Drive Up Foot Traffic At Trade Show Booths

After you’ve created a beautiful display, signed up your top sales staff, and packed up for the convention, it’s time to strut your stuff. But have you planned strategies to drive traffic to your trade show booths? You can’t count on people just wandering on in; you need to be proactive and go out and get them. With some extra effort and advance planning, you’re sure to attract plenty of new customers to your display.

Spread The Word In Advance

You might be surprised to learn that most convention attendees plan which vendors they’re going to visit before they ever set foot in the convention hall. They’re all about achieving their goals as quickly as possible and with maximum efficiency. If you’re not lucky enough to be on that list, chances are that they’ll just pass you by.

If you want to be on those lists, tell people in advance that you’ll be at the expo. Reach out to all of your existing clients to tell them of your upcoming expo plans so they can plan to stop by your display during the show. Next, get in touch with the organizers of the expo and ask for a list of the attendees who have already registered. Most of the time you’ll be allowed access to this list if you’ve paid for a space at the convention. Try to determine which of the people on the list would be interested in your company and get in touch with them to advertise your presence at the expo. After all, convention attendees don’t visit trade show booths at random; you need to let them know that you’re there.

Attract Attention

You know that trade show booths should be bright and eye-catching, but don’t forget about your staff. They should attract attention too. Have everyone dress in bright colors or patterns so that they don’t blend into the woodwork. Some companies will have everyone dress in costumes if it’s appropriate for their brand and if everyone is on board with the idea. Just be careful not to carry it too far; an embarrassed and uncomfortable employee is the last thing you want at an expo.

There are also the old standbys, activities and giveaways. The trick here is to avoid overused tactics like raffles and key chains. Giveaway items should be things that attendees will use regularly rather than lose or throw away. By the same token, activities at trade show booths should be creative, exciting, fun, and on brand. That might sound like a tall order, but with a little ingenuity you’ll be able to come up with something great.

Don’t Just Trust Your Luck At Trade Show Booths

The main thing to remember is that you can’t be passive when it comes to drawing people in to your stand. Trade show booths don’t work themselves! Get your employees out on the floor to engage with people, use a well-placed giveaway or activity to attract attention, and consider hiring a few temporary employees to help attract passers-by. You could even have a couple of led display screens with a presentation going to show exactly who you are as a company and what it is that makes you so great. With some work and creativity, your trade show booths will see more and more traffic, leading to more and more leads.