Many trade show exhibits these days are overtly designed to promote a company’s products, services and overall image. However, there are many different ways to achieve success at a trade show that are more subtle and sometimes more successful. In a venue where everyone is expecting a sales pitch and marketing spiel, creating a space where there is less pressure and no sales pitch can actually create enough buzz and positive feedback that your company may benefit in the end.
A prime example of this is the exhibit lounge. The lounge is simply a place within a trade show exhibit where attendees and passersby can come to relax and unwind, escaping the chaos of the rest of the show floor. A lounge that is done well in a booth exhibit provides a place where you can network with other attendees and discuss your company’s business in an informal setting that is more comfortable for other attendees.
Because you forego the marketing presentation and the sales pitches, you end up creating an oasis of a trade show exhibit where people will be more willing to come and spend time. This also demonstrates that your company is aware of the other advantages of trade shows, including the opportunity for networking and education. It also shows other companies that you are secure enough in your position that you don’t feel the need to constantly sell yourself and prefer to build relationships in a more deliberate way.
This isn’t to say that your trade show exhibit should not focus on marketing, but rather that an equally valid strategy for exhibiting is to emphasize networking over sales and promotion. There’s a lot of truth to the saying that it’s not what, but who you know that makes you succesful. Taking that to heart by focusing on creating a space for networking even on the trade show floor can produce a booth exhibit which seems refreshing and also can produce many contacts and relationships that can pay off in a large way down the road.