10 Quick Tips for San Diego Trade Show Booth Rentals

Trade shows have emerged as one of the most powerful tools for marketing. This is probably because a face-to-face interaction leaves a lasting impression on a person’s mind. Did you know that the first trade show was hosted 165 years ago? ‘The Great Exhibition’ was hosted on May 1, 1851. Held in Central London, the idea behind it was simple – to bring different products under the same roof.

The show went on for a period of 5 months, encompassing 6 million visitors. Today’s conventions follow the precedent set by this foremost trade show. Of course, the elements that are included now have changed the picture completely.

Since its inception, hundreds of shows have been conducted all across the world. These conventions are mostly industry-specific. The Comic-Con, which is a series of comic-based conventions attracts a large crowd every year. More than 1 million trade shows are hosted annually in the United States with close to 90 million attendees.

One such place that offers a wide range of opportunities to its participants and attendees in San Diego. Home to the famous Comic-Con, this entrepreneurial hub has become a sought after trade show venue for any. On average, every show here hosts 50,000 attendees, making it the ideal trade show location for both small enterprises and MNCs.

The fact that the number only increases every passing year, proves that most businesses have realized the importance of face-to-face marketing. When you attend a trade show here, you’re sure to realize that the participating organizations offer diversity in their innovations. Such an environment provides a solid ground for businesses to take root and eventually expand.

Although the setup of a trade show booth requires heavy investment in terms of money and time, the financial returns are more than worth it. If you find yourself with a slightly tight budget, then opting for San Diego trade show booth rentals will be the best thing to do. By renting stands, exhibitors enjoy the liberty of charging their creative grey matter. Stall designing is undoubtedly the most exciting part of setting up a trade show exhibit.

Especially now, when brands face tremendous competition, a unique design will drive the visitor’s attention towards your kiosk. Startups and big businesses have started including automated techniques mixed with traditional design patterns in their booths. The whole idea behind this is to keep the customer’s senses engaged.

In a recent survey, it was proven that 64% of trade show attendees were not existing customers of any of the participating companies. Businesses use this opportunity to meet up with prospects and improve their business generation potential. If this is what you’re hoping to achieve, here are a few quick tips that will enrich your trade show experience:

 

 Design Your Booth Strategically

Setting up a booth is not a one-day affair. It takes months of planning. The first thing that you will need to do is outline your goals for the event. Once you have a clear idea of what it is you want to achieve, you can create a sound plan to achieve it.

Your plan should include everything from understanding what booth size you require to the kind of layout and graphics you will put on display.

Carefully planning your budget is of utmost importance, especially if you have limited finances with which you must participate in the show.

Maintaining a cost sheet and keeping track of every expense will help you measure your success at the end of the show. It could also serve as a guide for the next time you’re planning to participate in a trade show.

 

 Choose The Right Size And Style

After you’ve made a foolproof plan and taken control of the budget, the next step is to select a suitable size and design for your exhibit stand. This is one of the most important elements as it is likely to dictate how many people will enter your booth and engage with you.

Your booth’s design should reflect what your brand does and what you stand for. For example, if you’re selling bricks, then it makes no sense to have a booth that looks like you’re trying to sell murals.

The style or the theme of the stall should align with your product completely. While coming up with the design, don’t forget about the importance of empty spaces. Irrespective of whether you have a large 50×50 booth or a small 10×10 booth, you need to ensure that it isn’t stuffed with unnecessary tables, chairs, and shelves.

 

 Create An Engaging Environment

Trade show marketing is no longer about products being put on display and people simply asking for what they want. In today’s competitive markets, it’s crucial for brands to offer customers a fun experience during the event. In order to do this, most brands have started to embrace new technology.

Virtual reality can be used to transport the customer to your office or warehouse, while augmented reality can help you host the fun game for trade show attendees and greatly impress upon them how far you’re willing to go to make their relationship with you truly enjoy.

 

 

 Focus On Quality Over Quantity

Exhibitors have developed a notion that a successful booth is the one that is visited by at least a thousand visitors. Instead of focusing on attracting more people to your booth, work towards bringing in the right crowd.

In order to achieve this, you must be completely aware of who your target audience is. This will allow you to create a plan that is geared towards engaging specifically with these individuals.

 

 

 Launch A New Product

At a trade show, you will face fierce competition from other businesses that function in the same space as you. If you want to capture attention, then it is vital that you find a way to do things differently. One of the easiest ways you can do this is by launching a new product at the show itself.

Innovative products are a huge draw and by giving your customers a chance to experience something that isn’t out in the market yet will make them feel special and part of an exclusive club.

Even if your latest launch isn’t quite ready yet, perhaps you can show people what you hope to achieve with the help of tech like virtual and augmented reality.

 

 Find The Right Staff

Think back to the last trade show you attended. Were you more impressed by a brand’s products or the way in which the staff engaged with you? Chances are, you remember the latter.

When people leave your booth, they’re likely to remember how polite your staff was and how well they were able to provide them with the information they needed about your offerings.

This is why it’s vital to find the right staff for your booth. People who are motivated and well informed about your products will be able to strike up conversations with interested individuals and possibly convert them into customers.

 

 Give The Right Gifts

 

Giveaways are a great way to thank your visitors for taking the time to visit your booth. Before you give out a particular item, make sure your brand’s logo and website are visibly inscribed on it.

Another thing to realize is that t-shirts, pens, and mugs have become old school and don’t really cut it with highly authoritative decision makers.

It’s time to move beyond a bowl of mints or candy. Instead, try coming up with items like bags or headphones – things that are durable and will last people for really long.

 

 

 Light Up Your Space

There’s a lot to be said about how the science of light can help you create a welcoming environment in your booth. People have started to use LED lights and back-lit fabric displays to create an interesting ambiance.

Colored lights and filament bulbs are also making a comeback and are something that you can capitalize on during your next trade show.

 

 

 Get Up And Engage

Until very recently, it was common to see trade show staff sitting at their booths and only talking to those people who approached them. But today, you need to go out into the aisles and talk people into walking your way.

Staff who go out into the aisles and engage with a customer who they think might be interested in your products will go a long way in helping you drive traffic towards your booth.

 

 

 

 Stay In Touch

As an exhibitor, your work doesn’t end once the show is over. In fact, your real job, of cultivating relationships, starts only once the event is done and dusted.

The faster you initiate contact, the better your chances of converting your leads into customers. Send emails to the people who came to your booth and thank them for your support.

Call up individuals who showed interest in your offerings and ask them if they’d like to meet with you. Add people to your mailing list and make sure that you u update them regularly, but not too often, about your brand and what you’re doing in the market.

These small gestures from your side will help in building a relationship between your brand and the lead. Handling a trade show booth can be quite a task, especially for first-timers. But, with effective planning, lead analysis, and staff management, your brand is sure to meet all your trade show goals.