Trade Show Marketing

Good Design Technique And Well-Trained Staff
Can Make Up For Small Space

I spent a couple of days last week at the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Conference and Expo. I enjoy seeing the cutting edge technology that will someday be in my automobile .

This expo is the premier event for anyone wanting to present a new product or service to the automotive industry. Everything from floor mats to moon roofs, cylinder pressure sensors to plastic lights, robots that can drive for you, to design services were shown.

As someone involved in the trade show business, I make a special effort to look for new ideas that I may share with clients when recommending methods for displaying products and services. I also look at how companies use their booth personnel.

I recommend to my clients that they do not have chairs in their booth! Invariably those booths with chairs have less traffic and consequently generate less business, not to mention a staff that is not on their toes.

I had two clients at SAE, both small new companies. Both were on the same aisle. Neither had chairs in their booths. At one point on Wednesday afternoon, these were the only two booths in the aisle that had any activity. All the other booths in that aisle had chairs with salespersons sitting and talking to each other... no one wanted to interrupt them! So much for chairs and untrained staff.

On the bright side... I came away with reinforcement for some of the basic design techniques that can be used by small companies to help them stand out from the crowd and generate booth traffic:

1. Keep the booth design clean and simple.
    
2. Use bright colors to attract attention.
    
3. Use shapes and contours to break up boring back walls.
    
4. Use lighting to attract attention and give a dramatic effect to common products that are difficult to distinguish from competitors.
    
5. Create strong visual impact by using fewer and larger graphics.
    
6. Stay away from long-worded product explanations. This is a "less is better" situation.
    
7. Use product names and services that are easily recognized.
    
8. Use materials that convey a high tech image... plexiglass, stainless steel with brushed finishes, glass and bright plastics... if you are exhibiting a high tech product
    
9. e careful not to have too many staff persons in your booth. If you have a small booth, you probably won't want more that two persons on staff at a time. People need space to be comfortable. If you find you are crowded, you may want to consider a larger booth for your next show.
    
10. Remember that your booth is essentially a branch office. It should be comfortable. Does it convey the spirit of your company?

Your booth says a lot about you, your company and your product or service. Think of your booth as an introduction. Does it make a good first impression?

Small companies with limited space can compete in the trade show arena by using good design techniques and a well trained staff.