Is there any tougher job in the world than being a trade show booth hostess? It’s certainly up there, especially with a recent post by TechCrunch highlighting the negative perceptions that so many women in the trade have to face each and every day.
According to the post, ‘booth babes’ as they’re called are apparently lazy, intimidating in certain male-led industries such as tech conferences, and are a pricey option to hire (although the amount of footfall they produce can be positive). Worst of all, they simply don’t convert leads, according to the post.
We knew where the post was heading when we read the word ‘babes’. A booth hostess is an entirely different proposition and is not only an incredibly valuable part of a team at a trade show, but a key element to a trade show lead generation strategy as a whole.
Why you should invest in a trade show booth hostess
It’s important when talking about booth babes to consider the types of events they’re hired to attend. The need to impress people with a smile is often most common at trade events such as gun shows, in North America, while the RSA Conference took a stand in March 2015 by banning booth babes from its tech event. According to a recent follow up, no one seems to miss them.
We wrote earlier in the year about the need for strategy at an exhibition to target and gather information from the very best leads that will help your company. We mentioned some brands’ obsession with investing their money in ‘trade show swag’; gifts such as pens and branded paper weights in a bid to curry favour with an audience.
To this day, some will invest in a booth babe for similar results; hiring someone with sex appeal to attract footfall complementing someone with sales experience trying to lure them into a deal. A trade show booth hostess is an entirely different proposition and will provide intelligence, specialist knowledge, experience and other essential qualities to your event on the day.
Get ahead of the competition with a professional booth hostess
It may sound obvious, but you’ll generate better leads and a better ROI at a trade show if you work with a marketing agency instead of a modelling agency. The right booth hostess is key to that success.
So, what role does the modern booth hostess provide at current exhibitions? A good booth hostess is the cornerstone to a lead generation and overall nurturing strategy, providing potential and targeted leads with a warm welcome whenever they enter your exhibition area and provide light hospitality.
As part of the overall strategy, the hostess will also interact with leads and provide them with product information, support the stand manager and introduce leads to other parts of the overall consumer journey as they interact and identify with your brand. A good hostess is an invaluable part of a strategy, the immediate face of your company and the perfect way to give leads a great first impression of your business.
A professional trade show booth hostess is the cornerstone to the majority of successful lead generation exhibition campaigns. Contact Expo Stars to find out more.
