Simple but effective tips for your trade show display
Guest contributor: Mary G. White, M.A., SPHR is the Training Coordinator for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions (http://www.mobiletechwebsite.com), where she specializes in human resources, management, and marketing training. She teaches open enrollment classes for MTI, provides on-site corporate training, and frequently speaks at conferences and association meetings. She is also the author of 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips in the LifeTips book series. MTI provides a variety of consulting services, including IT Training, certification testing, HR & PR consulting, custom database development and website solutions.
When you’re getting ready to attend a trade show, it’s a good idea to spend some time thinking about how you are going to set up your booth. When preparing for a trade show, you have to find the fine line between an adequate display and one that is too cluttered. Many trade show participants make the mistake of putting too much stuff on display, which results in an exhibit area that is crowded and difficult to manage.
Think Visual Appeal
When you are setting up your tradeshow booth, don’t focus your efforts on trying to cram every piece of promotional material you own on the table. Instead, think about what you can do to make the design and setup of your booth have visual appeal to trade show attendees.
Keep in mind that your booth has to be attractive enough to entice people to approach you so that you have an opportunity to educate them about your company’s products and services. Don’t make the mistake of making your display look so overwhelming that attendees are turned off by your display or find themselves too intimidated to approach you.
How to Display Company Literature
You should definitely include some type of company literature on your trade show display. For most businesses, a general brochure is the ideal item to pass out at trade shows. You should bring a sufficient quantity of brochures to the trade show with you, but don’t stack all of them up on your booth at the same time. Instead, put out just a few at a time, and replenish throughout the day as your supplies begin to dwindle.
How to Avoid the “Grab and Run”
Many people who attend trade shows take great joy in the freebies that vendors give away at their booths. It’s definitely in your best interest to take some kind of novelty item with your company’s name, logo, and contact information printed on it. However, as with your brochures, it’s important not to put all of your goodies on the table at the same time.
If you have a huge stack of pens, sticky notes, candy, or other items on your table, it’s too easy for people to grab an item from your booth without giving you a business card or picking up one of yours. Put out only a few items at a time, and make a habit of handing goodies to people while smiling and asking about their business. This represents a much more effective use of your company’s marketing materials than allowing random people to grab them and run away.
Get Ready for the Show
By following these simple tips for creating a clutter-free, marketing oriented trade show display, you’re well on your way to enjoying your most successful event yet. Remember to be friendly and approachable, but don’t be aggressive in trying to draw attendees to your display. Your well organized and clutter-free booth will encourage individuals who are good prospects to seek you out, resulting in a win-win trade show event for you and your future clients.
(Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities)
Source: Sandbox Advisors, Recruiting Blogswap
