There are several benefits associated with investing your time and energy in expanding the marketability of your product via a trade show. Trade fairs are powerful marketing systems that can bring new customers to your roster while maintaining your current relationships with your brand loyalists. It’s one of the only times where there will be a concentrated presence of international buyers, sellers and investors in one place in such a short period of time.

In addition, trade shows provide an insight of the market and industry, introduce you to the latest innovations and trends of your competitors, as well as help you obtain new ideas for your business and evaluate the competition.

Despite all of these benefits, many exhibitors do not use their time at a trade show wisely. A lot of times, business owners think that all they have to do to be successful at a trade show is to open a booth and the customers will eventually come. Sure, customers will happen, but only at a trickle and conversions will likely be bleak. People who are visiting trade shows will be experiencing sensory overload – there are going to be many booths vying for their attention and only a limited amount of time for them to do so.

That’s why it’s so essential to stand out and actively engage with would-be customers to achieve the best results possible – not just for the buyers you meet, but also for yourself.

How to Make Your Booth More Interactive

Gamify the interaction. Turn your trade booth into a game where trivia questions are asked and prizes are handed out for those who answer the questions correctly. You can even make these games more interactive by using a prize wheel that a potential customer can spin after answering a question correctly that determines what prize they win. This is where your imagination is an advantage. Regardless of the prize, make sure that it shares contact information, a logo, company name or a website address. For those who didn’t answer the question with the correct response, give them a lesser prize of a card with your company’s contact information or details about your services.

Incorporate flashy technology. Leverage technology to your advantage at your next trade show. There is usually a way to incorporate technology to make it more alluring, giving the opportunity for visitors to “play” in your booth and spend more time in it. Consider including touchscreen technology, where a tablet is used to demonstrate the subtler aspects of your product. You can go full out with remote-controlled drones and even projected gaming systems. Whatever sort of technology you use to galvanize your audience, make sure that it’s associated with your brand or product.

Use Hashtags. Hashtags can be a powerful marketing tool. Posting a hashtag contest to allow attendees to conjure up relevant post for clever company hashtags can be a way to involve people that follow you on social media. Witty, branded hashtags can also be used to win prizes. A live projection screen of the live feed will increase the engaging factor of the trade booth and improve its visibility.

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