You’re planning your next trade show exhibit. What’s the best way to make a lasting impression?

I have found helpful and works personally when I’m setting up for trade shows, I decorate the booth by season. For instance, if I’m intending a show for a fall season, I might set the booth with a fall display and scheme (falling leaves, branches, logs,fake rocks on in my merchandise to give it that outdoor look. Remember your setting your displays up to capture the audience who happens to be retailers, they respond to booths that remind them of how they set their own store with window displays or in-store displays! Attractive displays grab the attention of the retailer and invites them into your booth! Set your booth by season for instance, if it’s spring, you might consider giving it a beach, lake or picnic theme matching merchandise!

We all know the booth has to stand out. So, ensuring the booth is loudly announcing your brand/product, would be a good start. However, you need to be in the right exhibition in the right division. But that alone won't suffice. The people at the booth need to have the product and brand knowledge, as well as be able to sell it to the visitors - depending on the product type, on the spot or secure meeting with a convinced client. Needless to mention, a follow up with all the people you met at the booth - based on whether they were sold on your product, partly convinced, or totally unconvinced. That is necessary for ensuring your brand/product is looked at being very professional.

In my experience, you need to focus on who you are trying to engage with. If a technical audience is important to your exhibit's success, live demos and product samples can be very useful. If your efforts are on a business development front and you are trying to engage with more senior-level people, success stories are more effective. Above all, you are not likely to close any deal in the booth; you will start the conversation, and your goal should be the next meeting.

In my experience, the best exhibit design showcases the brand instantly. The average attention span of any prospective customer ranges from 5 to 7 seconds as per my POV and the only way to grab that attention is by making the booth which should showcase a problem-solving statement of the industry at large apart from the brand logo. Capturing the emotions of a viewer is of the utmost importance.

Our E3 Exhibiting Effectiveness Evaluation program has now evaluated 40,323 booths in action. I can summarize a great booth in 5 words... 1. Look, 2. What? 3. Why? 4. Who? 5. Do!

If you feel like your stand might benefit from an objective critique talk to the organizer or even the venue. Exhibition professionals see the mistakes that are being made in a show every day and will be able to prevent them. Also, if you want software to work for you and not become the slave to your software, look for a supplier that does not only provide great software but also a team of professionals to get it implemented, customized and monitored properly. Trade shows are highly complex beasts. To be successful in the long run you won't need just your standard one-fits-all product, but a highly customizable software that can cope with that level of complexity. The more balls you got in the air the more attentive the juggler has to be.

Think of setting up your exhibit like baking a fancy cake for a big party. If you're not a skilled baker, you'd probably hire a professional, right? It's the same with exhibits. If you're not an expert, consider getting a professional exhibit design service. They're like your personal baking team who handle everything - from the initial design to setting it up and taking it down. They bring creative ideas, technical know-how, and help with the nitty-gritty details. This way, you save time, money, and avoid a whole lot of stress, making sure your exhibit is just as you envisioned! :)

For trade shows it is vital to have a booth builder you can count on and trust. I have learned that price is not the only important factor in deciding your partner. I now work with a matrix of key elements (such as price, following the briefing, Av offered in the price,...) for an objective comparison.

Pre-plan your concept and THEN engage with a professional exhibit space/display organisation. In the long term your company will save money and get a better result. Environment is one piece of a larger strategy of Attracting/Connecting/Transacting, IMO

Disclaimer: I am that professional you will hire. My only thing is if you believe you can go online and order the portable booth, and you have the graphical support to get it done, it will work for you. Follow-Up is the #1 Thing that will make or break your ROI of your tradeshow. If everything goes smoothly and you plan, it shouldn't be an issue. But if it is more than a portable display, or something goes sideways, it will hurt more without using a professional.

Imagine your exhibit as a big, bright poster that tells everyone who you are and what makes you special. It's like your superhero costume. Make sure it really shows off what your company is all about – like, if you're all about being eco-friendly, use lots of green colors and nature designs. Don't just copy what others are doing. Think about what makes you different and let that shine. Use cool shapes, different textures, and lights that match your style. It's like picking out your favorite outfit that makes you feel great. Remember, you want people to see your exhibit and instantly know it's you, get what you're all about, and remember it easily!!

