I recently attended BlogHer ’12 and while walking around the trade show part of the conference, I realized that many of the exhibitors were missing the mark when it came to their booth. Here are a three tips to keep in mind for the next time you or your company participates in an trade show.

1. Be Welcoming – All too often I would walk right past a exhibit booth and no one would say hi or greet me to grab my attention. The company’s team would be engrossed with another attendee (do you really need three people talking to one person?!) or even worse, talking amongst themselves. Be sure to capture your audience by being outgoing and saying hi to everyone that visits your area. Also, offer them an explanation of your product or service. Many times I had to ask, so what is XYZ about before they told me. Be more forthcoming with your information. Remember you’re there to spread the word so start talking, smiling and welcoming your audience!
2. Be Creative – You have to think of something that will get people to come to your booth. For example, at the conference I just attended, one of the exhibitors was Eggland’s Best. They had a really fun set-up. First, they followed tip #1 and really welcomed us into their space. Then each of us got to play a fun slot machine where we could win a year’s supply of eggs! And if you didn’t win the year’s supply, you probably ended up winning something else like a plush stuffed egg, a spatula or a coupon for a free dozen eggs. Everyone walked away feeling like they got something. And, while we were testing our luck, they were explaining what Eggland’s Best was all about. It was an interactive and exciting booth that got a lot of traffic because of their creativity. So think outside the box and ask yourself, what would make you stop to learn more about a product or service.
3. Make it Easy – Many of the exhibitors made it hard on attendees to get the information they wanted. They would require you to fill out a lengthy survey, talk to five different people, or make an appointment. As a paying attendee of this conference, my time is valuable and there is only so much time in a day. Don’t require your potential new or returning customers to jump through hoops to get information. Make it easy on them and they will appreciate that you recognize that their time is just as important as yours.

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DISCLOSURE: NO CONNECTION, UNPAID, NOT MY OWN
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