If you’re a foodie like me (not to mention a huge pop culture fan) than you are no doubt following along with two of the best cooking shows to hit the airwaves in decades. I’m talking about The Next Food Network Star and Top Chef both taking place on separate networks each and every week. Each show features a group of chefs competing in a variety of cooking contests designed to weed out the best and send home the rest. If you look beyond the competition and focus on the basics of the cooking though, you may be surprised to find lessons that relate directly to trade show success. Below is a recipe for a successful trade show and it starts with knowing what you want your end result to be. Like cooking you need to have a loose idea as to what you are making. What do you want your display to accomplish? Do you have a specific design in mind?
1 Dose of Preparation- What type of display works best for your product? Would a literature display be best or do your needs point more towards a computer kiosk? Indoor or outdoor? Pop up or environmentally friendly? What design best matches the types of events you attend? Who are you marketing to and what gets their attention the most?
1 Dash of Creativity- The use of color is a great way to get a persons attention. Try to be unique while at the same time don’t be too extreme as to alienate yourself from other vendors.
1 lb of Follow Through- Make sure you keep up the relationships you make while at an event. The moment you return from a trade show, shoot out an email or call your new contact just to thank them for taking the time to speak to you.
1 Ounce of Prevention- Know what it is about your product that discourages people and come to an event prepared to offer solutions to their concerns. If a customer is concerned about the cost tell them you understand, that others you spoken to have also felt the same way, and that you were able to help them through the use of a payment plan.
Mix With Special Ingredient- Every great chef knows that to truly be successful you must take the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary. A kiosk is not a kiosk when it features a custom logo along with your companies name emblazoned in the center. By taking the idea of a trade show display and molding it to fit your idea of what the customer is looking for, you are essentially giving them something they are familiar with yet have never seen before.
Like the perfect recipe, the key to a successful trade show exhibit is repetition. Don’t be afraid to try new things and make changes until you achieve a display that fits your needs and creates buzz amongst customers.
Last week in a post titled “
A few years back I was working a swim meet at a university in south Alabama and things were not going my way. I had swim caps. I had the latest greatest suits and goggles. Training aides, nose plugs, ear plugs; if it was meant to make you faster in the water I had it there just waiting to be purchased. I had it all and still though my sales were dismal at best. Suddenly several hundred 7-10 yr olds came running towards the table and….kept going right past everything I had brought. It was then I figured out where I went wrong. It wasn’t that morning during set-up; it was several weeks before when I assumed that because the event was at a college everyone attending would be college kids. The majority of everything I had packed were higher sizes and thus way too big for those actually swimming that day. I hadn’t done my homework and cost myself hundreds of dollars in sales.
We don’t get a chance to talk sports too much here, but with the NHL and NBA playoffs both going on plus with the NFL Draft kicking off tonight I just can’t think of much else. Whether you’re a kid or just enjoy acting like one when it comes to games the Godfrey group has got the perfect display to ensure nothing but good times and long lines at your next tradeshow event. Ask anyone and I’ll bet that more often than not the thing they remember the most about the last tradeshow they attended was the one or two displays that captured everyone’s attention by making them part of the action. By incorporating potential customers into your booth you are creating a message that says that not only do you enjoy spending time with your customers, but you are there to do more than just sell your product…you are there to build relationships. 
Even if your company or business already has a standard, often-used booth or kiosk for trade show purposes, there are times when a little MORE is necessary. A pop-up or tabletop display, added to your usual setup, can be the answer!
booth. It is often true, too, that some trade shows require more, or less, display than others. A pop-up or tabletop can be the answer you are looking for!
SpaceStation trade show displays are like no other! They weigh next to nothing, are tough and hardy, and break down into a small easy-to-transport bundle.