235 – 9 Tips for getting Traffic to a Bad Booth Location

You got stuck with a bad booth location. Don’t tell me you got stuck with a bad booth location. We’ve all been there for anyone who’s exhibited at trade shows, expos, conferences, or events over the years. You probably have been stuck with a quote unquote bad booth location. At some point, you know what I’m talking about.

We’re talking about being stuck in the back corner on one of those aisles, that it’s all the way off to the sides, or maybe in a secondary hall because they oversold the show.

So what do you do? Do you just give up and take what attendance possibly happens to walk your way? Those attendees that maybe they’re lost too. So they finally walk past your booth or do you take control? We’re here to show you how to take control.

First you got to do everything you can to avoid getting one of those. So when you’re going to pick the show and pick your booth, get with , the show organizer and ask them, where does the traffic flow where the best. Locations that are still available.

Get with them and they will help you to find the best location available. Now let’s get into the tips. I’ve got three things that you’re going to do before the show and six things that you’re going to do during the show to increase traffic. So here’s the first three things that you could do before the show,

📍 number one. Increase your pre show marketing, do more targeted social media, especially into groups on your social platform. Do more email blasts, do more direct mail to your customer and your prospect list. Make sure while you’re doing your pre show marketing, you look into the pre show marketing that the show is offering.

Cause guess what? Those, the stuff that you’re doing on social and your list, some of those people are not coming to your show. But if it’s the pre show marketing that the show is offering a hundred percent, those people at least are intending to be there. So look into what they have available. they may be offering email blasts, advertising.

📍 Number two, schedule meetings at the booth.

I just did a whole episode on filling your calendar. CLICK HERE – FILL YOUR CALENDAR EPISODE

And there’s all sorts of ideas about how to schedule meetings at your booth and why that is so, so, so powerful.

📍 Number three, get involved with sponsorship marketing with the show things that drive people to your booth, things like a bingo card, a scavenger hunt in room marketing, things that will get people that forces them to come to your booth. Also include marketing pieces into the show bags. The giveaway bags that everyone gets include marketing pieces in the show bags that drive people to your booth.

Be blunt, be bold on those pieces and a bonus tip. Don’t just drop any old piece, 📍 but be very specific on your piece. Include the booth number and the location. If you’re in the back corner or you’re in one of the end aisles, tell people, this is where we’re at. And more importantly, tell them why should they come and visit you?

Don’t just assume that they’re going to stop by it because you did some marketing. Tell them. The reason why, so that’s the three things you do before the show. Now, here’s some ideas for things you could do at the booth during the show. There’s six things here. 📍 Number one, engage the senses, add elements of sights and sound.

A spinning prize wheel or even music. If it fits your theme, those sounds can draw people and go, what is going on over there? How about lights? Lights can make a huge difference. When you’re going down that aisle of all bunch of 10 by 10 boots, the ones that are lit up are just going to stand out to you.

Try some led lights. Some backlit displays. There’s so many options available to you today. How about taste and smell? So my favorites have some food, 📍 maybe have a barista make the specialty coffees, have some popcorn, , 📍 have some fresh baked cookies, but make sure that when you do this, you’re taking advantage of those people that are in your booth.

You’re not just letting them come in, get grabbed their latte and hitting the road. 📍 Second idea run mini events right there at your booth. If you have enough room to set up some chairs, then have little mini seminars and hit topics that are going to be of interest to the attendees that are going to get people into your booth.

📍 Number three, hire talent to bring in more attendees, a magician, a game show host, some sort of entertainer. As they’re walking by, they’re going to be drawn in, especially the ones that know how to do trade shows.

They’re masters at drawing people or, or even hire a brand ambassador, someone who looks like they work for your company. You address them the same way and their whole job is to engage people as they walk by. So that’s number three, hire talent to bring in some more attendees.

📍 Tip number four, run a special promo or a giveaway. Anything that you can do that’s, that’s got a great perceived value. That’s going to get more people coming to your booth, but make sure you mention that in your marketing as well, and make it big and bold. If you want to get people in that are going to sign up for your giveaway.

And here’s a bonus tip, 📍 run a double back promo to get people to your booth a second time. So this is something where they’ve got to be present to win. So you have them sign up during the day. Hey, come back at four o’clock and we’re going to do the drawing.

So. That you get a crowd of people a second time. I love this idea because when people see a crowd, they want to know what’s going on over there and you’ll get more people coming over. They get signed up at the last second before you do that drawing. So that’s number four, run a special promotion or giveaway.

📍 Number five, be more aggressive when you’re engaging with people have that. Initial question, right? That’s going to bring people in, but don’t just let people walk past. Don’t make judgments that, uh, they’re not interested they’re on their phone. No, get more aggressive, do it in a good way, but get more aggressive to get more people in your booth.

📍 And number six, get outside your booth when traffic slows, or even at the beginning, if you’re, if it’s a big show and you’ve got one of those booths in the back corner. You’re not going to see anybody for a little while. They’re not going to make beelines to the back corner, guaranteed. So it’s going to be a little while.

So get outside your booth, network every chance you can at lunch, in line at registration, on the elevator, everywhere. Network with all the booths around you. You never know where you’re going to find your next customer or a vendor or a supplier or someone that you can network with and make referrals to.

If you’re sitting there going, Oh my gosh, I love all these ideas, but how do I do? What’s the right thing to do? Reach out to me. I’ve got a, I offer a free 15 minute discovery call where we can bounce ideas across from each other and make sure you get set up. It’s absolutely free!

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