Resource Center » 11 Guaranteed Ways to Stand Out at Your Next Trade Show

Use Bright Colors

Bright colors immediately make people feel more upbeat, happy, and cheerful. This applies to the promotional clothing you and your employees wear inside the booth as well as any decorations and products on display. Match your color scheme to your company logo for brand recognition and reinforcement! Vivid colors capture people's attention, but take care not to strain your customers' eyes by going overboard with tons of neon or day-glo shades in your signage or banners. Use complementary colors to ensure your message actually gets read.

Wear Customized Apparel

Wear personalized clothing, such as customized t-shirts or logo hats, to promote your company and your products; trade show attendees will enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Many people arrive dressed in business-professional clothing, but you'll stand out from the crowd more so if you wear clothing that mimics your products. This automatically makes your booth more approachable and less intimidating!

Be Generous

Hand out promotional products to anyone who visits your booth. Key chains, stress balls, stuffed animals, custom water bottles, or imprinted pens are great ways to advertise to your potential clients; passing them out ensures that attendees take notice of your company's booth and the products or services you offer. People tend to keep useful and interesting promotional items, so choose your giveaway items carefully. Food and refreshments also make great gifts! Baked goods, candy, savory snacks, or logo bottles of water are all good choices. Snack foods are guaranteed to get attention from the visitors and perhaps even generate some brand buzz.

Decorate Your Booth

Decorate your booth with streamers, signs, or even product samples. Be creative and playful to show visitors that your booth is different from others and that you are capable of having fun! An entertaining atmosphere is more likely to engage the interest of casual passersby. Do you have any colorful, attractive awards or vases at your office? Bring them along to display in your trade show booth. If they're interesting enough, people will want to ask you about them and start a conversation!

Bring Your Employees

Bring a few extra employees to the trade show. It will make your company look important; plus; you'll have some additional staff to help you hand out promotional products, talk to people, and drum up business. A creative alternative is asking employees to dress up in character costumes! They’ll really stand out among all the professionally-dressed people in the other booths, and potential customers are sure to take notice.

Exude a Professional Appearance

Anyone representing your company should appear his or her best at all times. Employees should behave and be polite whether they are in costume, in uniform, or on break. Avoid sloppy, wrinkled clothing and ask your staff to put on their happy faces. Visitors expect professional behavior at trade shows, and they may pass you by if you don't seem serious about your job or your company.

Engage People with Music

Play music softly in the background of your booth. Music is a fantastic icebreaker, and it has a way of bringing people together and getting their attention! It's also something that many trade show participants overlook, which makes it a good choice for your company. If you're feeling extra ambitious, you could even organize a "Name That Tune" contest for customers and offer company merchandise as prizes for the winners!

Hire a Professional

Consider using a professional actor or a performer to capture people's attention as they're coming through the show. By doing this, you'll increase the traffic to your booth and have the opportunity to talk with a larger number of customers. Think about it: would you be more likely to gather around a booth with a juggler or one with nothing but a single, seemingly-disinterested employee?

Arrive Early

Get a good spot by reserving your booth far in advance or by arriving early in the day. As people walk through the show, their eyes are naturally drawn to the first booths they see. It’s a subtle way of making your booth stand out without a ton of extra effort. Trade shows are a classic example of the early bird getting the worm!

Be Friendly

Be friendly, personable, open, and honest. People won't want to come near your booth if you or your employees seem annoyed or cranky. Make sure you always have a smile and that you take the time to interact with potential clients and answer any questions they may have. You'll be memorable at any trade show if you’re able to keep an upbeat and positive attitude!