10 Tips to Level Up Your Trade Show Exhibit

Investing in an exhibit/display/booth at a trade show provides plenty of exposure to a brand, but can take up a lot of your time, effort and money. It’s important that you maximize the opportunity.

Here are 10 innovative ideas to take your trade show exhibit to the next level.

1) Interactive Experiences Win

If your exhibit booth contains interactive elements such as touch screens, LED displays or a participation demonstration, your attendees are more likely to stick around. Find interactive ways to draw trade show attendees into your space so they can interact with your products or services. This not only produces a stronger connection between consumer and brand, but it also allows the consumer to experience the benefits of your products and services firsthand.

2) Get Social

Use social media to generate more interest among trade show goers by tagging photos of them in front of your logo on Instagram or Twitter. Hire a photographer and an established figure, like a local sports celebrity or cheerleader, so people can take pictures with them at your exhibit booth and share on social media outlets. Go a step further and promote the use of a relevant and creative hashtag to use on Instagram and Twitter. If you get a few dozen photos posted, you’re putting your brand in front of potentially tens of thousands of people on social media.

3) Use Food to Attract Attendees

Food is always a great way to draw attention. Nothing attracts weary trade show attendees like enticing finger foods, snacks or bottles of water at your exhibit booth. If you can customize food packaging with your brand and contact information, you’re offering a tasty introduction to your products or services.

4) For Smaller Spaces, Get Creative

Many trade show exhibits are crammed, offering limited space to display all of the necessary components of your brand. Try laying out a branded tablecloth that’s convertible from 6’ to 8’. Place pop-up banners side-by-side to create an enticing backdrop. These are some quick and easy solutions to reduce set-up and tear-down time while also offering an exhibit display that’s visually attractive.

5) Spread Your Brand with a Giveaway Game

Promotional giveaways are a great way to boost your exhibit booth’s reach. Hand out big stickers, bracelets, pins, light-up trinkets, bright t-shirts or other eye-catching wearables and turn it into a game. Those people who wear your promotional items are entered to win something big at the end of the show. The more people seen wearing your items, the more others will want to don your gear, building a conversation around your offering and in turn, your brand.

6)  Don’t Neglect the Online Market

Trying to get the word out about your upcoming trade show? Set up online ads targeted to people looking up information on a specific trade show or conference. This will put your ad in front of the people who are actually trying to attend or are interested in attending.

7) Host a Photo Booth to Draw People In

There’s no denying that people love to take photos, especially of themselves and their friends or co-workers. A photo booth at your exhibit is a great way to draw people in, break the ice and offer something unique that they can remember you by. These photos can also be posted on social media that show your exhibit/branding and help to increase your reach. Step up your game even more by using inventive and appropriate hashtags.

8) Offer a Charging Station and Follow-up Activities

Set up a wireless charging station or USB charging ports at your exhibit booth for people to charge their devices. While they're waiting for their battery boost, keep them entertained with fun activities and conversation to build a relationship.

9) Create a Value-added Incentive

You’re at a trade show to increase awareness about a product, service or brand, so set up something special for those people who interact with your booth. Build a special landing page on your website and offer a white paper, e-book or instructional video that brings extra value to the and pushes them to interact with you beyond the show.

10) Debrief and Follow Up

Spend time with your team after the show to evaluate your successes and where there is room for improvement. This will help improve your booth for the next event or trade show. Analyze sales leads and social media engagement and run it against the costs. Follow up with those people who have provided their contact information. Be ambitious, but not pushy, and make sure you’re capitalizing on your new-found relationships by reaching out via phone or email.

It doesn’t take much to give your trade show exhibit the boost it needs to stand out in a crowd. And when you’re ready to put some of these tips into action, give us a call. We’ll help you take your trade show experience to the next level!