Written by Skyline Exhibits
You don’t need to have a large booth space to make a big impact at a trade show. There are plenty of successful exhibitors that use 10’ x 10’ spaces. It really all comes down to maximizing your brand and building relationships with prospective clients.
Below are some ideas to help you maximize your brand while increasing lead generation:
Budget
Set a realistic budget and buy a quality exhibit. Realistically a 10’ x 10’ exhibit can range from $2,000 – $15,000. An exhibit is a representation of your company. You don’t want to buy an inexpensive one that will break down after a couple uses and represent your company poorly.
Work with a reputable exhibit company
Working with a company that has a local presence and a good reputation will put your mind at ease. Make sure they offer great service and continued support long after a purchase is made. You may be tempted to purchase an exhibit online because it’s a great deal but remember that sometimes things are too good to be true and you get what you pay for.
Graphics
This is a great way to tell your brand’s story. When designing the graphics think about the target audience. People don’t need to know everything about your company upfront. You want to pique their interest, so they want to talk to you and building a relationship.
Lighting
Don’t skip the lighting. LED lights are durable, help highlight graphics and brighten up a space.
Backlighting
This a great way to make your graphics and brand pop. It adds interest to the booth space and will make your exhibit stand out from the competition while attracting attendees.
Merchandising
Only bring products you want to showcase at the show. You can store a couple of additional products, add other product photos to the graphics, or add them to collateral or videos.
Movement
Use a monitor in your booth with a looping video or images to add movement to the booth space.
Booth Staff
Having well-trained staff is a necessity at trade shows. They are meeting the prospective clients face to face and need to be able to qualify what type of leads they are.
Qualifying leads
Create a ranking system to qualify leads: low, medium and high. Doing this will help your sales team be more efficient with their time and close more deals.
Games and Promotions
Attract attendees with interactive games and promotional giveaways. The participants will be more likely to give their contact information if they have a chance to win something.
Social media
Post about the upcoming trade show and create hashtags for attendees to use. Do live videos during the show and post photos to encourage attendees to stop by.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Create targeted campaigns before and after the show.
If you follow all of these tips you will have great success gathering leads and attention with a small space and a positive return on investment. Good luck at your next show!
If you need more information on graphics or would like to work with a Skyline consultant, feel free to contact us.
Trade Show Planning Timeline (PDF)
Download this all-in-one trade show planning timeline to keep track of your trade show deadlines. Our timeline includes exhibit design & build tasks, technology considerations, pre-show promotions, booth staff tasks, lead management and miscellaneous items.
