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Stand Out at Your Next Trade Show

Trade shows are an outstanding way to build your business, make new clients, establish new collaborations with complementary businesses, and get exposure. If you’re lucky, you can even make a little bit of profit while you’re there. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of other businesses there that have the exact same idea.

So how can you avoid being overlooked and make a splash, getting your name out there and creating a real impact for your company? The answer is to think strategically. Taking the right steps, preparing in advance and making sure you have a stand-out trade show exhibit are the answers to maximum return on investment in your convention efforts.

Prepare in Advance

As with any business success, advance preparation is key to your efforts. Contact con attendees via social media and put out a call — what do they want to see from your company? What kinds of giveaways would they like, and what new services are they hoping to see? The more information you gather, the more success you’ll have.

Have Unusual Swag

In case you’re not familiar with the term, “Swag” is an acronym for “Stuff We All Get.” The better your giveaway is, the cooler your booth will become and the more of a destination it’ll be. It’s all well and good to hand out a pen with your logo on it, but it doesn’t show much creative thought. Give away something quirky — what about headphones, or even a custom Rubik’s cube? A laptop skin or pouch is another great idea. Get creative and do something different!

Talk to People

When we say talk to people, we don’t mean sales pitches and ad slogans. We mean engage them in normal conversation. Keep it light, humorous and fun. Nobody likes a hard sell and you’re just as likely to drive people away as you are to draw them in with a hard pitch. Rather, get them laughing. Humor always sells.

Check Out the Competition

Before the con, investigate your competitors and see what their plans are. They’re probably advertising it online. Then, at the trade show, take a walk around the convention hall and check out the competition. See what they’re doing and gather ideas for how you can compete.

Wearable Marketing

Think about giving away T-shirts and encouraging people to put them on right away. Make sure the shirts are eye-catching, fun, and something people are going to want to wear, then tell customers it’s free, so long as they put it on right now.

Design the Best Trade Show Exhibit

This can’t be understated. Design the best trade show exhibit at the convention. Use technology to its fullest with videos and interactive demos. Create outstanding lighting effects. Use gigantic, eye-catching graphics that cry out who you are and what you do. Make it look like someplace people are going to feel compelled to visit. Use stunts like pop-up displays and giveaway contests to draw attention.

If you’d like some input from the pros on how to create the best booth for your convention efforts, to have a trade show exhibit that delivers a maximum return on investment, lets you stand out from the big boys, and makes it all worthwhile, Xibit can help. Check out our services and what we do and get in touch with us today!