

Trade shows are viable and reliable marketing opportunities for new and established businesses. But, in order to boost sales through trade shows your trade show booth needs to capture the attention if attendees. – This can only be accomplished with an effective booth design for your company, product and services.

The Exhibit Source offers companies the ability to bring highly impactful trade show booth displays to their exhibit marketing event. We pay attention to every element that impacts the buying decision: graphics, color, sound, laminates, fabric, furniture, flooring, audio visual, and media.

Additionally we offer rental trade show exhibits as well as custom designed and pre-owned exhibits. We have the capabilities of getting your trade show displays off the ground and transported. As a competent, professional and experienced exhibit services provider our trade show displays are creative, attention-grabbing, and dynamic. Well done and captivating trade show booths will effectively represent your business and brand in front of potential and existing customers.

For more information on rental, pre-owned or custom-designed trade show booths in any style contact The Exhibit Source.

Permalink |