5 Biggest Mistakes When Exhibiting at Trade Shows

Preparing to attend a trade show? Here are a few things you need to avoid.

Trade shows can cost a lot (more than I’d like to admit to my accountant). So you've got to make sure that your exhibit is earning back all that money. In simple terms, you’ve got to make your exhibit earn its rent.

I always am looking for ways to make sure I’m recouping those costs and making my exhibits successful. So, through trial and error, I’ve created a list of five mistakes I’ve seen exhibitors make again and again, and, just for you, I’ve also come up with some stuff to do instead.

1. Going too big (or too small)

It’s easy to assume that bigger is better. Why wouldn’t you get an inline ‘10 x 20’ booth? More people can see you that way, right? Well yes, it’ll help get you attention, but how much money is it going to cost you? If you get that big booth at every trade show you go to, assuming you go to several a year, you’re going to very quickly sink yourself into a hole.

On the other hand, if you go too small, you can run into issues too. Smaller exhibits can end up getting less traffic than the bigger ones unless they’re designed right. Sure, well-designed banners or trade show backdrops can attract clients in droves, but you need the space to put up these things. You don’t want to go too big and lose money, but you want to make sure you’re big enough to be seen.

So if you can’t go too big and you can’t go too small, what are you supposed to do? Well, you have to figure out what you need. What are your goals for the show and what is your budget? Plan around those. The size of your booth is going to change based on which show you’re at and your goals for it. However, even if you have the perfect sized booth, you’re not guaranteed success (which is why this list has five things instead of just one).

2. Bad Graphics

Ever seen a billboard with too small font when you’re driving? You squint and squint, but you still can’t see it. Instead, you just look at the next billboard. That second, more colorful and easier to read billboard is the one you’re going to remember. The same thing happens at trade shows. If you’re walking through a show and see a backdrop or banner that’s either got too small font or is just plain ugly, you’re not going to stop at it. Instead, you’ll forget it and move on to the next one. You don’t want to be that booth that no one remembers.

Keep your booth in the minds of attendees with intriguing trade show backdrops, banners, and the like. Your graphics and design are your first impression to attendees (aka potential customers), and you always want to make a good first impression.

3. Unwilling & Untrained Booth Staffers

Untrained staffers are the worst. Actually, no. Unwilling staffers are worse. Combine the two and, well, you’ve just got a mess in your booth.

Your graphics are your first impression, they’ll draw people to your booth. They’re like your Tinder profile picture while your staffers are like the first date (and you always want first dates to end well). Your staffers will decide if your potential customer is going to stick around or if they’re going to crawl through the bathroom window to get away. You've got to convince them to stay, and unhappy or untrained people aren't going to do that.

Before going to any show, make sure your staffers know what they’re doing. Go over your goals with them and ask what they think. Including your staff in the conversation will make them more willing participants, and, who knows, they might just give you some really awesome ideas.

4. Forgetting About Social Media

I know, I know, you’re wondering, “Who in the world could forget about social media in today’s age?” You’d be surprised how many businesses don’t update their social media while at a trade show. They think they need to focus solely on people at their booth, but nowadays you gotta to interact with them online and in-person.

Attendees are going to look for you on social media before they even get to the show, and they’re going to keep checking your accounts (at least until they figure out you’re not updating). If people are already going to be on social media looking for you, you should take advantage of the free publicity. Post things and let people share them. It’ll reach a far greater audience that way. 

The key other than just posting, is posting the right stuff. You can use social media for many things from hosting giveaways and scavenger hunts to posting pictures of your booth to letting people know where you are. You can even use it to tell to tell people your favorite color (please don't). If you post a bunch of nonsense, though, people will unsubscribe and stop paying attention to your page. Instead, post content that is going to drive people to your profile. For example, people like pictures of themselves. You post a picture of them (with their permission of course) to your Facebook page, and they’ll tag themselves or share it. Next thing you know their friends are checking out your page, having been directed there by that photo. If people are checking out your page, that means they’ll likely end up checking out your products.

Social media can make or break you. Make sure it’s not breaking your tradeshow experience.

5. Being Passive

So many times I've watched exhibitors sitting quietly at their booth watching potential customers walk by without so much as a “Hi.”. They just smile and wait for someone to approach them. It’s a travesty really. Every time, they let someone walk by, they lose a potential client.

Being passive will only lose you clients. On the other hand, being active will attract clients. When I talk about being active, I mean that you should start conversations. Don’t wait for people to come to you, instead go to them. This is done by simply saying hi or complimenting someone’s T-shirt as they walk by.

Often times, people worry about taking this approach because they think they’re going to bother attendees. Don’t worry about that, they want to talk with people with you. Why else would they be at a trade show?

In addition to reaching out to attendees, you should also be active in your interactions with other exhibitors. Visit other booths. Yes, it’s tempting to hang out in your booth, but you’ve got to get out there. Trade shows are a great opportunity to learn and discover new products, technology, and partners. You never know what you will find in the booths around you unless you look.

When you’re interacting with all these people, make sure you’re doing it with the right attitude. Unhappy staffers can drive people away. Make sure you’re enjoying yourself and exude joy and confidence to the passers-by. It’ll get you a lot farther in the long run, as people will be a lot more willing to interact with you if you’re in a good mood.

To recap, get some well designed trade show backdrops, use social media, train your staff, and just get out there and talk to people. Doing these things will keep your trade show experience from being a wash and waste of money.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with how to design your booth, I can help. Just  let me know what you need and I'll find you the perfect solution!