“Identify value at your physical booth by giving visitors something they cannot get through an online or virtual experience.”
Trade Show Survival Guide in 2022
It seemed like this day would never come, but we’re finally going back to in-person events and tradeshows. As an exhibitor it’s important to understand how in-person events have evolved in the past few years and how these changes will affect the experience of trade shows in the future. If you’re exhibiting for the first time this year, here are a few things you’ll want to consider before you set-up for your first booth.
Increased Safety Protocols
As an exhibitor it’s always important to make visitors feel welcome, safe, and comfortable at your booth. It’s important to be clear about how your company expects visitors to interact on your booth. Posting a sign asking visitors to wear a mask (or providing masks for your visitors as an option), making hand sanitizer readily available, creating partitions and other safety measures that we have seen as standards in public places. Also, be sure to review the safety guidelines promoted by the event before you arrive. States and countries may have different safety requirements and not taking them into consideration before you set-up could cause you to scramble at the last minute to comply with guidelines.
Virtual Events Are Here to Stay
Online meetings, webinars and virtual events have replaced trade shows and events in the past two years and even as conference centers re-open these digital alternatives are not going anywhere. The forced adoption of these technologies has proven that they are viable marketing tools and there are likely to be included as a hybrid option for all in-person shows and events going forward.
This hybrid approach to events will deliver a multi-dimensional experience and can also provide a more personalized experience. With this approach, companies can reach additional visitors from the comfort of their offices. When planning for a tradeshow, be sure to include a digital component that will support your brand and message online.
Evolve Your Content
Many tradeshow experts have predicted it could take some time for tradeshows to grow to their former attendance numbers. What can you do, as an exhibitor, to help entice visitors back to in-person events?
With many events using a hybrid approach, you will need to identify value at your physical booth by giving visitors something they cannot get through an online or virtual experience. People have become acclimated to online shopping, food delivery and virtual entertainment, meaning we now expect digitized, seamless and personalized experiences.
Here are some ways you can ensure that your message and physical booth is a worthwhile place to visit and provides a memorable experience.
- Create interactive and engaging content and displays on your booth. Use technology to develop unique ways to tell the story of your product’s USP.
- Less is more. Identify your solution quickly with clear, concise messaging that differentiates you from your competitors. Even if someone just walks by your booth in a few seconds they should be able to identify exactly what you do and why you are unique.
- Strong branding isn’t about posting big logos on your booth, but how is your brand represented in every portion of your booth and the employees that represent your company. If you are a premium brand, how is that quality reflected in the colours, material, displays and interactions with visitors?
Generic experiences and bland displays just aren’t enough anymore, focus on meaningful and engaging content to create a more personalized and authentic experience.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an important message for every industry. Visitors to tradeshows will be looking to see how your company, products and even your booth are promoting Net Zero goals. Many event organizers will also be promoting this as part of their show’s theme. It’s increasingly important to communicate to your customers that you are doing the same. You don’t need to re-design your booth around sustainability but ensure that your content and your employees on the booth can speak to this.
Now is the perfect time to re-evaluate your approach to exhibiting at tradeshows. By elevating your content, creating can’t-miss digital experiences and increasing the engagement for visitors to your booth you stop visitors in their tracks and remind them why in-person events and trade shows are so important to the buying process.
