1.  Know Thy Target Buyer
Knowing exactly who the target buyer is for your product or service – the demographic and psychographic profiles – enables you to choose the right trade shows to attend and helps you determine the right promotions that will attract those buyers.

2.  Know Thy USP
Your USP – Unique Selling Proposition – is a succinct explanation of why your product or service is superior to that of your competition.  You need to know how to articulate your difference – in visual terms for your exhibition stand design and in marketing terms for your literature and promotional efforts.

3.  Know Thy Customer’s Motivation to Buy
Knowing what makes a potential customer want to buy is critical to attracting the right traffic to your trade show booth.  It enables you to craft just the right message to draw them in.

Your exhibition stand design is the execution of your trade show marketing strategy, and should be viewed as more than just a 3D advertisement.  It is actually more like an office, staffed by employees whose job it is to engage prospects and entice them to becoming customers.  You have only a few minutes to make a lasting impression that gives you a competitive advantage.

Follow-up Strategy
Following up with prospects you’ve met at a trade fair is much more than just sending an email or making a phone call.  You should have a follow-up strategy in place as part of your overall trade show marketing strategy.

For example, consider assigning someone in the office who is not attending the trade fair to follow up on each lead daily. Email them the leads your show staff gathers throughout the day so they can follow up immediately, even during the show.  This can convert some “warm leads” immediately into “hot prospects”.

Once the show is over, have a series of email auto responders ready to send to each lead at predetermined intervals to keep your product or service top of mind.

With a little planning and effort, you can control your trade show’s ROI.  Visit our website or call us on 0844 800 1020 to get more ideas on obtaining the best possible return on your exhibition stand investment.

Hoarding boards – typically designed to grab attention in a short span of time, hoarding boards communicate one message with few words and bold images.  The next time you’re driving, take notice of the boards that get your attention and count the words on the ones that do.   That will give you some idea of how much information those passing by your exhibition stand have time to absorb.

Shopping centres – retail shops are always good places to look for exhibition stand design inspiration.  Walk through a shopping centre and take notice of what kind of signage or imagery seems to do a good job of drawing people in.  Look at how successful shops merchandise their products using traffic flow, colour and layout.

Fashion magazines – high-end fashion magazines usually have advertising that uses language and imagery sparingly to grab your attention.  Instead of flipping through a magazine to read it, look at it from a design standpoint – use of typography, colour, illustrations, photography, texture, etc.  You’re sure to get some good ideas for your next exhibition stand design project.

Exhibitions – you should be walking the floor of each trade show you attend and take note of what stands out.  Notice which booths are attracting the most traffic and see if you can discern why.

Online –  there are many websites that have photos of exhibition stands, including Discount Displays, where you’ll find configurations of every type of exhibition stand imaginable.  Going online will also keep you up to date on the latest trends and exhibition stand equipment available; just like many design-based industries, new products are the lifeblood of the industry!

Discount Displays’ showroom is a great place to “try before you buy”.  The address is 31-35 Wortley Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 3EB.  A map and more information about the Discount Displays showroom are available here.

Since many trade show exhibitors are on a tight budget these days, it makes sense to invest in items that can do “double duty” – i.e., that can later be used in the office or a retail space. These can include:

Table Top Display Stands
Table top display stands are an affordable option that can be used as the main focal point for small exhibits or incorporated into larger exhibition stands to demonstrate a product or service. When the exhibition or trade show is over, the table top display stand can be used:

• As a portable marketing tool when making presentations to clients;

• In an office reception area or storefront to attract attention for a new product;

• For internal training or presentations.

Literature Racks
Literature racks are important trade show accessories, but they can also be used as organizational tools around the office or in the shop.

In the office, literature stands can keep all your marketing materials organized, so employees can easily be able to access necessary sales materials for customers.  They can also be used to keep magazines and periodicals organized throughout the office.

Discount Displays has a full range of portable brochure holders ideal for exhibitions and trade shows, permanent literature racks for free standing and wall mounted use, all of which are suitable for corporate, reception, museum and retail environments.  We also stock acrylic literature holders for desktop and counter use, which are the perfect choice for displaying your marketing and advertising leaflets.

Light Boxes
High tech slim line light boxes have a revolutionary light source that gives an even light distribution and an incredible 30,000 hours of life.  These attention-grabbing graphics displays are ideal for generating traffic during a trade show or conference, and can also add interest and excitement to an office or retail environment.

These are just a few of the exhibition stand accessories that can help you maximize your trade show marketing investment.  For more information, visit our website or call us on 0844 800 1020.