Here at Blazer Exhibits & Events, we eat and breathe exhibit design. We’re always looking for new and innovative ways for our clients to take their trade show presence to the next level. If you’re working with us, you can rest assured that we’ll deliver a dynamite tradeshow booth.
We know from experience that a compelling exhibit design not only reflects positively on the company which employs it, but also draws positive attention at the trade show and helps you stand out from the crowd.
But, sometimes you need a little extra ‘oomph’ in order to promote a new product launch or further call attention to your booth. When that is the case, consider thinking outside the box in order to drive attendees to your exhibit and garner the type of attention that you deserve.
Bringing Them In
Sometimes you need a little extra in order to really drive the kind of traffic that you desire to your tradeshow booth. For this, it helps to think a bit outside of the box and come up with some trade show ideas which can pull attendees towards your exhibit no matter where they may be in the expo.
So, how is this done? There are several ways. Some of the proven techniques include hosting a competition or contest and utilizing talent or other inventive means of driving foot traffic to your tradeshow booth.
Contests And Competitions
When you think of a contest at a trade show, you probably have a simple ‘put your name in a hat and win a prize’ type of contest in your mind. While these can attract attention, especially if the prize is something highly coveted (like the latest Apple tablet), there are other types of contests and competitions which can bring in more traffic by really replicating a game that encourages participants to compete.
Some of the coolest ideas that we have seen are the passport and scavenger hunt competitions. The passport competition is typically put on by show organizers or orchestrated by a group of exhibitors. It involves giving out ‘passports’ which attendees can then show at a participant’s booth in order to receive a stamp. The attendees with the most stamps earn a prize, which is typically a free product from one of the exhibitors.
The scavenger hunt competition works similarly, but has even more potential to drive not just traffic, but greater engagement from attendees. That’s because it doesn’t simply require attendees to check out a tradeshow booth and ask to get stamped. It requires them to interact with staffers in order to answer questions about the company in question. The first person to turn in a complete and correct answer form wins.
Utilizing Performers To Boost Your Tradeshow Booth Traffic
There are a lot of great trade show booth ideas, but sometimes it is necessary to think not just outside of the box, but outside of the booth as well. And one of the easiest ways to do this is to hire performers to drive traffic to your booth.
Some of the most popular performers include musicians, magicians and models. These performers can help to increase interest and also drive additional traffic to your tradeshow booth. Remember, the most effective performers are typically those who specifically cater to trade show exhibitors.
Take Mark Phillips, for example. Mark has been working in the magic business for years. But, although he used to put on his own shows. Mark has really found his niche working for exhibitors at major trade shows. He successfully uses close-up, sleight-of-hand magic tricks to entertain while effectively conveying his client’s desired marketing message.
Performers can be great, but It is always important to choose performers carefully so that they aren’t merely a gimmick that detracts, rather than adds to your tradeshow booth. The right performer can bolster your overall trade show presence, while the wrong one can turn one of the best trade show booth ideas into a total bust.
Putting It All Together
Whatever you choose to do to take your tradeshow booth to the next level, it is important that you always keep in mind your overall goals for your next trade show. You want to make sure that you are working towards these goals. You also want to be sure that any additional talent or tactics that you use to drive further attention to your tradeshow booth, doesn’t detract from your brand image or exhibit design.
In the end, it’s all about achieving your goals. And if you have set specific goals around raising your company’s profile or driving the most sales, you will need to attract attention and garner attendee traffic in order to achieve these. By taking advantage of great trade show booth ideas like hosting a contest, putting on a competition or hiring a performer you can maximize your trade show presence and easily reach your goals as well.