So you’re not North Face, you don’t have the budget for a 2-story mega display, and you’re worried about standing out at your next trade show. Fear not! All you need is a little creativity, and some quick & dirty trade show tips from Harmonic Media! p.s. If you're not into "reading" just call us, we'll hook you up!
Embrace Technology
The days of setting up a table and handing out brochures at a tradeshow are long gone. You must incorporate technology in some way. So whether that means generating buzz on social media, inviting targeted segments to your booth through push notifications, setting up a phone charging station, or building an interactive wall – technology is a must if you want to make your tradeshow booth stand out.
Recruit Miss (Or Mr.) Congeniality To Work The Booth
Think back to the last time you walked into a store only to get cornered by an annoying salesperson. Even if you planned on making a purchase – you probably hightailed it out of there.
Attendees want to talk about one thing when they come to your booth – themselves. So if your CEO tends to railroad people in conversation, convince her to take some well-deserved time off. If your sales guy is the pushy type, save him for the follow-up phone calls. Let your friendliest, most energetic, skilled listeners do the talking this time!
Declutter Your Booth
That guy wearing socks and sandals. Your child who insists on wearing a tutu, tap shoes, leg warmers, ski goggles, a tiara, AND a superhero cape to school. Those people needed a reminder that more doesn’t always mean better – and we’re going to do the same for you. Stacks of papers, outdated branding materials, and lame swag (more on that in a minute) might be close to your heart, but to the untrained eye, it’s clutter.
Make your overall message clear from the get-go. Who are you? What do you do? How does it make people’s lives better? The end.
Give Good Swag
Literally, every article on earth written about tradeshow booth tips has a section on swag. So for the love of god – why are we still seeing so much junk??
The jury’s still out on whether it’s better to give away bad swag, or no swag at all. But you can’t go wrong with good swag! Getting people to flaunt your swag in public is no small feat – which is why brands like Louis Vuitton are genius. Louis Vuitton has somehow managed to convince the rich and famous to pay them to be brand ambassadors, carrying around handbags covered with their logo.
We are not suggesting you invest your entire budget on swag. But there are definitely better ways than others to invest those dollars.
Examples of Bad Swag:
Bowl of candy (Tasty, but will anyone remember you from the other candy givers?)
Flashdrives (It would be cheaper to wear a sign that says “Hi! We’re from 2002!”)
Anything big (It’s gotta fit in a carry-on.)
Examples of Good Swag:
Complimentary headshots (Trade attendees a headshot for their email. Instant email list!)
Moleskine notebooks (Bonus if it’s pocket-sized!)
Microfiber cloth (Ever get a glimpse of your iPad in the sunlight?)
Be more than just a face behind a table. Contact Harmonic Media today for more tradeshow tips and custom tradeshow design ideas.