Banner Stand Pros

If you are a business owner or a marketing professional serious about maximizing the ROI, having an industry trade show presence is a must. 91% of the attendees say that being at trade shows impacted their buying decisions. Exhibiting at trade shows require a lot of skill, including planning, marketing, organizing, communicating, and team-building. With the endless number of trade show exhibitors, marketing agencies, event staff, and attendees flocking to the trade center, it is vital to make your brand stand out. Here are some of the tips to attract prospects and leave a lasting impression throughout the year.

Incorporate Interactive Elements in Your Booth

With digital technology more widely available, trade show exhibitors are coming up with innovative ideas to engage visitors with interactive booth experiences. Touch screen kiosks can help to incorporate interactivity in your booth. Use them to present product demonstration videos, conduct lead generating surveys, and allow your users to scroll through product catalogs. You can also use digital media to revitalize your booth presentation strategy. Include animation, live audience polling, and multi-touch displays to engage prospects with memorable experiences.

Provide Social Media Engagement Opportunities

Social media should be one of the top marketing strategies for attracting customers to your booth. You can use social media hashtag campaigns to increase the reach of your posts. Social media contests like Vote, Like, and Comment to Win Contests, sweepstakes, and photo and video contests are also great ways to attract more people to your booth. Include social media walls in your booth to broadcast the live social media contests during the event. If you’re launching a product, post teaser videos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to add to the hype of the upcoming launch. It can spread the word about the launch and also encourage customers to stop by your booth and learn more about your new product.

Get Your Trade Show Promotions Ready

Well-planned trade show promotions are essential for attracting booth traffic. Train your staff members to engage in meaningful conversations and set your exhibiting goals. Having memorable trade show exhibits such as banner stands, pop up displays, and fabric banner with high-quality graphics can help you set the stage for successful outcomes.

Always Follow-Up

After you have a successful trade show, it’s time to follow-up! Don’t let valuable prospects become cold leads just because you waited too long to contact them after the show. The longer you take to contact potential customers, the higher the chances are for you to lose the opportunity to complete the sale. Of course, not all leads will be interested in your products and services. In those cases, you can build two-way communication to gain a greater understanding of their needs and, over time, serve as a resource to them.

Trade shows offer businesses a chance to market their products and services and meet customers in a competitive yet beneficial environment. Exhibiting at a trade show provides a wealth of opportunities such as networking with prospective clients, increasing brand awareness, and making sales. It offers a range of benefits but demands an equal amount of work, focus, and commitment. If you have never exhibited at a trade show before, here are a few tips to make the process of trade show preparation more manageable. These can help to increase the chances of a successful first event.

Create Your Booth Design and Displays

Boring trade show booths will not attract visitors nor will they help you increase sales. You need to come up with exciting ideas that grab customer attention. Bring an adaptable modular building with elements such as a welcome podium, signage display, digital screen holder, and various walls and partitions. Buy attractive fabric banner stands, pop up displays, and retractable banner stands that are lightweight, robust, and portable. You can use these promotional items to showcase your brand logo and product images. Also, create a relaxing space to make trade show visitors feel comfortable, so they will want to spend more time at your booth.

Prepare Your Team

Often the most memorable part of a brand for trade show visitors is the personal encounter they have with your booth staff. Training your employees for the trade show environment will guarantee you make the most out of this important marketing investment. Start the training process three months before the show starts. Set measurable goals for each employee to perform. Your staff should focus on the five-step process of sales: engage, qualify, discover, present, and close. Make sure they concentrate on conversation and relationship building rather than overwhelming your customers with a bunch of brochures and information.

Develop Marketing Materials

Create all of your marketing material in advance to ensure that your brand’s name is easily recalled and recognized. You can also try building an event-specific landing page on your website for making participation announcements. Familiarize yourself with several social media tools and interact with the people you want to target. It can lead to meaningful conversations and in-person networking opportunities. If you are planning to launch a new product at a trade show, send out a press release announcing the new launch. Tweet regularly and monitor the trade show’s hashtag and relevant keywords. You can also consider outsourcing event-based marketing and PR for maximizing leads.

