How to Draw People to Your Exhibition Stand

When it comes to exhibitions, it’s extremely easy to feel as though you’re a little fish in a big pond; after all, it can be a crowded market when there are a handful of other traders in the same niche as you.

To stand out from the crowd, it’s important to have critical tactics in place to draw people to your exhibition and see what you have to offer. Take a look at the guide below for some useful tips and tricks that may come in useful for your next exhibition: 

1. Use games and activities 

When people hear the word ‘promotion’ at an exhibition, they instantly think of freebies. While they may be initially enticing, they’ll likely take the freebie without taking much interest in what your brand has to offer. Most freebies end up on the floor at the end of the event or worse still – in the bin. 

A much more effective way of attracting customers and generating leads is through running fun games and activities. Most people at exhibitions want a fun day out, so they’ll be happy to have a go at challenges and score points. Instead, you could offer your freebies as rewards. 

This way, your brand will be much more memorable and they’re likely to take more of an interest in the item they have won, rather than binning it. 

2. Get in touch with trade publications before the event

One way to get people to show interest in your stand is to get press attention before the exhibition takes place. Trade publications are the perfect platform to gain recognition for your business in the months beforehand, so it would be a great idea to contact journalists and bloggers of publications.

In most cases, publishers will be on the lookout to innovative and unique products that will interest their readers, so you’ll need to prove why you deserve a spot. Sometimes, you may be asked to pay for a feature, but by securing the spot, it should improve your success at an exhibition which will make it well worth the cost.

3. Contact attendees

A few weeks before the event, ask the exhibition organisers for a full list of the registered attendees. Spend a day or two contacting those on the list and create a hype around the event to inform them you’re going to be in attendance. You could send them a customised email and ask them to come and meet you and the team and mention any giveaways or activities taking place at your stand. This will create a buzz about your stand and encourage visitors to make a stop. 

4. Illuminated furniture

If you are looking to make a visual impact; have you ever thought about using illuminated furniture? Having glowing objects on your stand is sure to grab the attention of passers-by which is sure to boost your chance of selling products. 

Illuminated furniture is sure to become a talking point of your stand and may even encourage visitors to stop by and see what you have to offer.

You are also in full control of the type of mood you wish to achieve through the use of colours and lighting effects. For example, are you looking to create excitement, or perhaps you wish to accomplish a calm and relaxed atmosphere?

There are many different furniture pieces you could opt for, including the likes of light-up tables, column plinths or even a chill-out area where your guests can sit down and take a look at your products in more detail. 

5. Provide a relaxing seating area

The noise and chaos of an exhibition can be completely overwhelming for visitors, therefore, it would be a good idea to provide a quiet space away from the crowds where potential customers can sit and relax. 

The seating area should be in full view, so visitors know they are welcome to take a seat (which will be very appealing when they have spent hours on foot). You could also offer a hot drink and biscuit to encourage them to remain at your stand and gives them the chance to engage in conversation.

6. Offer free Wi-Fi

In a technology-obsessed world, being able to share photos on social media and update friends on their activities is a necessity for many millennials. In a packed-out space such as an exhibition, it can cause 3G coverage to become sporadic and unreliable. So, why not draw visitors to your stand, by supplying free Wi-Fi for journalists and potential customers? 

7. Chat with the event organiser

The organiser of the event must understand the nature of your business and your desires for the stand, so it would be worth chatting to them well in advance about your expectations. Primarily, the location of your stand may be critical to your exhibition success, so make sure you give specific guidelines on where you’d like to be located, dependent on your budget to ensure you’re not overlooked.

8. Focus on brand recognition

It would be wise to display the product and logo that visitors may be familiarised with on your stand, so they know instantly who you are. If one of your products is more popular than others in your range, ensure it’s presented at the front so that people are drawn to it and want to find out more about what else you offer.