How to Stand Out at Exhibitor, the Trade Show for Trade Shows

There is a trade show for every kind of industry, ranging from weddings to pharmaceuticals to technology to restaurants. The trade show industry is an intense study in how to attract consumers among hundreds to thousands of competitors, and the ability to stand out among the crowd is imperative. And who should know this strategy better than the companies whose business is to make others stand out? Which is why EXHIBITOR, the trade show for trade show companies would logically be the most creative, engaging, and exciting trade show of them all.

But it could also be the most challenging show to exhibit. The designers, the booth staff, the companies themselves are all competing with each other to reach a wider audience, to connect with potential clients, to create the booth to remember among the crème de la crème of trade show booths. And especially with trade show attendance dwindling in recent years, while the cost to show keeps threatening the fiscal return on the investment, each interaction with each potential client becomes that much more important. These companies are not just competing with each other to get a return on their investment, they are competing to stay afloat in the recession where marketing budgets are slashed, to prove that they can so effectively market themselves, obviously they could do wonders for any client who decides to take the leap and spend thousands of dollars to exhibit at the show in their own field.

So what's the secret to exhibiting at EXHIBITOR? One company, who chose EXHIBITOR2010 to show for the first time, figured telling their own unique story was a way to hook potential clients. Atlantic Exhibits has for the past 22 years (as old as EXHIBITOR, coincidentally) offered portable and modular exhibits, but has recently expanded to include an array of offerings which can completely and effectively manage their client's entire marketing program. Since they wanted to show the effectiveness of their marketing plan, they decided to "walk the walk," and exhibit at EXHIBTOR. They held an internal, company-wide contest to choose the best concept and marketing strategy for themselves, in order to best prove how effective they are at marketing others. This may seem like a small tidbit of information, however making a personal connection, and having a different story to tell is one excellent way to stand out amongst the crowd of flashy booths and engaging booth staffs. ( http://www.exhibitoronline.com/news/enn-display.asp?counter=8595 )

The marketing strategy should certainly be cohesive, which Kubik, a full service design and production company for events, environments and exhibits, knows full well. Winner of Best in Show for EXHIBITOR2010, Kubik began their marketing concept with the invites in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle, and including actual pieces to complete puzzles at the show. The puzzle theme carried through the design of the booth, with the wall borders in the shape of unfinished puzzles. The tag line? "Are you puzzled about what to do with your next tradeshow or event? When you have all the right pieces, the solution is easy. Call Kubik and see how they put it all together." Every piece of their own marketing puzzle (if you will) created a memorable, attractive, interactive experience for the attendees, and resulted in recognition and a standout among the crowd. Another winning strategy is of course, bribery, because who doesn't love free stuff? Atlantic chose the Amazon Kindle as a giveaway banking on mass appeal of the product. Kubik had puzzle themed giveaways to go with their marketing strategy. Both of these giveaways serve an excellent purpose and result in one more way to stand out amongst the competition.

The bottom line is for any company exhibiting at EXHIBITOR is to put yourself in the place of the consumer - what will catch the eye, what will hold the attention, and what will make a lasting impression. The age old saying is you have to spend money to make money, which is the entire concept behind trade shows. But spending your money in the right ways is obviously an integral part of that strategy, and hopefully will result in inspiring confidence, and clients.