So you signed up for a booth at a conference? Now what? How do you ensure that it is time and money well-spent? Preparation. Knowing what your purpose is, researching your target audience, and making your booth valuable for conference attendees will make the time and effort worth it. Each booth has a unique reason for being there – what is yours? Knowing your purpose will guide your efforts in the right direction.

Preparation is Key

Before the event, make sure you know what kind of potential customers will be at the conference. Determine the specific focus of the conference within the business world and the industry, so that you can tailor your presentation to impress potential customers and leave them considering what your product could do for them. Social media is an excellent way to entice attendees to visit your booth. You can post teasers or sneak peeks into what your booth will have to offer. Marketing a raffle drawing is a common and effective strategy to get your name on attendees’ “list of booths to visit.”

Stand Out in the Crowd

Your booth should be eye-catching and unique. Remember that conference attendees will have many options for booths to visit, so make sure yours is attractive specifically to your target audience. Demonstrations, hands-on activities, or product-testing are ways to boost interest for attendees who are passing by.

Provide Value for Customers Visiting Your Booth

Ensuring that your visitors walk away feeling like they learned or gained something not only makes them feel their time-spent was worthwhile, but it also increases the odds of gaining them as a customer. If you are going to create brochures, pamphlets, or other paper media, they must be applicable and meaningful, or you will not be spending your money effectively. All staff at your booth should be knowledgeable about your product and should be familiar with the interests of your target audience.

Be Inviting and Interesting

Your attitude and demeanor should be open and friendly. Your attention should be focused on making sure your booth feels inviting and comfortable. Having something to do or keep your customers busy will keep them at your booth longer. Don’t be afraid to ask if they have questions. This shows a genuine desire to provide tools and solutions for their business. Always ask for contact information with the intent to show them how you can help them with their product or business.

Follow Up

You will want to ensure you have a way to follow up with people who visit your booth. Preparing a raffle drawing with prepared forms asking for their contact information is a good way to give incentive for providing this information. It is also a good idea to take notes on conversations with potential customers, so you can recall conversations and show genuine interest in providing them with services and solutions for their business.