When our teams brainstorm how to generate the biggest buzz on the trade show floor, activations are an excellent choice. The activation must ignite excitement and interest rather than falling flat and failing to spark enthusiasm. It needs to capture the crowd’s interest, draw them in, and make them stay awhile. Only then will it have a great shot at helping you win over potential customers.

You want your brand to stand out, right? Then, it’s essential to offer a standout experience.

Activations connect with people on different levels. Intellectually, yes, but even more importantly, great experiences engage the senses. The likely takeaway is that visitors to your booth come away with a memorable interaction. It’s time to make a bigger impact on the crowded trade show floor.

Here’s our mandatory To-Do list when coming up with effective trade show activations:

Define your goals for trade show activations:

Before you start planning your stellar trade show activation, define your goals. This is critical. Are you looking to generate leads, increase brand awareness, or showcase a new product? Solidify your goals first, then tailor your activation to achieve them.

Make a scene:

Trade show attendees are bombarded with cheap swag and advertising. Most of it’s a big bore. So, give them an experience that’ll make your brand the star of the show. Think fun interactive games, hands-on demos, social media-friendly photo booths, or immersing them in a virtual reality experience.

Make it shareable:

Our world today is all about social media. Likes, hearts, smiley faces, and shares. Keep this in mind when you’re mulling over any activation experience. Ask yourself: “Would people wanna share this on social?” Plus, consider including a clever branded hashtag and incentivizing attendees to share photos or videos of your activation.

Staff appropriately:

Ensure you have enough company boots on the trade show floor to manage your activation and converse with attendees. Your staff should be knowledgeable about your brand and products. Just make sure they’re personable and approachable, too.

Follow up:

After the trade show, don’t forget to follow up with leads and contacts you made while you were there. Send them a sunny email, call them for a one-on-one chat, or send a personalized thank-you note. It’s just good form.

By following these tips, you can create a trade show activation to help you achieve your goals and stand out from the competition. Let’s discuss how 2020 Exhibits can help you with your next trade show activation.