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Four Ways to Make your Conference Booth a Winner!

  |   Conferences, Insights, Marketing   |   No comment

Here in California, the local government sector will soon be assembling in Los Angeles for the largest annual local government gathering in the state – the League of California Cities Annual Conference & Expo. This milestone event offers a reminder that conference planning and execution should be a front-burner item in your overall marketing plan. After spending thousands to sponsor, register for and/or house staff at this or any conference, making your booth an effective tool is a critical step.

Working the booth should be viewed as a fun opportunity – a chance to stand out from the other booths and leave an impression. Here are four ideas on how to spice up your booth presence.

iStock_000033641060Small1 – Drop the Table and Skirt. Unless you need a platform to showcase your wares, consider dropping the table or at least moving it to the back of the booth. The table is a wall and a barrier to the salespeople behind it. Drop the table, drop the chairs, stand up, open the space and be inviting.

2 – Theme to the Extreme. Some of the most impactful conference marketing involves simply matching the booth colors and the team uniforms. This not only creates a branded identity in the booth, it also identifies members of your team as they wander the conference. T-shirts, dress shirts, or blouses with your organization’s colors and logo will carry your message from the booth to the hallways and session halls of the conference.

3 – Booth Shticks Matter. Want to get people to stop by the booth? Offer something inventive. A few years ago I had a friend come home from a mortgage conference fired up because they got a picture with Poncherello from CHiPS fame and smack in the background of that photo was the sponsoring company’s logo. It built brand ID and brought my friend to the booth for a few minutes to capture a moment with someone of notoriety. People love food. Don’t underestimate the power of freshly baked cookies, heated at the booth and offered to visitors. The smell brings them in, and the chat over a cookie is quick and easy. For bonus points, give them a cup of milk with your company logo on the cup. For double bonus points, tie in a marketing theme that links your company’s solutions to the idea of tasty warm cookies (warm cookies, a glass of milk and a new mystery novel from publisher x – sounds like a great night.)

4 – Start the Conference Before it Starts – To make your conference a great experience and bring people to your booth, start planning way ahead of time. Notify clients and prospects that you will be at the exhibit hall.  Tell them where to find your booth (and send a map if you can). Invite them over for a special photo or tell them you’ll have warm cookies should they get hungry. You have to give your audience time to anticipate and plan for the fantastic booth shtick you have planned. Also, check if you get access rights to a conference registration list and plan on an email or print mail campaign to hit days before the conference starts.

Conferences are an excellent opportunity for professionals to reconnect with each other and share what they have been up to. Don’t be shy. Jump right in, set up a fantastic booth, and get a return on your conference investment.

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