How to Have a Powerful Branding Strategy at Trade Shows

Trade shows have become a powerful marketing tool for a number of reasons, but especially for branding purposes. If you are a brand new business, you probably are trying to get exposure and recognition for your business. Will people know who you are and what your company is all about? Will they know who you are just by seeing your logo? These are questions that exhibitors are hoping their trade show displays will answer in order to create a memorable display stand. Here are some ideas to boost your brand at trade shows and get the recognition your company deserves.

Make Your Main Priority the Focus

Your company’s main priority should speak loud and clear to your audience, whether your company is eco-friendly, has been restructured, or you have the latest and greatest product that everyone should have. Let attendees know what it is that sets your company apart. If being eco-friendly is the message you want to relay, then use trade show exhibits that are made out of recyclable/reusable materials. If the company has been restructured, let everyone know what your company’s new mission is and how they will benefit from your products or services. Think thoroughly about what your business is all about and the message you want to relay in order to stand out.

Focus on One Message

Once you have decided on the priority you want to focus on, stick with it. It will be much more memorable and appealing than have several different messages that you are throwing at your audience. Not only should this message be somewhere on the display panels, but your promotional materials should also be centered around this specific message, including giveaway products, brochures, business cards, and any other product or literature you would like to hand out.

Make Your Show Display Unique

What does your exhibit booth have that the others don’t? It could be a unique design, attention-grabbing presentations or seminars, drawings for expensive items, or even a hands-on demonstration. Make people talk about you for months after the event by having something that will set you apart from the competition. Once attendees stop by your display stand, turn on your listening skills. Try to stop yourself from turning into a salesperson and become a problem-solver instead. Everyone wants to feel like they are being listened to, so hear what these potential customers are saying and only offer products or services that would help them with their problem or issue. With these tips and great customer service at your show booth, your audience will be talking about you long after the event.

Get Trade Show Exhibit Traffic with Technology

In this day and age of technology, it is getting much easier to reach a specific audience and get new customers without them having to physically be in your store or office. Social media has made it possible for businesses to grow nationally and internationally, while not having to leave the comfort of your office. Of course, face-to-face meetings are just as important because they allow you to build relationships that you can’t get from computer screens. That is why trade shows have become a popular way for small and large businesses alike to promote their products or services. So, how can you integrate social media into your trade show booth? Here are a few ideas to help get your social media campaign off the ground and increase traffic to your trade show exhibits.

Embed Feeds into Your Website

Make it easy for everyone to find your Twitter and Facebook posts by imbedding them into the home page of your website so they can easily be viewed. Also, have specific hash tags near your Twitter feed that include the name of your company or event. This way, you’ll be able to find out what people are saying about you and your display stand.

Have Weekly Twitter or Facebook Meetings

Once a week plan on having your fans or followers participate in discussions at the  same time so they will be able to plan for it. Choose a new topic every week, but one that your readers will have strong opinions about.

Use a Code Word

One way to help gather people to your display system is by posting special code words that they can use at your exhibit booth in order to get a free gift, discount, or can enter a drawing. For example, ask people to use the word “Booth” to get your specific promotion. Not only will this help draw in a crowd, but you’ll be able to find out how many people are coming to you because of your social media campaign.

Keep up on the Latest Trends in Technology

Don’t let your competitors outsmart you by having more cutting-edge technology than you. Do your research to make sure you are reaching a large audience through different technology outlets, such as mobile apps and QR codes.

Social media isn’t only about growing your business, but is also about engaging with your audience. Trade show displays also allow you to engage with your target audience, so with these tips, you should get the traffic you want. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for a little help. Ask some of the influencers in your industry that have a huge following what their secret is to social media and trade show success.

Benefits of the Exhibit Truss for Trade Shows

The more unique the trade show displays are at events, the more attendees will be inclined to stop by. If you walk a typical convention aisle, you’ll probably see tons of pop up displays and banner stands, but what can you use that has a custom look without paying through the roof? An exhibit truss seems to be climbing in popularity because of their overwhelming design and customizable construction. Large graphic panels can also be added for an eye-catching way of displaying your products.

Most truss kits require no tools because they use twist-lock or knob connectors for easy assembly. Since they are so effortless to put together, they can easily be customized to fit your specific needs. The only difference between truss systems and traditional custom trade show displays is time because truss exhibits can be shipped very quickly.  Although these show booths have a complex look, they are actually very simple to pack up and ship, fitting securely into a heavy-duty shipping case and being lightweight compared to other display exhibits. Several sizes are available, including 10×10, 10×20, and 20×20.

If you plan on displaying videos or presentations on your trade show booth, monitors can be attached to the exhibition truss for an easy and technologically advanced way of promoting your company’s offerings. The exhibition and display truss is also created from heavy duty aluminum or steel, which cannot be easily damaged and can be used for exhibits years down the road. These trade show displays can be extremely powerful at conventions and meetings, while still letting you stay within your budget.

If you are still unsure of what a truss system is, turn on the TV. You’ll see these display stands being used as back walls for the news, as well as popular TV shows such as America’s Got Talent and American Idol. The event truss can be used for more than just trade shows since they are strong and stable, but also advertising signs inside your store or office.

So, if you would like to have a cutting-edge, innovative display booth for your next event, the portable truss system is perfect for you!

