Research indicates exhibiting at trade shows remains a
worthwhile investment in 2014. (Read more about this topic and get statistics
in our recent post: Is trade show marketing worth it?) While trade shows
have been around for decades, there are new trends to help attract attendees to
your booth and measure your experience. Here
are new trends in trade show design and materials, technology and marketing:
Design & Materials
1. Back-lit
fabric is everywhere in the trade show scene today, mainly because of its
“wow” factor. The glowing fabric is clean and visually appealing, and helps any
booth stand out. It is also a dependable material, lightweight, and relatively
easy to set up.
2.
Lounge space with seating is a great way to encourage attendees to spend more time
in your booth. You can also add private or semi-private seating areas to hold meetings
with prospects. Draw in more attendees with charging stations, while using the extra face-to-face time to build
relationships, provide education on your products and/or services and close
deals.
3.
Reconfigurable
exhibits allow you the flexibility to rearrange your trade show booth.
Purchase one booth and use it multiple ways depending on your space and needs.
A reconfigurable booth can be converted from a 10x20 to a 10x10 or island
display.
4.
Smaller,
more compact, lighter booths and packaging reduce costs from shipping your
booth from one location to the next. Anything that makes transport and set up
easier is beneficial.
Technology
5.
Interactive
touchscreens, often in the form of iPads, allow you to engage attendees on a
deeper level while drawing them into your booth. Touchscreens can be set up for attendee registration
to capture leads and assist with content delivery through digital demos and
catalogs instead of printed copies. You can even add games and other forms of
interactive entertainment to keep people in your booth, engaging with your
brand, for longer.
6.
LED
screens and digital signage attract attendees and help you stand out on the
trade show floor. A benefit to digital signage is that it can be updated on a show by show basis.
Marketing
7.
Social
media engagement is a hot trend in trade show marketing that is sure to
stick around. Make sure you provide attendees with links to all of your social
media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, and
encourage them to share your content. Post previews of what attendees will see
at your booth to encourage them to visit, useful information to get them
engaged once the show starts, and ways to follow up with you after the show is
over.
8.
Measuring
the ROI of your trade show experience is an effective way to determine
whether trade show marketing is worth your time and resources. New technology
allows you to track attendees to see the traffic flow while in your booth and
discover what parts of your booth kept people engaged the longest. Use the data
you collect to evaluate your trade show performance and find areas to improve.
Hopefully these trends will get you started on preparing for
your next trade show. This list is not exhaustive. Some other trends to keep in
mind are using strong, bold colors to stand out and providing attendees with
experiences that incorporate all the senses – taste, touch, sight, sound and
smell. Remember it is always important to find ways to stand out from other exhibitors, so think about going against the majority. Find out what your
competitors are doing, and try doing the opposite.
Our expert trade show team can partner with you to create a
one-of-a-kind trade show exhibit. Contact us for more information at 855-552-3537.
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