Working a trade show is quite the experience. You walk into a
familiar location to meet up with people that you know. They aren’t
necessarily your buddies who you talk to frequently, but they are a part
of your life. You bring the goods with you. At the trade show: a 3D
pop-up display, 8ft table throw, and a retractable banner stand. For
Thanksgiving dinner you bring grandmas famous green bean casserole and a
bottle of whiskey. You see the Thanksgiving dinner table is set to
impress. With crystal glass wear and seasonal decorations. The smell of
cinnamon lingers in the air to remind of past Thanksgivings. At the
trade show, your booth is set to perfection. Each trade show display
product has its purpose in setting the stage for conversation with trade
show attendees.
All of the items above need an equal introduction and explanation. As
awesome as your 3D pop-up display looks, it will not bring the trade
show attendee a complete understanding of your company. It will indeed
lure attendees into your booth, but your sales tactic is what will keep
them in. And, let’s get real, your green bean casserole is no where
near as good as grandmas, but you’ll make sure you convince everyone
that it is. You’ll also have to explain why your back on the whiskey
this season, even though you never actually quit to begin with.
At the trade show you never know what you are in for. The
conversations range from awkward to pleasant and on occasion,
beneficial. You attempt to explain why the message on your 3D popup
display holds the key to unlocking a solution for their company issues.
At Thanksgiving dinner, you’re mingling with relatives. Aunt Susan is
sitting in the corner waiting for you to go greet her. You dance around
her gaze, but eventually make it over. Uncle Roger wants to know how
the kids are, but you don’t have kids. You humor him and decide it is in
your best interest to start talking about your green bean casserole.
At this point, you are no longer taking sips of your whiskey sour; you
graduated to large gulps.
At the trade show, you mingle in front of your booth. Sadly, without
cocktail in hand. You make an effort to connect with people you don’t
technically know. You hold on, knowing that every awkward conversation
brings you closer to the beneficial conversation. When the clock hits
4pm, you sprint for the Thanksgiving dinner table. You’ve had enough to
drink at this point. The surface level conversations with strange
family members feel less exhausting, and you’re having a good time. You
eye the green bean casserole as it gets passed around to realize that
your family is actually enjoying it. You even get compliments on how
tasty it is. All of your efforts, anxieties, and concerns that were
pertaining to thanksgiving dinner begin to come full circle. Suddenly,
you are filled with a sense of thankfulness. Even for Aunt Susan who
hasn’t stopped looking at you awkwardly from across the table.
Why do the trade show and thanksgiving dinner go hand-in-hand?
You want to get your trade show attendees to thanksgiving dinner with you.
Thanksgiving dinner is all about personal connection. It is the one
day of the year we are able, or forced, to sit down with people in our
lives and share a meal in thankfulness. Most of the awkwardness has
passed by the time you sit down and you realize that you are connecting
with the people around you.
Get your trade show attendees to have dinner table conversation with you. Utilize your trade show display products to get an initial response and then, strive for real connection.
Offer adequate information that you know will help this potential
client down the road. When you aim to connect with attendees, they are
more likely to leave thankful for your company and the 3D popup display
that caught their attention. Treat your trade show as if it were
thanksgiving dinner. What if you went to enjoy thanksgiving dinner with
family and the table wasn’t set?
Preparation for a trade show is equally, if not more important than the show itself.
Trade show display products set the stage for your company and create
an atmosphere that will draw trade show attendees in or lead them onto
your competition. For 2014, bring the thankfulness of Thanksgiving into
your trade show booth.
Thank you for stopping by our Diers Exhibit Group blog. This
Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you and your continual support. Enjoy a
relaxing Thanksgiving weekend.
Written by: Jessica Diers
(Sales Manager at Diers Exhibit Group)
