What Transforms A Trade Show Exhibit Into An Experience?
Do you want attendees to remember your exhibit long after the event is over? If so, key into something educators have discovered; the more senses you engage in your booth experience the more people will remember your message. People are classified as visual, audio or kinesthetic learners and all three types will be at your trade show. Here are some ways to turn your trade show exhibits into an experience for everyone who visits:
Visual
1. Get rid of the clutter. Keep the area clean and inviting. Push the tables & chairs to the side or take them down altogether. Make certain you have a large enough trade show booth space to properly display your information.
2. Graphics. Think about billboards – use eye-catching colors with text, photos or illustrations, but don’t be a laundry list of product specifications that no one will read… (that information will be listed in handouts). Strategically placed LED lighting should spotlight the boards.
3. Consider Other Dimensions. Strategically place lighting within your trade show booth space to highlight logos & graphics or create fading motion. Think about the type of carpet or flooring that relates to your brand colors and the sense of feeling when attendees step into your booth space.
Audio
1. Use repeating video clips that give an engaging and informative preview of the benefits your customer will receive from your product or service. Use engaging music in the background of the video which will appeal to a wide audience (and not drive your booth staffers crazy when they hear it all day long!).
2. If you have a live demonstration make certain the presenter is professional, entertaining, has a sense of humor and can actively engage the audience. You want this to be an enjoyable experience that will keep your product in the mind of the consumer long after the show has ended.
Kinesthetic
1. Use interactive technology. Create an interactive survey with booth staffers or a touch screen that helps to quickly qualify or disqualify attendees.
2. Products. Have products on hand that the customers and touch, feel and sample (kick the tires). A demonstration of how a product solves problems will be memorable for all attendees.
3. Rest and Relax. If you have a conference room or lounge, invite attendees to stay awhile, and while they re-charge, you’ll have the opportunity to extend your conversation.
4. Appeal to the sense of smell and taste. The scent of fresh cookies and coffee will travel even further than the sight of your trade show banners. Let their noses lead them to your booth area. They will be more than happy to walk around your exhibit and listen to the advantages of your products while they munch a cookie you have provided.
Pre-Show & Post-Show Marketing
1. If you don’t tell anyone that you’ll be at the show, how will they know you’ll be there? Consider drip marketing campaigns before the show, using multiple channels to drum up excitement & traffic leading up to the show date.
2. When the show is over, how will you continue the conversation and close the sale? Memorability decreases each day following the close of the show Follow-up immediately each night of the show to secure your meetings & next steps with potential customers.
Learn more about how to make your exhibit a memorable experience by reading the What’s Working In Exhibiting white paper. Click here to request your free copy.
Filed Under: Trade Show Displays • Trade show exhibit design • Trade Shows
About the Author: Michael Flavin is a trade show strategist & exhibit consultant at Skyline Exhibits & Graphics Mid-America in St. Louis, MO. He works with companies & organizations to eliminate headaches from their trade show, event marketing & recruiting programs. Overall, he offers total, turn-key solutions, focused on creating memorable experiences, lowering operating expenses and increasing ROI. In addition, Michael consults & trains booth staffers and helps companies measure results from their trade show programs. He also helps exhibit marketers design 
Great article!!
Great article Michael, I especially like the point about getting rid of the clutter, I think that too many exhibitors are of the mind set that more is better. Excellent job of outlining some simple but key point.
I liked the image about the different senses that you must target to attract people to your booth. Really it captures what the article is all about. A well written article.
As RSS feeds, blogging, social search, social bookmarking, social networks and micro platforms gain more prominence we often tend to question the more traditional aspects of marketing. This is a great article of validation.
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