The following article was originally published in the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce newsletter. With a limit of 500-600 words, I collected enough information that I easily exceeded that limit. I will be posting follow-up articles discussing each topic in more depth.
With the Southside Business Expo and Small Business Expo right around the corner, many of us are beginning to prepare our elevator pitches, displays, and promotional items. Along with preparation for these events often come questions such as “What promotional items really work?” and “How do I get people to come to my booth?”
The key to getting the most out of any business expo is to know and understand your target audience. By knowing the people you want to connect with, you will be able to engage them with every aspect of the experience you provide. This will lay the groundwork for the planning of your booth.
Marketing expert Garnet Vaughan suggests choosing only one thing to promote at the event. “You must ask yourself: What is the main thing—the one message—I want to share with visitors to my booth? Do I have a new product to demonstrate? Are we offering a new service I want to explain? Do we have a new expert on staff? Do I have a new company name or location that needs attention?” Answering this question will help you to create a theme for your booth.
The theme will be an outline for the experience that you create for anyone visiting your booth. It should be relevant to the purpose of your business and be encompassed in all materials used to represent your company. Your banner or table cloth, brochures, and promotional items should create a consistent visual system. Your follow-up strategy should also coincide with your theme and should be planned before the event.
At the event, the first thing that people will notice is your display. A customized tablecloth or a vertical banner with your logo will allow people to immediately identify who you are. Whatever items you use, ensure that they appear professional. If you plan to participate in business expos for many years, a professionally designed, high-quality, reusable display will generate the most return on your investment.
An alternative to displaying informational items on a table is to give visitors the same experience that they would have if they were to visit your place of business. Indiana Eye Clinic often offers free vision screenings. This engages their target audience and is relevant to their theme, which solidifies their brand and makes them memorable.
Promotional items such as pens and paper pads are very popular, though there is much debate on whether or not they are effective tools of marketing. Joseph Matly, CEO of Corporate Digital, suggested that “regardless of what promotional item you have, make sure that it is something that people will actually use”. I will add that you should only use promotional items if they support your theme. Indiana Eye Clinic provides another great example of this by offering items such as eyeglass repair kits. Giveaways should also be relevant to your theme, and having a raffle for a high-quality item is a successful tactic for collecting business cards.
Even with the best display and the most unique promotional items or giveaways, it can still be difficult to get people to stop at your booth. By stepping out from behind the table and engaging passers-by in conversation, they will be more likely to take a closer look at who you are and what you do.
All that talking and smiling can be a real physical and mental exercise. Expos are usually several hours long and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the work we have waiting for us back at the office. However, it is crucial that we allocate time to implement our follow-up strategies. A nice hand-written note on our Thank You card will go a long way to show visitors that we really want to connect with them.