Use Giveaways

Trade show giveaways help customers get a favorable impression of your brand. Offering freebies not only improve your brand’s image in the eyes of customers but also will pull in more booth traffic. Giving away free items such as pens, care packages, key chains, USBs, bottle openers, breath mints, reusable straws, travel mugs, tote bags, and t-shirts are a critical part of the big picture of your trade show presence. Whenever you offer gifts to customers, make sure you incorporate your message on the item along with your company logo, name, and website or phone number.

Hold Interactive and Video-Based Seminars

If you are at a trade show, hold an interactive seminar or a video-based presentation to draw crowds to your booth. Demonstrating your knowledge in your field by conducting an educational session can help to establish your company as an expert. If you are gearing up to address a big crowd, host a demo or play a video with compelling imagery for inspiring and exciting the audience. Prepare for a quick visual interaction to convey to your customers what your product or service is all about. It is one of the impactful ways to generate excitement and stand out from the crowd.

Exhibiting at a trade show can help to increase brand recognition, attract prospects, network with potential clients, and boost sales. In order to stay on top of your competitors, your booth should have an exceptional design. With hundreds of other exhibitors on the trade show floor seeking the attention of the same attendees, standing out from the crowd is not an easy task. Visibility and engaging content should be your primary goals to get customers and generate more revenue. Here are some valuable ideas to help your trade show booth stand out.

Send Emails in Advance

Reach out to as many people as possible one week before the event. It can help make your customers aware of your trade show participation. It can also be useful to make a list of all attendees that you expect to visit your booth, so you can send out emails to connect with prospects and strengthen your existing customer relationships. Emails can also generate hype around your brand and draw the most relevant attendees to your trade show booth.

Pay Attention to Your Design and Branding

Invest in a great exhibition stand that displays your brand image well. This can help attract passersby to stop and check at your booth. You can choose retractable banner stands that act as a promotional tool to convey your marketing message. Ensure that your messages are visible to everyone. You can also buy other forms of banner stands to display information. It is essential to post your logo in various areas of the booth to reinforce your brand image. Make sure you use the right colors to leave a lasting impression, and consider hiring a professional designer.

Host a Giveaway Contest

Trade show contests and games can drive foot traffic to your booth. Run a contest in such a way that your customers will gain maximum interest in knowing more about your brand. A photo contest, prize wheels, trivia contests, counting contest, and solving riddles can trigger customer interest. Once the competition is completed, examine the results and provide gifts to the winners. You can also offer freebies such as wireless headphones, bottle opener keychains, cardholders, water bottles, chocolates, and tote bags to all the participants of your contests.

Bring the Best Staff

Recruit the most active players from your sales team to exhibit at the trade show. On average, you only have five minutes to capture customer attention, so it is important you have the most engaging and well-trained staff to demonstrate your products and generate leads. You should have the right mix of personality types such as greeters and tech-savvy experts to amplify your brand presence. Make sure your staff conveys the message confidently, accurately, consistently, and concisely.

Make Use of Technology

Use the latest tools to get the best bang for your buck. Make use of video technology for brand messaging in your booth. Mobile technology can also be used to engage with attendees through social media. Touch screen and RFID technology can attract attention, and you can create a digital catalog and display all the details about all of your products. A unique option is to use next-generation photo booths like Social Playground can create a memorable experience and boost brand awareness.

Well designed trade show displays are made to last a long time. But your branding and marketing goals change constantly. As trade shows are a competitive environment, it is vital to adapt your trade show booth designs according to the latest trends. Fortunately, there are many ways to update your existing trade show booth that can save you time and money. If your current display is feeling outdated, consider these cost-effective ways to refresh your booth.

Swap Out Your Current Graphics

Updating your graphics can change the look and feel of your booth. If your current booth has outdated visuals, it is time to invest in attractive graphics to draw in customers and win business. You can refresh the image with updated graphics that reflect your current rebranding campaign. Use retractable banner stands with high-quality graphics to display your promotional message. This is an inexpensive way to make a dramatic visual change to your booth set up.

