For all of the emphasis on fancy exhibit design and the importance of branding, marketing and PR in the lead-up and during the actual trade show, one thing tends to get lost in the noise. That is the importance of selecting the right people from your company in order to form the staff of your exhibit booth. You can have the most amazing graphics, marketing and pop up displays on the show floor, but if all of your staff seem uninterested and lack knowledge of your products or brand you will have a lot of trouble getting the most out of your next trade show event.
Perhaps the most important thing to look for when selecting individuals to staff your trade show booth is an individual’s ability to engage with attendees and convey a welcoming and endearing personality to visitors. Of course, product knowledge is also key to finding successful staffers for your next exhibit booth, but the most crucial aspect of staffers will be their ability to engage and welcome in attendees. You want the people who everybody loves to be around, who radiate kindness and have a personality that will make visitors to your trade show booth feel right at home and ready to learn more about your company and your products.
In order to find these individuals, consider doing an informal survey of people around your company about who might best exemplify these traits. You could also do an actual survey as well. Once you have narrowed down the list to a dozen or so individuals, you may want to do quick interviews to identify the most radiant personalities and test their knowledge of the company. Trade shows can be both fun and stressful so make sure that whomever you select to staff your booth is eager and willing to take on that role. If you find someone who doesn’t want to be there, don’t force them into the role because it will only add to their stress and potentially negatively affect your exhibiting.
The staff at your trade show booth is perhaps the most important aspect of your exhibiting. They need to be able to instantly engage attendees and convey your brand message as well as suss out potential leads or partnerships. Focusing on exhibit design is an important aspect of preparing for your next trade show but your exhibit booth will not succeed or fail based on how eye-catching your pop up displays are. It very well could succeed or fail based on how well your staff does their jobs, however.