Five Tips for a Successful Trade Show Booth

Here are some great tips from my friend Steve Boutwell, Director of Client Services at Kean Miller in Baton Rouge, LA:

My firm exhibited at a large conference of in-house attorneys this week. The experience reinforced the notion that if you put a lot of thought and effort into trade show marketing, it can pay big dividends. If you don't, well, it won't. A few thoughts:

1) Engage passersby: If you engage them, they will come. If you simply nod, or read internal email from your firm about someone finding a set of keys in bathroom on your Blackberry/iPhone/Android, or eat, or stare into space, you’ve lost them. However, if you engage attendees with a “good morning”, or a “how are you” or some other acknowledgement, you’ll have more success.

2) Shiny Objects: Like bees to flowers, have shiny, colorful, unusual trinkets. Pen? Multicolor highlighter? Candy? Why bother! We are a Louisiana firm, so we had our own hot sauce, Mardi Gras beads, cookbooks, and Gumbo mix.

3) Elevator Speech: Be prepared to tell a compelling story about your firm in 15 seconds or less. Rehearse it well and be prepared to make it interesting. Follow your story by asking about theirs.

4) Information Capture: Ask for a business card, send a follow up communication (we are sending New Orleans pralines), and add contacts to your CRM.

5) Never Leave: Man your booth as if your life depended on it. Some of the best conversations we had were during times the in-house counsel were coming from, running to, or avoiding the CLE sessions altogether.


I love the tip about giving Mardi Gras beads. Giving something that's uniquely New Orleans is a great idea. Now if Steve asked attendees to pull up their shirts and show show off to get the beads -- that would be priceless.

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Comments (5) Read through and enter the discussion with the form at the end
Fletcher, Rohrbaugh & Chahine, LLP - April 30, 2012 1:35 PM

Very useful and interesting tips! I'll be sure to utilize this list in the near future. Thank you for posting and I look forward to more!

annaharris1 - May 17, 2012 5:03 AM

Some other important tips I describe below.
1> Remember Your Goals: Consider how to convey your message using imagery. You may want to emphasize your company branding. If you are promoting a new product graphic images should evoke emotion.
2> Consider Your Target Audience: Focus on the benefits of your products and services and how they relate to your targeted audience.

Hi-Tech ITO - December 5, 2012 2:23 AM

Interesting and useful information for me and it will can all. it will be very utilize this list in future. All 5 Topics are very helpful.

Suncoast - December 27, 2012 1:51 PM

Thank you for your helpful tips on how to attract consumers at trade shows and how to be successful at these events!

Hi-Tech Export - January 1, 2013 11:58 AM

I appreciate your time and effort for successful trade show.
Step by step with great info…
Thanks for sharing.
It’s really great job.
Keep it up!

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