Use Portable Displays

A good way to pull your whole display together is by adding a portable display to your booth set-up. The quick addition of a literature rack or an iPad stand can serve as an interactive element for your customers. You can also feature your new products with fabric banner stands or kiosks to make a significant visual impact.

Install Hanging Banners

Hanging signs attract more attention and help attendees locate your booth. These banners are suspended from the ceiling above your trade show booth for increased brand recognition. If you have a peninsula exhibit or an island booth, you can still incorporate an overhead sign in to your existing trade show booth.

Update the Floor

A commonly overlooked aspect of a trade show booth is the floor, but a change in the style or color of your trade show floor can make a difference. You can choose eco-friendly rollable bamboo flooring with dynamic patterns for a classic look, or go with a full custom printed floor to really grad attention. You can also make use of data collecting flooring technology that captures insights about how your visitors move through and interact with your display.

Light it Up

Color changing lights, LED accents, lightboxes, motion lighting, and distinctive product lighting can help to transform your booth without a lot of extra costs. You can use lighting to highlight your displays and to emphasize your marketing message. Plus, the color programming capabilities of these lights can help to keep the color of your light consistent with your theme.

Improve Your Technology

With the help of advanced touch screen technology on vibrant LED screens, you can get visitors interacting with your brand. These programs can also help you gather customer data, allowing you to generate more leads. Instead of giving booklets or brochures, ask your visitors to enter their email on the tablet and send them your details via PDF.

Create a Relaxed Setting

Incorporate a semi-private conference room for meetings and a lounge for tired attendees to have a cup of coffee and snacks. An at-home atmosphere can make your attendees feel comfortable. A resting or meeting place gives your customers a valuable space to initiate conversation and learn more about your products are services.

Having a booth at a trade show can allow your brand to reach out to hundreds of potential buyers. Hundreds of businesses compete against each other, vying for buyer attention and establishing a brand presence. So it’s no wonder that attendees spend thousands of dollars trying to put their best foot forward. Among other things, you will also have to decide whether you want to rent or buy trade show displays. If you are on the fence and aren’t sure what’s best for your company, here are a few pointers to help you decide:

Budget Matters

If you are participating in a reputable industry convention, creating an unforgettable experience for visitors is very important. From the type of trade show display chosen to the colors and materials selected, everything must work together to make an attractive display. However, your trade show budget is something that has to be considered. Custom exhibits will create a memorable impression, but they are expensive and cost about double the price of renting a booth. Buying also entails maintenance costs, storage fees, and insurance premiums.

If you have a limited budget or attend trade shows infrequently, renting is a better idea. On the other hand, by leasing trade show displays, you can attend multiple trade shows at the same time. Rather than paying full price buying two separate booths, it makes sense to rent and save money.

How Often Will You Use Your Display?

If you attend trade shows regularly or on a monthly basis, buying makes sense. As a rule of thumb, if you plan to use a display at least twice, purchasing will end up being less expensive. Maintenance and other associated costs of owning trade show displays can be offset by the costs of renting them for each show. You might also find it necessary to buy your main display and rent additional displays if you have two simultaneous shows you would like to attend or two shows around the same time.

Brand Image Matters

Rental booths may feature dated designs or show signs of wear and tear. Also, rental booths cannot deliver a customized exhibit that’s tailored to match your brand image. To avoid these issues, buying can often be the best solution. You can get what you want in a display and show your brand in the best way possible. Buying a trade show display helps to maintain brand consistency as well. Rental booths are always subject to inventory limitations, and you will have to make do with what’s available. If your company has the budget for it, it is often best to purchase your own displays for trade shows.

If you are looking for effective trade show displays at affordable prices? Visit us!

