Author: Russell Greenway, President, Nth Degree 

The key to a successful trade show exhibit is drawing people in, creating a memorable brand experience, and ultimately making the sale. The challenge: Ever-shrinking attention spans leave mere seconds to captivate your audience. 

Without a magic wand to conjure razzle-dazzle, let’s seek inspiration from retailers — the experts in audience engagement and salesmanship — for secrets and tactics to create the magic on the trade show floor.

1. Attract and engage your customers with visual merchandising. Retailers use innovative arrangements of products, lighting, colors, and overall store layout to capture the attention of store visitors, and exhibitors can apply similar principles to booth design. 

Some tried and true tactics include placing your key products in the “strike zone” — at eye level — for maximum visibility; implementing color blocking to define your space and lead visitors through your exhibit; and using lighting, sound and motion to attract potential customers, emphasize your products and shape the perception of your brand.

2. Align with your visitors’ values. Gen Z prioritizes authenticity, minimalism, and sustainability. They appreciate clean, clutter-free design and are drawn to displays that embody minimalism. This means shifting away from extravagant trade show displays and demonstrating social and environmental responsibility. 

On the environmental front, consider using recycled materials and energy-efficient lighting. And for the minimalist approach, pare your visuals down to the necessities. For example, consider your signage. Wherever you can get rid of words, do it. You’ll reach more people with quick snippets and visuals — like an IKEA install guide — than with long explanations.

3. Create an experience and tell your brand story. Retailers increasingly focus on creating memorable experiences for customers. Similarly, exhibitors should aim to create engaging experiences at their booths. 

Lean into activations. Interactive displays, digital catalogs, gamification, augmented reality experiences, and product trials will capture attendees' interest and keep them engaged. The key is to customize the activation, make it relevant to your brand and spark emotion. When people can immerse themselves into your story — touching, testing and actively participating in a demo — it becomes an experience and establishes a lasting connection. It also keeps them engaged longer, which can, inevitably, lead to the sale.

4. Create social buzz. A well-planned, creative display has the ability to reach far beyond the trade show floor. Think about it … everyone loves to share their experiences on social media, and a photo-worthy display or backdrop with striking visuals and unique elements encourages them to do just that. Just remember to place your logo strategically to ensure visibility.

In addition, utilizing branded hashtags and offering a special deal or prize drawing for anyone who uses them can amplify reach and engagement, turning your trade show display into a viral sensation. 

5. Plan a Data-Driven Booth Design. Retailers use data to understand customer behaviors and optimize their strategies. As an exhibitor, you can leverage data from past trade shows, attendee demographics, and interactions to refine your display, determine product placement and scale your exhibit to the appropriate size. Or use real-time data analytics during the event to make adjustments on the fly and optimize traffic flow.

Rising above the clutter to become the shiny object on the trade show floor is a challenge, and captivating your audience enough to stay and give it their full attention is even harder. Unfortunately, it takes more than reciting, “Abracadabra … hocus pocus … presto.” But, with an eye toward retail trends and an innovative mindset, you’ll be on your way to engaging and driving attendees, maximizing visibility and sales at your next trade show.