Booking a booth at your next industry trade show is only the first step in attracting new prospects. Now you need to find a way to persuade visitors to take the next step in their customer journey.

One of your most important trade show marketing tools is your vendor display kit. You’ll be up against a lot of heavy hitters with plenty of dollars behind their displays. Here’s what you should include in your vendor display kit.

Include a Giveaway

This is maybe obvious, but the key is a giveaway that stands out from everyone else’s. Yes, there are obvious choices, customized pens and mugs, but people have a ton of those, and frankly, they get sick of lugging them around the conference center. How can you be different? Come up with something unique to your industry—something that will mean something to your target audience. Or you can also just go for the “wow” factor or memorable ideas that will help you stand out.

Add Something Humorous

Humor is memorable and can really make a difference for your brand. Think of ways to add humor in your display kit so people start talking about your booth. Have funny quotes as part of your vendor display, include industry-relevant images that will make people smile, or include a humorous presentation people can watch on video screens. Don’t forget memes!

Focus on Your Wins

If your brand has some major industry wins people may not know about, be sure to feature them prominently in your booth design. Maybe your products appeared on a talk show, or your latest ad went viral on social media. Maybe a major supplier like Walmart just scooped up your product, or you partnered with a company like Starbucks. Anything that adds credibility to your brand should be prominently displayed.

Include Customized Pieces

Consider investing in customized pieces to give your display more substance. A table and curtain just won’t cut it by today’s trade show standards. Investing more initially allows you to get a lot of mileage out of your customized pieces at future events. Consider the types of signs available, or look at renting some premium furniture to set a certain mood.

Think Green and Big

Most people do the rounds collecting swag from booth to booth. Create a unique, large eco-friendly bag that will win as the keeper of everyone’s stuff. These bags can be a pretty affordable investment, and with a clever design, people might carry your bag around town when they are shopping.

Hold a Contest

Contests always go over big at trade shows. Think of an unusual prize, and encourage people to enter and share their entry on social media to help create a buzz. Don’t’ forget to create a trade show-relevant hashtag to help spread the word, which is also a great way to track your success.

Show Videos

We touched on having a humorous video playing, but you can also create an intriguing video to attract attention. Avoid a sales pitch and focus on something like social responsibility, a video of past fun events, experiential marketing coverage to attract people to your booth.
Including these elements in your vendor display kit will create a buzz and helps yours be the booth no one wants to leave!