20 Exhibit Booth Marketing Tips

Maximize Your Visibility with these simple, practical, and effective ideas

01: Making changes on the show floor is costly. Pay attention to every detail as you’re prepping for the show.

02: Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag. Take photos and video in and around your booth and the show floor in general. Encourage attendees in your booth to do the same. Post them to your social media feed and the experience will live on after the show is over.

03: Post-Show Marketing. Not everyone is ready to buy right now. Nurture all your leads. Those who are “window shopping” should still be on your list. Build the relationship.

04: Training. Have a booth staff meeting before every show to train your staff and get everyone on the same page. And if your staff gets grumpy about it have the meeting anyway.

05: Pay attention. Ask smart questions and let prospects do the talking. They’ll tell you everything they need. Listen. Really listen.

06: Be a good neighbor. Even if your neighbor is your direct competition.

07: Management will ask for proof the show was a worthwhile investment. How are you measuring success?

08: Always remain attentive to the passing attendees. Greet them with a smile even if they don't stop at your booth.

09: Research the show and learn the percentage breakdown of attendees. You’ll communicate differently with CEOs and VPs then you will with an engineer. Do your homework, get prepared and stay open.

10: Failure is the key to success. Did your give-a-way suck? Missed connecting with that huge prospect? AV trouble for your presentation? Move on. Learn for your mistakes and make the next show better.

11: Sending “the new guy/gal” to the trade show is a bad idea. Send staff who are experienced with the process. If you must send the new guy or gal they should “shadow” someone who has done it before and learn the ropes. (See Tip 04: Training.)

12: How long have you had your exhibit? Does it tell the right story? Is it time for something new? It might be time to kill your darlings.

13: Pay attention to booth size. You don’t want to be too crowded. But then again you wouldn’t want it to feel empty. Gauge booth size properly.

14: Never eat in the exhibit booth. Ever.

15: Embrace new technology. It’s cheaper to buy a flatscreen monitor than to rent it. Social media is free to use. So is a cell phone camera...and everybody has one! Use new technology to make connections and get the word out. (See Tip 02: Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag.)

16: Follow up on every lead. Always. (See Tip 03: Post-Show Marketing.)

17: Smile. No matter how tired you may be.

18: Are you counting on your prospects to be at the same show they were last year? Industry trends change so you might need to exhibit at a different show this year.

19: Yeah, you're busy. But like anything else, if you're not planning ahead your trade show experience will be disappointing. Make a plan.

20: Exhibiting at a trade show is an investment. Hire an experienced professional and listen to their advice. Yes, you want to stay within budget but this is not the time to nickel and dime.

Bonus Tips!

21: Keep your graphics clean, simple, and elegant. Tell ‘em who you are, what you do, and how you can help ‘em.

22: Teamwork. Sales and marketing teams are two sides of the same coin. They need each other. Work to create a finely tuned trade show team.

23: What if your display shows up late? Does show management have an issue with your exhibit marketing tactics? What if your staff gets sick? Launch Plan B. You have a Plan B, right?

24: Take care of your body. Show days are grueling. Hydrate. Eat healthy. Stretch and exercise in the morning and evening. Rest.

25: Submit forms early to save money and heartache. Keep track of deadlines.

26: Never sit down in the booth. Unless you're having a meeting, always remain standing.

27: Give people a reason to visit you. Connect with your contacts and let them know you’re exhibiting and what they’ll experience when they visit your booth. Pre-show marketing is key.

28: Show attendees come prepared. They’ve done their research and know who they want to see. Are you one of them? Do your homework.

29: Refrain from gossip in the booth. Respect the competition.