There are plenty of things that come to mind when thinking about the best way to have a great trade show exhibit, but a little more detail will help get the message home. By following this road map, you’ll be on your way:

DETAILS, DETAILS

Taking care of all the little things beforehand can help avoid big things negatively affecting your trade show experience.

First, make sure that you budget accordingly for the event. Nothing’s worse than realizing that all those new sales you racked up will only cover your cost overruns.

Next, try and get a high traffic area, with the ends of aisles or somewhere near bathrooms the best options. Let’s face it, every big shot moving up the corporate ladder wants the corner office, so any corner booth is a good booth, right?

As far as being near bathrooms, that might be a problem if you were at a restaurant. The fact is that everyone will likely have to make that trip at some point, so why not be where the action is!

Then, let your customers and any potential prospects know that you’ll be at the trade show. That’s because you’ll be about five different shades of red if a customer happens to stumble across your booth, not realizing you were going to be there.

Make sure your area has good lighting, since most people have never been big fans of dark alleys. Plus, everyone wants their closeup, and yours will look a lot better under the proper wattage.

Since some trade shows take place in cavernous facilities, things can get tiring for those making the trip. That’s why offering an area with comfortable seating, some snacks, maybe even some soft music would be a great idea. You’ll have a captive audience to listen to your pitch and they might just remember you for it.

MESSAGES MATTER

At any trade show exhibit, there are countless businesses offering countless messages. That’s why you need to make sure your brand is clearly visible. Nobody wants to waste time looking around for information, and it’s embarrassing to be asked, “What’s the name of your company?”

Those countless messages are often part of some trade show soup, so it’s best to stick to just one or two marketing concepts. It can take the form of a familiar image or perhaps a catchphrase that will stick in a person’s mind. Either way, focus on the message you want to drive home.

FEEDBACK AND FUN

We’ve all been to trade shows where certain booths are where you go to die, with disinterested people staffing them. Make sure you have engaging people who (hopefully) have the gift of gab and know how to demonstrate the wonders of your product. This might take the form of a kiosk, or just an area that gives any potential customer some privacy.

Who says business can’t be fun? You can hand out samples, offer the chance to play some games, maybe show a video or digital presentation. You might even set up a presentation where a customer can have some post-event cocktails. Whatever you doing, avoid boring visitors.

Finally, once you start engaging customers, give them some incentive in exchange for leads. Just make sure you follow up on those leads after the event ends.

Trade shows have always been ripe for satire, but there’s no reason that you can’t use the above information to tell your competitors, “The joke’s on you.”