Exhibitions – how to be seen!

No matter if you’re at a trade or consumer expo, it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity to exhibit your product, service and brand, especially when connecting with your audience face-to-face.

There are many ways you can stand out from the crowd, whether it’s over-the-top branding or interactive and fun networking hours, so we’ve listed our top tips to help get you exhibition ready.

Location. Location. Location.

This age old saying still rings true today, and at exhibitions this translates to your stand. You want to ensure you have a prime position, so booking your space sooner rather than later is key. Remember size doesn’t always matter. Sometimes the biggest stand may not necessarily be the best option for your business, so it’s best to consider what you want to accomplish and the space you need to do this – if you’re unsure on the best position, then contact the exhibition organisers who will help you find the best spot. A few questions to consider; do you want to be close to the main attraction; placed in the centre of the action; right at the entrance; or in the corner near the food stalls or media centre?

Top tip: Don’t forget to consider who your neighbours are, where your competitors are positioned and if there are any obstructing columns and dead-end aisles that may affect attendees noticing you.

Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Loud.

Make your stand shine with custom creative designs that add a unique and memorable touch when attendees visit your stand. It’s important to link your stand design back to your business branding, objectives and messages to ensure it has maximum impact.

If you’re looking to go bold, try using bright colours! A few examples are adding LED lights to your stand boasting your company’s colours, painting bright contrasting colours to the stand walls, floor and ceiling, and even playing with textures by adding floral walls and 3D wall collages.

If you’re taking a subtler approach, look at installing transparent walls around your stand. This allows attendees to see you from every direction no matter where you’re placed.

Attract. Astonish. Amaze.

In an age where technology is ever-changing, it is important to use the best, most innovative tech to boost your offering. Holograms, robots and interactive technology has been seen on exhibitions stands over the last few years as they make for memorable experiences with attendees. These also help strengthen your relationship with attendees and invite by-passers to stop and say hello. Although interactive experiences aren’t new to exhibitions, they do get attendees attention. Why not be creative and host interactive games and contests with live scoring, arrange an attendee competition, install a photo wall or even offer virtual reality (VR) experiences.

Top tip: When choosing to use VR you need ensure that you’re using state-of-the-art technology, as VR experiences have been seen at exhibitions for some time now, and you want to stand out and not offer the same experience as everyone else.

When it comes to stand events and networking hours you want to be the centre of attention. If you choose to offer food or drink, you need to ensure you clearly mark what’s included and provide options for those with dietary requirements. We’ve seen that tasty bites and innovative cocktails and mocktails never go a miss – perhaps arrange for a wine tasting, cocktail masterclass and even an Oktoberfest-style event with miniature steins and an oompah band… that is if this fits your objectives of course.

Creative. Catchy. Conversations.

As we’re sure you’re already aware, social media is a fast and direct way to share messages with your audience. Social media plays a crucial role before, during and after an exhibition, as it allows you to shout about your attendance, what you’re offering, when your stand events are taking place and allows you to constantly communicate with your audience.

Make sure you use the correct hashtags and post interesting content on exhibition activities such as seminar, events and of course your stand activity. The best social media campaigns are the ones with the most engaging content, so it’s best to create messages that convey your brand, product or service in a creative and catchy way.

Top tip: Always remember to use the exhibition’s handles and hashtags as you may get a retweet or visit from an organiser who’ll share your message or stand photo with the exhibition’s social following.

If you’re looking to host a small or start-up exhibition in the City of London, take a look at how The Mermaid London can be transformed here.