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7 Ways to Make Your Trade Show Booth Interactive
5 min read
Sure, we all know that trade show booths should be interactive in order to draw in more visitors, but this is much easier said than done. Coming up with new, interesting ways to grab people’s attention can be a difficult process. If you give yourself enough time to plan something truly unique for your next trade show exhibit, it will pay off far into the future in the form of lead generation and increased brand awareness. Incorporating any of the following seven ideas into your booth will help your company stand out from your competition at your next trade show.
- Industry Trivia
If you’ve ever been to a trade show, you’ll know that professionals take industry knowledge very seriously. Trade show attendees are usually looking to find a particular service, solve a very specific industry problem, check out the competition, or looking to network with potential business partners. Give your booth visitors a chance to show off their knowledge of industry trends or history relevant to your company or the event. Offering prizes as an incentive will only help increase participation!
- Incorporate Tech
Most people love exploring the latest advances in technology, so why not leverage that to your advantage in your next trade show booth? No matter what type of service or product you are selling, there is usually a way to incorporate technology into your booth that is alluring and engaging. People love to experiment with new tech gadgets, and if you give them the opportunity to loosen up and “play” in your booth you’ll be the talk of the trade show. Some ideas include: touch screen technology, branded mobile app demonstrations, remote-controlled drones, live video and social media feeds, or projected gaming systems. Be sure that whatever interactive technology you decide to incorporate can somehow be tied back to your product, service or brand.
- Include a Photobooth
A photobooth is great way to add a light-hearted, personal element to any trade show booth. It will bring people together and help break the ice for valuable networking opportunities. Allowing them to print and keep a photo strip with your company logo will help them remember your company after the show. You may also choose to have the photobooth pictures directly uploaded to social media, and give your booth visitors the opportunity to tag themselves. This will expose your logo and company to all of their social followers and friends.
- Hashtag Contest
Photos are not the only way to incorporate social media to your trade show booth. Hosting a hashtag contest at the trade show and inviting attendees to come up with relevant, humorous posts for a clever company hashtag can be a great way to involve people on social media. Develop a witty, branded hashtag, and then invite your visitors to share photos or posts including that # for a chance to win a prize. Including a large, visual projection of the live feed will also increase your visibility on the trade show floor and help draw in more visitors to your booth.
- Demonstrations
If your company offers a product, then a proven method to boost booth interaction is to host demonstrations of your product throughout the day. This has become almost an industry standard for functional products. If your company provides a b2b service, you can also choose to host a demonstration outlining a successful project case study. Presenting the step-by-step process that lead to a successful, satisfied client is a great way to raise company interest on the trade show floor. Make the presentation as impressive and professional as possible, and be sure to include pictures, graphics, and specific examples.
One of my personal favorites is to hire a professional trade show magician that can work your pitch into his/her magic act. Everyone loves a good magician and they always draw a crowd.
- Staff Interaction
Properly training your booth staff in trade show conversation and presentation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to boost visitor interaction at your next event. Aside from your logo, your staff is probably the most important part of your exhibit. Be sure they aren’t hiding behind a table or podium the whole time, engrossed in their smart phone or not interacting with people walking by. Make sure you hire friendly, confident staff to work your trade show booth, and give them some training beforehand that is specific to trade show interaction. Do this by giving them conversation prompts to study, and help them brainstorm ideas of how to grab the attention of attendees. Make sure that they have all of the information needed to answer any questions potential clients might have. Your company doesn’t have to break its budget on expensive displays or fancy hardware, when one of the easiest ways to boost interaction is by investing in your own staff. The more knowledgeable and approachable your staff is while working your trade show booth, the more leads you are likely to gather.
- Memorable Swag
Sure, giving away swag is a great way to send people home with your logo, but company pens, key chains, and flash drives can get old fast at trade shows. Visitors will most likely be up to their necks in branded lanyards by the time they get to your booth. Items like mini notepads and plastic clips will also likely get lost in the madness. At your trade show booth, give away items that are truly interesting, memorable, or surprisingly useful. Some good ideas include phone chargers, reusable water bottles, bags (go for something a little more fashionable than your standard backpack), or seasonal products depending on the event location and time of year. The more useful, technical, or fashionable you can make your swag– the better.
The design experts at Iconic Displays would love to hear your ideas for your next trade show booth. Give us a call today to start building an interactive, impressive display that will leave your visitors wanting more!