It’s true: drawing a crowd is a key component of a successful trade show. Attracting the masses is a great way to ensure your message is delivered to many people, but it’s also important to have a plan that gets that message to the right people. It’s the old “quality over quantity” concept. Trade shows can be an overwhelming place for attendees, and the last thing you want is for your company’s solution to their problem to be lost in the shuffle. So, once the crowd is there, here are four key ways to keep their attention and create a memorable experience for your target audience:
REMEMBER YOUR PERSONAS
Identifying your ideal customer, their problems, and how your company can solve them is a crucial component of creating personas. Understanding this information and working internally to get your team on the same page is a great first step to enacting a persona-focused strategy. A great way to identify your personas on the floor is by developing a series of questions to get to the heart of an attendee’s needs and pain points. Then, you can work to help them understand your company’s unique solution.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Sure, serving free drinks while a DJ plays will draw people in. But, are they the right people? Can you have a meaningful conversation over said music? Do you even want to have a conversation? It’s easy to think that more is better, but a simple yet memorable experience can be what separates you from the competition. Think about an experience that will keep customers engaged, excited, and even educate them on your offering along the way. This meaningful experience will draw in the right people and keep you on the consideration list when an opportunity comes along.
REMEMBER THE WHY
Attending a trade show is often a major investment for your company. You probably go to several shows each year, but have you ever stopped to consider WHY you attend? Remembering your WHY is an important aspect in business, but it becomes even more so when attending a show. Keep your goals in mind throughout the planning process, and even ask you work to train your booth staff and interact with clients.
WHAT’S THE TAKEAWAY?
Not all memorable experiences are created equally. You could be remembered for the wrong reason, or worse yet, not remembered at all. So, not only do you keep your goals and your WHY in mind, you also need to think about what attendees will walk away knowing or understanding about your brand. One big, compelling takeaway is key here. It will ensure your message isn’t lost in the shuffle of the show, and that you and your company are in a consideration set down the road when your customers are ready for their problems to be solved.
So, the next time you think about your trade show presence remember: a crowd is great, but a group of the right people hearing the right message is always better.
