How to Set Up Trade Show Booths with Promotional Products

Setting up a successful trade show booth can be one of the most difficult forms of marketing on the annual calendar for many Aussie businesses. Every detail, from the most eye-catching visuals to the strategic use of promotional items, plays a vital part in orchestrating a memorable experience for your attendees. But how on Earth do you go about creating a symphonic booth that covers information about what you do while still appearing enticing to event attendees? Well, we've got a few pointers to get you started.

As a well-established provider of promotional products servicing businesses, charities, and government departments across Australia, the Cubic Promote team has put together an easy-to-follow guide for using custom-printed promotional products to create an extraordinary trade show booth.

1) Plan Your Event Presence

Every remarkable journey begins with a well-laid plan, and setting up your trade show booth is no different. First, identify what you want to accomplish during the event - is it showcasing a new product line, attracting potential customers, or fostering existing relationships? Depending on which of these you wish to lean into, your focus may change, so it is important to be clear early on about the outcome you're seeking from the display and the products you'll utilise to bring it all together.

Be sure to seek input from all members of your team, junior and senior, as it can be extremely useful to hear diverse voices when it comes to planning how to tackle large-scale events. Finally, keep record of your plans and produce a final version so that everyone is on the same page about how things will progress now that the planning stage is over.

2) Craft an Unforgettable Display

Create an immersive brand experience that captures the attention even in a busy expo hall. Start by integrating custom pop up displays adorned with your brand logo. Cubic Promote can print these for you quickly, making them the perfect option for anyone needing their displays fast. We recommend using vibrant colours that resonate with your brand personality and aesthetics. Photographic imagery or stylised art of your product or services can help draw attention to your booth from a distance too, so ensure the designs are nice and clear. You can also make your booth space more engaging by incorporating interactive elements like touch screens, games, or live product demonstrations.

 

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Successful Case Study: Tech Displays

TECHSPO (Sydney's popular tech trade show event) was approaching, and Australia's Adobe office, was eager to make their presence felt. Their goal was to highlight their groundbreaking new software solutions and attract potential subscribers. However, as a well-established name, they faced the challenge of standing out when their booths usually involve the same items and graphics. Turning to Cubic Promote, Adobe sought a solution that would amplify their brand visibility and communicate the quality of their software to Aussie consumers. Cubic Promote got to work, crafting a vibrant trade show booth display that mirrored the brand's innovative spirit.

A towering LED-lit backdrop, adorned with the company's logo, drew attention even from afar. Custom displays with interactive touch screens narrated the business's journey from inception to their latest product launch. They showcased their software solutions in action, engaging visitors with a dynamic brand experience. Tabletop displays highlighted key USPs, while branded giveaway items like USB drives pre-loaded with company information and eco-friendly, reusable tech gadget cleaners served as conversation starters. The result was a bustling booth, teeming with intrigued visitors, engaging conversations, and promising leads. Cubic Promote's custom trade show display and promotional products had given Adobe the ability to deliver something a bit different this event with showstopping banners fit for an international brand.

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3) Promotional Products for Brand Awareness

Promotional products are the emissaries of your brand when you attend trade shows or other business events, which is why it's vital to invest wisely and make them truly count. Select products that resonate with your brand and hold practical value for your target audience. They should be memorable, useful, and exude quality to ensure your brand leaves a lasting impression. Based on our industry experience, we recommend avoiding the cheapest options and instead providing higher quality items even if you have to order a reduced number.

The goal is to make your brand look good and flimsy; disposable items don't help elevate your business in recipients' eyes. When in doubt, always choose quality over quantity, as it has the added benefit of making your giveaway promo items into limited-edition goodies, upping their demand considerably without any real action on your part! Australia is a diverse country and even individual industry events are frequented by different people. For example, are you targeting tech-savvy millennials in Sydney or the environmentally-conscious crowd in Melbourne? Include this as part of your strategy planning (topic 1, above) and order promo gifts that target your audience accordingly.

