Many of us who run our own small and/or home-based businesses utilize conferences and trade shows as a way of marketing our products. If you are new to the booth business, you may be wondering not only how you create a visually appealing booth, but how do you actually get people to come over and visit you? It isn’t necessarily the same thing…
Here is what I learned in doing events and working with exhibitors—people want to touch things. I know it seems incredibly simple, but the more things you have that invite people to pick them up, touch them, and interact with them, etc. the more likely you are to get a good steady traffic at your booth. I think that having stuff to touch works even better food. Often with food (candy, snacks, etc.), people just take the food and move on—but if your booth invites people to pick up and touch—they’ll stay and chat with you.
If you have products and samples that you can put out, that is good. Also any sort of games, gadgets, and interactive displays help to draw people in. Then, while people are touching, playing, trying out, and sampling all your display articles, you can make your pitch or provide additional information about what your business does.
A final word about the visual—having a visually appealing booth that really stands out IS important. It is good to choose a bold color for your draping (if you can) and make sure your signage is prominent. Some vendors go for the intense, cluttered booth, while others make things more sparse, but once you’ve gotten people’s initial attention with the visual appearance of your booth—you’ve got to give them a reason to come in closer and stay, and I think that means getting them to pick stuff up and touch it!
Also: Hiring Extra Help for Trade Shows or a Seasonal Rush
Understanding Visibility for Your Business
Let Customers See and Touch Your Product