37 Things a Trade Show Booth Does

July 20, 2013

Earlier this year, I wrote a surprisingly popular blog post called “44 Things A Booth Staffer Does.” Some readers were amazed at the wide range of skills and tasks booth staffers require, while other readers wanted to share with their naïve peers just how much staffers actually do.

That led me to think about the job of your biggest booth staffer.  And I’m not talking about that body builder from sales, or the big cheese CEO.  I’m talking about your trade show booth.

Trade show displays are multitasking marvels made of metal, wood, fabric and more.  Just like your booth staffers, they’ve got a very long to-do list.  Imagine what it takes to build one thing that has to do all 37 of these things well:

  1. Build, enhance, reposition and maintain your brand
  2.  
  3. Support your booth staff
  4.  
  5. Generates leads
  6.  
  7. Be seen from a distance
  8.  
  9. Communicate quickly
  10.  
  11. Stop attendees
  12.  
  13. Help attract qualified attendees
  14.  
  15. Promote your benefits
  16.  
  17. Announce your product markets
  18.  
  19. Break your company into new markets
  20.  
  21. Tell your story
  22.  
  23. Host a presentation
  24.  
  25. Provide meeting space
  26.  
  27. Display your products
  28.  
  29. Introduce your new products
  30.  
  31. Recruit new employees
  32.  
  33. Advances the buying cycle
  34.  
  35. Host a press conference
  36.  
  37. Make a statement
  38.  
  39. Reinforce a themed message
  40.  
  41. Answers questions
  42.  
  43. Store your staffer’s stuff, plus promotions, supplies and electronic gear
  44.  
  45. Facilitate dialog
  46.  
  47. Scare your competitors
  48.  
  49. Reinforce business partnerships
  50.  
  51. Welcome customers
  52.  
  53. Change booth sizes
  54.  
  55. Change messages to fit different markets
  56.  
  57. Instill pride in your team
  58.  
  59. Impress investors
  60.  
  61. Minimize operating costs
  62.  
  63. Pass show regulations
  64.  
  65. Pack down efficiently
  66.  
  67. Set up as easily as possible
  68.  
  69. Travel without getting damaged
  70.  
  71. Last for years
  72.  
  73. More than pay for itself
  74.  
  75.  

Your trade show booth must be a marketing powerhouse, a great host, a workplace, and a versatile team player.  May you find the right booth for you.

What other important tasks do you feel your trade show booth must achieve?  Let us know in the comments box below.

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