| Trade
Show Booths and Duct Tape
 What do
the terms "duct
tape" and "trade show booths" have in common?
If you're like the majority of us (and/or a trade show veteran), then you're probably thinking that
you use the one to repair the other (duct tape to repair trade show booths).
Actually, that's not what this article is about, and if you're repairing
your trade show booth with duct tape, let me suggest that it's time to get a
new (and better quality) trade show booth! The way that duct tape and trade
show booths are related is that an effective trade show booth should be able
to pass the "duct tape test" (and the duct tape test has absolutely nothing
to do about repair or repairing your trade show booth).
The trade show booth duct tape test is, in plain simple English, "Can your
trade show booth speak for itself?". Put another way, if your mouth was
taped shut with duct tape, would a person looking at your trade show booth
design know what it was about? An effective trade show booth design must
clearly communicate your trade show marketing message, and it must do this
without you standing next to the trade show booth and opening your mouth to
"explain" your trade show booth design.
Effective designs for
trade show booths (and
ones marketing message) will clearly
and quickly answer three questions.
First, it will state WHO your company is.
Second, it will state WHAT YOUR COMPANY DOES (particularly if your
company name doesn't indicate what it is that you do).
Third, and most critical, your trade show booth design will state WHAT'S
IN IT FOR YOUR CUSTOMER (WIIFM ~ What's In It For Me). This is the most
important part of your trade show marketing message! If your potential
customer isn't able to look at your booth and instantly know who you are,
what you do, and, of course, how you are able to help him, then you must
rethink your trade show booth design and your trade show marketing message!
To evaluate your trade show booth with the "duct tape test", you don't need
to literally tape your mouth shut and seal it with duct tape. However, you do need to
confirm that your booth design has an extremely clear and to-the-point
message, and that message must answers three questions. Don't be like many
exhibitors and rely on being at your booth to shout at prospective customers
that pass by your booth. Don't be the used-car-salesman that pesters every
person within earshot and tries to convince them to stop. That is the job of
your booth design. Your booth design is supposed to stop prospects, not you.
It should cause people passing by stopping to talk to you -- not you saying
"So, how are you doing today?" Trade show attendees will wander by hundreds
of
trade show booths at the usual show. Only the trade show booths that pass
the duct tape test will stop them. So ask yourself, does your trade show
booth pass the duct tape test?
And please remember when you're buying
trade show booths, only consider a
high quality trade show booth that will stand up to the rigors of your trade
show schedule. Let your competitors buy the cheap trade show booths and then
worry about keeping a roll of duct tape handy for fixing them at the show.
Make sure you buy a high quality booth with a high quality
(trade-show-booth-duct-tape test-certified) design, and enjoy your trade
show marketing success and forget about the duct tape.
trade show
displays
trade show display design tips |
trade show booth promotion |
trade show booths and duct tape
secrets
of effective trade show booth displays |
staffing for trade show exhibits
|
|
A word of warning to any random
scrapers or copycats - please don't be a
trade show ruffian and copy my article from the Idiot's Guide to Trade
Show Displays without my permission! In legal terms, this article is "all
rights reserved". In practical terms, please be courteous and if you'd like
to use this article, drop me an email (the email address is on home page)
and ASK me first. Thank you. |
