Trade show upgrades can be pricey if you haven’t properly budgeted. A great-looking exhibit can indeed help you boost sales and generate new business by engaging the audience better. So get out your notebook because here are 7 free (or cheap) hacks that you can do to make your trade show booth better right now!
Ditch the Table
That standard 6ft or 8ft long folding table that is usually included (or optional) with your booth space rental? Get rid of it. They’re not as useful as they seem and are actually eating up vital floor space needed to bring prospects in. An open floor space makes a booth feel more inviting, especially if you are on your feet. If you need a table to display products, demos or literature, consider a smaller table suitable for your needs.
Tip: Do not sit. Prospects are less inclined to start a conversation with you if they have to look down on someone who is sitting. It’s awkward and you’ll find a more natural conversation takes place if you’re standing when they approach your booth.
Get out the Shears
Trim back the amount of stuff in your booth space. The more open your display is, the more inviting it looks. A cluttered booth space is a huge deterrent to visitors – if it looks too busy in your space, or they can’t see your main message through the stuff blocking it, they’ll pass you by. Quick items to cut back on are: graphics, brochures, giveaways, and products showcased on display.
Hide the Dirty Laundry
Visitors should not see personal items when at the show. This list includes purses, backpacks, coats, lunches and cellphones. Provide a hidden space for your employees to stash their items. If you don’t have an enclosed podium or built-in storage space, rent a locker in the exhibition hall or bring a cardboard box! One of the most effective ways to make your overall booth space better is to reduce clutter to create an open area.
Match & Colour
Get matching shirts or articles of clothing – hats, ties, or anything easy to spot and should be in your company colours. If your leads can’t immediately tell who is an employee and who is a visitor in your booth space, they will pass you by. Make it obvious who they should be talking to!
Lighten Up
Grab the attention of your visitors by adding more lighting to your booth space. In a long aisle full of exhibits, a very bright, well lit (or creatively lit) booth space stands out and captures the eye.
Tip: No money to spare? Use holiday light strings, home or office lamps, flashlights, or even a Lite-Brite that’s collecting dust in your garage.
Share the Love
Add something to your booth space that makes visitors itch to share on social media. You booth space will garner exponentially more attention. When someone snaps and tags a picture in your space and shares this on social media, their stuff with get shared and perhaps shared again. Free advertising.
Tip: Make sure whatever it is you do (photo booth, whiteboard, media centre, activity or game) you include a clear social call-to-action, like a hash tag!
Look out Below
Get creative with your flooring. It will help your booth stand out from those around. Most of the other booth spaces will have the generic show carpet rental. If yours is different (think textures & colours) you’ll stand out from the rest.
Tip: Flooring can end up being quite expensive. Check the “end of the roll” bin at any local flooring or hardware centre, or consider renting floor tiles instead.