Investing employee time and your marketing budget in a trade show booth without effective trade show techniques can be a disaster.  Your goal should be to create as many positive interactions as possible, whether it be a through conversation or your marketing materials and displays.  Here are just a few ways to enhance ROI and build brand loyalty with basic trade show techniques:

The invite

If you cannot afford radio and TV advertising, cultivate your audience by sending e-mail invitations and postcard reminders to current clients and prospects.  Generate a buzz by promoting the event via social media and strategically placed online advertising.  An optimized mailing list or localized EDDM mailer can also be effective ways to reach a very specific demographic or geographic.  Variable data printing to personalize the invite and scratch off tickets for redemption at the event are great ways to increase response rates.

The show

Creating an inviting, interactive, and aesthetically pleasing booth space is key to attracting attendees.  Signage should be bold, benefit-orientated and visible from 30′ away.  Think of this as your “welcome center” for anyone unfamiliar with your products or services.  Friendly representatives dressed in corporate apparel should be eager to strike up a conversation, hand out literature or a logoed product.  Your goal should be to pre-qualify, inform, collect contact info and repeat.  The right personnel can make all the difference with info and lead retention, so choose wisely!

The follow-up

After the obligatory “thanks for your time” e-mail, you now have pre-qualified leads that are begging to be nurtured.  While the e-mail may be a reflex in this digital age, a hand-written note is proven to be more effective and memorable.  Keeping in touch with these prospects via e-mail marketing, direct mail, and the occasional phone call will keep your brand and the positive experience of the event fresh in their memory.

See you at the show!