How To Make Your Trade Show Booth Stand Out From The Crowd

honda's booth at a trade show

Trade shows are an amazingly effective way to meet prospective clients in person and to build exposure for your business. However, with so many other businesses presenting alongside you, it can be tricky to grab attention.

So how can you make the most of this opportunity, and ensure that your investment in a trade show pays off?

Follow these guidelines to create the “must-see” booth at any trade show.

 

Come Up With Creative Giveaways

We’ll tell you a secret: everyone is bored with mugs and ballpoint pens. To stand out from the crowd, give away something unique.

What about some balloons? Or a fun pair of socks? Whatever you choose, make sure it’s different and that it displays your company’s logo. That way, your visitors will walk away with something memorable that reminds them of you whenever they look at it.

 

Invest In Your Booth’s Design

It might seem counterintuitive, but investing more money in your booth’s design is the best way to maximize this opportunity. A boring or lackluster booth simply looks like you don’t care, where a smooth, polished display shows that your business is worth the investment.

Banners will make a bold statement to the passerby. Make sure your text and logo contrast the background color to really make it stand out from other surrounding booths.

 

Design Tips

Keep any signage for your trade show booth above waist height so that they will be easy for people to read.

Post your logo in several different places, and keep your messaging brief and direct. Be sure to use fonts that are simple and large enough that people can easily read your signage from a distance.

Although using a photo straight from your iPhone might sound easy, be sure to hire a professional that will ensure proper formatting and resolution for images and banners. It would be a huge bummer to finally get your booth set up and realize you have pixelated or blurry images.

 

Include Creative Stunts

You need more than an exhibit to stand out; you need a real showstopper, and nothing should be off the table.

How about a multimedia tunnel where people who walk through get to learn about your products? Or an automation of some of the machinery or equipment you produce?

We even know of some exhibitors that made use of live animals as part of their booth. In general, nothing should be considered off limits if you really want to stand out.

 

Generate Buzz In Advance

The statistics show that out of 400 booths at a trade show, the average visitor will only hit 25 or 30. So it’s in your best interest to ensure you’re one of them by building plenty of hype prior to the event.

Reach out about three or four weeks ahead of time to potential visitors. Promise them a special surprise giveaway; maybe even offer them the chance to vote on what that giveaway will be.

 

Give The Best Tote Bag

Most exhibitors will be giving away bags to hold their swag and freebies; but if you give out the biggest bag, then yours becomes the one that holds all the other smaller bags.

That means more visibility for your business. And if you give out a reusable bag with your branding, your company image will live on long after the trade show is over.

 

Make It Interactive

Games and touchscreens are excellent strategies to get visitors engaged with your booth in a memorable way.

Besides the sheer fun, they allow your employees to interact with visitors in a way that’s natural and meaningful, opening the door to more knowledge about your target market and some promising contact information.

Try incorporating a scavenger hunt, an educational workshop, and a survey or quiz to give visitors an experience they won’t forget.

 

Setting up at a trade show requires lots of time, energy, and planning, not to mention a substantial monetary investment. By following the suggestions above, you can ensure that it more than pays for itself in a booming and vibrant customer base.

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