Yesterday I attended the Best Events Expo in NYC – a smaller expo than I’m used to. The traffic was limited to planners and it made for a much more intimate gathering. As I walked around from booth to booth, I had a few thoughts that I hope will be helpful for people who pay thousands of dollars to invest in a spot at a tradeshow or expo. Hopefully these tips will yield better results and help you leave feeling like you met some amazing people – regardless of how large or small the event was!
Put In Some Effort!
For all the money you spend to get space at an expo, you’ve got to put some effort into making your booth stick out. You’re sitting there in a room with 100+ other organizations who all look just like you – big banners and candy on the tables. You don’t have to go over the top, but do SOMETHING to differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Move into 2011
It’s becoming less and less acceptable to simply not be “interested” in social media and technology and the many ways that it can revolutionize your branding. I was saddened to see that there are not many event-tech companies around. And, even more sad to see that the non-tech companies aren’t even leveraging social media to promote themselves. We had a hashtag going with only three of us tweeting on it. Two of us were from Liz King Events! What a lost opportunity!
Start the Conversation
When an attendee walks a tradeshow floor, they survey the booths from afar. What are they looking for? Good swag and a service that appeals to them. We all know that. The problem with that is that there are often many services they could use, but don’t realize. When you see people walk by, stop them and start a conversation. Find out what they do so you can see what needs you can meet. For every person that walks by without conversing with you, it’s a lost opportunity. Oh – and if you can’t meet a need of theirs, let them leave in peace! Please don’t stalk the attendees and make them feel uncomfortable!
Photo by Andres Valenzuela Photography
