Could your Annual Trade Show be Taking you Further?

You’ve priced booths. You’ve budgeted and planned, and it’s probably cost you thousands of dollars. That’s how tradeshows go. You saw off your arm and your leg to get there, but there’s no real way to determine if you’re getting your money’s worth.

So how can you make sure you’re maximizing your time and effort to get the best ROI for your events?

1. When choosing your booth design, look for creative and fresh ideas that will attract people. *Shameless Brand Push Alert* Boxman Studio’s one of a kind tradeshow booths are always the hit of the show. They are made from modified shipping containers which means they are environmentally friendly, a dream to ship, and on the cutting edge of experiential marketing trends.

2. Make sure you are completely set up before attending an event. Double check your collateral, giveaways and the booth’s general look and feel. This step may also include running through any demos or presentations. Prepared minds are calm minds.

3. Have the right people manning your booth. Tradeshows tend to bring out either the most serious and “workey” side of people or the most fun, out of control side. It’s important to arm yourself with a sales-minded team that doesn’t have to manually remove any precarious sticks.

4. Get the people excited about what you’re selling! Booths are getting ignored every day because they have lame giveaways, the booth is ugly, or the people manning it are abrasive. So in lieu of the standard table and moth-bitten chairs, employ a theme that tells the story of your brand. Great booths create buzz, so your reach doesn’t end when the event is over. Word could spread through media coverage of the event and beyond.

While you’re considering these tips, think hard about your budget and capabilities. No one ever has the budget they want for these events. So make reasonable goals and take small steps towards them each year. You’ll be rockin’ and rollin’ in no time.

Now get out there and show ‘em what you got!