About a week from now, those of us anywhere in the United States will hear hours of booms and bangs, and see bright flashes of lights as the fireworks go off for Independence Day. Unavoidable sensory engagement, preceded by preparation and anticipation. A range of explosions from the crack of a popper to the sky-illuminating munitions generally reserved for the professionals (though you probably know a guy that has some). In a lot of ways we can draw parallels to the impact of a trade show booth. Both of which have the goal of engaging their audience, drawing them in and making it unforgettable. Where do we see the overlap:
BANG for your Buck
If you’re shopping for fireworks or tradeshow exhibits, you’re likely going to want to find maximal impact for the money. In both you’ll find the more you are willing to spend, the easier that “bang” will be to obtain. There are still those options that aren’t the professional fireworks show, but will still make you a neighborhood legend. Most companies aren’t going to be the title sponsor with the biggest island display as you walk in, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make noise. Part of our goal is helping our clients to get the most engagement out of their budget as possible. This is done through a variety of ways, many of which have been highlighted in our past blog posts, like specific accessories and pre-show promotions for example.
Preparation
The best fireworks shows and trade show booths require many details to be addressed in advance. Both of which also have to have teams of people brought together to help pull it off. Disaster strikes when there is inadequate preparation and attention to detail. There could be literal fires to put out at the fireworks show, and the figurative ones on the trade show floor.
Audience Required
I often talk about pre-show promotion and winning show attendees before they ever get to the show hall. This is a must when you aren’t the one sponsoring the show and/or having the big island booth. Without an invitation elsewhere, many people will look at July 4th and default to whatever their usual fireworks spot is (many times the big professional event). But if you offer those same people a cookout with friends and food, they’ll likely stop by, if not stay for whatever fireworks you may set off. They may even prefer that. Similarly, the attendee will go to the show overwhelmed by the size and be easily captured by the big booths when they enter the hall, unless they’ve got a list of targeted booths/companies to meet with ahead of time. Give them (your most important targeted attendees) the invitation, and in a creative way! Getting on their lists is what makes shows a major success.
What are their takeaways?
After the show is over, people will have their instant commentary. For fireworks, it could be simply, “that was incredible” or, “that finale was lacking.” But it could also be that they’ll never forget how incredible it was. You booth will be graded, consciously or subconsciously. Work toward building that unforgettable experience.
We like to soak in these big annual events and see how they apply to our trade show and event world. Consider what impresses you, or not, this 4th of July. Consider the same about your future booth presence. We’re here on the other side to help evaluate and strategize based off of what you come away with. Fall will be here soon!