Boost Your Impact at Trade Shows by Thinking Outside the Box

The HIMSS Annual Conference just wrapped and, once again, there was no shortage of both established and emerging companies representing their “next big thing” at the show.

But as we walked the floor this year in Orlando, we heard from some exhibitors that it’s becoming a challenge to stand out and attract foot traffic to their booths and away from the bigger players.

Trade shows and industry events are expensive, and you want to make sure your investment sees some return and that your time feels worthwhile. As you start planning for your next event, here are a couple ideas to help elevate your presence above and beyond the booth.

Trade shows and industry events are expensive, and you want to make sure your investment sees some return and that your time feels worthwhile. Click To Tweet

Give geofencing a go

A geofencing campaign can target attendees of the event you’re at (within certain parameters) by serving up banner ads on their mobile devices. Attendees will see your company’s name for the entirety of the event and, with just a click, you can lead this hyper-specific audience to the webpage of your choosing. It’s an easy, cost-effective tool you can layer on top of your booth presence or potentially replace your booth altogether—geofencing can give your company a presence, even if you’re not present.

Expand on your time with customers

Are your customers at the show? Are you doing a joint presentation with them? Take advantage of your time together during the event and offer the media joint interviews. Media are typically interested in hearing from customers, and if its on-site and in-person, even better. Plus, event and post-event coverage for you and your customers (a win-win) can live a long, fruitful life by boosting coverage across your social media channels.

Not all companies can go for the double-decker booth at trade shows, and not all have a standalone story that garners media coverage. But there are other ways of creating a presence at a big show on a smaller budget—you just need to start thinking outside the booth…I mean box.

Have other ideas to mix up your trade show happenings (during or after the event)? Share in the comments!

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