Why is it important to attract visitors to your exhibition stand?

Well, you’ve spent a lot of time, effort and money creating a design brief. You’ve watched your masterpiece develop. Surely you want to do everything possible to attract people to your stand?

That’s where Harrison Creative can help.

Below we highlight tactics and ideas from free Wi-Fi to interactive games, that are guaranteed to attract people to your stand. Not only will they generate a buzz, they’ll also generate leads.

Send an invitation

You don’t want to solely rely on passers-by. Make a point of letting your current and potential customers know you’ll be there. Get them thinking about your brand. Give them a little taster of what to expect, but don’t give too much away. You want them to actually turn up.

1. Be original – You could by all means send an invitation in the post or a general mailer. Imagine the impact you would have if you sent a jigsaw they had to put together though? The key is to think of something creative and different.
2. Make a strong statement – Be clever with your words to make a big, bold statement but make sure you know what’s effective and what’s offensive.

Reach out to others

There are a number of sources you can reach out to when promoting your brand and your exhibition stand. The more conversation you can generate across different platforms, the better.

1. Contact publicists – Trade publicists are a fantastic way of promoting your brand. If you’re showcasing something different, let them know. It will help with the build-up before the show and people will head straight to your stand.
2. Liaise with bloggers and online influencers – They’re often far more accessible and if you reach out to a blogger or online influencer in your industry, they are more inclined to work with you because you’ve done the reaching out.

Use your imagination

Don’t think outside of the box, think of what you can do with the box. Don’t be confined to four walls. Think about what your customers want to see and the journey they want to experience. Do something unexpected that will make you memorable.

1. Create an illusion – Why have a flat surface floor when you can create something out of this world, literally.
2. Get creative – Think of unconventional shapes and graphics you can use as walls – don’t stick to what you know.
3. Go outdoors – Exhibition stands are usually found indoors, so why not be different and go outside? It’s a great way to stop people during their everyday life and grab their attention with your masterpiece.

Interactivity and engagement

People like to get involved – it’s a fact.

Your job is to create something that is not only engaging but is also memorable. You don’t want people to leave your stand, go to another and forget who you are. Make sure you make an impact.

1. Get interactive with your games – Do something that allows attendees to participate. An interactive game is the ideal way to spark a conversation and to generate a buzz.
2. Create a photo point – Everyone loves a photo to upload to social media, so by creating the perfect backdrop, people are more inclined to visit your stand, upload a photo online and subconsciously promote your brand.
3. Go live on social media – You’re not only generating extremely unique content, you’re also connecting with your audience directly. It’s also a great way to drive more traffic to your Facebook page, so make sure it’s kept updated with engaging content.
4. Ask customers what they think – Everyone wants their opinions to be heard so why not give attendees the opportunity to leave their comments or thoughts on a hot topic related to your industry?

Go digital

Technology is currently driving the world forward, so why not consider incorporating digital elements into your stand?

1. Use impressive lighting displays – When done correctly, lighting displays are mesmerising and will stop attendees in their tracks, right outside your stand.
2. Offer free Wi-Fi – During any trade show, Wi-Fi is essential to allow attendees to check in, tweet and update social platform and in such a small area, 3G coverage can often be affected. With this in mind, why not offer free Wi-Fi where you can request details of attendees before granting them access?
3. Take advantage of touchscreens – If you saw a large interactive touchscreen would you touch it without knowing what it was, just out of interest? Exactly, now imagine how many people you could get interacting with your stand.
4. Give attendees something to take home – QR codes are the easiest way to download information or an app with one simple scan, taking the hassle out of providing lots of information.

Give something back

When giving something away, it’s all about your brand image. You want to give something away which will reflect your company, remind people of who you are and most importantly, generate leads.

1. Run a competition – avoid time-wasters by giving away one of your products/services so that you know everyone who enters has a genuine interest in what you do. It’s a great way to create engagement between the attendee and your sales team.
2. Brand your bags – At exhibitions, a bag can never go a miss. Whether it’s to put all your leaflets in or the bottle of Coke you’ve been holding for two hours, it wouldn’t be turned down. Each attendee will continue to walk the rest of the exhibition whilst your branded bag will be seen by hundreds of people.
3. Make people think – Think of a message that will get in people’s minds. The longer they’re thinking about it, the longer they’re thinking about you.

Whatever method you decide on to attract people to your stand, always ensure your branding and messaging is consistent to portray your brand. Without doing so, attendees could become confused and your main aim of generating leads could be lost.