Taking your show on the road

Trade shows are an incredibly effective way to introduce your business to a wide array of potential new customers.  When it comes to displays, I have some good news and some bad news.  Want the good news first?  Your competitor's booths probably stink.  Ready for the bad news?  Yours probably does too.

Here are some rules to think about when you or your agency is working on your display.

~ What's the point?  Identify the one fact/impression you want everyone to remember from your display.  Not three main points or five.  One.  Once you have communicated that, stop. 

~ Force them to stop.  Do something so visually arresting that people cannot help but stop.  This is not the time to be timid.  Be bold.  Grab them and (figuratively) drag them into your space.  I'm not talking (unless it fits with your brand) something silly.  I am talking relevant but WOW!

~ Think of it like a billboard.  Be brief.  This is not the place to reproduce your sales letter or brochure. 

~ Less is more.  Some companies trade show space is like a three-ring circus.  People do not want to walk into chaos.  Having one good, bold idea is much more effective than throwing the kitchen sink at the attendees. 

~ Do it right.  Yes, you are going to have to spend more money.  But, it is an investment that will last for years.  This is not the place to go cheap.  It will be glaringly obvious and speak volumes about your business.

If you're going to invest the money and time resources to have a presence at a trade show, make sure you maximize that investment by having a display that they'll remember long after the show doors close.

Comments

[Andy Keeler]

This post is absolutely excellent. All of the tips you offer are suggestions that we try to pass along to our customers, so it's great to see you getting the word out about trade show marketing strategy. Great job Drew.

[Doug Mitchell]

Hey Drew:
All of my big boy life, I've been fighting the "word junkies" on booth stuff. Few people can grasp that people don't pass by a booth to read your manifesto. Argh! Bad memories coming back of 3 columns, 10 bullet points each.

Also, find a balance between quality and price on the actually printed pieces of the display. Odds are that your message or style will change within 3 months. When you dig out that booth, you'll likely sigh and know you can do better by tweaking again so be smart about the budget.

[Drew McLellan]

Andy,

Thanks...feel free to share it with your customers if you think it will be helpful.

Glad you stopped by.

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Doug,

Even as a writer who can get pretty fond of his own words -- I know that we all need to know when they're appreciated and when they're ignored.

A tradeshow booth is like a billboard...7 words or less is a fine plan!

Drew