Trade Show Tips: How to Stand Out From the Competition

First, you had a great business idea. Then you put in the work to provide amazing products and an out-of-this-world customer experience. You’ve taken all the right steps thus far, but now you want to build your business even further. So what do you do?

It’s time to get your name out there! From building your social media accounts to being active in your community, there’s an endless list of things you can do to increase brand awareness. But one of the most effective of all? Attend a trade show!

That said, trade show displays require both time and money. Not to mention, you’re surrounded by the competition! In order to get the biggest return on your investment, you have to approach your trade show booth the right way.

Don’t worry, this isn’t as intimidating as it sounds. And we’re here to help! To learn how to get the most of your trade show booth design, just keep reading.

Do Your Research

To ensure that your trade show booth ideas compare well with the competition, you need to know what the competition looks like! Before you get too far into the design process, take the time to see what you’re up against.

Who will be attending the trade show along with you? What do their booths look like? What are they bringing? Which strategies do they plan to use to attract customers?

Stealing other brands’ ideas is never a good idea, but there’s nothing wrong with gaining inspiration. Researching the competition is also a great way to make sure your booth stands out.

For example, if you notice that a lot of the other brands are hosting contests for customers, you could mix it up with a fun hands-on demo!

Use Your Booth to Tell Your Story

Having an eye-catching booth and an interesting product to try is great, but the vast majority of brands are going to have both of these things. What many brands neglect to do, however, is to take the opportunity to tell their story.

People want to support other people, not a nameless, faceless company. If you can use your booth to build trust with potential customers, you’ll have far more success.

What sets you apart from similar brands? What problem did you set out to solve when creating your company? Why did you choose the niche that you did?

Do your best to take the answers to these questions and incorporate them into your booth design. Everything from your layout to your graphics to your brochures should assist in telling the story of your brand.

Invest in Your Booth Design

Designing and building a trade show booth from scratch takes more effort than the alternative, but going custom-made is more beneficial than you might think.

When you work with an exhibit design firm, you can ensure that your booth is totally original and displays your unique brand personality throughout.

It can be nerve-wracking to trust another company with your trade show banners and other design elements, but you’ll remain in control through the entire process! The design team will keep you informed every step of the way and consult you for all important decisions.

Provide Unique Promotional Items and Prizes

Chances are, you’ve been to a trade show before, even if it was as an attendee and not to work a trade show booth. Think about how many booths were giving out pens, lanyards, coasters, and other useless and forgettable items. Probably a lot!

The typical route taken by brands is to buy the cheapest item possible in bulk. Everyone who attends the trade show walks away with something with their brand on it and they didn’t have to spend much to do it.

But what do you want your promotional items to say about your brand? Cheap? Pointless? Of course not!

Every element of your booth should be a reflection of your brand, including your promo items and prizes. This means that they should be high-quality and connect with your products or services.

Stimulate Conversation With Your Meeting Area

Again, a well-designed booth with entertaining activities will draw potential customers in, but sealing the deal is still up to you. Your products should speak for you figuratively, not literally.

When customers come to your booth, greet them with a handshake and genuine attention. Once they’ve seen your products, learned a little about you, and won a prize or two, there should be a meeting area that encourages lively conversation.

Like the rest of your display, your meeting area should reflect your brand aesthetic and personality. What type of environment do you want to establish?

Use Your Space Wisely

We get it, you want to get the most out of your trade show display, but packing it to the gills with displays and furniture will work against you, not for you. Clutter creates feelings of stress and overwhelm – these are not feelings you want customers to experience when they think of your brand!

Make your display interesting but keep it balanced. Maintaining ample whitespace is crucial. Your booth should be no more than 60% full; so, when in doubt, give your visitors a little more space.

This might feel counterintuitive, but empty space will actually work to draw customers’ attention to the elements of your booth that matter.

Get the Most Out of Your Next Trade Show With This Guide

Attending a trade show is an excellent way to not only meet like-minded business owners but create lasting relationships with customers as well!

However, those potential customers are surrounded by trade show exhibits from other brands who want their attention just as much as you do.

Because of this, it’s essential to design a booth that allows you to stand out from the crowd. And by using the strategies listed here, you’ll be able to do just that.

In need of more tips for boosting brand awareness? Take a look at our blog!