Preparing for your first trade show can be intimidating, but if everything goes right trade shows can be highly beneficial for company growth. On the other hand, if you’re poorly prepared and show up with nothing special to offer, you might wind up going home disappointed by the fact that the neighboring booths stole the show while you sat there and watched everybody pass by. There are certain things that people just expect to see when they visit a professional booth, and if your stand is lacking any of those components, it’s going to be difficult to compete. With that said, here are five things every small business should bring to a trade show:
Attractive Displays and Signage
Nothing catches the eye better than a massive flat screen or a projector that takes up an entire wall. The more displays and signage you have, the better; you can’t really overdo this aspect. Pop up trade show displays are highly effective at capturing the attention of passersby and are therefore essential pieces of equipment to bring along if you’re looking to stand out from the crowd. Some great examples of professional displays can be found at H3 Graphics.
Refined Marketing and Branding Materials
Be sure to take a strong selection of marketing materials like pamphlets, brochures, flyers, business cards, pre-loaded flash drives, coffee mugs, t-shirts, bumper stickers, key chains, and anything you can possibly think of that will help spread brand awareness. The desired outcome is to have plenty of stuff to give away, with each item serving as a reminder of your brand’s name, logo, and slogan.
Contest or Giveaway
Who doesn’t want the chance to win something free? The key here is to make it extremely easy for anyone to enter into the raffle/drawing, as that takes away the only excuse anyone would have for not wanting to enter. Make the entry form short and sweet and hand out as many tickets as possible to see the highest possible turnout. Don’t hesitate to invest $500-$1,000 or more on the first-place prize. The more expensive the better, as prizes of higher value will typically attract more entrants. The goal here is to have most of the attendees of the event remember your brand name because they’ll associate it with the contest everyone was talking about.
Prepared Presentation and a Confident Speaker
While displays and signage can get someone to walk up to your booth, they’re not just going to stand there and watch a TV or look at a sign all night. It’s up to your staff to engage the visitors as they arrive at the booth. Having a presentation or pitch prepared and equipping your booth with a strong speaker can give you the edge needed to keep your visitors interested and turn them into brand advocates. Likewise, pop up trade show displays can help you deliver the presentation in an ideal setting.
Capable Team
Remember that each and every one of your team members will be a representation of your company to the individual visitors they interact with. If one of your staff members leaves a bad impression, that’s a bad look on the entire business. Thus, you should only take your most talented and passionate employees with you to avoid any unnecessary mishaps or shortcomings.
Confident Attitude
As a bonus tip, one of the intangibles that you should bring with you is confidence. Nobody is going to believe in your company’s vision if you can’t even come across as genuine when promoting it. Go to the trade show with a goal in mind and be informative and welcoming in all of your interaction with event attendees.
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