Exhibiting at a trade show can be costly both in time and resources. In addition to the booth fee, there's the cost of promotional materials, handouts, transportation, lodging and staffing the event. If you decided at the last minute to be a vendor, don't let that stop you from putting on a show.
Money Bowl
Cover the inside of a fishbowl with real money. Use white glue to attach the dollar bills; it removes easily with water and the money won't be damaged. If your budget allows, sprinkle in a few $5, $10 and $20 bills. The money bowl is a magnet to draw people to your booth, curious to see if it's real. Fill the bowl with candy, business cards or small promotional items.
Win 100 Grand
Hold a contest to win 100 grand -- no, not in real money. Make a sign that says "Enter to win '100 Grand.'*" In very small print at the bottom of the sign, add "*candy bar." Stack the 100 Grand candy bars on either side of the sign. Collect business cards and email addresses as people enter. Most people will be attracted to the sign and still enter even when they realize you're giving away candy, not money.
Give Away Cold Drinks
Check with the trade show manager to make sure it's allowed. Some centers have licensed food and drink to concessionaires and don't allow any of the exhibitors to sell or give away anything meant to be consumed on the property during the show. Fill an ice chest with small 8-oz. bottles of water. Put signage on the chest that says "Have a Cool One on [name of your company]." Place the chest so the attendees can't quite reach it but have to have the bottle handed to them. That gives you a chance to talk with them and give them your card and promotional material.
Demonstrations
Brainstorm how you can demonstrate your product rather than just talk about it or hand out marketing materials. People like to see how things work rather than just read about it. Make sure there is someone else in the booth with you to answer potential customers' questions. Or hire someone to do the demo while you're available to answer questions.
Stand Up and Smile
It's never too late to stand up and smile. Your feet may be tired and maybe you didn't get enough sleep last night but put on a show of energy. Sitting at your booth looks like you don't want to be interrupted by a potential customer. There may not be any scientific or academic studies that prove it but people smile back when you smile. Put them in a pleasant, receptive mood by being the one to smile.
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