Incorporating Demonstrations Into Your Trade Show Booths

Trade show booths are a perfect opportunity to showcase just how well your product works with a live demonstration. Although live exhibits are great for ROI, they require extra planning and particular setup for maximum impact in trade show exhibits. Learn how to make yours a success.

There are few things as exciting for event attendees as a live demonstration of your product. Incorporating one will almost certainly draw more attention to your trade show exhibits, and is more likely to result in visitors becoming customers. However, there are many things that must be considered when planning for a live display, and all of them need to be addressed to maximize your success.
Step 1: Know Your Space
The best venue for live demonstrations is one in which you can provide seating for people to watch comfortably. If there is any chance that your visitors can sit as they observe, you should jump at it. In a typical convention situation, it is rare to have such a large space. However, if you're using your trade show exhibits at a venue such as a fair, it might be possible to arrange something. Don't hesitate to ask the management of the show if you're uncertain; it's always better to know for sure than to be wondering.
Step 2: Know Your Product
When you work with an audience, you must have complete knowledge of what you're presenting. You should be able to answer all questions with ease, and there should be further information in pamphlets throughout the trade show exhibits. For portable exhibits, though they are smaller in size, there will always be a place to add printed information. 
Step 3: Hire Great Talent (That Knows Your Product!)
Having a strong presenter to actually perform the demonstration is important. This man or woman will become permanently associated with your item in the eyes of customers, and should be someone who can make a favorable impression. Choosing this person requires a tremendous amount of honest assessment, because many companies will be tempted to choose a presenter from within their own staff. While your staff is the undisputed body of experts on your items, they may not be able to sell it like a professional could. 
However, having a professional isn't always the right solution. If that professional can't reliably learn all the details of your product, then you might as well have presented it yourself and bungled the presentation for all the good you'll get out of it. A professional who looks at home in your trade show booths and knows every detail of your products is ideal. If that's not possible, pick someone with knowledge over someone with salesmanship. Let your excellent products speak for themselves.
Step 4: Create Trade Show Exhibits That Draw Attention To The Demonstration
Once you have everything set for the actual exhibition, you'll need to consider how best to attract eyes from across the room. With typical trade show booths, it's a matter of designing the booth around your item. But when you have a demonstration, you should focus on drawing attention to the demo. When people understand that there is an imminent promise of action on that stage (i.e., that someone will soon be demonstrating something) they'll flock to the area. At a minimum, you should include signs indicating display times. This is easily done, even with portable displays. 
Step 5: Take Care Of The Odds And Ends
This step is crucial because it ensures that everything will go smoothly on presentation day. This step has you gathering anything and everything that is required for the performance. If you need an extension cord, this is when you get it. If you need to have water on hand, or perhaps some kind of prop to enhance the show, make sure you are prepared. Pack it ahead of time and ensure you have enough of everything you may need.
Step 6: Enjoy The Benefit To Your Trade Show Booths
After everything is set, you're ready to relax and see how it pays off. Have your company's people circulating in the crowd to answer questions, ensure that literature is readily available, and then just let events unfold. If your company is like most, you'll enjoy a rich reward: more sales at the portable displays, and more durable and lasting relationships and positive word of mouth afterward.  

Article Tags: Trade Show Booths, Trade Show Exhibits, Trade Show, Show Booths, Show Exhibits

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