By Dixie Somers
When you attend a tradeshow, not all your success will be achieved on the actual day of the show—a good portion of success will depend on how well people remember your business weeks or months after the tradeshow is over. You want to make sure that your company or product is remembered, but how do you stand out from the crowd? The best way to stand out and create a lasting impression is to stimulate all of your visitor’s senses. The more senses you involve in your presentation, the stronger the memory you create.
- Create an Interactive Display. Many people are tactile learners, meaning that you need to put something in their hands—don’t just tell them how it works, show them. Product samples are a smart way to showcase your product and create a lasting memory, but what if you provide a service, not a product? Simple hands-on games can be a smart idea because they are not only fun, but offer you the opportunity to award prizes tailored to your product or service. Hand held fans for an air conditioning service or key chains for a locksmith are just some ideas of how you can tailor your promotional prizes to your company.
- Use Eye-Catching Motion. As people move around the event, you can catch their eye by incorporating motion into your display. A 3D holographic display of your product or logo can be a great addition to your demonstration. Not only will it attract attention as people walk by, but it is a unique way to display information about your company that your visitors will be talking about for weeks to come.
- Encourage People to Stay. The more time people spend at your booth, the more likely they are to remember you. Make them want to stick around by creating a comfortable, relaxed environment. Padded flooring, comfy couches, and even seated massages are a great way to help people relax, allowing you more time to make an impression with them.
- Offer Free Food and Drinks. Freshly brewed coffee, hot buttery popcorn, and ice cold water bottles not only bring people to your booth, but also satisfy a basic need. Visitors will be more likely to stay for your presentation if you are satisfying their needs. This also gives you another opportunity to advertise on cups and packaging, which will help people remember your brand and name even after they leave your booth.
- Use Your Space Wisely. Carefully plan the layout of your booth. While you want to make sure no space is wasted, you also don’t want to create a crowded, uncomfortable area that will discourage visitors from staying. Use colors and lighting to give a small space an open feel to make sure that your visitors stay long enough to absorb your message. Try to view the layout from the visitor’s perspective, and make it comfortable and inviting for them, not you.
- Don’t be Afraid of the Aisle. You want to engage every single person that walks by. A great way to do this is to have some of your staff venture out into the aisle to talk with people who may have otherwise passed you by. In addition to discussing your product, have these staffers offering something that requires the visitor to enter into your booth area like game tickets.
Try to make your booth design, games and freebies all a part of a unifying theme. The most important thing to remember is to make everything tie back to your business or product somehow. This will help link your product in your visitor’s memory and create a truly lasting impression. If you present your company name, logo, and brand in a visible way, potential customers will walk away with a strong memory of your company, which will lead to good business later down the road. The information for this article was provided by the professionals of Truss Kits, who provide tradeshow and exhibit displays.
Dixie Somers is an Arizona-based freelance writer. Follow her @DixieSomers.
