You're aiming to stand out at trade shows. How can you demonstrate your expertise and leadership effectively?

Human Connection is the only thing that matters. Not your phone, or other orders. 1. Be fully present - presence is the present. Be ready and willing to engage. 2. Start with meaningful openings and a smile - such as "Thanks for being here" - "What brings you to the event this year?" "What are you searching for/who would you like to connect with?" DO NOT to the walk-by "How are you/howyoudoin" - it's empty and disingenuous and ineffective. 3. Bright solid colors attract. Black is boring. 4. Be regenerative in your booth - don't get a bunch of junk that's hard/impossible on the planet. 5. If you have treats, make they true treats - love love love a bowl of bright tangerines, or a refill your water bottle station. for starters...

In my experience, the booths who have a meeting to talk about goals and the purpose yield a higher return. Set the goals with transparency.

Think about a service you can give in your booth that creates a *short* line. This gives your team time to qualify each person while they wait. Prospects are happy and helpful because they are about to get something valuable. Here are some things I've used in the past. - Whiskey tasting - I don't drink, but it works for night events. - Chair massage - This one works at any tradeshow - Embroidered t-shirts - Add their name to the t-shirt. Have kids sizes so they can make one for their kids instead. - Cappuccino and Red Bull drinks - People need a daily pick-up. - Self-driving tractor rides - Unusual, but people line up for 30+ mins to get into a tractor that drives itself! - Laser-etched Leatherman - They will keep it forever.

Own it. Meaning own the booth, the products, the layout everything. Show pride in what you are doing and make sure the attendees know you are proud. Demonstrate your expertise in your field by your composure and actions. The booth is your stage it’s your chance to put your best foot forward in your career. Remember all actions you take while representing your company reflect on you as if you are the product. Make a fabulous first impression.

It's hard for many to actively network in a sea of people. Train your team on a few things before you arrive so they understand your expectations and know how to do it. 1. Elevator pitch—Everyone has to memorize it and practice it with each other. After they have memorized it, they can modify it to fit their style. 2. Target accounts - Each person needs a list of your target companies. 3. Influencers, analysts, and thought leaders - Create a list of these people and their photos so your team will recognize them at the event and greet them promptly. 4. Enter the names into a database nightly - If it doesn't go in immediately, people will forget the context of the contact or key details that make it a warm lead.

To demonstrate your expertise and leadership effectively at trade shows, focus on delivering exceptional value through your booth design and presentations. Showcase your industry knowledge by offering insightful content, such as expert talks, live demonstrations, or interactive workshops. Engage attendees with innovative and interactive booth elements that highlight your unique offerings. Network proactively, sharing your expertise through conversations and tailored advice. Utilize social media and digital marketing to amplify your presence and reach a wider audience. By combining strong industry insights and proactive networking, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and attract significant attention at trade shows.

Thought leadership is crucial for building your brand. Both personal and for your company. Several ways to accomplish this: 1) Get on a panel or host one in your booth. The #1 way to showcase your expertise to the broadest possible audience at the show. 2) Stream live from your booth or other booths on the show floor. This extends your audience beyond show attendees. It also allows for on demand viewing. If you can combine #1 & #2 to stream your panel, you get the biggest possible audience and the stream can be downloaded later. 3) Get on an influencer in your industry's podcast/live stream during the show. I'm not a big fan of hosting workshops because the attendance is limited and the people are looking for training, not buying.

Trade show attendees are thirsty for new ideas, unique concepts, and best practices to bring back to their businesses. Find ways to highlight your expertise and bring attention to the thought leadership / industry intelligence you can share. We once set up a mini podcast recording studio in our booth and invited a couple of the celebrity chefs over for quick interviews immediately after they presented on the main stage. When attendees saw the chefs donning headphones and speaking in boom mics with us, it created a lot of attention and buzz around our booth. The podcast recording also gave us useful content to share with attendees post-show and it lives evergreen on our website.

As a tradeshow attendee, getting a bunch of paper is hard. We throw it out. Instead, offer to email it to them right there in the booth. That allows you to collect their email and ensures it lights up their phone while they are in the booth. Of course, they may not read it there, but now you can follow up with them after the event. If that email can come from their sales person, you have an automatic connection.

I believe the collateral and items given to prospects needs to be concise and direct people easily to your online presence. A QR code on your business card and materials directing contacts to a well laid out landing page that is easy to navigate speaks volumes about your organization. Keep it simple and get your information in attendees hands fast.

When you think about your pre-, present-, and post- show strategies, consider ways to maximize your “digital” engagement with attendees. Working up to the show, create a digital presence on your website, in social channels, and email communications. Integrated digital campaigns can help build awareness of the unique value proposition you bring to this space while highlighting your expertise. Don’t underestimate the power of FOMO (fear of missing out) and share why they need to attend the show.

Absolutely agree. When prepping for a show go live and preview your followers and prospects what you’re bringing to them. Post valuable content making your space a must see item on the attendees to do list. Go live onsite give people a glimpse of your presence driving them to stop by with a freebie or other items. Post event follow up with a thanks. Be sure to offer to connect and for those that may have missed you or who want to see you again. Post any upcoming events. Start prepping for the next chance you have to meet your prospects in person. If possible schedule workshops or classes online. Demonstrate your expertise between shows. Bottom line make yourself available and establish relationships with your clients.