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Top 10 ways to make your kiosk & booth pop at tradeshows

June 21, 2011 by Kurt Myrick — Technical Engineer, Phoenix Kiosk

It is easy to fade into the background at a trade show if you don't have a game plan for drawing potential customers. Amidst the crowded chaos, it is vital that you provide a spectacle of sights and sounds for the crowd in order to draw them to your booth. As we know, getting a booth at a convention can quickly add up in cost, so the best way to maximize your exposure is to plan and follow some tips I outlined

Pregaming - Use social media to increase traffic

Social Media has become vital in all areas of marketing, and this is also true for tradeshows. You will need to plan ahead for the big day by promoting your upcoming booth. Utilize social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and any other social networking outlets that you can access. Let people know about free gifts and prizes that will be available and where you will be located during the show. This will give you an opportunity to network ahead of time, so potential customers will consider you a friend and will want to talk with you in person.

Twitter will also allow you to follow "hash tags" based on keywords. Use these keywords to network with people who are already discussing the event.

I see pretty colors

People's eyes are naturally drawn to lights, color, sounds and movement. If you really want to draw a crowd amidst hundreds or thousands of other booths, you have to combine all of these things. You can do something as simple as adding flashing lights that reflect off shimmery fabric,or step up your game by renting or purchasing a system for 3-D laser imaging and video projection to provide a show at your booth. The key is to target as many of their senses as you can, and use that to draw them to your booth.

Did you say free gift?

Nobody can turn down a free gift. At Phoenix Kiosk we often give away thumb drives and our "Kio Birds" at the booth. These gifts are fun and useful for the prospective customers but also serve as take-home marketing devices for the company. Potential customers will likely see these gifts on a daily basis, which provides a constant reminder of your products and services.

And the winner is....

Have a contest! Invest in a nice and preferably eye-catching prize to draw the crowd. You can have them fill out a slip with contact information in order to enter the drawing, and with this you have just built an immediate client base for sales leads. In the past we have done contests like guessing how many "Kios" are stuffed in a large vase. Really, anything will work as long as the prize is worth more to the customer than the time it takes to fill out the information card.

Banners - doing it big

One of the worst things you can do at a tradeshow is cutting costs by getting a smaller or less-brilliant banner for your booth. You only have a few seconds to grab the attention of potential clients, so your booth must make a strong impression and grab their attention quickly. Make sure your company name and tag line are very clear in any banners you display. This is the image that will be ingrained in the customers' subconscious when they realize they are having a great time at your booth. If people remember having a fun time, along with meeting professional, upbeat people at your booth, they will naturally associate those same feelings with your product.

Also, remember that the more interactive your booth is the longer people will stay there.

Dress the part

It is very important to dress professionally for any tradeshow, or any promotional event. You don't necessarily need a suit and tie; either a golf shirt or button up shirt and some slacks should be fine. Make sure you are clean and sharp with your hair cut, fresh breath and trimmed nails. If you appear professional people will know that you ARE professional, and they will be much more willing to do business with you. I can guarantee that if you have bad breath and look like a mess your potential customers will not stick around to hear what you have to say.

Money booth

If you have a little bit of extra money in your budget, consider buying or renting a "money booth." You may have seen one of these before. They basically look like fancy phone booths, except they have fans in the floor that blow money all around the inside of the booth. People will line up at your booth for a chance to win free money as they stand in the booth and it flutters around them.

You're probably thinking, "I can't afford to put thousands of dollars into a money booth." Luckily you don't need to. Pack it full of dollar bills, and add just a few $100s and a handful of $20s. People will be drawn just for the chance to catch one of the big bills. Even if they don't catch one, they will have fun and enjoy the challenge.

Sitting down on the job?

If you are sitting down at your booth it will discourage most people from coming over, no matter how flashy and nice you decor may appear. You must appear energetic and excited about your product. The body language conveyed by sitting down tells the customers that you don't want to be there, that you are tired and that you don't really care about their business. You need to be on your feet, moving and engaging customers. Most people are reserved and shy by nature, so you have to initiate the conversation and draw them in. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, and schedule people to cover your position during breaks so the booth is never left empty.

Choosing the right staff

Choosing the right staff will depend a lot on the expected audience for your kiosk. Ideally, whoever you pick will need to be very energetic, warm and personable. If you really want to push the envelope, you could even go for the addition of a celebrity, professional athlete, comedian or chef to host your booth

Summary

I hope you found this list helpful and a little pre-planning can go a long way at distancing yourself from the competition. If you see Phoenix Kiosk at an upcoming convention, make sure to say "Hi," and don't forget to take one of our thumb drives and Kio Birds home with you.

About Kurt Myrick

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