10 UNIQUE IDEAS TO ORGANISE TRADE SHOW
A trade show is a corporate event where people from a particular industry come together to discuss the products and services that they offer. Trade shows offer a wonderful platform to interact with potential customers and increase brand awareness. However, as charming as it may sound, a trade show is a huge responsibility to take on. Here are ten ideas and tips to help you organise a trade show.
1) BE WARM AND WELCOMING: A trade show is an opportunity for a personal interaction with potential customers. The more welcoming you are, the better your first impression is. Some ways to achieve this are:
• Set your booth up in such a manner that it is more of an interaction between people and less of a formal space. Instead of arranging your tables in such a way that the tables act as a division between you and the audience ,place them in a circular arrangement.
• Greet the people entering your event with a smile.
• Offer guided booth tours.
2) PROMOTE YOUR EVENT:
Attendees are the ones who make an event successful. Market your event in person as well as on social media. Create a buzz. Get the audience excited to show up.
3) ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE:
Now that you have got people to show up at your event, you have to engage them. Provide them with an immersive experience. How can you engage the audience?
• Set up a treasure hunt where the audience is supposed to find something hidden at the venue or inside the booth.
• An in-booth immersive presentation about your company is also a wonderful idea.
• Set up a prize wheel for the end of the event so as to offer an incentive to stay and a reason to be excited.
4) DEMO YOUR PRODUCT: Show your product to the audience in action. You are selling clothes? Set up a small ramp and have models walk on it showcasing your clothing line. You are selling laptops? Have screen installed and play video reviews of satisfied customers. Creating a positive impression is very important.
5) SET UP A PHOTO BOOTH: A photo booth can be an engaging experience if used rightly.
• Have props reflective of your brand ready at the photo booth and ask the attendees to pose with them.
• Start a #PhotoOfTheDay contest on social media and ask the attendees to post your photos with these hashtags. This will increase your company’s reach.
6) OFFER A GIFT PACKAGE:
Offer a gift package of your company’ s products to the attendees. Ask them to post these on social media to increase engagement and brand reach.
7) MAKE IT A DAY EVENT: No matter how good lighting you use, nothing can replace natural daylight. Organising the event during the day makes it easier for your attendees to navigate and explore.
8) FIND TRADE SHOW SPONSOR: Finding a trade show sponsor is a good idea.Having a sponsor not only means increased reach but also means increased resources and funds.
9) BROADCAST THE EVENT: With the pandemic, we have seen how broadcasting offers us a wonderful opportunity to engage with interested people worldwide. Have someone influential from the top level of the company interact with the audience at the end of the event and apprise them of the company and its products. Broadcast this section of the event.
10) POST EVENT MARKETING: Launch some offers and rebates on showcased products both in your stores and on your website after the event to target the attendees who attended the broadcast or those who could not attend the trade show.