Creating a successful event involves many different elements but one of the most important aspects is the exhibit hall. The exhibit hall floor is not only a place for your exhibitors to showcase their products and services, but it is also a place for attendees to gain knowledge and discover new ideas, engage with their peers, and establish meaningful connections with exhibitors.
It is important for show organizers to get away from the standard setup and reconsider what an exhibit hall floor should look like. Picture the exhibit hall as a destination for attendees to visit during the design process and think outside of the box. Creating a well thought out design will excite attendees, entice them to visit, and encourage them to spend more time there.
A creative environment will help draw people in but driving traffic to the exhibit hall floor is another important aspect of your event’s success. Getting attendees to visit the floor and spend time there can be a challenge. Check out these tips to help bring attendees to the exhibit hall:
- Competitions – Our client, Keller Williams, used a scavenger hunt at their Family Reunion event in 2018 to encourage attendees to visit different exhibitors and drive traffic. Exhibitors that participated in the scavenger hunt were given a lead scanning device, a LeadKey® provided by Expo Logic. The LeadKey was used by the exhibitor to scan the attendee’s badge when they visited their booth and then the attendee was entered for a chance to win a prize. This scavenger hunt was a great way to create a fun and exciting game that also brought more people to the exhibit floor.
- Book Signings – Do you have a well-known keynote speaker or someone that might draw a crowd with an appearance? Consider hosting a book signing or scheduled appearance in the exhibit hall that will draw attention and bring people in. Strategically place the signing or appearance in an area of the trade show floor that has low traffic to increase visibility to the booths nearby.
- Chatbots – Include chatbots on the trade show floor to help attendees find their way and discover new booths to visit. Chatbots can help answers questions, provide directions from booth to booth, and even offer suggestions to attendees of companies they would be interested in.
- Wi-Fi – This should be a no brainer by now, but organizers should be offering a reliable Wi-Fi connection to attendees and exhibitors throughout the entire event, including the exhibit hall floor. Providing Wi-Fi not only adds value, but it will also keep attendees on the floor longer as they won’t need to leave to find a good connection. A strong Wi-Fi connection also helps ensure exhibitors can capture leads if they are using a mobile app.
- Workspace – When designing the exhibit hall floor, consider adding a dedicated space that attendees can sit down and recharge. Include tables and chairs, comfortable couches, and even a coffee station so attendees don’t have to leave the floor to find a minute to regroup. This workspace area can also become a fantastic space for attendees to engage with one another and network.
- Food & Concessions – You have to provide an option for food to attendees at your event, so why not consider hosting food and concessions in the exhibit hall? Setting up food stations, or even food trucks, on the trade show floor will force attendees to visit the exhibit hall and spend more time there. Try something different like hosting a gourmet cupcake truck or ice cream sundae bar to add excitement to this area.
Exhibitors are equally as important to the success of your event and organizers want to be sure to keep their exhibitors happy. Increasing traffic on the exhibit floor helps keep booths busy and creates opportunities to capture new leads. Here are a few other tips organizers can use to help their exhibitors make the most of the time spent at their booth:
- Offer marketing opportunities, like email campaigns or an ad within the event mobile app to help add value to their exhibit, increase awareness throughout attendees, and drive more traffic to their booth.
- After an exhibitor signs up for their booth space, include a “Tips & Tricks” guide with their exhibit information that offers ideas that will help make the make out of their exhibit experience.
- Encourage exhibitors to focus on knowledge sharing with attendees to add value to their booth. By offering product sheets and other beneficial information, exhibitors could find more attendees at their booth and leaving with a meaningful experience.
- Remind exhibitors to take advantage of social media and post about their exhibit leading up to the event as well as when they are on-site. Social media is a great way to increase their visibility to attendees at an event, but the show organizer also benefits when the event’s hashtag is used.
- Provide lead retrieval options that allow exhibitors to efficiently capture leads and follow-up with them quickly. Consider offering Expo Logic’s new lead capture app, LeadPod-Pro, that turns any iPhone, iPad, or Android device into an advanced lead retrieval tool. LeadPod Pro is perfect for exhibitors, featuring custom surveys that help qualify leads fast and makes follow-up a breeze.
Finding ways to drive traffic to the exhibit hall floor and keeping attendees engaged can be a difficult task but it is not impossible. Use creativity when thinking of ideas and designing the layout of the exhibit hall and keep in mind the value your exhibitors can add to your event and help ensure its success.
Looking for more ways to enhance the attendee experience? We have plenty more where this came from!
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