The Show Must Go On!
Trade show season is in full swing. Whether you take a spot at a local home show or set up at an industry expo, you want to display your company in its best light and attract as many visitors as possible. What you don’t want is a drab, old, dirty back booth wall, boring give-aways, and ancient sales materials sending the wrong message. There’s still time to update and freshen your look!
Right now, take stock of your booth. How did it present at the last show? Look to add graphics, photos and lighting to give your booth a quick facelift, and ask your marketing professional if there’s time to get a new backwall altogether. You might be surprised to hear how quickly new booths can be produced. The fabrics and printing methods for today’s booths produce brighter, higher resolution images, and the booths can often be set up by one person in less than five minutes. Add video monitors, banners, shelving, lighting and more, and then turn the booth’s travel case into a branded workstation. We have helped many clients who needed more flexibility by developing modular units that give them multiple options for both tabletop and full-sized displays.
Before the show, spread the word! Send out several email announcements, write about it in blogs or on social media, create a banner or pop-up for your website, and mention the show in any appropriate advertising campaigns. Be sure to highlight any show presentations, contests or promotions, and don’t overlook the value of sponsorship packages that can give you better visibility before, during and after the event.
At the show, make your booth as welcoming as possible. Place banners or video screens at the front of your booth. Make sure your salespeople are engaging with the attendees. Be sure to collect names, emails and phone numbers from every visitor, and give them relevant, clean, and current sales materials. Don’t forget the booth give-away, either. Give out something useful and lasting (like shopping bags, phone stands, or even pens and magnets) and the customer will be seeing your name for years to come.
When the show ends, turn those leads into sales. Consider moving from “sticky-note tracking” to an integrated lead system that reminds you when to follow up, and lets you stay on top of your entire team’s sales efforts. And don’t forget to send email blasts thanking all the attendees, and individual messages to those who stopped by.
There’s so much that can be done to make every show season the most successful one ever. Contact a PriMedia show and event specialist for a free consultation on how we can help you shine!
