Trade show activations are an opportunity to interact with prospective buyers and create an on-brand impression. But, they only work if they make an impression that attendees remember. I was at Natural Products Expo West in LA a couple of weeks ago, and when I asked buyer friends which booths they liked the best, they predictably talk about the huge and dynamic 40×40 booths like Clif Bar & Co., which included full growth live trees. However, many also mentioned small in-line booths (about 10×10) that had created cool and interesting interactions that caught their attention.
Huge booths come with huge expenses (think six-figures or more). But, that’s not required to make a great impact with buyers and have a successful trade show. I started to think about the attributes that help manufacturers stand out in small in-line booth spaces. Hint: it’s not a table and samples alone.
#1 Eliminate the Table
Expo West had 3700 vendors, and it felt like 3650 of them were standing behind an 8ft table handing out prepared samples. Brands can stand out by removing the table and creating an open environment to interact with customers. In some cases, this will require a reimagination of the sample process, but this adds to the experience.
#2 Create a Theme
Use the space to create an on-brand interaction. Buyers will remember “the booth with the 80’s party,” “surfers who started selling soda,” or “the booth with the selfies.” Buyers that remember your theme can be as effective as having them remember your brand. Post show e-mails can then reference your theme, and link back to your brand offering for their consumer base. E-mails can reference the “rad booth party” or the “bodacious soda,” anything to take buyers back to the brand experience.
#3 Enthusiasm of the Team
Enthusiasm is contagious! It is one of the most effective tools to welcome buyers into a booth. The sales team’s attitude can make or break the experience. If there are a lot of activities in the booth that keep the team on their feet, it is important to create a system for breaks to keep everyone fresh. If the sales team is tired and wishes they were sitting down, it shows.
#4 Market to the Buyer
The audience of a tradeshow like Expo West is retail buyers, so booths should be tailored to their needs. Yes, they want to try samples, but they are also interested in brand distribution, proposed trade spending, volume incentives, etc–make sure sales collateral pieces speak to these topics. Physically, multiple days of walking tradeshows floor is an endurance game for buyers. Therefore, manufacturers’ interaction with buyers has to change throughout the day. Examples include offering morning coffee breaks, mid-day dance breaks, or afternoon happy hours. Keep them coming back for more!
#5 Color
Color creates a quick impression and is a strong memory aide. No matter the size of your booth, color is a great way for brands to stand out. And yes, that means matching outfits!
#6 Video
One video display can get lost in a booth, but many displays become part of the booth’s experience. These displays also allow for quick messaging changes from trade show to trade show and year to year, which keeps the booth fresh without constantly updating print material.
#7 Find Out-of-Booth Activations to Sponsor
Evening events, water stations, floor clings, mealtimes, speakers, outside sampling, and even bathrooms can be sponsored at trade shows. If you can think of it, you can sponsor it. Try to think of something to sponsor that the trade show doesn’t already offer. They are less likely to know how to value the new sponsorship, leaving you more room to set the price, or negotiate lower.
Theodore Schweitz 