Looking for an idea to get show attendees to your booth? We’ve got your back: here are exceptional booth experiences we saw recently at a big North American marketing conference. Best of all, these ideas are simple and inexpensive to repeat, yet they increase traffic, create buzz, and result in qualified leads.
Candy store
Everyone loves giveaways, especially when they speak to your sweet tooth. This clever vendor included a postcard with an empty treat bag inviting attendees to visit “Candy Lane”. At the booth, you could peruse the colourful candy buffet while chatting with the vendor.
Mystery key
Sometimes it’s not the location of the booth that drives traffic, but a clever pull strategy that attracts people. Like a mystery key in the attendee bag that literally makes you go out of your way to find out what it’s for.
Here’s how it worked: in our conference bag we found a key with a note attached. The note directed us to a tiny, simple booth at the back of the hall where we inserted our key in hopes it would open the box. If it did, we could take one of the juicy prizes inside, like an Apple Watch or tablet.
Of all the small booths, this one definitely saw more traffic because the activity piqued people’s curiosity. Our keys didn’t work, but Liz was there when an attendee’s key opened the box. She literally jumped up and down screaming. How’s that for drawing attention to your booth? Plus, the vendor rang a bell so everyone in the hall knew there was a winner, then they took photos with her and posted them to the conference app and their social media. Well played.
Hashtag photos
Everyone who posted a photo on social and used the conference hashtag had a shared destination: Lustre’s booth. The Lustre team printed off the photo, with their branding and the conference name at the bottom, and attendees could take their photo home. Months later, Liz still has hers in her wallet. #NailedIt
Interactive pixel board
Interactive elements capture people’s attention as they move through the hall. This live pixel board was a great conversation starter. The pixels move with you as you move in front of the tiny camera. Check out this outline of Liz. It isn’t the best rendering of her, but it caught her attention and sparked a conversation.
The ball pit
We’ve saved our favourite for last. Those of us with kids are all too familiar with ball pits. But when it’s just for adults, it’s a lot more fun.
Here’s how this one worked: attendees got a ball in their conference bag, which piqued their curiosity. When they entered the vendor hall, the ball dropped (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves). Front and centre was a ball pit in the brand colours, orange and white. Attendees wrote their name and company name on the ball and threw it into the pit for a draw at 6pm that day.
Those who wanted more entries could answer a short survey or take a photo of themselves inside the ball pit and share it on social. At draw time, a huge crowd formed around the booth. The biggest influencer at the conference dove into the pit to select the first winning ball. Then the vendor drew several names and those people took home prizes like a Nintendo gaming system, Apple Watch, and other tech devices.
This booth drew the largest crowd in the vendor hall and was undeniably the most fun. They also built a solid list through their survey.
Make tradeshows worth it
Many companies question the value of attending tradeshows. But like any tactic, you don’t know if it will work until you try it. Shows are a good place to connect with clients and past clients too. Set up one-on-ones, or offer them a VIP gift for popping by the booth.
Even a simple email to your list telling them you’ll be at a conference keeps you top of mind. Plus, there are follow-up opportunities such as a show synopsis or a value-add blog like “3 takeaways from [Conference Name].” Whatever you do, go with a well-thought-through plan to generate easy conversations with attendees, capture leads, qualify them, and follow up.
