07/19/2022 
Aaron Dunn
Trade shows are fantastic opportunities to spread news about your business and potentially draw in more customers than ever before. But if you don’t know the most effective ways of engaging with others and making the most of your time at a trade show, you might end up as little more than a visitor.
Today, let’s talk about how businesses can market themselves successfully at every trade show. From brilliantly designed booths to catching more important eyes than your competition, these tips will help you master your trade show strategies.
Always Plan Ahead
The biggest mistake businesses make when attending trade shows is going in without a plan. This isn’t always their fault, either. Many businesses hear about trade shows at the very last minute and have to rush to put a booth or even a presentation together.
This is where your business can benefit tremendously from planning way in advance. Make sure you understand what your goals are from the beginning, and work toward achieving those goals at every event. Have a strategy developed for any trade show you might attend in the future. Whether you’ll be showing off products and describing services to potential customers or increasing your exposure with business cards, brochures, and fliers, you need to be able to implement your strategy as quickly as possible.
Don’t Slack on the Trade Show Visuals
Most trade shows these days are organized these days with foot traffic in mind. The goal of any event’s layout is to push traffic from one side to the other, usually in long and winding patterns. Your booth will likely rest somewhere within this pattern and can easily become another part of the scenery unless you’re able to catch the attention of passersby.
You should never go to a trade show with the intention of blending in. Instead, you want to stand out from the crowd and draw the eye of everyone in the area. Utilize eye-catching signage with vivid color schemes. Use props and multiple people working your booth – anything you need to make people take notice.
Keep Promotional Items in Stock
Trade shows are all about swag. If you’re not familiar with the term, you might know it as a giveaway, promotional items, or free stuff. Whether your business wants to hand out pens, lighters, footballs, handbags, wristbands, calendars, t-shirts, or just a business card, you want to make sure you bring enough for the class. Otherwise, you should probably just leave early.
The best thing about promotional items like these is that they attract more traffic to your event booth. By placing them in a bowl or on a stand in a strategic location (at the very front of your booth, most likely), more people will be drawn to your booth. Even if it’s just to grab some of your free stuff, they’ll be walking away with an item that has your logo and important contact information on it. Mission accomplished.
If you have a trade show coming up and want to make sure you have everything ready to go, don’t wait around until the last minute. Instead, reach out to the commercial printing professionals at Linemark. We know exactly what it takes for a business to stand out and succeed at a trade show, so give us a call today for your business printing and marketing needs!
