Tips for Creating Traffic-Stopping Tradeshow Booths
If you've ever manned a tradeshow booth, you're familiar with that sense of urgency to bring back home a stack of qualified leads. And, with so many other exhibitors vying for the same prize, you may find yourself behaving a bit like a carnival barker in your efforts to lure visitors into your booth.
Luckily, there's a more dignified option: Let your tradeshow booth do the work for you.
To learn how marketers can attract a constant flow of traffic to their booths, I interviewed industry expert Les LaMotte, founder and CEO of Xtra Lite Displays (www.xtralite.com).
The key to maximizing booth traffic is to make sure the booth commands attention at several distances, starting with about 30 feet away, according to Les. Your booth needs something eye-grabbing that attendees can spot from that distance. "Side wing" displays that catch attention from several aisles are also a good option.
Getting in the Zone—Three Zones, Actually
But let's say you weren't able to secure such a desirable spot—or, for that matter, invest in a fancy exhibit booth. That's OK; attendees are still going to pass your booth at some point, and you can still attract—and sustain—their interest by displaying three types of messaging, each uniquely suited to viewing from one of three distinct zones, says Les:
- The Memory Zone—about 15 feet away.
- The Sensory Zone—close enough to interact with booth materials and demos.
- The Data Zone—as much a state of mind as a particular proximity, the Data Zone is where booth visitors are looking for evidence that your product or service will solve their problems.
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Comments
Stephanie, thank you for posting this. Stopping traffic is a single step in effective exhibit marketing. What we find is that most exhibitors neglect to answer the following questions and therefore don't see the returns from their tradeshow investment.
1. Why are you at the show?
2. Who is your audience?
3. What will capture their attention (stop at your exhibit)?
4. How will you engage them in dialog to learn more about their needs?
5. Where and When will they next connect with your company (commitment to the very next step in the relationship with your organization...). This is the "lead follow-up" piece where, statistics tell us, 90% of organizations fall completely flat on their face. No follow-up, leads to no results other than the vague "brand impressions" that drift into vapor when you get to marketing budgeting time.
Face to Face event marketing is an highly effective medium, but only when fully implemented...bottom line, it's so much more than the exhibit!
Great info! Being in the trade show business for about 30 years, all the info in your article and points made by Nicole are great. I have only one comment -- and that is with your opening statement about "manned" a tradeshow booth. I always "STAFF" the booth with both men and women representatives.
Nicole, your comment has inspired a possible next article idea: "Mindful Marketing"! Not only trade shows, but other marketing mediums and initiatives would certainly benefit from the steps you outline above.
Linda, thanks so much for the positive take on the article. It's appreciated, especially as you're anindustry veteran. Regarding manned/versus staffed....I meant to indicate the person reading the article has actually worked a trade show himself/herself. "Staffed" would have implied that I was speaking indirectly about their employees. I suppose I just should have used "worked." :)
And - considering your investment - doesn't it make sense to develop a promotion to your target market BEFORE the show? Your objective is to get the attendees you want to your booth, Engage them with your promotion, tie your booth layout to the theme, and have a simple system to capture info for later follow-up. Unqualified attendees are probably just after your cheap toys for their kids.
Timm, absolutely. Obviously many elements and steps involved in trade show marketing; too many to address in one article. But since you mention trade shows as an investment, the right booth messaging, visuals, and visitor interaction can more than compensate for certain budgetary constraints.
Stephanie,
I'm so glad it's inspired you. And I'm really glad you started the ball rolling, tradeshow marketing is an under addressed topic on marketingprofs and I was pleased to see a post on the subject. Personally I believe tradeshows, meetings and other b2b events are the ideal platform for an integrated marketing campaign and the original form of "social media". Technology tools now give us abundant ways to enhance the experience of connecting people, companies and messages at face to face events. Feel free to contact me by email if you'd like to chat.
Nicole, trade shows and in-person events are indeed the original "social media." And remain one of the best mediums for cultivating business, in my opinion. There are definitely tech tools that can be used to enhance these events, as well - particularly in the realm of inspiring visitors to take "next steps." One of my clients, a communications technology college, is using a scanning technology at their Open House this fall. Basically, prospective students and their parents will be able to use their iPhones to scan additional and next steps information right off a tag on the shirts of various college staff. Pretty cool.
Before and after trade show marketing is equally important. When you do succeed in having someone stop, it is important to provide them with a take away that they will remember and actually get them back to your website.
We have developed a vehicle that drives home your key message and provides an incentive to visit your website. Ideal for the super large shows where it is really easy to get lost in.
Loved the article! So many exhibitors think you should cram as much info into one booth as possible. However, overloading your visitors with info will only make them forget it rather than remember it.
Smash Hit, I couldn't agree more with your take on "Too Much Information." It doesn't usually work very well with brochures, websites, and other marketing content, either.