Trade shows are a great place for businesses to connect with potential customers and possible investors. They are also ideal for checking out the competition and helping businesses make plans for the future. If you are planning to gain exposure and attract attention at your next trade show, follow these tips:

Invest in Quality Trade Show Displays

First impressions are often lasting, and the competition at trade shows is often cutthroat as hundreds of businesses are vying for attention and generating leads. With so much pressure, it only makes sense you try your best to impress visitors. If you were a buyer looking around and observing hundreds of booths, wouldn’t you be intrigued by a booth that’s visually appealing and designed to stand out? Banner stands, tabletop banner stands, banner walls, and other trade show displays are not only inexpensive but serve their purpose well at events. Call us if you need help choosing the right trade show displays that fit your budget!

Attract People with Free Food

Don’t we all love free food? How about leveraging this love to get people to visit your booth? The time it takes for visitors to grab a snack can give them enough time to look around your booth or listen to an elevator-pitch about your products or services. Check with the organizers to make sure food is allowed at the event, and if finger foods such as sausage rolls or tea sandwiches aren’t allowed, place a bowl of candy in your booth. Also keep in mind some foods should never be served at a trade show. Avoid foods that are likely to be messy, those that have a strong smell, or foods that people are commonly allergic to. Also, make sure the food does not contradict your brand.

Entertainment and Giveaways

If the idea is to capture attention, there can be no better way than using gimmicks. Use this to give people a reason to remember your brand. You could hire a live band, rent a photo booth, or install a life-sized figurine. If your business involves children’s products, how about arranging a puppet show or magic show?

Giveaways are also a great way to make people notice your company. Giving away recyclable goodie bags will show off your eco-friendly credentials and ensure your brand is remembered beyond the trade show.

These tips can help you to stand out from your competitors at your next trade show or expo.

Trade shows offer a wealth of opportunities for businesses. For example, exhibiting at a trade show attracts potential customers, increases brand awareness, and allows for both networking with prospective clients and developing new business relationships. Additionally, you can meet important industry players at a trade show, and these events are also great for boosting sales. One should know, however, that participating in a trade show requires a lot of investment in time, money, and effort; you’ll want to make sure you achieve a healthy ROI. Want some tips for taking your trade show exhibit to the next level? Read on!

Promote Your Participation in Advance

Advertise your participation at the trade show well in advance of the event date. Invite your customers, clients, suppliers, and other important contacts to the trade show. Give them all the necessary details, including the address of the event as well as your booth number. You can also promote exciting features like interactive seminars, live entertainment, and presentations that will be happening at your booth. Email-marketing campaigns, social media, newsletters, direct mail, and paid advertising can be used to garner attention, raise awareness, and encourage trade show attendance.

Invest in a High-Quality Booth Design

Keep brand image in mind when designing your trade show booth. When your brand’s theme is consistent—and when you use premium booth-design materials like retractable banners and fabric banner stands—you can create a unique trade show booth that outdoes nearby competitors. Brand your products, freebies, and anything else of yours that customers can see or hold. Display essential informationso people know exactly what your brand does. Use impactful headlines and readable fonts so trade show attendees can view your booth from afar. Your potential customers shouldn’t have to talk with sales representatives to learn about your business—important points should be displayed on banners outside your booth!

Find Interactive Ways to Capture Customer Attention

Passive activities like watching a video monitor are not as effective as interactive, informative content—use the latter to attract trade show attendees to your booth. People loveparticipating in games and winning prizes. Use games, contests, and quizzes to ensure your visitors spend long amounts of time at your booth. Games are also great for interacting with potential customers—don’t forget to collect their information and follow up later. Incorporate touch-screen technology, feature product demonstrations, and hold promotional giveaways to get an audience interacting with your content.

Get Social to Generate Interest

Use your official social media accounts to generate interest among potential trade show attendees. Hire a photographer to take pictures of your booth attendees, and don’t forget to include your logo in the background. You can also hire an established celebrity for people to take photos with. Share these photos on your social media accounts and use creative hash tags. Additionally, you can post videos of your exhibition on Facebook and Twitter to attract your online customers. You can also write blog posts on your website about your trade show participation—talk about the conversationshad and the connections made.

