Trade Show Promotional Products - Boosting Booth TrafficWritten by Cindy Carrera
I was about seven or eight years old when I learned value of promotional items at trade shows. I just didn't know it yet. I was at a home show with my parents. As we walked through hall it was held in, I noticed people walking around with yardsticks. I really had no need for a yardstick, but seeing them made me want one. So, to make me happy, my parents kept an eye out for booth passing out yardsticks. I got my yardstick, and my dad got a deck from contractor who was passing them out. I use that example to paint a picture that promotional items can and do work at trade shows- although target audience usually isn't a third-grader with a $10/week allowance! The whole idea of a trade show or seminar booth is to gain new customers and perhaps repeat business from past customers. The whole idea of using a promotional item at your booth is to attract people to your table, generate interest and hopefully provoke questions. However, promotional items can also be dangerous. Why? Because people love free stuff- so you have to do this properly. You cannot confuse an effective giveaway with a 'freebie'- many trade show attendees love to walk around and simply collect everything in sight. You do not want this to happen at your booth. But, some trade show booth workers are quick to just lay items out and sit back and read paper, while qualified leads walk away with stuff. A few suggestions to avoid that are to keep your giveaways out of arm's reach. Then, when people approach your table, grab one and hold it, and strike up a conversation by asking a question. Then, hand them item. Perhaps conversation will even continue. This way, they will be walking away with item, but also with a message about your business. Or you can offer an item to people walking by, and when they approach you to take it you can surprise them by asking qualifying question to strike up a conversation.
| | Trade Show Exhibit Booth - 7 Tips to Improve YoursWritten by Patty Stripes
Once you have decided to participate in a trade show, half your work is done. The other half starts with exploring ideas on how to get maximum out of event both in terms of brand building as well as sales enquiries. Here are seven easy to follow and cost-free implementation tips which would help you improve your trade show booth.1. Balanced décor The size of your trade show booth doesn't really matter. The main idea should be that you work towards achieving a balanced look for space. The display material and furniture should be spread evenly instead of concentrating in one section. The entire assigned space should look equal so that visitors find booth attractive enough to visit it. 2. Treat it as a mini camp You are likely to spend most of your waking hours at trade show booth for next couple of days so it is advisable that you spend a few minutes in planning strategic and accessible locations for all items required. This also helps you avoid a mad scramble each time a visitor requests for some literature or a visiting card. For example, keep enquiry form on a handy clipboard just under table, keep visiting cards in your pocket for easy access, keep high quality brochures under table which can be reached without a lot of exercise etc. 3. Right amount of furniture Aim at 'right-ordering' furniture. Not so much that your trade show booth looks like a furniture display and not so little that you have no chairs to comfortably seat a tired visitor who might a good potential customer. The furniture should also be a match to your display and avoid heavy sofa if you have limited space as you will always be skirting around it to get anywhere.
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