As an exhibitor focused on your booth experience and interactions, many things are happening around you at the show. You may miss these things but they could provide you with several valuable learnings.
Here are some things you likely don’t notice at trade shows but should pay attention to:
Competitors’ Booths:
When you’re busy greeting visitors at your booth, it’s easy to forget that your competitors are right there too. They are also working to attract the same audience. Try to make time during setup/teardown or less busy periods to visit competitor booths.
See what exhibition booth design elements catch your eye, and what messages and offers they are promoting. Also, see what innovations they have adopted for their display. This intelligence can help refine your own marketing strategy and booth experience.
You may also spot partnership opportunities or ways your products/services complement each other.
Visitor Traffic Flow:
Most exhibitors focus on the visitors right in front of them. But have you paid attention to traffic patterns across the show floor? What areas seem busiest? Which exhibitors draw the biggest crowds?
Taking note of traffic flows can provide clues on the most impactful booth location for maximizing visitor engagement next time. It may also give you an idea of which industries or solutions are sparking the most interest that year.
Conversations Around You:
When preoccupied with your exhibit visitors, it’s easy to tune out discussions happening just outside your space. But you could be missing valuable market insights and feedback by not listening in on surrounding conversations.
Pay attention to themes, questions, or product/service mentions you overhear from passersby. These impromptu discussions often provide a more genuine perspective than formal research.
Promotional Materials:
Do you spot branded leave-behinds, samples, or giveaways being passed out by other exhibitors? These materials left behind after interactions provide clues on successful promotional strategies to consider.
They also allow you to research competitors further after the show by following up on brochures and offers distributed. Checking out promotional items found around the venue gives new ideas for engaging visitors at your next show.
Scheduled Events:
Major Custom trade shows host seminars, speaker sessions, awards ceremonies, and networking events throughout each day of the exhibition. Do you know what’s scheduled and where?
These events draw large targeted audiences you’ll want to be a part of. You must attend these even if just to observe industry discussions and identify influencers to connect with later.
Make time to check event signage and plan to pop into related sessions between booth appointments.
Networking Opportunities:
Hallway areas, lobby spaces, and off-site events present prime chances to meet potential partners and referral sources. You can interact with them in a more relaxed setting than a busy trade show floor.
Yet these networking zones are often empty when exhibitors are glued to their booths. Ensure you schedule breaks each day to discover who’s around outside your booth and start valuable relationships.
Tech Adoption:
What new technologies, tools, or digital elements do you notice other exhibitors integrating into their booths? Examples could include interactive displays, VR/AR experiences, live product demos on social streams, lead retrieval apps, and more.
Observing tech innovations showcases the direction your industry is headed and sparks ideas for refreshing your future booth presence.
Visitor Demographics:
Taking a few minutes each day to observe visitors can reveal valuable intel on your target audience makeup. Post-it notes allow discreet tracking of company types, seniority levels, and other characteristics of booth guests.
Over time, this data provides insights to optimize your audience engagement strategy. You may realize certain clients are under-represented and require more outreach. Or new opportunities exist within an attendee niche you hadn’t targeted previously.
Feedback Throughout:
Make it a habit to check visitor comment cards each evening and watch any feedback displayed on digital screens near your booth. This real-time input allows course corrections before the show ends versus waiting until all leads are back in your office.
You’ll spot what’s resonating as well as any frustrations to address immediately by tweaking your message or offerings. Staying plugged into feedback maximizes the value extracted from each connection.
In Conclusion–
There is so much happening outside the walls of your booth. It’s easy to miss important observations, conversations, and opportunities that add value if paid attention to. Next time, schedule dedicated time each day away from your booth to explore the wider trade show environment.
Also, hire a professional exhibition booth contractor in milan with whom you can trust to manage your booth so that you can focus on several other things happening around your exhibit. With a more well-rounded 360-degree view of each exhibition, you’ll gain valuable intel, spark new ideas, and strengthen your future event strategy.