Trade Show Gimmicks - Getting Traffic to Your Booth

You’ve spent time and money to exhibit at a trade show, and now, with the exhibit floor teeming with people, how do you get them into your booth?

The first lesson of driving traffic to your booth is, of course, in the design of your booth itself. A well-lit booth with tasteful graphics is always the best place to start. But that’s not all there is to bringing visitors to your booth. When all else fails, off-beat gimmicks are still among the most time-tested ways of driving traffic to your trade show booth.

Gimmicks as simple as giving away candy or as elaborate as hiring professional entertainers can be effective ways of bringing people in to your trade show booth.

The best gimmicks are those that are tied to your business in some way. Giveaways can be as simple and low cost as a roll of LifeSavers candy – a perfect giveaway for companies such as manufacturers of survival gear or medical equipment or even a software helpdesk.

Be creative and think of how a giveaway or other gimmick can tie in to your business.

Some companies give away small (or not so small) amounts of money – allowing visitors to draw an envelope from a tree or spinning wheel, for example. You could tie this in to your business by promoting your company as a cost-saving measure -- putting dollars back in your customers’ pockets

Snacks are a good draw as well. The smell of baking cookies can be irresistible as it wafts across the trade show floor – just be sure the venue allows the use of a small toaster oven!

Many companies offer premium giveaways in the form of a raffle or other drawing. This is not only a good way of drawing people to your booth, it’s a particularly effective way of gathering names and contact information of visitors.

High-end items such as iPods and digital cameras are popular giveaways this year. Be sure to link the product to your business in some way. For example, etch your company’s logo on the iPod or store pictures of your company headquarters or retail stores on the digital camera to be given away.

Because visitors to trade shows are nearly always traveling from out of town, make sure giveaways are small enough to tuck in to an overnight bag. Sometimes this isn’t the way to go, though, as in the case of a bicycle manufacturer giving away a mountain bike. In this case, be prepared to offer free shipping for the lucky winner of your drawing.

If you have the budget (and if the logistics of the trade show venue allow), professional entertainers can be a great draw for your booth. Attractive women (referred to as "booth babes") are a time-tested draw, but more creative solutions abound.

Some companies hire magicians to roam the floor, performing tricks to delight passers-by. Some magicians even specialize in trade shows and are particularly adept at integrating your business into their acts.

For example, a magician can use disappearing trick to show how your company can help eliminate problems, or they can use a card trick to show how your business card can represent the ace in the hole.

Musicians can also be effective marketers, especially those creative types who can incorporate your company’s message into song. Similarly, gymnasts and acrobats can show how your company can juggle difficult projects, how your company can keep its balance in difficult times or how your company can be flexible when needed.

The key to a good gimmick is to be sure it ties in to your business. Whether you go for high-end spectacles or simple low cost giveaways, well-conceived gimmicks are a great way to make your message memorable and drive traffic to your booth.