One of the best things we did was to give away a free tote with our logo on it. It was a crossbody-style bag with our logo on it and after the first day we saw it EVERYWHERE on the conference floor. It was useful, lightweight, and great branding. Everyone does swag...make sure to do it right.

Show your design concept to a person unfamiliar with your industry and ask them what you do. This will determine both strengths and weaknesses in the display. Don’t block the entrance to your booth with a table. You want to make potential customers feel welcome and comfortable. Being closer in noisy ballrooms and convention halls make it easier to hear and leads to more productive conversation.

Here are 7 ways to to make your booth stand out at a trade show: 1. Add a spin to win a prize wheel 2. Add an interactive photo booth 3. Offer free food 4. Offer a virtual reality (VR) experience 5. Have a live entertainment experience 6. Include seating at your booth 7. Offer a mobile device charging station By incorporating any of these elements, you'll attract more foot traffic to your booth!

1. An attractive and corner booth with good visibility 2. Industry specific report launches by important personalities / influencers which can drive attention to your booth 3.Establishing personal connect with visitors rather than sales pitch

HERE I have 3 tips that I think definitively work: 1. Make it Hands-On: Set up interactive displays where visitors can touch, use, and experience your products or services. Imagine having a gadget they can play with or a mini version of your service they can try right there. 2. Show, Don’t Just Tell: Do live demonstrations. This is like showing a magic trick with your product – it grabs attention and makes people go "Wow, how did you do that?" 3. Game Time: Everyone loves games. Create a simple game related to what you offer. It could be a quiz with prizes or a fun challenge. This makes learning about your product fun and much more rememberable!

Stand in front of the table...not behind! Enjoy the guests and greet them when they approach your booth. Introduce yourself and begin to ask probing questions so you have some information on how to share your tradeshow tools your have on display. Respect the time they spend with you.

Give out more than just a sales pitch. Offer entertainment that reflects your investment in visitors and their business. At a recent trade show, SingleOps hosted a tree care-themed Jeopardy game at TCI, leaving a lasting impression by engaging and keeping attendees on their toes. They were always welcome to a demo of our platform, of course, but we were also there to add entertainment to their day.

Trade Shows are huge opportunities to network not only with your customers base, also with prospect new customers all under one roof giving you a broader audience in a short window of time. Being present in the moment and engaging all who come in contact with your booth is exceptionally critical. You do not want to miss an opportunity due too not paying attention to your surroundings. Keep your head up, make eye contact when greeting people and most importantly, smile?? Be passionate about the product you represent. Customers go to shows to become educated on new product and seek out new resources. Be the expert. Refresh yourself on what is current before your shows. Bring value and resources that people seek and will return for.

Aesthetics in your booth design along with a WOW factor with experiential marketing. Anything that can immerse your delegates into what you're promoting helps with word of mouth and ushers more traffic than clever giveaways.

This is critical. 1) No Food in the Booth. No one wants to smell your onion breath. 2) Schedule out the time from the opening minute to the closing bell. Always be manned! 3) Have an intro meeting with the entire team just before the show opens. So everyone knows what is key. And let them know this is business and not a vacation.

I've seen many examples of a poorly trained staff that do not engage visitors to their booth. A properly trained staff will not only drive engagement but drive ROI as well. And without ROI your wasting money that could be better spent in other areas of your business.

Recherche ist das A & O - die Mitarbeiter sollen genau wissen, wer ihre Kunden sind und wen sie aktiv ansprechen sollen. Dokumentation von einzelnen Gespr?chen ist ein Schlüssel zum Erfolg.

Die Auswahl eines aktiven Mitarbeiters ist von entscheidender Bedeutung! Dieser sollte nicht nur die Zielgruppe in- und auswendig kennen, sondern aktiv auf sie zugehen. Ein erfolgreiches Messeerlebnis beginnt mit einem engagierten Teammitglied, dass nicht nur Produkte, sondern auch Beziehungen verkauft. Ein fachkundiges Personal versteht die Dynamik Ihrer Zielgruppe und geht proaktiv auf potenzielle Kunden zu. Durch diese pers?nliche Ansprache schaffen Sie nicht nur eine Verbindung, sondern auch einen Wohlfühlfaktor am gesamten Stand. Ihre Zielkunden sollten sich nicht nur gut aufgehoben, sondern regelrecht inspiriert fühlen. Aufmerksames Personal schafft eine Atmosph?re, die das Interesse an Ihrem Unternehmen weckt.

