5 Trade Show Promotion Ideas for More Engagement

August 24, 2014

Kristin Hovde

Kristin Hovde is the Website Manager and Blogger for Smash Hit Displays, an online trade show display company that has many booths, accessories, and flooring available.

With hundreds of exhibitors competing for the attention of attendees at the trade show, it can seem like a daunting task trying to stand out. While some companies opt to hand out branded giveaway items, have the most state-of-the-art technology incorporated into their exhibit, or have stunning signage that can be seen from across the show floor, there are still a wide variety of things that you can do to become a fierce competitor to these other businesses.

The following ideas will get attendees and exhibitors alike talking about your booth before they even get to the event. 

Create a Landing Page

Post all of the information related to your booth on a landing page designed on your Web site. Optimize the page with keywords, title tags, and meta tags related to the show in order to help rank well in the search engines for those people who are searching for information on the specific event.

Be Creative

There will be hundreds of trade show booths that will compete for the attention of attendees with their freebies and other promotional events. What can you do to stand out from the competition? This could mean hosting a seminar, contest, or other event. Whatever you decide to do to get people to your booth, get your staff excited about it because that excitement will rub off on attendees who are walking by.

Reach Out to Your Networks

Have your team reach out to their connections, whether they are customers, social media connections, or friends and family who may be interested in what your company has to offer. Offer to set up one-on-one meetings on the trade show floor in order to give yours and your team’s networking community the opportunity to see how your products work and learn more about your company. If they are a business connection, ask them to promote your booth on their personal and company social media accounts.

Create a Buzz with Social Media

The more people who know about your booth, the more traffic you are bound to receive. Post the event information on all of your social media accounts, using hashtags that are related to your industry or the name of the show. By doing this, you will also be attracting the attention of other attendees and exhibitors who will already be at the convention. Not only should you post the location and schedule of the trade show, but you should also give your audience a reason to stop by your booth. Do you have a killer contest or giveaway? Let your fans and followers know about it? Is there a special promotion that can only be used at the show? Post it through your social media channels. Sometimes the best way to appeal to your target demographic is by offering them something they can’t refuse.

Include Social Sharing Buttons

Make it easy for your audience to share information on your trade show presence by adding social sharing buttons to the landing page you created for your event. If you have written blogs or articles about the events, also make sure to include these buttons for readers to easily share information on your booth. This will make it much easier for everyone to share your booth’s information to all of their fans and followers for more exposure.

These are just a few of the ideas that will effectively promote your booth for a more successful trade show experience.

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.