Here at RAL Display & Marketing we sell a huge range of portable counters for exhibitions and trade shows.
They’re available in a range of shapes and sizes. Some feature printed side banners, allowing you to show off your true colours and attract the attention of passers-by. Others feature A4 leaflet holders, giving you a convenient means of storing and distributing your literature.
But beyond that, what you do with your counter is up to you.
You’ve got a lot of counter space to play with. So what sort of things can you do to make your day worthwhile?
We’ve got a few suggestions.
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. There are many reasons why you might want to take a laptop or a tablet to a tradeshow. You can add your leads directly to your CRM, meaning that there’ll be less data processing to do later – which, of course, will give you more time to follow up on these fresh leads.
Laptops and tablets can also be used to control slideshows, presentations, or other graphics, helping you to make your stand that little bit more visually striking. You can use them to show off your portfolio to prospects; or if you have an app or some specialist software, you can let delegates try it out there and then.
But apart from anything else, we find that stands that feature laptops or tablets on their counters simply look more professional. It makes your stand look less like a stand at a tradeshow, and more like a high-tech hub of innovation.
And if you’re worried that someone might try and make off with your expensive technology or your sensitive data, you can always chain your device to the counter, and use a lock screen to deter snoopers.
Get a bowl, buy a pack of Celebrations, and offer your wares to one and all.
True, some delegates will only visit your stand for the chocolate. And true, some will even make return visits for the express purpose of getting more chocolate.
But your real prospects – those who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer – they’re the only ones that matter. And if you can offer these guys a sweet treat to munch on as they mull over your offerings, they’re much more likely to think of you in a positive light.
So this covers a huge array of products but we are thinking T-shirts, hats, keyrings and mugs. This is why most conventions and trade shows hand out carrier bags to their delegates upon arrival – so that they have something in which they can carry their swag!
For some people, events and trade shows are all about the swag. They’re not here for business; they’re here to collect as much swag as is humanly possible.
But if you stock your trade show counter with swag, you’re not just playing into the hands of these swag bandits. You’re also investing in some highly effective brand building while, once again, creating a very favourable impression among your real prospects.
And like with laptops, any business that brings swag to an expo is just going to look more professional overall. Because after all, if you can afford branded baseball caps, then you must be worth doing business with.
But what if everyone’s offering swag? How do you make yours stand out?
By going deep. By going niche.
We often see this in the health sector and at pharmacy trade shows. We’ve seen stands offering cuddly germs and microbes with adorable googly eyes. We’ve seen stands offering weird plastic toys designed to be wrangled as you struggle with nicotine withdrawal. We’ve seen stands offer literally whatever it takes to make an impression.
So think long and hard about your business and your sector. What can you offer that will highlight your uniqueness? Get it made, place it on your counter, and you’ll be the talk of the trade show.
We mentioned earlier how you might let people play with your apps or software. It’s a good idea, but it’s the sort of thing that can only hold the attention of one delegate at a time. So why not stand out with something really special?
How about one of those steady-hand electric buzzer games? You know the type – where you have to guide a metal loop around a twisting circuit without touching the edges. Should any contact occur, a buzzer sounds, and you have to start again.
Why not have one of those made in the shape of your company logo? People will want to try it just for the hell of it. And once they’re attempting your challenge, they’ll be something of a captive audience – perfect for being pitched to!
Because let’s face it, trade shows can be boring places. So anything you can do to make your stall stand out will go down a storm. You might even draw a crowd! And how great will it look if your stall’s surrounded by a cheering crowd? How excited will people feel to do business with you then?
As you might imagine, we at RAL Display have been to hundreds of exhibitions and trade shows, so we know a thing or two about how to make an excellent impression.
So if you’ve got a trade show coming up and you want your stall to stand out, why not get in touch? For a friendly chat, call us on 0116 255 4640, or email sales@ral-display.co.uk.