Exhibiting at trade shows is one of the best ways you can market your products and services to a large group of people. If you plan to showcase your products and services at an upcoming trade show, make sure you invest time and effort in your booth’s design; after all, your booth’s design is the first thing potential customers will see. Make great first impressions by creating an eye-catching, inviting trade show booth. And if you want to know how you can make your trade show booth the best on the floor, consider the tips below:

Use Attractive Visuals to Convey Your Brand’s Message

Use banner stands, digital signage, pop-up displays, table covers, iPad stands, hanging banners, or retractable banners to display information about your products and services. Use high-quality prints when displaying texts, logos, and images. You can also use portable, customizable displays to accommodate your booth space. Make sure you use premium materials when constructing your display. Also, choose a color scheme that’s visually striking, and use subtle lighting to highlight the main features of your booth.

Create Space for Socialization

Include an open space where trade show attendees can relax and socialize, that way your booth is viewed as a meeting place by passersby. Place a comfortable sofa or an armchair in this space to help ensure conversations are started. One great way to grab customer attention is to install a charging station in your trade show booth—these give visitors an opportunity to learn about your products and services while their cell phones charge. Promote socialization in any way you can, for you want your booth to be viewed as lively by trade show attendees.

Use Technology at the Trade Show

LCD displays, when combined with interactive and brand-specific content, can serve as great tools for capturing customer attention at trade shows. Customize your booth with video monitors that display product demonstrations, or you could show a presentation of what your company does. If your visitors’ senses are engaged, they’ll stay longer and likely turn into valuable leads. Use smartphones and tablets to collect information from your leads. Take pictures of visitors’ business cards so you can get plenty of contact information. Video walls, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other leading technologies should be incorporated to make your trade show booth stand out.

Hold Contests, Games, and Quizzes

Engage with customers to create unique and lasting impressions. For example, use game shows, contests, and quizzes—all of these work wonders! Prize wheels, counting contests, photo contests, prize-in-the-locked-boxcontests, putt for dough, and social media raffles are some of the interesting activities you can use togenerate buzzboth inside and outside your trade show booth. Make sure the prizes you award are useful to trade show attendees.

by Bryan Kilpatrick

First impressions remain embedded in the mind for a long time. Because of this, it is vital for brands to create a positive buzz that’s relevant to their image. When at a trade show, exhibitors must grab customers’ attention with impressive banner stand displays and well-trained staff members. Signage, lighting, graphics, and location are some of the essential elements that should be given special attention to make strong impressions during trade shows. Both startups and established brands should consider these reasons to make a great first impression and attract more potential customers.

Purchase Decisions at Trade Shows

According to a recent survey, around 46 percent of purchase decisions are made by the mid- and senior-level executives while attending trade shows. The majority of visitors at trade shows come for product demonstrations, so having a way to show your product at a show can help to make a good impression and positively impact executives’ purchase decisions.

Value Delivered by Tradeshows

The majority of exhibitors feel that the value delivered by trade shows in terms of customer interaction, instant feedback, and connecting with relevant business partners is not given by any other marketing channels. Successful exhibitors use a combination of colorful graphics and engaging content designed on fabric banner stands to create a strong first impression when launching new products or services. This increases the foot traffic by your booth and captures the attention of potential customers, making your time at the trade show valuable.

Brand Awareness

Trade shows are effective for creating awareness about a brand and its products over a wide and diverse audience. Research shows that nearly 88 percent of exhibitors participate to raise awareness and make impressive debuts of new products. Nearly 77 percent of executives that visit these venues to see new products shortlist new suppliers based on product demonstration and impression created by display and booth staff. Having a thought-out trade show display and knowledgeable staff members will increase brand awareness and help you research more customers.

Sales Leads

When regular trade show attendees were asked about the success rate of their trade show investment, nearly 70 percent stated they participate to get prospects and new leads, and around 50 percent of visitors ask businesses to send representatives to their office. The cost of meeting a new prospect at a trade show versus meeting at a prospect’s office is almost half, so creating a positive first impression is very important to getting those sales leads at a lower cost.

As the old idiom says, you never get a second chance at a first impression. This is true in life as well as business. Having a positive first impression will help you gain more leads and potential customers, maximizing the benefit of your next trade show and helping to grow your business.