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3 Ways to Boost Trade Show Success in 2022
Many people have missed trade shows and are glad they’re back in big cities like Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando and Dallas. If you’re just getting your feet wet after a long hiatus, you might be wondering what types of tactics are best for boosting your trade show booth success. After all, the trade show industry is looking a little different these days compared to pre-COVID.
Below are three effective ways to boost trade show success whether you’re attending a small regional event or a large national event.
1. Properly Train Your Staff
If your team hasn’t attended a trade show in a while, now is the time to get them ready for future events. Professionally trained staff plays a role in how successful your trade show exhibit is. Therefore, you can’t let your staff be an afterthought. Think about who you are going to send to represent your brand, how you plan to train them and what information they need to know.
Your trade show booth staff should also become acquainted with the exhibit layout, product demonstrations and technologies you will be offering to share your products and services. For example, if you plan to offer VR to give attendees a tour of your facility, make sure your booth staff knows how to use this technology.
And, if you plan to outsource hired help due to staffing shortages, make sure they go through rigorous training. They should know the ins and outs of your products and services and be able to answer important questions.
2. Take Your Marketing Materials Online
Hybrid events are a mix of live and virtual events. They are becoming the norm for trade shows because not everyone is ready to travel and be in large crowds. Because of this, it’s important to cater to all audiences, whether they’re in person or at home.
To make your hybrid events a success, be sure to take your marketing materials online. Most of the literature handed out at trade shows ends up on the floor anyway, so now is a good time to make the switch to an online format and preserve some of your budget.
For example, you can set up a content library that has links to all of your PDFs, virtual demos, presentations and other tools that you use. At your event, offer a QR code for attendees to scan or email a link to prospects. This ensures that you’re getting the right information to your target audience.
3. Invest in High Quality Swag
Right now, trade shows are all about reconnecting after two years of fighting a pandemic. Even though COVID is far from gone, people are interested in getting back to normal, at least to some degree. And one way to celebrate this is by handing out high quality swag at your events.
Obviously, in-person events allow for more possibilities such as fun lanyards, stainless steel tumblers and reusable bags. But don’t forget your virtual audience – they need some love, too! Instead of spending money to mail out items, send your virtual attendees e-gift cards, free online courses, educational eBooks and unboxing experiences.
These three tips will help you boost your success at your next trade show. To discuss your needs for a new exhibit, contact IGE Group today. We are helping businesses get back to the trade show floor while navigating the new changes from COVID-19.