Image by Mieneke Andeweg-van Rijn via Flickr
In today’s unpredictable market, the effort put into every single endeavour your marketing department will undertake can mean the difference between new hires and layoffs.
And yet in spite of this understanding, the staff members that are selected to stand and represent for your brand at a corporate event are only statistically likely to contact 20% of the leads they make.
By stark contrast, 88% of tradeshow goers are decision-makers who are personally involved in purchasing decisions.
So before we give you any advice on this subject, we highly recommend having a stern meeting with all staff members that will be present during your company’s next tradeshow event.
How to Get Noticed at Your Next Tradeshow Event
There are so many ways to ensure you make a lasting impression, so let’s break it down from the top. If you have anything to add to these suggestions, please let us know in the comments.
- Observe the Floor Plan Well in Advance
The average tradeshow lasts as long as a game of Risk played by experienced players, so let’s make this “game” an analogy for this suggestion.
If you are going to war, your success hinges on understanding the lay of the land, the flow of traffic, key obstacles, and the locations of “foreign” troops. That means picking up a copy of the event floor plan before making any tactical decisions in terms of your exhibition stand, and its location within the walls of the event.
Historical information is also really important, soldier.
By viewing floor plans from years passed, you will be able to spot some habits of your competitors, patterns, and other companies that tend to pack together. Do they complement one another, serve the same market, or does their presence as a group draw in more guests?
- Know Your Neighbours
If every single exhibition stand within a 20 metre radius is all in the same industry, you’re in the weeds and it could overwhelm your platoon, err, sales team.
We call this the swamp and it’s difficult to reach new visitors when there are other predatory brands circling around your prospective clients.
However, if you’re a new player in the game, perhaps it may be most prudent to stand next to giants to enhance your visibility.
- Follow the Traffic
Be sure to observe where all of the doors and exits are so you might be able to put yourself into the flow of traffic and be front-facing. It would be devastating if you, or those visitors you are trying to bring in, went unnoticed by the other.
- Multiple Camps
If your company is multifaceted and has more than one offering, consider spending the extra capital on hosting multiple exhibition stands by Aspect Exhibitions for each individual arm of your organisation.
This will allow you to cast a wider net, enhance your brand visibility and that of its unique differentiated products or services.
- Select an Effective Vantage Point
There are a few standard exhibition stand location types available at most events and each have different reach.
Side stands are the least effective and easily overlooked as people walk around. People walk straight and by and may not even look in your direction.
Islands are a great improvement when compared to side stands; however, they can be hit or miss. Ensure that your island stand is facing in the right direction, and corporate messaging is clear to oncoming traffic.
Corner stands are the most lucrative locations to have your exhibition stand. If you’ve ever observed the flow of traffic at a commercial tradeshow people tend to pause as they walk around the corner.
