Welcome back to part two of my new blog series, Trade Show Exhibiting Done Right, where I share pre-, during and post-conference tips and tricks to make your company’s attendance at trade shows and conventions worthwhile.

Let’s quickly recap last week’s blog: booth location is important so book early, use your brand colours when designing your booth, make sure your logo can be seen from far distances, be engaging & friendly, connect with other exhibitors, and dress similarly to your team. If you’d like to read last week’s post in its entirety, click here.

On to this week’s tips…

1. Bring the fun. Whether it’s a giveaway, contest, scavenger hunt, game, unique promo item, a theme, or some other element you decide to add to your booth, get creative in order to stand out among the rest and attract attendees to your booth. The Plan A & StaffStat team have taken selfies with attendees in branded cut-out polaroids, played multiple “Minute to Win It” style games, and even brought a photo booth complete with props and unlimited prints to a few trade shows. A quick Google search can help you come up with some fun trade show ideas that your company can put its twist on!
2. Boast your offer. It’s important to figure out exactly what your end goal is for attending/exhibiting at a trade show; are you launching a new product, promoting your free trial, showing off upgrades or enhancements, etc? Whatever your reason for attending, make sure you have a call-to-action that you share with every attendee and be sure to offer a special conference incentive, such as an extended free trial, reduced rates, etc.
3. Bring freebies! Let’s face it, people LOVE free things and offering FREE things at a trade show can definitely create interest around your brand. According to a survey conducted by the BPMA, 83% of individuals can remember the brand of a promotional item they were given without even looking at it, and perhaps more surprising, 73% of people who have received a promo item from a company went on to purchase a product from said company! When exhibiting at a trade show, be sure to put a lot of thought into choosing promo items. Some things to consider: does the item match your brand?, is it tasteful?, is it unique?, is it practical?, is it of quality? For an in-depth look at selecting swag for your next event, check out this post I wrote on The A Dot Blog.
4. Switch things up. Whether you attend more than one convention in your industry that features repeat attendees, or if you attend the same convention year after year, strive to refresh your booth each time. You do not need to necessarily revamp your booth completely, but adding or changing some elements can really give your booth a brand new feel; something as simple as re-designing your backdrop or  can make all the difference.

That’s all for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s tips and tricks for trade show exhibiting!