by Kelley Briggs

When it’s included as part of an integrated marketing strategy, tradeshow exhibiting can be one of the most profitable and cost-effective means for promoting your company. A trade show is a chance to connect face-to-face with your prospects. Your trade show booth and presence makes a strong statement about who your company is, what you do and how you do it.  Everything your company stands for is laid out right on the show floor for all to see! Show consistency, clarity and focus in every aspect of your exhibit — before, during AND after the show.

First, cover your bases with the basics!

• Communication to attendees prior to arrival on the show floor will drive traffic to your booth. Consider mailers, postcards, registration bag stuffers and hotel room drops/door bags. Give them a reason to visit your booth!
• Make the communication piece unique — postcards are widely used, so make yours stand out by being oversized, and more memorable. Better yet, use it to reward those who bring it to your booth! This can help you measure the success of the mailing.
• Pre-show communication can create a “buzz” about your booth, making it the topic of conversation(s), attract media attention and top the attendees “must see” list of booths to cover.

At the show

• High impact graphics will grab folks from out of the aisles and bring them into your booth. High impact can mean bold color, no color, in-your face visuals, out of the ordinary materials — anything that is different than what everyone else is doing, and that attracts attention.
• Using color in key places, especially dramatic and bold colors, will grab attention and lead attendees through your message visually.  Remember, there is a lot going on during a trade show, control your booth environment or it will resemble a circus!
• Keep your message concise — it is to capture attention only, NOT sell the product. Studies show you only have a 1.7-second window of opportunity to grab the attention of an attendee as they walk by. Bullet your message for a quick read. Your message (and graphics) cannot and should not tell the whole story, but should pique interest so that the SALES force manning the booth can ‘close the deal.’
• Once you capture the interest of attendees, you have to HOLD their attention so that you maximize your ‘window of opportunity”: product demonstrations generate genuine interest; take away material reinforces the demonstrations witnessed; giveaways or promotional items that create buzz or are useful in out-of-the-ordinary ways leave memorable/favorable impressions
• Booth graphics should include a logical sequence of information: booth identifier, brand identification, product/service identifier (stations/areas). They should be clear and readable.

Then, boldly go beyond the basics!

• Get out of the box: use the wow factor! Two-dimensional displays and posters are everywhere, make sure yours are the best quality; do something unique to stop traffic with new technology, like a 3D image or flipping animation; use kiosks such as Keshot.
• Floor graphics are subliminal and less-directed graphics because the attendee may get only a fragmented view (some shows have insurance regulations prohibiting them, though). Think of interesting uses for ordinary vehicles -- feature a gourmet coffee station and print your message on a coffee cup that everyone carries around!

Finally, Follow-up!

• The key to your tradeshow success is wrapped up in the lead management process and the best time to plan for follow-up is before the show begins.
• Prepare a systematic, action plan to implement immediately following the show. The longer leads are left unattended, the colder they become.
• Make sure you send relevant material that interests the prospect. It sends a message that your company listened to their needs, has a commitment to them, and provides the open door that the sales representatives can walk through.
• Set time lines for follow-up, use a computerized database for tracking, make sales representatives accountable for leads given to them, and then measure your results.

Tradeshows should not be a standalone venture, but work in tandem with your complete marketing effort. The combination of message AND medium packs a powerful punch, and will make your booth memorable and impressions of your product favorable. If you have something unique to say, and do it in a unique way, no matter how big your booth is! If you don’t have something unique to say, rethink your message. You’ll need to differentiate yourselves from the competition, and you have just 1.7 seconds to do it.

Hudson Fusion is an integrated marketing firm that takes a synergistic approach to its clients’ sales, marketing and business growth goals. They offer a full spectrum of marketing services including strategic planning, brand and corporate identity, website design, print collateral, search engine optimization, direct marketing and advertising. Hudson Fusion is located at 30 State Street in Ossining. For more information contact Cindy Penchina, Executive E-Services Director at cindy@hudsonfusion.com or Kelley Briggs, Executive Creative Director  at Kelley@hudsonfusion.com or call 914.762.0900.