Getting Your Booth Experience Just Right

April 5, 2014

Lisa Apolinski

Lisa Apolinski is a professional speaker, blogger, and digital strategist. With her company, 3DogWrite.com, she works with event managers to get their message to attendees, particularly through digital channels, on and off the show floor.

I attended a show recently in Las Vegas, and I was amazed with the exhibits on the show floor. Some, however, were just a little off. Take heed of these common trip-ups around your next booth experience.

A design that is too feminine or masculine. This is a delicate balancing act. You want a booth design that appeals to both, so you want to work with elements that add both into the mix. Think about the colors you choose and the types of materials that are in the booth, including furniture choices. And having both feminine and masculine elements in your design will give a great balance and uniqueness to your booth.

A demo that is too easy or too complicated. This too is about balance, but more of a balance of time. The use of your demo is to engage and excite your attendee. If your demo is too easy, they could easily skip the demo or be done and out of the booth before you know it. A demo that is too complicated, on the other hand, can cause confusion or even frustration and leave the attendee with a bad experience from your booth. Have just enough elements in your demo so that there is a bit of thinking required and some good engagement for your attendee.

Staff that are too laid back or too eager. I saw both of these scenarios at the show. On one side, you may have staff who are sitting, looking at their cell phones and looking completely bored. On the other side, you may have staff who are almost on top of attendees as they pass by the booth, trying to get them in. You need to have staff be aware and alert, looking for opportunities for engagement, but without overpowering the attendee. This is about being aware of the attendee and the body language, versus either waiting for the attendee to ask for assistance or trying to get everyone in the booth. This is also where strong sales skills come into play, and why staff choices are so critical for the success of the booth.

Take these tips to get your booth experience just right.

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