Five Tips for Tradeshow Success
Have you ever signed up to be an exhibitor at a tradeshow, paid your deposit and then wondered if the whole process was an exercise in futility? Does it really pay to display your merchandise at an industry event? The answer depends on how you display your wares.
No matter what your product is, a good trade show display is crucial for tradeshow success. After all, your display space is more than just a place to stand while you greet potential customers. It is a traveling, virtual storefront— where representatives should get to know you, understand your brand, and decide to use their spheres of influence to impact your bottom line.
So how can you make sure your tradeshow booth is used to greatest advantage? The following five tips for making the most of your display space can shift your tradeshow participation into high gear. (And when it comes to promoting your brand, would any other gear work?):
1. Brand Matters.
People order extra business cards and company banners to make sure everyone who shows up at their booth knows who they represent. So, before you order any printed materials, make sure your logo, slogan and company name accurately define your brand. Don’t make the mistake of coming up with your business name based on the first product you create. It might be overwhelming to consider. But your brand should communicate the overriding theme of your offerings rather than one individual product.
2. Connections Count.
Trade shows are great opportunities to connect your people with attendees so they can form valuable relationships with potential vendors, wholesalers, retailers, media representatives and customers. So, make sure you include time to network in your schedule. Take someone to lunch or meet for drinks. And when you think about networking, don’t forget about nurturing existing relationships. Good business begins with personal relationships. So keep things professional. But take a cue from international networking guru Dr. Ivan Misner, whose mantra “givers gain” has fostered billions of dollars’ worth of business deals in 60 nations.
3. Stuff Sells.
Don’t make the mistake of forgetting the underlying reason why you would want to attend a tradeshow in the first place. Consider the products or services that you offer. How much does your product cost? How does one use it? What is your company’s unique sales proposition? Ask yourself each of these questions while you are planning to set up your display.
Make sure you merchandise is set up in a way that answers each of the above questions. And when selecting display materials, calculate the basic structure of your display space. Most booth space is a blank canvas, requiring you to bring your own slatwalls and shelves. So remember to include shipping and handling fees in your tradeshow budget. The best way to contain costs is to go with a lightweight yet strong slatwall material such as Xylea-wood.
4. Stand at Attention.
Figuring out how to make your exhibit stand out from the rest is challenging. Every exhibitor in attendance is competing to capture the attention of visitors and intrigue them to find out more about their company’s products and services. So how can you make sure your display space stands out?
- Your booth should be full but not cluttered.
- Colorful exhibits stand out more than their monochromatic counterparts.
- Movement is important. For more about this, check out our post about Tradeshow Display Ideas.
5. Enter the World in 3D.
With the flood of millennials into the marketplace, some vendors are making the mistake of doing absolutely everything online. But while most millennials live in constant contact with their electronic world, nothing replaces a good old-fashioned face-to-face meeting. People of every generation appreciate a warm smile and a firm handshake. So trade shows are the perfect place for you to present yourself and your brand to audiences from around the globe. Use electronic meetings as a way to follow up with clients who are out of the area. But don’t rely exclusively on the web to build your brand.
If you are considering taking part in an industry trade show, check out the attractive, lightweight, affordable trade show display and kiosk solutions available by Xylea-Wood. Our patented technology is an eco-friendly answer to your trade show, kiosk and display needs—twice as strong as conventional materials. Call (909) 860-2695 or click here to email us today for details about our display solutions.
