Enjoy your Half-Full Glass: Leveraging the Tradeshow Opportunity in a Down Economy

The Fall Tradeshow Season is upon us. Some marketers look at this as an opportunity to savor, while others dread possible missed opportunities due to the recession. We choose to see the glass half-full rather than half-empty.  Here’s why:

Due to the economic downturn, unfortunately the number of exhibitors has been reduced; similarly, some of the larger booths have been scaled down.  Attendee traffic has also decreased.  While these issues raise concerns, they also offer interesting opportunities for exhibitors who choose to leverage them:

• Get a leg up on your competition.  Since “large” competitors likely now have a smaller footprint, your booth will actually appear larger by comparison – both to your competitors and your prospects.  Encourage your booth company and design agency to get creative despite your budget constraints so that you can ensure your booth is attractive, engaging and well-attended.  Consider launching an e-blast campaign prior to the event to build momentum and to create the impression that your company is growing and crowding the competitive landscape.

• Think of the reduced traffic as a helpful pre-screen of attendees:  Support staff are likely back at the office, while decision-makers are roaming the tradeshow floor seeking opportunities to make the right buying decision.  Create an atmosphere of innovation and excitement in your booth, both in what you display as well as in the attitudes of your booth staff.

• Create high-impact graphics and displays that will attract attendees to your booth. With a more open floor, those graphics will really get your booth noticed.

• Utilize video and animation to draw and retain booth traffic.  While you could re-purpose assets you have from prior events to save costs, you may find that the cost-savings pales in comparison to the ROI you COULD achieve by creating something fresh and compelling that attendees have not seen before.  If you think attendees won’t remember what they’ve seen at previous events, think again.  Consider an attract loop that runs on screens along the edge of your booth.  The loop can be silent, or can have music to draw attention.  Inside your booth, consider having a short video discussing your technology and/or a specific product.  The video can be narrated via professional voice over and can include live footage, 2D or 3D animation etc.

• Engage your audience with in-booth presentations facilitated by thought leaders and innovators in your field.  Encourage booth staff to promote the presentation schedule to attendees during the show, but also be sure to announce the schedule in advance via your website, e-blasts, print ads, direct mail etc.

• Reward booth visitors with interesting and fun giveaways, but don’t simply pile them into bowls that can be pilfered while dashing by.  Instead, choose to purchase a smaller number of more valuable / highly-desired items and offer them only to attendees who watch your video or live booth presentation.  Be sure that any attendee who receives a giveaway also swipes his/her badge so that your sales team can follow-up after the show.

Perhaps one of the most critical ways to achieve tradeshow success is to ensure that your booth staff are well-informed, motivated and have a positive attitude because getting traffic into your booth is only part of the battle. Achieving attendee engagement and interest in your products will largely depend on the availability and interest of your booth staff.  While this might seem obvious, often times in the rush to meet tradeshow deadlines staff training is relegated to a last-minute pep talk before the convention hall opens.

Participation in tradeshows and events is a critical aspect of a company’s marketing strategy.  Despite these challenging times, it is important to leverage the opportunity and fill your glass as high as you can. We’ve all been thirsty for far too long.