The trade show marketing sphere was an interesting place to be this year. So many changes are taking place in the industry over a short period of time thanks in part to greater connectivity offered by the internet and more interactive technology in the form of apps, VR and more.
When it comes to trade show marketing best practices though, key core values will never die out. The more personable and knowledgeable your team is, and the better you research the wants and needs of the people you’re pitching to, the higher the quantity and quality of the leads you’ll potentially generate.
For success and business growth, the right trade show marketing strategy is key to better lead generation, and when complemented with modern methods can help brands to see amazing results.
That’s why we believe the below, when complemented with the right strategy from a trade show marketing agency, will make next year your best yet:
1: Experiential trade show marketing will continue to grow
Experiential marketing has exploded as a trade show marketing strategy of choice over the past year. Especially when trying to attract the attention of younger audiences; 77% of marketers are now using experiential as a ‘vital part of their advertising strategy’, and we expect to see that growth continue over the course of 2018. Complementing amazing experiences at trade shows with staff who know how to leverage that excitement will be essential to growth strategies.
2: Trade show marketing will be all about connections
Don’t trade show marketing best practices command that anyway? Of course, but there are still so many brands who crave turning traffic and footfall into serious leads and real connections but are unsure how. We believe 2018 will see the role of the professional introducer take centre stage; a ‘self-service’ way of doing things will be abandoned for a more personal approach from points of contact at stands and booths who will be key to making strong human connections.
3: Booths will see more diverse talent for greater engagement
The point of trade show marketing isn’t to turn up and have a nice time. It’s a window of opportunity to generate new business, collect lead information and build long-term relationships. To that end booth experiences will become more interactive and personal with brands employing booth specialists to do particular jobs as a means to an end. Expect to see more translators, crowd gatherers, dedicated lead generators and more at events throughout 2018.
4: Tech and social will be more significant to strategies
Though already prevalent in when trade show marketing, we expect tech and social to carry greater significance to marketers’ overall strategies. Not only will we likely see more exhibitors exploring the opportunities that VR and AR have to offer, but we’ll also see greater integration of social media in the grand scheme of things.
Exhibitors will use social strategies to greater effect to target and attract specific visitors, working with lead generation booth specialists to target more relevant clients and ‘whales’ on the day to build an initial relationship before providing them with an unforgettable experience on the day.
All in all, it amounts to greater awareness of the potential of personalisation in targeting and attracting the best leads possible. Expo Stars is a trade show marketing agency dedicated to helping you achieve your exhibition goals in 2018 and beyond – contact us for more information.
