When designing and building an exhibition stand, there is a seemingly endless list of priorities, non-negotiables and essentials. But they’ve all got one core aim – to bring people into your space.
Whilst lights, bells and whistles will attract some customers – it’s not going to work for everyone. During the planning and design stage, you’ll need to work closely with your designer to ensure you’re optimising your space to turn heads, build interest and get the high footfall you’re looking for.
Think about your audience…
Who are your audience and what is going to appeal to them? How can you make their heads turn, and their bodies swivel on the spot? If you get the right answers to these questions, you’re guaranteed footfall. If you’re selling a product or service, you’ll have likely undertaken customer research to explore their pain points. Use these to bring them to your stand.
It’s important to weigh in equal measure elements that BRING people to your stand space, and factors that make them STAY. Consider what they’re expecting to see too. Are you going to offer face-to-face conversations? Live demos? A barista with branded cups to spread the word across the entire exhibition?
Whilst a barista is a fantastic marketing tool, you’ll need to ensure visitors are getting value when they visit too. Interactive elements, or gamification, are becoming more common at events – and it’s a fantastic way to help visitors enter your sales funnel without feeling as though they’ve been given the hard sell.
Be the one they remember
We are inundated with lights and sounds at big exhibitions and events – it takes a lot to stand out. Separating yourself from these competitors is a hard task, but using a unique mechanism to do so will get you remembered.
Plant the seed early. If the show has sponsorship opportunities, use them. Show your lanyards, get on the venue signage and occupy the entranceway advertising. Before people have even set foot inside, they know your name. You can also consider branded giveaways or promotional merchandise to go along with your exhibition space – giving visitors a physical reminder of you after the event.
How you engage with your visitors is vital too. As we’ve mentioned in the last point, you’ll need to tailor your messaging and your space to maximise their experience and leave a lasting impression. Think big, think outside the box – and then work with someone who can make it happen.
Think about your goals…
Some spaces will look to sell on the spot, whereas others will be orientated around lead capture. Who, or what, you place on your stand will need to be placed with the express aim of achieving that goal.
If you’re looking to drum up interest but don’t want to sell on the spot, ensure your team are briefed and make certain they understand how you are capturing leads to follow up after the event.
If you’re launching a product and want to get your first sales, ensure your team understands all details of your product/service and are prepared, and confident, to demo live and answer any questions.
Whatever this goal is, it’s important that you’re focusing on the customer with your event space. Discover their problems, showcase your solution and present it in the best light possible to engage passers-by. Whether it’s interactive animations or demos by your salespeople, they’ll need to be tailored to drive the right audience to your space that are going to help you achieve that main goal.
Pre-show planning and marketing
Marketing assets play a huge role in the success of immersive exhibition space – but it’s not all about the event itself.
Think about what you can do before the event goes live that will build interest and showcase your space before people can even set foot there. Increasing anticipation by pre-show marketing is essential.
Consider running social media campaigns, or email campaigns, that keep stakeholders updated on the progress of your space before launch. That way, when the event arrives, people will be itching to see the finished product.
Get the attention your business deserves
We’re trusted by clients the world over to help with the design, manufacture and installation of exhibition spaces that get remembered. Want to be next? Take your first step to better audience experiences now and talk us through your plans, so we can bring them to life.
