Exhibition stands are often described as the “shop window” of a business but at trade shows, your stand is your shop – and it is one of many. So how do you get people in there? Here are some tips for standing out from the crowd and effectively attracting visitors to your stands.
Freebies
These are probably the biggest pull at any exhibition, especially for casual visitors, but giveaways may not be that big of a draw if they are too cheap of cliched. Some alternatives to the usual pens and notepads include branded USB sticks, clever gadgets, pedometers, first aid kits, or water bottles – though it seems like there are always at least a few people who just can’t get enough pens. If you give away something large like a tote bag, it will mean plenty of people walking around the show will spot your logo – and it’s always a good idea to try to keep your giveaways as relevant to your business as possible, though perhaps not if your business is bricks or concrete!
But there’s more to give away than just things:
- WiFi. If you’ve ever had a problem finding a good connection at a trade show, you’re certainly not alone, and free WiFi can be a major draw for visitors.
- Coffee and tea. These are always welcome at trade shows – and a good way to get visitors to linger at your stand for a while.
- Other refreshments. Snacks are always a draw – especially creative ones, and ones that will get people dozens of feet away wondering what that delicious smell.
- Phone charging. Lots of people find their batteries running low at busy shows and many of them will thank you for a place to give their smartphone a charge – and it is definitely a way to ensure those visitors stick around for a little while! And there’s more than one way to recharge batteries – if you’ve got the space at your stand, think about offering chairs or sofas for people to take it easy for a while.
Entertainment
Experts say this is a guaranteed way to draw some initial attention to your stand – and while you may not have the budget for a big-name entertainer or a virtual reality booth, games, videos, or entertainers like jugglers or cartoonists will certainly get people looking in your direction! Of course, you’ll need to figure out a way to hold people’s attention and bring it to your product after you’ve captured it
Design and Location
There are almost endless kinds of exhibition stand design out there and the right one will get people to gravitate toward your stand – go for something creative, clean, and colourful, and while a spectacular stand is definitely something to be proud of, remember that the number one goal is to highlight your message and your product or service.
Atmosphere
Visitors might not be able to spot it from a mile away, but having an approachable, professional, and engaging atmosphere at your stand is a key way to attract visitors. This will mean keeping your stand tidy, making sure your staff are well-trained, welcoming, and knowledgeable – and most of all, staying friendly even if you’re frazzled toward the end of a long day.
Contests
People love to play and they love to win, so running a contest is a great way to attract people to your stand and to engage with potential customers, even if you don’t happen to have a Ferrari to give away. There are a lot of raffles about but veteran exhibitors say that for maximum crowd appeal, contests should be entertaining, simple, interactive, and have some element of competition – when there’s a quiz around, plenty of people can’t resist showing off their knowledge.
