It’s not enough these days to expect to create a splash at a trade show if you’re just setting up a table and hanging a banner.

With so many exhibitors competing for the attention of attendees, it’s not easy to draw people to your booth (and thereby, your brand). But one thing that an increasing number of firms are doing is incorporating more advanced technology into their trade show booths to do more than just create a booth – but a brand experience.

In this post, we’ll cover the importance of technology in today’s modern trade show booths and what you can do to help your trade show booth stand out from all the rest in the exhibit hall.

Not Just a Booth, Aim to Create an Experience

There’s traditional marketing (print and digital ads, radio and TV promotions). And then there’s creating a true experience for your current and target customers. The latter type of marketing is trending up, especially when it comes to in-person events like trade shows.

Unlike conventional marketing, experiential marketing directly involves the consumer in the process and is designed to build a lasting relationship with them. There are plenty of strategies to help make your next trade show booth more of an experience. Much of this can be done by incorporating advanced technology into the booth.

Advanced Solutions to Help Make Your Next Trade Show Booth Stand Out

From augmented and virtual reality to doubling down on some of the more tried and true technological solutions, here’s a closer look at how to up the ante on your trade show marketing and create a booth that people will be buzzing about.

AR/VR

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are all the buzz these days, with the ability to truly create an immersive experience that connects with prospects and current customers.

AR specifically can help bring any elements from the real world into a unique environment. And virtual reality can help immerse consumers into the product or service offering that your firm offers. Both can be ideal solutions for product demonstrations, product testing and the ability to realistically experience a product in an artificial space.

As we said in the opening, AR and VR are all the buzz these days – and once trade show attendees find out that you’re incorporating these technologies into your booth, it’s certain to generate a steady stream of traffic over to your space (not to mention create even more word of mouth buzz). The end result is likely to be more people visiting your trade show booth and building brand awareness with key prospects and better relationships with existing customers.

Touch Technology

Think of all the things that we touch every day. Smartphones, tablets, computers, interactive screens – you name it, it’s out there. And while touch technology might not seem all that remarkable when showcasing products or services at a trade show booth, it can help create a more interactive environment for any booth attendees to experience.

One idea is to bring in interactive kiosks that feature your catalog or key details of your product or service for attendees to experience in a unique way. By incorporating touch technology, any trade show attendees can interact with your product or service on their own terms and at the pace they choose. And control is all at the tip of their fingertips.

Design Matters

While many trade show booths focus on advanced technology within the booth, don’t sleep on the importance of booth design to get people over to your area of the trade show floor. From digital displays to trade show walls to the impact that lighting and sound can have, there are so many ways to help your trade show booth stand out from the crowd these days. The bottom line is that you need more than just a table and a banner if you really want to make an impression on attendees and build brand awareness. Investing in the design of your trade show booth can go a long way in attracting new customers.

Other Ideas

Finally, there are more established methods that can help contribute to a more immersive trade show booth. And while they may not be quite as advanced or as impactful as AR and VR, they can help contribute to the overall goal of your trade show booth. Here’s a look at some of those solutions:

• QR codes: These can link to promotional offers, discounts or more information about your product or service offerings. They tend to be good solutions if your trade show booth is limited in space or if you are unable to bring any samples or equipment along.
• Charging stations: What better way to have people gather in your booth than to offer fast charging stations for their mobile devices? Everyone has a smartphone these days – and everyone is on them at trade shows. Having charging stations available for attendees can bring people into your booth and cause them to hang out for 10-15 minutes as their devices power back up. Even if they’re not initially interested in your product or service, they’ll be exposed to it as they wait.
• Beacon technology: This type of method sends a welcome message to any trade show attendee’s mobile device within a certain area around your booth. While some may perceive it as a little too pushy, it can be an effective way to share information about your product or service, as well as anything that you’re specifically highlighting at the event.

Need Help Incorporating Technology? Consult with an Experiential Marketing Agency

If you need help incorporating technology into your trade show booth to create a lasting brand impression for any trade show guest, it may be worth it to contract with an experiential marketing agency. An experienced XM agency can serve as an extension of your marketing department and help incorporate the technology to deliver results and maximize ROI – all while staying within any set budget parameters