10 ways to attract the right people to your exhibition stand

Do exhibitions/trade shows play a vital role within your marketing strategy?

Then you’ve come to the right place!

Whether it’s a local exhibition or a massive international trade show, events can help generate some fantastic leads and increase brand awareness of your organisation.

But with hundreds of other exhibitions stands and activities around you, how do you attract people to your stand?

From helping businesses of all sizes with their exhibition stands and marketing collateral for over 10 years, we’ve picked up a few tips over the years.

So, without further ado, here are our top 10 ways to attract the right people to your exhibition stand:

1. Freebies

Who doesn’t love a freebie? We certainly do! Giving out free items is a great idea for attracting people to your stand as well as for promoting your business. Most stands will hand out free pens or keyrings but why not do something a bit different this time?

One of our most popular items is branded tote bags. That’s because attendees will use them to carry all the printed materials they pick up throughout the day, meaning your brand will be seen by everyone!

2. Invest in bespoke exhibition stands

Whatever you do, do not leave planning to the last minute, especially when it comes to the appearance of your exhibition stands. Planning 4 to 6 months before the event means you have time to perfect the look, feel and overall presentation of your stand(s). To put it simply, you need to make sure your stands stand out from everyone else.

3. Be inviting

The layout of your stand is essential for making it inviting and attracting the right people into your stand. Think about the location within the event and how you can position so you can create a pleasant and inviting space that allows you to do business effectively.

4. Promote before the event

If you’re exhibiting, you need to let your prospects and even clients know that you’ll be attending an event. Engaging with them via your website, social media, PR and emails is a great way to make people aware you’ll be there and convince them to come to see you (you can even entice them with an offer…but we’ll come to that later!)

5. Let there be light

If you want your exhibition display to be that little bit special, it’s time to light them up. Not only do they look great, but they will illuminate your exhibition space and attract more people to the stand. They are also quick to assemble so you can have your brand lit up in less than 10 minutes.

6. Refreshments

As well as freebies, we all love something edible. Whether it is coffee or even a pick ‘n’ mix section, offering refreshments can not only attract people to your stand but also keep them longer and get them talking, giving you the perfect amount of time to introduce your products/services.

7. Run a giveaway

Running a competition or a giveaway is a great way to increase footfall and attract more visitors to your stand. It’s also a useful way to collect data from prospects (just make sure it’s GDPR compliant!) so you can engage them by utilising direct mail campaigns post-event.

8. Get interactive

Over the years, we’ve seen racing games, wheel of fortunes and even animal experiences at exhibition stands. Getting attendee participation with your stand will make sure your brand is the most talked about from the day.

9. Product demos

Actions do speak louder than words. That’s why if you can host demonstrations at your stand and showcase all the benefits of your products there and then, you’ll certainly get the attention of the right people and create genuine leads.

10. Speak up and educate

When you combine speaking an event with an impressive exhibition stand, you have double the chance of making showcasing your brand. By giving a talk, you can educate and demonstrate your expertise and encourage attendees to visit your stand for more information.

Are you ready for events to restart? Thanks to our range of printed material, exhibition displays and promotional merchandise, we can help you make the right, first impression so you can stand out in any crowd.

We’d love to help your business shine at your next event – drop us an email or call us on 01522 300222 and we’ll get ready to go.