Why Promote Your Business at Trade Shows?

Trade show attendance seems to be higher this year than it was last year, but there are still some people out there who are a little skeptical as to whether it is a good way to promote their business. If you are one of those people who are still on the fence and can’t decide if investing in trade show displays would be right for you, here are some reasons your business would benefit from conventions and events.

Generate Leads

Trade shows can help you generate leads quickly. Do your research prior to the event to find out who will be exhibiting and attending in order to find out if your target audience would be at the trade show.

Exposure

Whether you run a multi-million dollar company or are a small business that is just starting out, trade shows allow you to equally promote your products or services among the big competitors. It’s a great way to get noticed by attendees who may have spotted your show display as they were walking down the aisles.

Networking

Trade shows give you the opportunity to network with other professionals, which will ultimately help you increase your business. Remember to bring lots of business cards with you to hand out.

These are just a few reasons trade show exhibits are a wise investment for increasing your company’s exposure and meeting potential clients along the way. For any other tips to making your portable display a success, give Smash Hit Displays a call!

Check out these reasons to use pop up displays for trade shows and corporate events! http://ping.fm/UKZEa

Affordable Table Top Trade Show Displays

A big misconception when it comes to trade show booths is that the bigger they are, the more results you will get. That is not entirely true; in fact, your display system success is based on your staff, organized booth space, and the look of your trade show graphics. One portable display that takes up very little space but has the same effectiveness as large convention booths is table top displays.

Table top trade show displays are affordable and come in a variety of shapes to help you stand out at the event. Here are some of the tabletop displays available today:

Pop up Displays

Pop up booths are known for their easy assembly and crisp, vibrant graphics. These display systems also come in 6 and 8 foot table top sizes. The nice feature of these booths is the fact that the graphics can easily be interchanged for a new look from one show to the next.

Hybrid Table Top Displays

One of the newest types of display booths for trade shows on the market are the hybrid displays. They are considered “hybrid” because they integrate traditional booth construction (aluminum extrusion) with modern materials (tension fabric). One type of hybrid display is the Linear Table Top Trade Show Displays, which use wings and headers to create unique shapes that are much different than the original box-shaped display systems. Lights can also be attached to illuminate the entire booth.

Green Trade Show Booths

More and more convention booths are becoming eco-friendly by using recyclable materials for the graphic panels and frame, bamboo for shelves, and LED lights. A variety of sizes and configurations are available, including attractive tabletop booths,

Fabric Tension Displays

The tension fabric is pulled over the frame in a pillowcase-like fashion, which gives these portable displays a flawless and wrinkle-free look. They only take a couple minutes to assemble and have a 3D look that stands out from other trade show exhibits. The graphics can also be interchanged for a fresh look.

Even with a tight budget, you can still get the booth traffic you want with the right tabletop displays.

How to Rid Your Trade Show Booth of Time-Wasting Attendees

With hundreds or thousands of attendees at the events, knowing which ones will turn into potential customers at your trade show display can be a little tricky. How do you separate the good ones from the ones that are wasting your time? First of all, if these people are scouring every portable display they come in contact with for free promotional items, have a stack of resumes they are handing out to land jobs with some of the companies exhibiting, or are trying to sell their own products to you, it is time to get them to move along to another show display.

This is obviously easier said than done, since some people have no problem putting up a fight when asked to leave the display system. Here are some tips to ridding your trade show exhibit of these pesky attendees in order to make room for the ones who are actually interested in your products or services.

Freebie Collectors

Promotional items can be expensive and if you are handing them out to people who just have a hobby of collecting the free swag, you might as well throw your money in the trash because you won’t get any results from time-wasting attendees like these. One effective idea is to have two separate giveaway items; cheap ones that can be handed out to everyone (such as pens) and a more expensive one that is only for your leads. Put the inexpensive items on a table so that the freebie collectors can easily grab-and-go instead of searching your booth display for it, which will ultimately take up unnecessary space in your portable booth. Hide the higher quality products away and only take out when you have qualified leads at your convention display.

Job Hunters

Since these people are on a mission to get a job by going to as many display booths for trade shows as they can, this may be the easiest group to remove from your exhibit. Politely take their resume or contact information and let them know you will pass the information on to a manager. Most of these attendees won’t take up your precious time and will gladly move on to other display systems. If you would prefer not to have a stack of resumes cluttering up your convention booth, you can also give these job-seekers your manager’s name and office phone number.

Product Sellers

Since these up-and-coming product manufacturers are desperate to sell their products and get the word out about how wonderful these items are, they can be a little bit more aggressive than the first two groups I mentioned. Always remain calm and polite by letting them know your company is not in the market for these products at the moment and thank them for taking the time to show the pioneering products to you. Hopefully you won’t have to tell them more than once that you aren’t interested in what they are selling.

In a perfect world all attendees would be interested in your business and want to become new customers. In reality, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Knowing who is at your trade show exhibits because they want to know more about your company isn’t always easy, but hopefully these tips from Smash Hit Displays will give some guidance in how to deal with these tough attendees.

What You Should Know Before Choosing a Convention Display http://ping.fm/JVK7b

Tips on How to Boost Your Networking Skills at Trade Shows http://ping.fm/R1eqR

Questions to Help Determine Your Objective at Tradeshows http://ping.fm/pRP9m