Trade shows are corporate war zones – perhaps they are the front lines of engagement between the trifecta of customer, competition, and your own brand. On the surface, your commercial event or tradeshow may appear to seem happy go lucky – but the illusion is the product of months of planning to stand out, lure customers, and close deals.
There are many tools in your modern commercial event toolbox, and if used wisely, you can differentiate yourself from the pack. The trick is to engage all of the senses to envelop your guests and bring them into your world.
The fight begins from over 10 metres away, and intensifies as your prospective visitors draw closer to your commercial event exhibition stands.
Let’s discuss some of the best tips for attracting exhibition stand guests:
Sights
- Ensure that you have clear signage and brand messaging that is front-facing to the flow of traffic. In order to achieve this you should review the floor plan well in advance of making any exhibition stand decisions.
- Provide a call to action – it does not necessarily need to involve generating a lead instantaneously, it may be as simple as creating an inviting atmosphere and always having a fresh pot of coffee brewing and some snack foods handy.
- Just as animated advertisements are the most successful online ads, having some form of movement or action at your booth will attract wandering eyes; this could be an animated sales person, LED signage, moving signs, and product demonstrations.
- Ensure that your staff members dress the part and look smart and sophisticated.
Smells
- Nothing is more delightful to the senses of an exhibition stand guest than the smell of fresh baked cookies, fresh brewed coffee, the scent of fruit, or even aroma therapy favourites such as lavender, vanilla, or mint. Experiment with different scents that complement one another – just make sure that if you use a scent that prompts an appetite that you have some food on hand!
Touch
- Deep plush carpets and lavishly comfortable seating will provide reprieve for ailing trade show goers, and if walking around in your exhibition stand is more comfortable than another, you can bet people will linger longer.
Sound
- Depending on your market you’ve also got a lot of choice here, too. From soothing low-level background nature sounds like a waterfall or bubble brook – to an announcer carrying out a product demonstration or raffle; sound can add the necessary life, action, or tranquility to your event which will further attract trade show visitors.
Taste
- A selection of unique food offerings will draw in the most visitors, although it is important to make sure that you don’t have low-grade cafeteria faire. In every aspect of your exhibition stand, you have focused on the details, so don’t stop there when it comes to your munchies morsels. Try something a little exotic or unexpectedly high quality to create a new flavour discovery for your visitors. They’ll thank you for it.
Additional Tips
- 86% of all marketers know that face to face marketing is the most effective, so it is imperative that you select the right staff member to engage with your visitors.
- Study the historical behaviour of competitors in advance, not just the year before. This will allow you to identify patterns and possibly even disrupt them.