If you have hosted a booth at a trade show in recent months, you may get the general impression that the attendees simply do not care about the booths. They may walk around the venue with an acquaintance, a co-worker or someone else, casually chatting while they pass by dozens of booths without stopping at them. In fact, if you watch closely, many will walk by numerous booths without casting a glance in their direction, Clearly, this is not the desired result you want when you put in the time, effort and money to host a trade show booth. With a closer look at why people simply do not care about booths, you may be able to make a few changes to generate some interest in your own booth.

All Booths Appear to Be the Same

There may be dozens or even hundreds of booths at a trade show, and the unfortunate truth is that many appear to be very similar in terms of their overall look and what they offer to attendees. They may all pass out the same rather unusable free promotional gifts, and it can be difficult to get excited about getting a free pen or koozie when you have a bag filled with five already. Some may provide you with flyers and special offers, but these can get lost in the shuffle amidst all of the other flyers that are handed out. The booths may have similar banners and greeters who appear to be the same as those at other booths except for the color of their shirt and their name tag. With this in mind, it is no surprise that it is easy for attendees to have glazed over eyes and to be less than thrilled about stopping at your booth.

Booths Are Rather Boring

While many booths appear to be rather similar in what they offer and what they look like, they all can be rather boring. Some may take over-the-top measures to attract attention and to draw the eye, such as playing loud music or having an elaborate design that is truly customized. Unless you have an incredible budget for booth design, this may simply not be an option for you. However, if your booth design features a fold out table or two with a few handouts and freebies place on the tabletops, your booth may appear to be boring and not worth the time for attendees to stop at.

There is No Reason to Visit One Booth Over Another

With most trade shows, many of the vendors generally sell similar products and services. There may be a dozen or more other vendors who sell the same products as your company each hosting booths. This means that attendees may have already stopped at several other booths that offer the same thing yours does. There simply seems to be no reason for them to pick up more promotional materials about the same widgets and gadgets.

Creating a Booth People Will Care About

The bottom line is that your booth looks the same and offers the same things as other booths, attendees simply will not care about it. If you want to create a booth that people will care about, you need to find a design element that will immediately catch their eye. This does not need to be an expensive design, but it needs to be different. For example, creating a raised platform that entices people to step up and into your booth can create some excitement about what may be in store for them at the top of the stairs. Music and lighting are also cost-effective ideas. More than that, you need to make it clear from a moment’s glance that your booth and your products or services are different. What is the main selling point for your company’s marketing material? This needs to be clearly highlighted and highly visible to passersby. They should not need to walk up and talk to your staff to learn why your company is so amazing, although your team can certainly talk up the high points once they do stop by.

There are many reasons why attendees do not care about trade show booths. However, you need to find a way to make them care about yours if you want your booth to be a success. Consider these points to identify ways to make your booth worth their time and attention.