Popular giveaway items for trade shows and events include branded pens, reusable coffee cups, tech gadgets, lollies, and custom eco-friendly bags. Having your logo featured on these items turns them into walking billboards, creating brand visibility that will last well beyond the trade show. For this reason, we recommend having a mix of items that appeal to folks in the here and now (promotional snacks and lollies) and practical items they can take with them and continue using after the event (notebooks or tote bags). This smart use of resources helps ensure you get the most out of each booth visitor interaction.

4) Giveaways for Breaking the Ice

One of the first ways to use promotional items in your event booth is to offer them as an ice-breaker, a product that starts a conversation or draws a visitor into your booth. Of course, lollies are a popular choice as everyone loves to enjoy a few snacks while wandering around a trade show, but if you want to dazzle a potential client, then appeal to their curiosity with promotional tech gadgets or a playful gift they'll want to keep on their desk at work. Once they're in front of you and ready to engage the promotional gift you have for them, you can briefly touch on the item and any pleasantries before providing more information about what you do and why you'd like them to participate.

5) Strategic Distribution of Branded Swag

While it can be tempting to hand out promotional items to every passerby, we recommend using them as part of your engagement process. You want to consult with attendees, understand their needs, and offer them a suitable solution your organisation provides. The promotional swag you give out should be part of establishing meaningful connections and leaving lasting impressions, as this reinforces the quality of your brand and the promotional items you're distributing.

Also, as mentioned above, if you give things out to everyone who walks by, there's less demand for your items and, in turn, your conversation. Give your time and swag to those keen to discuss your products/services and consider it an investment in the success of your trade show appearance.

6) Transform your Space with Custom Display Items

A big part of standing out from the crowd at big Aussie trade shows and conventions comes back to your custom display and items like branded banners, promotional table cloths, and signage. These components not only enrich the visual aesthetics of your booth but also create a cohesive brand identity that will ensure your booth is immediately recognisable to attendees from across the hall. Your brand won't be confused with anyone else, and visitors will link your products and services to your stylish branding and appearance. High-quality banners and tablecloths from specialist suppliers like Cubic Promote add an extra layer of professionalism, signalling that you're serious about your offerings and anything but a small player in the Aussie business landscape.

7) Your Staff as Brand Ambassadors

The team members you send to work on the booth will be key brand ambassadors for your business, meaning they need to be well-versed in your products/services and know how to leverage the promotional items you have available to engage potential clients. Be sure to spend time training your team members on how to effectively offer promotional swag on the day as tools to emphasise the benefits of your business rather than just as "handouts" to be given to anyone passing by. If you invest time in training your team on how to use these goodies as ice breakers, you'll maximise the potential benefits each product can bring to your organisation.

Another important thing to keep in mind is how your staff members dress when working at your trade show booth. Have them looking a million bucks with branded polo shirts that tie into your display and product branding. Not only will they look spectacular, but visitors will be able to identify them as staff members more efficiently, giving you even more potential ice-breaker moments throughout the day!

8) Evaluate the Success of your Booth

At the start of the article, we mentioned that it was important to know what you wanted to get out of the event. Once the event is over, you will need to bring this full circle and gauge the success of your booth. Depending on what you want from the display, you may focus on different elements. Common ways to measure convention success include visitor counts, the number of leads generated, and overall feedback left.

A good shorthand way to keep track of this is via a tablet, where you can have people input their email addresses for further information. Or, if you want to go old school, you can jot down visitor details in a notebook when they take a promotional gift from you. If you're focusing on leads generated, you may contact the visitors first and judge their responses to see which leads are truly hot and which are on the cooler side. Regardless of how you decide to evaluate the success of your event booth, you must use the information you gather to refine your strategies to continue improving all future trade show booths.

An effective trade show booth is more than just a visually appealing space or a repository of exciting promotional products. Instead, it's a space that weaves an engaging narrative about your brand, creating an immersive experience that leaves attendees keen to engage with your team further about the products or services you offer. Following our guide will enable you to enhance the effectiveness of the promotional displays and giveaway items you use at your booth and shape your brand presence to achieve your outcomes.