How to Generate Trade Show Excitement on a Budget

You've paid for the space and built your exhibit. Now you just need to get customers to your booth. Try these techniques to drive traffic in your direction.

Get Them to your Booth

If you build it, they will come. This might not be true when it comes to trade show booths. Exhibit halls are large and attendees have busy schedules. To get booth traffic, try sending invitations beforehand to your current and prospective customers telling them why they should stop by. You can even use the invitations as raffle tickets for a show give-away. If you require the buyers to bring their invitation to the booth for the drawing and be present to win, you've got them there twice. Don't depend on the show guide to get your booth number right. Include your booth number on the invitation. Nothing will frustrate a potential buyer more than not being able to find you.

Get in the Trade

Trade publications often run extra issues just covering the trade show. These special edition magazines are available at the show and are sometimes sent to the hotel rooms of trade show attendees. If you are introducing a new product, or have had a recent, newsworthy success, sum it up in a press release. Send the release to the publications two to three months before the trade show. Follow up with the editor or publisher. These are people you should know, so if you don't already have a relationship with them, invite them to your booth. Offer to keep copies of the magazine in the booth for attendees to take. If you are not a regular advertiser they may hit you up for some ad space, but that doesn't mean you have to buy it!

New Product Showcase

Most shows have a premier location that showcases new products being introduced at the event. Usually this is a large display at the front of the floor just inside the entrance. There may be a small fee to include your product, but this is a great way to make sure buyers know you have something fresh for them to see, and to drive traffic to your booth.

SWAG

This will depend on your budget, but trade show attendees like nothing more than free stuff. At some shows, attendees bring empty suitcases to haul away the goodies. However, if you are going to give away product, make sure the give-away is working for you. Label the items clearly with your company name and your booth number.

On-Site Media

Larger trade shows will warrant local, and sometimes national, network coverage. Be sure to have Media Kits prepared and in the press room. Make friends with the trade show's PR team to maximize your chances of receiving coverage. It is their job to get reporters to cover the trade show. Make sure that the PR team knows why your booth would make a good addition to any news story.

You can also send your own press releases to the local media to try to get them to visit your booth. Chances are they will only come if they are doing a story on the trade show itself. However, there is nothing wrong with you planting a story idea. Larger shows get covered every year, and every year the reporters have to find a new angle to make it interesting. Is your product leading a new trend that would make a good overarching story for the reporter? The day of the show, follow up with the assignment desk of the news stations you have reached out to. Ask if a reporter has been assigned and if they need any additional information. Again, be sure that they have your company name and booth number. If all else fails, tactfully stalk the reporters when you see them on the floor and make sure they have your company's media kit.