An exhibition is one of these best marketing strategies to showcase your creativity and quality, but it is definitely no easy task. It is an excellent forum to display the products and services and reflects the essence of your firm. However, it involves a lot of investment in terms of money, time and other resources. There is a lot of pressure to be ‘perfect’ as it has the potential to make a lasting impression on every viewer. One has to be mindful of the space, the setup, the decorations, and the arrangement lest it seems bland or overwhelming.
To complete a task as such, having a checklist can go a long way in ensuring that you have attended to every chore.
Things you should keep in mind before setting up any exhibition display:
Set Goals
As in any venture, it is crucial to begin your journey with a well thought out plan. Your exhibition display could be for multiple reasons- product launch, market research or sales generation. Once you define a clear objective, you have to set your goals for the exhibition display. Answer these questions- what will you showcase, who is your target audience, what strategy of marketing will you use, and what outcomes are you expecting.
Fix a budget
After setting your goals, fix your budget based on need and propensity to save. Make a detailed list to cover all possible expenses- design, decoration, setup costs, travel and shipping charges, advertising through flyers and pamphlets etc.; you might have to be prepared for some unplanned expenses too. Experts suggest that investment in creating a sustainable design goes a long way in saving money as you would be able to replicate your model later if required.
Pick the right space
The location of the exhibition is a crucial aspect that determines the effectiveness of the marketing. It is always best to book slots in advance, especially if the area or the larger forum is highly on demand. Apart from the site, it would be best if you also took strategic decisions about where your products will feature. You could have your stand at the entrance, end, in a corner or the centre. While there is no rule on this, ensure that you take an informed decision after planning your strategy.
Dream Large
An exhibition is no place to shy away from the limelight- you have to bring your craziest ideas to the table. Do not be apprehensive of grandeur. Maximise visibility in every possible way- ceiling level structures, suspensions, moving systems and bold lighting. Your stall must stand apart and garner the visitors’ attention from the minute they step into the exhibition.
Focus on effective delivery
To facilitate effective delivery, you need to do two things. Firstly, focus on the needs of your target audience. Spend some time researching the existing visitor base of the expo to understand the consumption patterns. Secondly, make bold and straightforward statements. Your stall must stand apart for its creativity and clarity, not for being a text-filled and scattered site. Your printed content must contain strong action verbs and slogans. Attractive designs for you to print your messages for the world to see. You could also go for the a1 poster printing for promotional purpose.
Use graphics to their maximum potential. According to a study by Microsoft, we now have an attention span that’s lesser than that of a goldfish- lower than eight seconds. A picture is truly worth a thousand words, so choose and place your graphics carefully.
Make your stands interactive
Interactive and tech-savvy stalls are not reserved for science fairs. With AI leading almost every industry, you need to spice up your engagement with the visitors. People don’t want to listen; they want to be heard too. Making people participants in your stall makes them feel invested in the experience, which could later be converted into creating a loyal customer base. Make your content fun by using some captivating audios and visuals and also try to incorporate VR for an even more substantial impact.
Effective Marketing
Many people spend so much energy and time on making their stall attractive but do not complement it with strategic marketing. Getting people to visit and participate in your booth only takes you half-way to the goal. The first step in marketing is to invest in pre-promotion and create hype for the stall you will be showcasing. You could use email marketing for this purpose, and provide people with exciting updates about the same. You must also leverage social media as much as possible. Create a hashtag and set up roles to cover your event in all social media platforms and blogs. Use QR codes and other event technology to engage with your visitors individually.
After the interaction, always close the loop with a call to action. While many businesses send out bulk-emails to everyone who attends the event, you need to create a strategy to make it more personalized. Connect with leads on Linked In, share relevant free content such as e-books, or even follow up with high-profile leads through phone calls on in-person meetings. Even if you send emails, make it direct and straightforward.
The key to a successful exhibition display is focused and creative delivery of content that is simple yet bold. The design of your stand influences the outcomes to a large extent. You need to create a rainbow colored theme full of different materials; you must plan strategically and use the best resources.
Author Bio:
James Martin is the Marketing Head at Eazy Print based in the UK. His value-driven ideas and innovative approach in the printing industry lead him towards success. He also has a keen interest in writing informative blogs for various leading blog sites.