Designing Your Tradeshow Booth Space
What does your exhibit booth say about your staffing firm brand? Is it tired and obstructed, or is it updated and welcoming? By designing your tradeshow booth space with the following factors in mind, you are guaranteeing a return on your marketing investment (ROI) and communicating a strong brand message. Keep in mind that redesigning the physical booth is only one part of the process. Selecting the best team members to represent your staffing firm and welcome visitors into your exhibit space is essential to the overall success of your tradeshow lead generation efforts.
Clear Message
The goal for every tradeshow is obviously to generate leads and garner a return on your investment (ROI), so it is imperative that your message to attendees is clear and focused. What are you hoping to communicate? Do you have a new service or office location? Are you announcing a company milestone achievement? Do you have a way to ease a specific pain or solve a common problem within the industry? Once you have decided what your goals are, design your booth with streamlined copy that catches the attention of visitors and allows them to easily understand your message. In an environment such as a tradeshow, attendees are passing by so quickly that they do not have time to digest a lengthy prose. Your goal is to pique their interest with a brief, bold tagline that clearly states what your brand is all about.
Prime Real Estate
Now that you have decided on your message, you need to be sure that it is prominently displayed in the prime real estate of your exhibit booth. Make the back wall your focal point and display your message at a comfortable eye level. Limit your color palette to a maximum of three colors and incorporate empty space to make sure that the booth does not feel too busy. Select one or two eye-catching images to draw the attention of your audience, but be careful to not distract from your message by using too many graphics. If your message changes depending on which tradeshow you are attending, remember to reassess the placement of your copy and graphics for each event.
Information Overload
When designing your tradeshow booth space, use technology as a way to convey more detailed information without overloading your visitors with handfuls of bulky collateral. Integrate QR codes into your booth design so that visitors can quickly scan and review material with their smartphones. Link to a YouTube video, your company’s website, or to the landing page for a new product or service. Digital signage and interactive touch screens are a great way to draw people into your booth space, but be sure that they do not take away from your ultimate goals of building your brand and generating qualified leads. Feature wireless phone charging stations and provide visitors with a comfortable area to relax while they wait.
Think Green
Environmentally friendly materials must be considered when designing your tradeshow booth space. Attendees will take notice of displays that contain materials like bamboo plywood and eco glass. Instead of going with lighting fixtures that require traditional incandescent bulbs, opt for LED options to show attendees that you are focused on sustainable practices. Printed collateral is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Boost your brand and communicate your message to your target audience by giving away customized USB flash drives that have been pre-loaded with case studies, whitepapers and other flyers and handouts.
Get Social
Choosing team members who are capable of interacting with attendees and drawing them into your newly designed space is just as important as the tradeshow booth itself. The most amazing display will be ineffective if you do not staff it with people who are capable of identifying possible leads and quickly qualifying them for future follow-up. Depending on the type of tradeshow and the format of the event, team members may need to go beyond the borders of your exhibit space and interact with your target audience in the aisles. Make sure that staff members have been appropriately trained and have frequent meetings throughout the day to assess whether the approach is proving successful. Encouraging social media interaction must also be a priority in your exhibit booth design. Incorporate a kiosk that allows visitors to easily interact with your brand on social media, and actively post updates on your company profiles to connect with those who were unable to attend the tradeshow in person.
Key Takeaways for Designing Your Tradeshow Booth Space:
- Assess each tradeshow event individually and determine your brand message
- Display your brand message in your booth’s prime real estate
- Incorporate technology into your space to draw in attendees and reduce printed collateral
- Integrate environmentally friendly materials into your booth design
- Add social media kiosks and encourage online interaction
About S.J.Hemley Marketing
S.J.Hemley Marketing is a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on driving tangible results for professional services firms. Brand matters, but not without ROI. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience within staffing and recruiting, we have helped to drive successful branding, sales training, lead generation activities as well as defining marketing strategy for top organizations.