How to increase traffic to your trade show booth?

Empty booth looks ugly

Consider pre-show activities to really attract people to your booth. "At show" is important too but "pre-show" is very much neglected. It does NOT need to be costly nor time-consuming.

Some thoughts...

* Social media - tell people that you're exhibiting - now they can meet you

* Web page - same as above - you become "real" when they can come and see you

* eMail - especially if you do a newsletter - invite people to meet you

* eMail - on the footer of every email that your company sends out

* Editorial & PR - send material to the Show Organizers - Media are ASKING them for material & few exhibitors supply it. GREAT way to start a relationship with journalists which continues after the show

* Telephone - "On-hold" messages - say you're exhibiting

* Telephone - ensure EVERY POSSIBLE employee invites people to the show when they are talking with them anyway. Includes Management - gets everyone involved too.

* Free Tickets" - many shows have "free tickets". Or low cost to you. Use the above to get people to ask you to send them to them if this is applicable. Creates relationships too.

As far as "at show" is concerned take care with free stuff and pretty girls. Refer back to your Objectives to consider WHO you want to attract and WHY. And WHAT you want from the show. I have experimented at shows and there is a solid core of people that will take all you can give them and never buy. There are also people and products that MUST sample before they will commit to your product. There is a real balance between "samples" and "gifts" and if you're aware of this and watching the crowd dynamics carefully you'll soon figure what works best for you at a given show