If you are new to exhibiting or haven’t exhibited in a while – the biggest worry that you probably have is that no-one will come over to your stand and all the expense and preparation will have been for nothing.
Don’t fret – they will! And to guarantee that you attract visitors to your stand, here are five simple tips to increase footfall so you can connect with your audience.
5 ways to attract visitors to your stand
It might seem obvious but picking the right event for your brand and the products or services you are promoting is vital. An event featuring many of your biggest competitors could leave you overlooked, or it can pay off if your stand pulls in more of the footfall. Similarly, if you pick an exhibition that doesn’t suit your product or service, you risk wasting money in advertising to the wrong clientele.
Over the many years we have been working at exhibitions, you’d be surprised at how many companies we have seen exhibiting at trade shows that just don’t fit their product or prospective clients!
Our advice is to do your homework. The more information you obtain about a venue and the companies exhibiting there, the better.
It also pays to promote your presence with targeted mailings and advertising beforehand to your potential audience so that you draw in visitors before you even step out onto your exhibition stand. You can also line up meetings with potential clients throughout the event, which will boost your confidence and the general buzz around your exhibition stand.
Visitors will be pulled in initially by the way your stand looks. One glance should give them the key information about what product or service you are promoting – they shouldn’t have to question what it is you do – it should be crystal clear.
Aesthetics are everything! Well-designed exhibition stands don’t need to cost a fortune. You might be on a tight budget without the funding for flashy interactive screens, but you can still present an attractive, eye-catching exhibition stand that will draw people in. The key things to remember are:
- Use bold branding and graphics that stand out and look enticing
- Make good use of lighting to create the right mood and to highlight your products if you are displaying them
- Use exciting or thought-provoking imagery
- Keep your brand messages pertinent and clear – don’t simply litter your graphics with vague on-brand statements as it will diminish the visual impact of your stand
- Include something surprising for e.g., we’ve seen a stand where a company had painted a life-sized model of a cow in their brand colours, and it really worked
Your stand team matters.
The people on your stand aren’t just there to hand out leaflets, they are your brand. Choosing the right mix of experience, knowledge, and personality can make all the difference in drawing visitors in and turning conversations into leads. So, who are the best people to represent your business?
If possible, bring your client-facing team, the ones who know how to build relationships, answer questions with confidence, and make visitors feel welcome. But we get it: pulling your top sales team away from their day job isn’t always easy. If you’re weighing up the cost of taking them out of the office, consider setting clear goals or rewards based on leads generated at the show to keep motivation high.
Running a lean team? No problem. Hiring experienced event staff to support your core team can be a great way to keep things running smoothly. They might not know your business inside-out, but they will know how to make people feel at ease and ready to welcome people to your stand and help with the games you have on your stand. A warm first impression goes a long way.
One more tip: don’t overcrowd the stand. Too many people milling around can feel overwhelming and actually discourage visitors from stopping by. A confident, well-briefed team (that’s not too big and not too small) will always be your best asset on the show floor.
Want to attract visitors to your stand? Give them something to talk about and something to do. Think interactive, eye-catching, and just a bit unexpected.
Be the big red button everyone wants to press. Add things to play with, test out or try for themselves, and you’ll create a buzz that travels fast across the show floor.
Put on a bit of theatre. Live demos are irresistible. Whether you’re building it, baking it, printing it or powering it up, show your product or service in action. When people see it live, they understand it. When they try it, they want it.
Make it feel like a place to hang out, not just pass through. A couple of comfy chairs, a coffee, and a bit of space to breathe can turn a quick glance into a proper conversation.
And don’t forget the hook. Offer a prize that gets people lining up. Something clever, unexpected or just plain brilliant. Whether it’s a branded hoodie they’ll actually wear, a quirky giveaway, or a prize worth queuing twice for.
It sounds obvious, but it’s surprising how many stands miss a trick here. A well-chosen giveaway can do a brilliant job of attracting visitors to your stand – and sticking in their minds long after the show. Tacky throwaways are out, but that doesn’t mean skipping giveaways altogether. Put your budget into something useful, good-looking, or genuinely fun. If people want to keep it, they’ll remember where it came from.
In knots with exhibition terminology?
We’ve pulled together an A-Z of exhibition stand terminology and unravelled the difference between a rig and RAM. Make sure you bookmark it for future referenc
Do you have more questions about how to attract visitors to your stand?
There are so many ways to attract visitors over to your stand and at Motive Exhibitions, we gain new ideas every time we go to an exhibition. If you are new to exhibiting or simply want some fresh ideas, then don’t hesitate to contact us as we have a wealth of experience to help you get the most out of exhibiting.
Turning heads is only half the job. The best exhibition stands get people talking, interacting, and remembering your brand for the right reasons. Give them an experience, not just something to look at.”
David Hennessy, Motive Exhibitions Managing Director
David Hennessy
Dave Hennessy is Motive’s MD and co-founder, a straight-talking problem solver with years of experience, a head full of ideas, and a knack for making exhibition stand projects fun, focused and stress-free.
Motive Exhibitions, 3 Orion Court, Ambuscade Road, Colmworth Business Park, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, PE19 8YX
