Trade Show Event Ideas: 10 Ways to Stand Out, Be Heard, And Win

Trade show events can be a huge leap for a company, but many fail to meet the mark. Here are ten ways to stand out amongst the crowd

Create an experience

Participation at tradeshows has historically been a struggle for many. It’s hard to make your company stand out in a sea of others that may have more money to spend on booth activities and staff time on event planning, and you have to be mindful of other participants in the space, such as professional services firms, vendors and commercial real estate (CRE) companies, and to also keep costs low. Think about how your visitors might want to spend their time. Would they like to learn more about your services, spend some time with you on break or hold a short meeting on the spot? Would you be happy for visitors to know your company’s name, and so would your employees since they’ll be expected to ask for business cards? Bring employees, partners, and customers into the mix.

Partnerships

Nearly 90 percent of trade shows are team-based events. Each year, companies plan several trades shows to meet as many potential partners as possible. Partnering with partners on trade shows helps a company position themselves as the leader in their field and shines a spotlight on their brand. When leveraging other companies for trade show partnerships, it’s important to find out what their values are, their objectives and how they market their company. Categories of Partnerships A great example of the importance of partnering with others on trade shows was done by Disney when they partnered with AMZN on their show. They created a special session called AMZN Disney’s Step into Fantasy featuring shows from Star Wars, Frozen, Marvel, and Toy Story.

Offer unique content

If there is one key factor that sets apart the winners from the losers at a trade show, it’s unique content. Our industry is huge with an ever-expanding customer base. But those customers do have specific wants and needs when it comes to attending a trade show. If you want your company to stand out, then make sure you cover every aspect of the event, including the information, marketing materials, and information of interest to the customer. Make it interactive Nothing could be worse than walking into a trade show space and having to sign up for something. A lot of event planners view their shows as transactional events. However, those experiences are what can turn people away from your brand or startup. Make sure there is something for everyone at the event.

A memorable way to get there

Trade shows are all the rage for your company. With the number of online customers growing year on year, you must be seen as an established brand to increase brand awareness. Visibility is everything. Organizing a trade show is a huge step for your company. The chance to increase brand awareness, increase website traffic and engage with customers can be achieved through your trade show. However, with so many trade show ideas, it can be tough to stand out amongst the crowd. Here are ten ways you can do just that. 1. Differentiation There’s no point at all trying to be all things to all people. Think about who your audience is and how they engage with your brand. Also, consider your size. Exhibitors, for instance, don’t need to make their presence large to get attention.

Get a memorable name for your booth

Customers judge companies on their booth names. An easy way to stand out is to use a clever name that instantly catches the eye, that the reader wants to remember. Your name is your name brand. It should be as memorable as your product. Customize your booth to make it stand out. Make your booth look different from any other booth in the area. Customize with neon lights, fresh flowers, and images, etc. A little creativity can go a long way. Choose a unique logo Don’t just use any logo. Choose a unique logo for your company that is hand-drawn or designed in a particular way. Something instantly recognizable will catch the reader’s eye and get your product noticed.

Make the roadshow interactive for your audience

There’s a stereotype that street shows are focused on noisy stage performances with costumes and hyperbole, where the product (or service) is secondary. However, there are plenty of reasons why trade show events should be used as an opportunity to showcase your product, not just as an opportunity to sell it. Stop and ask: what do you like? What’s your experience of my product, service, or service proposition? What did you do or didn’t do? What did you think of my offering or what could be improved? Ask for your peers’ opinions too, because they’re the ones that know their products and services best. Present a change or shift in thinking Trade show events and street shows share some similarities: your audience will be stressed and busy, so why not show them that you’re listening?

Giveaways and surprises

Usually an afterthought, but a well-planned surprise can go a long way. The idea is to take the element of surprise and surprise the guests in the best possible way. Depending on the event, you can be up to the task, either with activities that will take the guests by surprise or through limited quantities of prizes.

Create a theme for your booth

It’s good to let people know what you’ll be selling. But, if you forget to deliver what you’re promising, your message will be lost in translation. A clever and specific theme is key to drawing in and keeping customers at your booth. It doesn’t even have to be a sales tactic; it’s a way of showing off what you’ve got to offer. Hire a skilled designer or use a template. Having a good theme will give you a good basis to draw on when you’re choosing what to wear, using props, or even what to display in the booth. But you should avoid cheap, knock-off products or anything that may be clichéd. Remember, customers, don’t want to think that someone just handed them a flyer at your booth.

Have fun with it!

No one wants to hear the dull company name and logo for an event they have paid to attend. These days, you need to draw in attendees by making your event stand out. Here are ten ways to do this. Run a “Meet the Experts” booth. This is one of the easiest ways to make an event stand out from the crowd. Let people play with and talk to a specific expert in your industry. This is a great way to get your brand or product noticed by a person who might not know you at all. Offer product samples. This is a great way to show off your products at an event. The person that does not get one of the samples may walk away thinking that the sample is the product. This is a great way to show off your products, brand, and services, especially in a venue with people who don’t know who you are yet.

Conclusion

In today’s world, businesses and consumers are looking for all sorts of ways to stay up to date with what’s happening in the market. Because of this, companies have to work hard to stand out from the crowd. A way to do this is through trade shows and exhibitions, which are just giant showcases for the industry. Here are ten ways to stand out from the crowd with your next trade show event. 1. Research Your Competitors Another key component of an effective trade show strategy is to be familiar with what other companies are doing and how they’re doing it. Being an early adopter of change is just one of the many ways you can stand out from the crowd.