3 Reasons to Use Off-Site Events With Your Trade Show Booth
Here’s yet another exposition event marketing technique that used to be reserved for the bigger boys: Off-site events. Why content yourself with just putting up trade show displays when you could host an exclusive activity somewhere nearby, where you’d have more control over the room and atmosphere?
(Plus, come on, any American entrepreneur dreams of hosting exclusive schmoozing parties…)
Well, the obvious answer to “why not” is because it costs more. Often quite a bit more, depending on who you’re trying to please and how much pleasing they need. However, it’s a far more affordable move now than ever. Further, there are ways to have off-site events during your trade show appearances while keeping the budget hit as minimal as possible.
There really isn’t a downside besides cost – this is as intimate a venue you have for meeting and greeting potential clients that isn’t a private meeting. Plus, the small group atmosphere adds that human touch that often makes people more receptive than they would be in a one-on-one confrontation.
Unless something actually goes wrong at the party, you have an excellent chance of coming out of it with not just new clients, but the sort who will stick with your business for years. But these sorts of activities do definitely add to the reputation of expo displays being among the most expensive ways to get new customers.
Is this a direction your company should go? Let’s look into three scenarios…
When Is An Off-site Event Worth Considering For Your Convention Appearances?
First of all, and most importantly, any sort of off-site event has to have a specific purpose and audience. Jokes aside, this isn’t just about pressing palms or fulfilling Mad Men fantasies. Virtually any off-site appearance has to be as targeted in its messaging and setup as your actual trade show display, just in a more exclusive setting. Given the expenses, it must have a very narrow focused and justifiable purpose.
I. You know you’re in a crowded field this year.
Sometimes it’s the season that everyone is wearing the same hat, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you’re selling toasters and there are six other toaster vendors in town, you have to really fight to have the most memorable toaster-related expo display.
This would be a perfect opportunity to try to get some of the more desirable clients away from the show floor and, of course, all that unneeded competition. And of course, if your client is attending your off-site event, then they’re not at your competitor’s bash instead!
If you are simply attempting to carry on your display into a smaller room, look into reusing elements. Most people won’t notice if you reuse the occasional display stand, banner, or other commonplace prop, so you can cut corners on a lot of the room setup. Getting people to RSVP early will help ensure you get a space that’s no larger than necessary.
II. You want bloggers talking about you.
We’ve talked about this before – hosting parties for bloggers is becoming increasingly common. Since they’re outside of the usual circles of influence, they’re generally just thrilled about the experience and don’t need nearly as many frills as your typical high-roller. Many would prefer you cut to the chase anyway, meaning you don’t have to spend as much on song and dance.
The tradeoff is that bloggers, by and large, are as aghast at the idea of quid pro quo as a New York Times theater critic. Even suggesting it might cause them to withdraw and\or say snarky things about you.
They understand that there’s an exchange going on here – some fun in exchange for trade show display publicity – and they won’t take it further than that. They’re trying to build their own reputations, and among the young and influential online, honest personal takes are what get heard. The influential bloggers will be fair to your expo appearance, but won’t pull their punches if they feel justified.
Basically if you throw a blogger party and get a few popular social media figures, you are virtually guaranteeing yourself many write-ups and online exposure. But you’ll be graded on it afterwards.
III. You want to “open up” an exclusive event.
One of the tough things about exhibition shows is when, for whatever reason, they cannot be open to the public. If the public are among your buyers, you probably want to be able to show off your wares to them as well!
Off-site events let you bring your trade show display to more people outside the show entirely. You could actually recreate it in a different location, if that’s feasible. Or, you can now easily set up direct audio-video feeds between the convention floor and your chosen outside location. These days, that takes as little as a free Skype account and a couple of your workers’ tablets.
This is especially good for businesses with a lot of “indie” cred or online popularity, who want to keep that people-first energy going. This sort of affair is perfect for social media contests, or even over local radio near the show. Just ensure they do, in fact, receive a good experience beyond watching just watching your trade show display. There needs to be something extra.
Finally, one thing to keep in mind:
Anywhere is off-site.
If you don’t have the money to rent more space, “go boho” and have an event in a park, or look for another inexpensive public venue that you could creatively tie into your theme. Or have it in your fans’ homes. Set up an exclusive online party with live feeds, Twitter Q&As, and so forth so that people at home can share in the exposition directly. Or encourage meetup parties via FourSquare!
Plus, such displays virtually always attract more attention on the exposition side of things as well. You could also set up true side-by-side events, with “Twitterfall” LED displays or iPad kiosks adding to the dialog.
The whole key here is being open, inclusive, and fun. That’s what modern communications and Internet tools are bringing to the world of trade expositions: Entirely new ways to make consumers worldwide part of the show, in real time. Remote parties might not be as fun as being there in person, but hey, not everyone gets go to the Superbowl either.
So… As you’re looking to keep your trade show display current and buzzworthy, keep looking for ways to stretch them. Take your booth design ideas beyond the bounds of the exposition hall however you can. Into parks, restaurants, people’s homes…. however you can bring your message to more people, it ultimately adds to the value and impact of your trade show displays.