Trade show marketing ideas from outside the box.
Trade show marketing. The phrase can seem a bit dusty and overused. It conjures images of giveaway pens and tired staff. Let’s change that for 2016. It’s time to freshen up your trade show marketing and create an experience that is unique and interesting, both for your trade show booth visitors as well as your own staff. We recently read an article by Handshake that lists some “guerilla marketing ideas” that will spice up your show and bring it into the current atmosphere of technology and creativity. We’d like to expand upon a few of our favorites below, but check out the article for more cool ideas.
9. Incentivize people to tweet something about your booth, preferably including photos.
- Twitter is a powerful trade show marketing tool. The immediate nature is especially useful for any event, because people tend to post updates about their experiences. Use your giveaways to encourage people to tweet and post photos. Consider setting up a Twitter photo booth or start a hashtag campaign for your trade show booth. The sky is the limit with Twitter – think outside the box, and if you have Millennials on your team, get their input. This generation is especially connected to the Twitter world.
13. Tip out bar tenders to use your witty private coasters at restaurants and bars near the convention center. Number them and encourage people to stop by the booth to see if they won something.
- If local bartenders around the trade show venue and even inside the trade show venue are willing to use your coasters, imagine the exposure! Use a fun graphic and theme with a witty slogan to capture the attention of attendees. You could even connect the coasters with your Twitter campaign, or go a step further to create a sort of scavenger hunt where attendees win a prize if they collect the most branded items that you have placed around town, including coasters. If you expanded upon the coaster idea, there are so many ways that you could get creative with your trade show marketing.
17. Hire a hot dog vendor to give out food for free-with your custom paper holder. Works for popcorn or tacos too.
- There’s no doubt that everyone loves food, and especially at trade shows. People are out walking the show floor and the days can be very long and sometimes monotonous. Maybe spruce up this idea even more by having a branded mini cafe in your booth – attendees can get their popcorn or hotdogs and sit and enjoy a break, or they can take it to go, which is perfect advertising for your booth. Either way, you’ll be offering them respite from their long day, and that is bound to leave an impression.
20. Have a street musician touting your trade show marketing message in witty songs.
- This one is pretty off the wall, but if you have a theme song for your company or even if you don’t, it could be really fun to have someone singing at your trade show booth. Certain products will obviously lend themselves more to song, just make sure the singer has a good voice and the song is catchy. This stunt could make or break your trade show marketing plan. If it’s good, it’s really good, but if it’s bad, it could be a major turnoff and hurt your brand.
Use some of these ideas and others from the article to really create an experience for trade show attendees to remember. People tend to recall things that touch their hearts or their stomachs, so keep this in mind when planning your trade show marketing. No matter what you do, make sure your trade show booth looks amazing as well. Using “guerrilla tactics” may come across as cheesy or lackluster if your booth is shabby.
Design an exciting and engaging trade show booth as the foundation of your trade show marketing. ADM Two are experts in exhibition booth design, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960, and one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with trade show booth ideas. Also, check out some of our other articles to get ideas for trade show exhibit graphics.