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Don't Be That Guy At The Show!

Nobody wants to be “that guy.” You know, that guy that talks too loud. That guy that tells dumb jokes. That guy who wears too much Axe body spray. “That guy” is doing all the wrong things, and people are noticing.

With all the exhibitors, exhibits, attendees, and all the activity at a trade show, how on Earth can you help your company’s brand be etched on attendees’ brains for longer than 15 seconds? The answer is fairly simple – think of your audience. If you think of your audience as individuals who need you, then it will be easy to think of WHY they need you and HOW you could help them. From there, think of your time, your giveaways, your booth experiences as little gifts for these people who are interested in what your company and what you have to offer.

You’re not necessarily interested in capturing EVERY person who walks through the expo hall doors; you’re just interested in capturing the attention of those for whom your product or service would be a good fit. So, think of THOSE people. And use the following ideas to leave an impression on your booth attendees.

Lights! Camera! Action! The new variety of video marketing is shaking things up in the trade show world. Just a few years ago, videos at trade shows consisted of a front-end teaser to attract customers and maybe a longer demo video at the back of the booth. But no more! This ain’t your momma’s trade show video. Social video is to the video world what Sriracha is to the condiment world. Oh, my! Imagine the possibilities! Seriously, though, social video brings flavor and life and endless possibilities to a medium that formerly was static, scripted, and limited. You’ve no doubt seen live videos as you’ve scrolled through social media, but maybe you’ve been hesitant to jump in yourself and actually do one. Whether you’ve never done any kind of marketing video or whether you’re just more comfortable with traditional pre-recorded videos, read the following tips to get savvy with this new, better experiential video format that’s sweeping the trade show world.

Go Beyond Selling Products or Services  

Facing the trade show season can be daunting for the experienced and first-timers alike, because the whole of trade shows are just such a large undertaking and incredibly detailed. Not only do you have to pick the best events that are the best fit for your product or service, but you also have to attend to the myriad details involved in actually pulling it all off. One thing to keep in mind to keep from getting overwhelmed is to remember that trade shows are not really about your product, your service, your booth, your giveaways. Sure, that matters.  A LOT.  Still, what’s MOST important in the trade show world is {drumroll, please}. . . the PEOPLE. You already knew that, but it bears saying.  The connection between your company’s booth staff and your booth’s visitors is primary in every interaction. As you begin to think about how to connect with your attendees, remember the 5 Es of the trade show world. The 5 Es are based on research found in “It’s Not Your Father’s or Mother’s Trade Show Anymore – Engage with Caution,” an article hosted by CEIR Industry Insights Series.

 10 IDEAS TO GET YOUR EXHIBIT NOTICED  

Some things take a larger amount of time and money to implement.  Here is a list of 10 fast and simple to implement ideas to get noticed.  Look to these quick, easy ideas to spruce up your booth environment to get the attention of attendees and set up for the best trade show yet.

Experiential Marketing At Trade Shows

Some things must be felt, seen, tasted, smelled, attempted, or heard in order to be believed.  Through a campaign, we can tell someone what we think or how great our offering is, however there is no replacement for showing someone face to face and allowing them to experience it for themselves.

Experiential marketing allows your skeptical prospects or most dedicated customers to develop an emotional investment in your products or services, literally helping them shape your brand’s evolution. Another by-product of this is shortening the sales cycle because the prospects and clients are becoming more comfortable with who and what they are purchasing.

Trade shows are a serious marketing medium in which we invest billions of dollars. In our quest to achieve business results, we often talk about getting the highest ROI (Return on Investment) or ROO (Return on Objectives).  But what about the greatest ROF (Return on Fun)… more specifically, how do we make the shows fun for ourselves?

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5 Ideas for Client Engagement

No one wants to be replaced, as a company or a person, and having remarkable client engagement that eclipses that of your competitors makes you hard to replace.  Once we differentiate ourselves we become difficult to switch out with other companies that do the same thing that we do.  The best part about delivering this intangible value to clients is that it is fairly low cost or no cost, but essential to success.