How to Ace Your Next Event

Image Credit: Unsplash

Going to events is the best way to get some exposure for your business but there is a lot more to this type of advertising than setting up a table in a big hall and hoping people will come over. You need to grab their attention and make sure that they know where to find you after the event too. While a fleeting conversation might be nice on a social level, you need conversions to be successful.

The first thing to do is to make your stall eye-catching to encourage people to come over and see what is going on. There are a few methods for this but the main thing to remember is that you need to do something different enough to stand out from your neighbors. You should also make sure that people have a way to remember you and will be able to get in touch after the event. Finally, since people tend to prefer to be active, make sure that your stall is as interactive as possible to persuade people to join in with your stall.

So, if you want to ace your next event, bring people over to your stall and make sure that they remember you, here’s what you need to do.

Be Eye-Catching

The first rule of any event is to make sure that you stand out. Your stall is the best opportunity you have to draw people in so using things like banners and bright colors should help you stand out from your neighbors. Other techniques the might be more novel but can work nicely are things like lights, moving parts and music – just make sure that whatever you do isn’t going to disturb other people and fits with your branding.

If the event is a part of a conference, you should also aim to make yourself visible online. Most events and conferences use things like Twitter handles to give people a chance to follow online. This is a great way for you to join in and encourage people to come and visit your stand. Give directions and indicate the kinds of activities going on at your stand such as free consultations or demonstrations.

Finally, if the event is attached to a conference, see if you can get a speaking slot too. This might only be a few minutes on the main stage so think carefully about the main message you want to get across. Remember, this is another opportunity to tell people where your stall is so take it!

Offer Giveaways

Another way to draw people in to look at your stall is to offer giveaways – people love a good freebie so even if you are just offering branded pens, you will do better than a stall offering nothing. There are all sorts of different things you could give away depending on what the purpose of the giveaway is. Balloons are great for getting your branding out across an event but probably won’t work in a corporate environment – this strategy is better for an event fair where it is likely that children will be in tow. Other items from Lanyards USA can be used in a similar way.

While some giveaways are to encourage brand awareness, others are more focused on conversions. You could offer discount or voucher codes specific to your event to encourage people to visit your website or shop. Using a specific code for the event is the best way to track how successful this approach is for you.

You should also make sure that there are stacks of business cards and informative brochures and leaflets around your stall for people to pick up. Some people will want to come and interact with you and your stall but others would rather collect all the information and do some research later on. Offering these materials in locations where they are easy to grab will encourage this type of event-goer to come over, even if they only stay for a few seconds. You will also have another chance to make an impression on someone who has come to interact with you and this will serve as a reminder to them to contact your business later on.

Make Your Stall Interactive

The more you can do to encourage people to come over, the better. While it might seem that you just have to put up some posters and display a few items, it is actually easier to have something to do such as offering free consultations as suggested above. Another option is to offer activities for people to do. VR is a particularly good way of drawing people in as it encourages natural curiosity and many people have still not had a chance to play with it.

Having a clear activity is one of the easiest ways for you to engage people in conversation, too. Even if sales patter comes naturally to you, it is much more comfortable to ask someone to join in with something than to buttonhole them into a conversation they might not want to have right now. Plus, the more people become interested in your stall, the more likely you are to attract others.

Videos are another good way of introducing ideas and bringing people in. A great video will highlight all the main topics you want to talk about and give you a reason to approach someone taking an interest. This way, you also don’t need to have a full team of people manning the stall as much of the information you want to get across will be available on the screen. It’s a good idea to outsource this kind of work to get the best results.

Events are a great way to get exposure for your brand and business but given how expensive they can be, you need to ace them to get your money’s worth. Using these simple tricks should encourage more people to come over to your stall and show an interest in your business as well as give them something to remember you by. The more memorable you are, the better you will do, so push the boat out and show off – this is your moment!