When life gets back to normal business is going to react quickly and getting in front of people is sure to be a priority, YES WHEN IT’S SAFE TO DO SO OF COURSE! It’s not enough to just be present at an event you also need to get noticed, make the right impression and be remembered.
Getting it right can make a huge impact on your company’s success, particularly for small companies. Simply because exhibitions are one of the very few chances to have face to face interaction with your target market where they can experience your products/services first hand. It is also a great chance to get immediate feedback, which could influence how you market your business going forwards. When you think that a vast majority of visitors have an influence on the buying decision of their company, there probably isn’t another format where you can market your business to so many potential customers.
To help you achieve desired results, we have outlined some key factors to take into consideration when designing and marketing your exhibition stand that will hopefully not be virtual or on Zoom or Teams (other platforms exist i’m sure)!
Before booking your stand make sure you’ve covered all bases
- Choose carefully. Will your target market be greatly represented at the event?
- What’s on? Are there any seminars/workshops going on that you may benefit from?
- Know your Competitors. Companies who are not market leaders in their industry may benefit from large competitors being close by and the crowds they pull in. You’ll be sure to get potential customers pass by, and not everyone subscribes to “biggest is best”.
- Don’t be a litter magnet. It’s not always a good idea to pitch by refreshment areas, they may attract crowds but often it’s for one reason only. Avoid being too close if you don’t want your stand to become a potential dumping ground.
- Beware of Windows. You may benefit from some natural lighting but your downfall may be loss of visibility on your stand. Glare from the sun could wash out any presentation screens or get into the eyes of your visitors.
- Be an Early Bird. Book your event asap and grab one of the hot spots. Pitch near entrances/exits, at the bottom of downward escalators, front corners of the hall and in particular by the registration area. For information on upcoming trade fairs and exhibitions in the UK visit http://www.exhibitions.co.uk/find-an-event
Make your stand attractive!
Just some careful thought and design principles can make a significant difference on the amount of impact your stand can make in a crowded event.
- Decide on your objectives. What is the key message you want to put across to your target market? What makes you better than the rest? What action do you want your visitors to take after the show?
- Keep your target market in mind. What kind of look and feel will appeal to your target market? Picking the right imagery, colours, text and layout will have a significant effect on who your stand will attract.
- Create an eye catching theme. When your stand has a theme running through it, it’ll demand a closer look, giving your company a bigger personality and larger presence than any of the bland, larger stands.
- Make sure your brand is easily identifiable. You want people to recognize you when they arrive and remember you after they’ve left. So make sure your product and company name stands out clearly and repeatedly.
- Keep things simple. Keep key messages on banners, flyers and posters simple and straight to the point making them easier to digest and memorable. Giving out too much information can be off putting and easy to forget. You want to give out just enough information that will spark up interest and prompt an enquiry.
- Keep everything in proportion. Make sure no oversized furniture or brochure stands are obstructing key information or displays.
- Use lighting to increase awareness. Lighting can help to highlight graphics and key information that could otherwise be overlooked. It is particularly effective if you have your product on display.
- Tell people where to find you. Use your current list of contacts and inform them when and where you will be exhibiting. Email Marketing is a good way to increase sales and re-activate past customers. As well as mentioning your stand number, be sure to give them an idea of where your stand is, for example if it’s near any ‘landmarks’. Of course if you need any help in creating an Advert, brochure or a marketing email we’re at your service.
- Get interactive. As we said before, exhibitions are a great way to interact face to face with your customers. Making your stand interactive will establish a stronger communication between you and increase your brand’s identity.
Some suggestions are:
- Challenge/game/competition
- Product sampling
- Simulator
- Use social media (display live tweets)
- Touch screen
- Photo booth
- Give aways. Free promo gifts are a great way to get noticed and prompt potential clients to contact you after a show.
rtfacts can brand up all sorts of promo items from bags to USB pen memory banks. Whatever you want we can brand it. However we think the best promo items are ones with your market audience in mind. Choose an item they will really make use of and the more original the better, after all you don’t need more than one mouse matt or pen at any one time?
USB sticks are great because the more the better, and you can even put something interactive on them! We can supply and brand a very nifty wallet for your USB sticks with product/company/video information that will wow the socks off people! An item that allows you to give away a bit more information than just a website address and logo is sure to help people remember why you’re better than the rest!
Hopefully having read our top tips, you will now have a better idea of how to make a success of your exhibition. Not only that but also how much we can assist in ensuring that your company will stand out from the rest, giving a professional and lasting impression to your target market.
We have 30 years of experience designing, printing and managing all sorts of exhibition stands. If you would like to discuss what rtfacts can do for your business.
Call us on 01442 266 590
email roger@rtfacts.co.uk
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Resources
How to make your small exhibition stand a success
7 Tips for making your exhibition a success
How to get the Most out of Exhibitions and Trade Stand
