The corporate exhibition is a necessity of modern business. If you want to increase your brand awareness, your client base, your contacts and your sales, you have to roll up your sleeves, practice your most winning smile and man your booth with the perfect mix of enthusiasm and information.
The convention scene isn’t exactly the highlight of the year for most of us; standing for hours behind lacklustre booths with worryingly over eager smiles plastered on our faces while potential clients ignore us is neither productive nor particularly fun. If at the end of the day all you have to show for your efforts is an aching face, blistered feet and boxes of leftover leaflets, your faith in the power of corporate conventions is bound to be shaken.
Fortunately, there is a solution to your exhibition woes; all you have to do is break the mould! If you stop approaching your exhibition like a corporate car boot sale and start approaching it like an exciting, enthralling show, you can reawaken your passion for your business as well as inspire potential clients at the same time.
Theme: The Glue of Your Event
Never underestimate the power of a theme. Your trade booth is more than a hub of information, it is a prime advertising opportunity where you can be cunning and creative.
- Theme your environment; turn it into a supermarket, a picnic area, a laboratory or a workshop depending on your business and the industry of your target audience. Your effort and creativity will not go unnoticed.
- Invest in components for your area and displays that will make your booth aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and fun; think picnic tables or games and screens so your potential clients can interact.
Signage: The Backbone of Your Brand
Don’t limit yourself to only enticing people who are walking past your exhibit, as with standout signage you can grab the attention of people from the other side of the room. A fantastically themed booth is brilliant, but if people don’t know who you are or what you do, they might stop and gaze but not come over. There’s more than one element to creating the perfect sign:
- Ask a question; asking ‘Do you want more X?’ or ‘Is your X giving you enough X?’ will inspire potential clients to find out more. When your sign asks a question, you’re appealing to your audience on a personal level which encourages them to respond.
- Keep it simple; no one’s going to take the time to read masses of text on a sign. Convention halls are packed with signs, stalls, booths, tables, stands, screens and masses of people, with individuals tending to glance around the room rather than take their time surveying every sign and reading every bullet point. Make sure your sign says everything you want to say at a glance.
- There’s no room to be vague; corporate colours and company logo are what people associate with your brand, just make sure they’re not doing all the work on their own.
- Make it professional; your sign is the first indication of your business so make sure it looks the part. Utilising the services of a company like Wide Format Solutions Ltd, who have the best laser printers, large format printers, and roller banner stands available, ensures your signage and banners convey the right message to your potential clients; quality, attention to detail and perfectionism.
Gifts: The Advertising That Keeps On Giving
‘Free’ is one of the most favoured words in the English language, so use it to your advantage. Offering free gifts goes hand in hand with corporate exhibitions; if someone takes an interest in your booth, you’re expected to reward them with a trinket emblazoned with your company name and logo, so when the event is done and dusted they have something useful to remember you by. Pens and key rings are standard corporate gift fare, and you probably have a draw filled with multi-coloured company biros yourself, so if you really want your gifts to stand out then try something a bit different:
- USB Sticks – There’s no such thing as too many USB sticks. They come in handy for all manner of reasons and they’re not something people are quick to throw away.
- Bottle Openers – Something more fun than a key ring that potential clients can use time and time again.
- Lanyards – A versatile and useful alternative to a key ring that can be used at home and in the office.
- Free Food – Free food is almost as hard to pass up as free money. Have cakes, snacks and beverages available in convenient cups and plates that highlight your company name, and you’ll be well on your way to being the most popular booth at the exhibition.
If you want your exhibition stall to be a success, make it fun. Defy convention and stand out from the crowd at your next corporate event to make sure you have an impact.