We’re back from the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, and with one million square feet of exhibitor space there was quite a bit to see and do this year. We will be sharing new promotional products, educational insights, observations of what happens at a show of this scale and how it relates to your customers, and tips for your company’s next show exhibit. So, let’s jump right in and discuss…
Trade Show Ideas Designed to Get Attention
This colorful product display caught our attention.
Before we start I would like to say that with a show this size there were many amazing, well-designed exhibit spaces that got our attention and had extremely helpful, friendly staff. If we tried to list them all, well, this would be a never ending post. So, the examples we have chosen were doing something completely different than their neighbors, and the ideas could be scaled to fit any size show. Here are a few examples of booths that got our attention, drew us in or kept us there.
How to Get Attendees’ Attention
There are only a few seconds to engage show attendees before they pass you by and talk to your competition. Standing out in the crowd is key and interesting graphics, text, lighting, and textures can make a huge difference in getting those potential customers to stop and take a closer look. Here are a few examples of those exhibitors that made us take a second look.
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- Go up. We noticed this display across the showroom floor.
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- Incorporate a cohesive design theme, like this exhibitor, right down to the ice cream sandwiches they were giving away.
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- Showcase color with your entire product display.
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- Unique lighting complemented the welcoming feel of the booth.
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- Unique textures enhanced the brand image.
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- Go down. Floor graphics invited you to follow them.
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- Attention getting text required a second look.
Invite Them to Stop
Now that you have their attention now it’s time to convince them to actually stop and interact with your staff. Games, mascots, photo-ops and interactive product spaces are good ways to give attendees just enough of a push to have a look around.
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- Live Tweeting got the crowd involved in the display.
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- No walls and multiple product interaction spaces provided easy navigation and a more comfortable setting.
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- Open retail space encouraged you to browse products.
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- Living mannequin showed off product and got your attention.
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- This cut out got us to stop and snap a picture.
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- Large over sized products made for fun photos.
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- Over-the-top display encouraged us to enter the booth.
Engage With the Audience
Once attendees stop in your booth, it is time for your event staff to take action. A well organized, easy to spot and educated staff can turn casual booth visitors into long time customers. Be sure your space is adequately staffed; getting attendees’ attention and having them stop doesn’t help if they don’t learn about your products or services.
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- This exhibit had plenty of easy to spot coordinated staff right down to the shoes.
At this point you might be asking, “What about the giveaways?” Being a promotional advertising show, we definitely filled our bags with goodies. We’ll provide a recap of our favorite new products, but if you’re eager to learn more, contact your HALO Account Executive today.
What’s the most enticing exhibit you’ve seen at a trade show? Have questions about how to incorporate these ideas into your space? Leave a comment below.
I can’t save that I’ve ever seen a live mannequin at a trade show, but I really love that idea. Anything like that, that captures the consumer’s attention without really going overboard, could do wonders for a company’s consumer engagement at these shows. Keeping unique promotional ideas like this relevant to your business is the key, and a good number of these examples show that. Thanks for sharing.
I really like the booth with the “free kittens” sign. It definitely got my attention and made me laugh. However, it didn’t really invite me in. I might stop by to see what other interesting signs they had, but not a huge drive. So, I think I would put more emphasis on your second point. It is good to get people’s attention, but it is better if it also makes them want to come and look.