"Effective Trade Show Ideas"

Q U E S T I O N
As a manufacturing firm, my company targets a specific clientele through industry trade shows. How can we get more attention at our booth?

A N S W E R
Do something unusual...memorable...unexpected. Stimulate the senses! Check the rules for your event and then... promote a scratch and sniff contest, play a game that requires a physical skill (basketball, ring toss, etc.), ask a visitor to handle something cold/prickly/slimy to trigger a tactile memory, run a bubble machine, invite a musician to play in your booth, hand out rare or unusually tasty munchies, conduct a blind taste-test, etc. The best ideas highlight the key benefits of our product or service. A swimming pool manufacturer showcasing a new leak-proof liner might hoist a piece of liner into the air, fill it with water and float numbered rubber duckies on top. Pick the right duckie - win a prize. Your goal is to fully engage people in a particular moment. Once they’re “in the zone”, introduce yourself and your product or service. We’ve had great luck with talent (magicians, jugglers, mimes, caricature artists, massage therapists), food (popcorn, taffy apples) and crafters (sculptors, painters). And hey - remember to give out cool stuff! Think outside the box! The gimmies don’t have to be imprinted...why not attach an attractive tag with more room for your marketing message. Whatever you do, find a creative way to tie it into your firm’s name, mission, products or sales goals. Be remembered for all the right reasons. Think of the commercials that catch your attention but heck if you can recall the advertised products...always connect the dots. Have fun!