Booth Camp: Your Battle Plan for Trade Show Preparation

Karen Enriquez-Wagner – Account Supervisor

Achieving a cohesive and compelling brand presence at industry trade shows is no easy feat. Often, efforts need to start months in advance to adequately prepare for the event. However, trade shows represent a unique opportunity in B2B marketing, offering valuable facetime with important industry contacts. When done effectively, trade show preparation is worth every minute.

As with all marketing campaigns, success at industry events boils down to strategic planning. While each show will be unique depending on size, industry and other factors, these general tips of the trade show can help brands put their best foot forward.

Set up Homebase

The trade show booth itself represents the bulk of the impact a brand will have on the event and its attendees. Strategic design and detail-oriented execution are critical in ensuring positive impressions. Visual elements should be impactful and inviting, encouraging viewers to take time out of their busy show schedules to stop in. However, consistency with the brand’s product or service is equally as important. Visitors may remember the interesting design, but if they can’t associate it with the exhibitor and what they do, the experience will most likely not generate leads.

Utility is also an important consideration when designing a booth. There are several practical elements to consider, such as attendee traffic, places to house literature, how the products will be showcased and more. What kind of experience should visitors have at the booth? Is it open for large groups of people or set up to encourage 1-on-1 interaction with sales staff and prospective customers? By considering all stakeholders and their behaviors within the space, marketers can ensure the booth is equipped to optimize efficiency and present a polished look.

Because of the scale of trade show booths and the limited setup time before shows, many brands don’t see the finished product until it’s too late to change anything. Finding a booth vendor partner that allows walkthroughs, either virtual or preferably in-person, before the final product is shipped to the show allows time for tweaking small details and prevents surprises. With this extra step, any potential issues that did not come to light in the planning stages can be accommodated and the design can be perfected.

Supplement Strategically

Though the booth is the primary facet of trade show branding, it is not the only opportunity to make an impression. Pre-show marketing efforts can have a significant impact on awareness for giveaways, new product offerings and other incentives to drive traffic to the booth. These can include social media posts, eblasts, direct mail and more. Often, marketing teams can even work with the show’s host to obtain a contact list of attendees for effective audience targeting. Public relations can also factor into trade show preparation, as editors and other media contacts are usually in attendance. Reaching out to those contacts before the show and setting up booth visits is a great way to boost media relations and potentially earn editorial placements.

During the show, marketers can take advantage of the large event space with onsite advertising. Organizers will have no shortage of options for additional visibility, with banner ads, spots in newsletters, event sponsorships and more. The best spots tend to fill up quickly, so including mid-show awareness efforts early in trade show planning is the best way to ensure results.

Even after the show, marketers still have opportunities to capitalize on the brand’s presence during the event. Following up with additional emails and social media posts holds the attention of attendees and offers them another opportunity to convert into leads. Public relations follow ups are equally important to show appreciation for any editors who met with the brand representatives at the show and can increase the likelihood of positive press.

All of this work for an event that only lasts a couple of days may seem like overkill, but anyone who has attended a major industry expo knows that their value cannot be overstated. In this digital age, any opportunity for in-person communication is priceless in building genuine connections and long-lasting professional relationships. With effective, strategic preparation and thorough execution, trade shows can provide some of the best return on investment of any marketing effort.