5 Stellar Ideas to Stand Out at Your Next Trade Show
by On Point Promotions | Mar 3, 2017
When you register for your next trade show, get ready to bring your best! Be the stand-out exhibitor! Show ‘em what you’ve got in a way that will make you memorable and keep you top of mind.
How do you do that? Here are 5 time-tested ideas to get the juices flowing...
1. Make your space attractive and the layout interesting
Be exceptional. Don’t go with the run-of-the-mill booth with a table full of brochures in the front and a few sample products at the back. Change up the layout so it invites prospects into the space. Set it up so that a walkway naturally draws in curious folk. Line the walkway with your products and samples so that it feels more like a shopping experience. Perhaps divide your product lines into sections by using panels.
Pull up vertical or horizontal banners and table coverings can be used to highlight your company name and LOGO. They are not only big and bold, but also reusable for show after show. Invest in good quality materials and they can last for years. On Point Promotions has many options choices. Colorful balloons, lights, or decorations draw the eye and show your personality. Everyone likes to work with fun people—let attendees know you ARE fun!
2. Be walking and talking billboards for your bran
That’s right. Wearables sporting your name and LOGO should be must-have essentials. Crisp, fresh, in the right colors and looking professional for the venue – embroidered or printed shirts, jackets, and hats—provide just the right impression you want to give. On Point Promotions & Embroidery can help you put together the image you want to reflect your business. Looking sharp and having well-prepared staff that can explain your story is a great start. Then when you can explain specifically how to implement or use your products in a way that solves your visitor’s problems, you connect and transform a visitor into a prospect. Bingo! That’s what you want.
3. Get prospects to engage, interact and participate
Hold a raffle for a special give-away or have a wheel to be spun for a variety of prizes. One client added one of a pair of socks to the SWAG bag given at the door with directions to their booth to get the mate. You can do the same with gloves or anything else that comes in pairs. Other ideas include drawings for gift certificates for discounts on products, free consultations, or estimates. Who wouldn’t register for a nice portfolio, laptop or other item that ties in with your specific industry? Of course, your name and logo would be on the prize, too.
4. Use promotional items thoughtfully
How many pens, mugs, totes, and magnets are going to be collected at the event and then just thrown in a drawer? What about water bottles, flying discs, and yo-yo’s? You know where they end up, don’t you?
Don’t relegate your business to a dark, dusty drawer, or worse, the round file. No, you want space on a desk, in a purse or pocket. You want to offer that “thing” your prospects keep at hand. Consider items that are special and useful:
Clip memo holder- Jar openers – come in a variety of materials, colors and shapes
- Glasses, cell phone, or tablet cleaning kits
Manicure kit with clippers, tweezer, scissors and file or a nail clipper or nail file in its own case- Lint roller (we want you to look GOOD!)
- Computer dust brush
- Flash drives, power banks, or USB ports and hubs
Key tag- The Handyman that features a swivel key chain, bottle opener, LED flashlight and 3’ tape measure
- Credit card ice scrape
Consider some special prizes that will really impress like:
A Bluetooth tracker – YOUR customers can kiss losing stuff good-bye- A virtual reality headset
- Bluetooth speakers
And the best part, your name, LOGO, and contact information are printed right on these items. On Point Promotions & Embroidery can work with you and your budget to find the promotional items to make your booth a real stand-out at the show and in the mind of attendees days after the show closes.
5. Be available offline and online
Yes, you want every visitor to learn about your products and services. But you and I both know they aren’t going to be able to absorb everything about your business and what you can do in the few minutes they visit your exhibit.
Have brochures and printed materials ready to send with them. As part of your incentive plan, offer potential new customers a small reward for connecting with you on your social media channels immediately at the show. If you have a creative idea, or want something that brings to mind your industry, On Point Promotions can help you make the reward real.
Display a QR code to be scanned by smart phones right there on the trade show floor. Have a computer available where they can subscribe to your information newsletter. Provide a signup sheet (or raffle entry) that requires their email and phone contact information. Capture the information so you can connect to follow-up later.
A trade show only lasts for a few exciting days and it is filled with lots of information, ideas, new people and products. Make it possible for visitors to remember you and your business with creative and effective ideas and promotional items. Our philosophy at On Point Promotions & Embroidery is to help you set yourself apart from the competition and keep your business top-of-mind.
Contact On Point Promotions & Embroidery as soon as you decide to be a part of your next trade show. Together we can make it memorable – and profitable!