Research is underlining what a lot of brands already know: there are huge benefits to be had from a successful trade show appearance. This is particularly the case for brands that want to generate new leads and build relationships with targeted prospects on a face-to-face basis.
Exhibition shows can be fantastic opportunities for you to engage potential customer and produce a real ROI for your business. Download our guide on how you can make the most of your exhibition with an effective strategy.
A recent global study by Freeman found that marketers are setting aside up to 50% of their budgets to deliver ‘brand experiences,’ including “events, trade shows, sponsorships, exhibits, permanent installations, virtual or augmented reality experiences and/or pop-ups.”
Why is this the case? Well, 59% of surveyed marketers believe that delivering positive brand experiences at a trade show represents the best way to build core relationships and solidify ongoing ones. On top of this, 90% of marketers worldwide believe that better brand experiences are essential in improving engagement when interacting with prospects face-to-face.
However, even the absolute best experience in the world won’t be able to improve results for your business and boost your ROI, unless you have experienced, creative and passionate trade show booth staff available to deliver it.
Employing trade show booth staff who understand experiential marketing
Experiential marketing is experiencing a boom, with marketers understanding the power of human interactions at a trade show. This face-to-face contact can offer something more emotional and inclusive than many digital marketing techniques.
Want more proof? The 2017 Experiential Marketing Spending Forecast by the Event Marketing Institute believes that there will be an 11% average increase in experiential marketing budgets in 2017, at a time when overall ad spend is set to decline according to The Wall Street Journal.
Experiential marketing is all about delivering experiences in unique ways to set a brand apart from the competition. As mentioned above, that could be something as small as investing in clever gifts, to something wildly creative that involves virtual reality, music or other entertaining features.
With a so-called ‘brand experience era’ set to hit full stride sooner rather than later, many marketers are putting their budgets to one side to invest in immersive technologies and visually-striking event booths. For real results in attracting better prospects, building relationships with the right people and improving ROI, however, we believe your biggest investment should be in acquiring the right trade show booth staff.
Don’t lose sight of what’s important at a trade show
Although experiential marketing is enjoying a rise in popularity, it’s not a trend that needs to be jumped on as soon as possible. It won’t provide a magic way for managers to run the perfect event, be creative and show larger businesses up at the next big trade show. Simply throwing funds at what you believe to be a creative marketing solution isn’t the best use of your budget.
The real trick for brands when attending exhibitions – as it always has been – is strategizing, finding the right prospects and engaging them emotionally in all the right ways.
Outsourcing trade show staffing to a specialist, multinational agency could just be the best way to invest your marketing budget. Acquire exhibition staff who are energetic, multifaceted and experienced in a wide range of events including experiential trade shows.
Working with a professional team that cares as much about your business’s growth as you do can take some weight of a marketing manager’s shoulders. It can also go a long way to delivering an incredible experience for both your brand and prospective clients.
Expo Stars is an international company able to provide experienced, creative and passionate trade show staffing to support businesses wherever they exhibit. Contact us today to find out more.
