Achieve Better Trade Show Marketing Results With Promo Models

Generating new business leads. Attracting interest in your brand. Learning about trends in your industry. These are all excellent aspects of trade shows and expos, which can help your company create more revenue and prepare for the future in a more intelligent manner.

But enjoying trade show success is about more than just showing up at the expo. There are key tactics you can use to maximize the marketing success of your trade show. Here are 5 of those tactics.

1. Draw attention to your exhibit and create sustained interest with promo models

Spend enough time at trade shows and you’ll realize that many booths and exhibits are pretty boring and unexciting. Snazz up your exhibit by surrounding it with attractive and personable promo models.

Promo models at your exhibit should be articulate and well-trained in engaging with your specific target market or consumer type. In this way, not only do they grab attention for your booth, but they also act as effective champions for your company. By drawing interest to your exhibit — and sustaining that interest through conversations with your audience — you will increase the number of qualified leads.

What’s more, promo models are highly effective at trade shows for any type of industry. For instance, promo models from Femme Fatale Media recently worked the PDAC 2016 trade show, which caters to those in the mineral exploration industry and attracts an audience of 22,000 attendees.

1. Stock your exhibit with a trade show giveaway item

“At every tradeshow there are a few ‘must-have’ takeaways that everyone wants to get their hands on...the item needs to be useful, not just at the tradeshow, but also after the show,” says Shane Shirley, CMO of SBS Brands.

Shane Shirley suggests using eco-friendly, reusable bags with your company logo as a trade show giveaway, though there are many other possibilities, too — USB drives, keychains, and water bottles. This will help people remember your company long after the trade show.

Tip: To increase the number of giveaways that your attendees take away, have promo models hand them out to potential leads.

1. Use the right materials for your trade show exhibit

It’s important that your exhibit stands out from all the other booths out there, and one practical way of doing that is through upscale-looking exhibit materials.

Experts advise using materials that communicate a brand’s sophistication while being easy to set up and take down. Suggestions include faux brick (which are made from foam but look like real bricks), thermal foil for logos — giving a high-end look, and high-end flooring such as elevating the exhibit floor.

1. Take advantage of Facebook and other social media outlets

With a sprawling digital presence, Facebook is increasingly becoming a popular tool for those involved in trade show marketing. For example, a Boston-based musician booking company named Sonicbids executed a set of Facebook strategies prior to a trade show, boosting attendance by around 30%.

So how should you utilize Facebook for your trade show marketing? First, create and launch a Facebook event page about a month before the exhibit takes place. Use this page to invite existing clients and potential leads, and be sure to add the RSVP option on the page. Then, in the weeks before the show, let your followers know about the activities and in-booth offerings you are planning. The key is to create a buzz among friends, clients, and other interested individuals, who will share great content — thereby gathering more interest for your specific exhibit.

1. Harness the power of experiential marketing

To really get attendees excited and amped up about your product and company, create a unique, compelling experience at your exhibit. “Giving trade show attendees a visual and tactile experience via demos or hands-on time is a crucial activity,” notes Martha White in BizBash.com.

Adidas, for example, has mastered the art of experience marketing. At one trade show, attendees were allowed to test the shoes out by running in a very large hamster wheel. Of course, you don’t have to create something like that, but it’s important that — at the very least — you have hands-on demos, as well as comfortable places for your audience to sit during the demonstrations.

By immersing your attendees in a unique, bold experience, your exhibit won’t be forgotten — and it will create a positive impression on potential clients.
Tip: Did you know promo models are great for an experiential marketing approach to your trade show? Promo models can help with demos and other aspects of experience marketing.