5 Tips for Outstanding Trade Show Displays

August 12, 2015

In a world barraged by marketing channels, there is nothing like seeing a customer face to face. That’s why trade shows remain a critical part of companies’ marketing strategies. But how to get those customers and prospects into the booth? Let’s look at some best practices for creating a booth presence that draws a crowd.

1 Use outstanding graphics.

You want your booth to be highly visible and stand out in a crowded space. With today’s wide-format technology, you can do this by creating high-resolution graphics in eye-popping color.

Pop-up and back wall displays
Banners
Booth wraps
Tabletop displays
Large-format posters
Backlit signage

Use bold images to catch attention.

Use large, easy-to-read fonts so people can read key text from a distance. Want something really different and fun? Try cutouts of people, local landmarks, or brand products.

Consider using a variety of stands and accessories such as banner stands, banner hangers, easel signs, and modular, inline units to create a flexible, mobile display space. Many displays are lightweight and easy to store, transport, and set up. When applying graphics to fabric walls, consider using display Velcro for easy attachment and positioning.

2 Customize it.

The fast set-up nature of our digital machines means you can tweak your banners, posters, and displays for every trade show you attend.

Integrate the name of the show.
Tweak copy and images for the specific audience attending.
Change out promotions and incentives as needed.
Make every display as unique as the show and the audience attending it.

3 Use direct mail to drive attendance.

One of the most powerful ways to drive booth traffic remains direct mail. Unlike email, which can get buried within minutes of landing in the inbox, a direct mailer nearly always gets seen.

Use color and oversized mailers to stand out.
Use personalized URLs or other print and online survey techniques to make it easy for recipients to make appointments, register for events, and respond to incentives.
Use personalized QR Codes to send recipients to personalized microsites so they don’t have to type in long URLs.

4 Measure results.

Scan badges or gather business cards to track attendance at the booth. Use promotion codes, barcodes, and other techniques to match up against direct mail, email, or other pre-show contacts and track which marketing channels worked best.

5 Follow up.

Follow up with each attendee based on interest and needs. Whether you use direct mail, email, or in-person contact, reach out to those who took the time to spend a few minutes with you. You worked hard to drive that traffic into the booth.

Don’t let those warm leads go cold.

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