Even when faced by a big crowd, the focus must be (or should be) on welcoming visitors on the booth with a smile. Too many times, the stress takes over and does not make for a good experience when visitors are received without the attention, the care, the information they expect to get at an event. This can create a lasting negative effect on how your brand and/or your products are perceived.

As mentioned in point 1 this is a crucial phase in the event planning. On a daily basis, we process the leads and visitors that have passed by our booth. All this information goes into Salesforce so that during the show we can adjust if needed and at the end of the events we can match this with our pre-set goals.

Simple. Follow up should begin before the show begins. 1) Have a "Day One" email ready to go so at the end of Day One, send an email to that contact. Same with Day 2 contacts. 2) Schedule a meeting as soon as possible - even before the attendee leaves the booth. Everyone has their phones on them that has their calendars in them. 3) Key follow up point is to mention the reason they stopped by in the first place. If you do not have a plan to follow up, do not exhibit.

Follow up is where most exhibitors let themselves down. Have a plan beforehand of exactly what's going to happen and book resource to follow up. Then ring-fence that resource and hold them and their line manager accountable to action the plan. The stand visitor should be contacted by electronic means - a sequence of some description that invites them to engage further. Download the presentation, watch this video, join this summit - something thats relevant to your visitor and USEFUL! . This gives them the opportunity to know, like and hopefully trust your company more. While this is happening, your chosen resource should be making ACTUAL contact via phone. You get the best result much faster when you are having a proper conversation.

Un suivi après salon et/ou une enquête de satisfaction impliquant les visiteurs sur leurs ressentis …peuvent transformer des contacts en client ! Les remercier de leur visite aussi !

This is so essential, as well as the pre-expo engagement work, "it's all in the follow up" I've heard so many people say exhibitions don't work, but if you don't keep in touch with those you met post event, how will they remember you? Your visitors will have met so many people and taken so much collateral away with them it can be overwhelming for them. Most people won't follow up, so be the one that stands out and reach out - not just once! - to see how you can help. Connect on LinkedIn - the best way to keep in touch. Write an article on LinkedIn about the event and tag in your visitors to the stand - make them feel important to you. And of course, add them to your CRM if you didn't do that on the stand.

In my experience you have 3-4 seconds to catch my attention or I am walking right by your booth. Don’t be looking down at your phone!! Within 3 seconds I need to know what you are selling and why do I need it.

Your opportunity with the tradeshow begins well before the actual event. Research attendees ahead of time. You might consider a reach out campaign to your best prospects and network opportunities. It could be a simple as sending a handwritten note to 10 people or companies that you hope to meet at the expo, or you could do something more creative like sending a token that they can come redeem for a more high value gift when they come meet you at your tradeshow booth. The same goes with after the expo. Expos are a large investment of resources and you can make it pay out all year long by giving yourself a follow up strategy with multiple touch points after the expo.

I think as a smart exhibitor, think of your booth as a stage for storytelling. Create an infotainment atmosphere around your product or service that's both engaging and memorable! Use visuals, demonstrations, or even interactive elements to make your story come alive. It's like weaving a spell that leaves a lasting impression on your visitors. Another key insight is to focus on sensory experiences. Like a chef crafting a perfect dish, consider how your exhibit can appeal to the senses - sight, sound, touch. This could mean anything from a visually striking display, soothing background music, to hands-on product demos. Engaging the senses can make your booth more inviting and memorable.

Make sure you promote your presence before the event. Tell existing and potential customers that you’ll be there, make it really easy for people to find you. Create a real incentive for people to want to find you, eg meeting an expert, a special deal, a competition, etc.

Be there, be present and smile. Shine/clean your shoes, wear clothes that fit and that flatter your shape and above all else give you confidence. People (visitors) subconsciously and sometimes consciously judge you by your first appearance/ first impression. You can't help that - but you can work with it. Above all else, have fun. Enjoyment and positivity are contagious and make you stand out more from others. We always remember people who made us feel good for the right reasons.