- \n
- Attract high quality leads to your booth (large show)<\/li>\n
- Make the most out of every visitor (large show)<\/li>\n
- Build relationships in this alternative to BINGO (small show)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What\u2019s the Goal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Before employing any of these strategies, it\u2019s important for you to understand your exhibitors\u2019 objectives. For most companies, the aim of the show is either going to be branding or sales. Brand-focused vendors will be concerned with spreading the word about their product or service. They want everyone to come by and leave with a positive impression. Sales-focused vendors want to get in front of decision-makers.<\/p>\n
By understanding each exhibitor\u2019s goals, you can guide them to the best engagement strategy. This part is key. Not all vendors have a detailed event strategy and sometimes booth reps get selected or swapped out last minute.<\/p>\n
Use the Right Bait to Attract High-Value Leads<\/h2>\n
To catch a big fish, exhibitors need the right bait. At a large show, it can be difficult to stand out amongst a sea of vendors all vying for the attention of top executives and senior decision-makers. Having a special giveaway or raffle for attendees shows that you value them and have put time into understanding their needs. Managing Directors and CEOs won\u2019t be hooked by a $100 gift card and probably aren\u2019t swayed by a cash prize at all. Instead, offer up something for their families like a Nintendo Switch or some premium headphones. Make sure to have a prepaid mailing label already filled out! There\u2019s nothing worse than winning a great prize that won\u2019t fit in your suitcase on the way home.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, vendors could stop by the gift shop at the hotel or airport and pick up some destination themed souvenirs for their VIP guests. I remember when I was a kid and my dad would go away on business. I knew that he would come back with a t-shirt or hat from the city he visited. Encourage exhibitors to have a separate raffle container or spread the word that they have a special gift for attendees with certain titles. If the show is small enough, they could place an ad or call-out in the mobile app or on the attendee badges.<\/p>\n
If a brand can show a high-value lead that much thoughtfulness, it could easily lead to a deal or at least a follow-up.<\/p>\n
Tip #1: Use the right bait to attract high-value leads.<\/h5>\n
Convince Exhibitors to Plan Conversations in Advance<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re at a large show, chances are there are going to be people who stop at a booth and the attendee and exhibitor will have absolutely nothing in common. This is an excellent branding opportunity that makes the most of every visitor and lets them leave with a good impression. I was recently at a conference that featured vendors I really didn\u2019t need or want to know about. When I inevitably asked the dreaded, \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d most gave me a canned answer and asked the same of me. This typically left us both stranded and stuttering for a moment, trying to find a way to turn it into a business opportunity. Perfect time for a bailout question:<\/p>\n
\u201cWho in my network might be interested in your product?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
Once I started asking people this question, it was amazing how it changed the conversation. First, people often took a step back and dropped their guard. It\u2019s not something many were prepared to answer and their surprise helped to relax us. With the serious sales atmosphere clearing, we were able to have a normal conversation about the product or service. Second, asking this brought both of us back into a collaborative mindset. As humans, we are guilty of categorizing relationships and instantly sorting people based on whether or not we think we have a need for them. Finally, this approach gave me a positive feeling when leaving the booth: I was actively thinking about to whom I could refer this company, and I was more inclined to visit more booths.<\/p>\n
Tip #2: Convince your exhibitors to plan ahead about how they will talk with people who enter their exhibit space but aren\u2019t part of their target audience.<\/p>\n
Make Business Personal by Rooting Out Mutual Interests<\/h2>\n
Smaller shows are unique in that they are often focused around a specific industry, product, or audience. Because of this, it\u2019s possible attendees and vendors are all familiar with one another and the need for icebreaker-type interaction is not necessary. I\u2019ve been at shows where I knew all the vendors and because my role didn\u2019t interact with them, I wasn\u2019t motivated to go mingle.<\/p>\n
Instead of the dreaded BINGO card, suggest that booth reps submit a fun fact or hobby and have attendees try to guess who each fact belongs to. Yeah, it\u2019s essentially BINGO, but attendees and vendors stand to discover mutual interests which lead to conversation, good feelings and eventually business.<\/p>\n
People do business with people they like.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re noticing that vendor engagement and booth traffic is declining, think about why that might be. In smaller industries, attendees might already know the vendors and have determined they don\u2019t need to talk to them as business people. Perhaps you can convince them to talk to each other as friends.<\/p>\n
Tip #3: Make business personal by rooting out mutual interests.<\/h5>\n
What do these three tips have in common? They all focus on treating people as people, not business cards or leads. Too many companies try to use their 30 seconds of face time to throw you into a funnel that hopefully spits out two to three qualified leads. By showing people that you took the time to consider their needs, talked to them as humans and cared enough to learn a little about them, they\u2019ll be more inclined to interact with you in the future. They provide a referral, take that follow up call, or simply mark their calendar for next year\u2019s event so the two of you can talk about mountain biking again. This results in happier attendees, happier exhibitors and of course, happier planners!<\/p>\n
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