5 Great Ideas for Attracting Visitors to your Trade Show Booth
With everyone competing aggressively these days for visitors and business, standard exhibition displays are not longer attracting attention unless they really stand out. Companies are beginning to look for other ways to amuse, excite and draw in potential clients. A few businesses came up with some very original ideas for their recent shows; listed here are five that caught our eye:
1. Giving Potential Clients a Pineapple
Doing something just “Different” is risky but sometimes very effective. One company had already decided to use a Hawaii theme for one of their trade show booths. While this alone was enough to brighten up the booth and make it stand out, they decided to go one step further in order to get noticed even before clients had stepped inside the hall. The company sent pineapples packaged in bags 
featuring their logo to a number of potential clients before the trade show, with a funny brochure titled “Ten Things to do with your Pineapple”! On the first day of the show, they reported having more visitors to their exhibition displays than ever before.
2. Money Blowing Machine
A money blowing machine makes visitors feel as if they have wandered onto the set of a television game show. The money blowing machine is a box shaped like a telephone booth where participants spend around 20 seconds snatching at swirling bills. These bills can be real money, company coupons or tickets for prizes. This idea is so popular that contestants often begin lining up outside the exhibition displays to have a turn – and while they are waiting is the ideal time for the company to swoop in with a sales pitch. Alternatively, the company may set the rule that only participants who have provided a business card or filled out a contact card may play the game.
3. Prize Wheel
The prize wheel quickly draws a crowd from the attention it creates at your exhibition displays. Companies have had best success with a prize wheel when they have added customized prizes, placed the wheel in clear view and reach, and used member of staff to liven up 
the crowd. The prize wheel itself is very low cost, and the company can decide on the prizes according to their budget. Anyone who fills out a contact card has a turn and everyone wins something whether it is a discount on a product or service, free item or coupon.
4. Entertainer
Attendees to a trade show get tired of the same marketing pitches at all the display stands. Providing some light entertainment helps companies re-engage the attention of potential clients and draw more people to their trade show booth. One of the most reliable and fun ideas is to hire an entertainer who can incorporate sales slogans into the act. Top ideas are comedians, magicians and other types of showmen. Businesses who ensure their entertainers are well informed about products, services and contacts for follow-ups receive the most success from this method.
5. Free Shoe Shine
A free shoe shine service is cheap, easy, useful and, above all, highly effective. There are always plenty of people at a trade show who will not turn down the chance of a free shoe shine. The amount of time spent on shining each person’s shoes can be fixed according to the amount of interest shown from client. Additionally, some companies opt only to offer the service to clients who first fill out a contact card.
Remember, your goal is to attract qualified prospects to your exhibition displays. Depending on the show, almost any attendee may be qualified, but you should make certain to go through your client lists and industry lists and seminar lists – every list you can find – to send out a personal invitation to identified prospects, telling them about your game or entertainment device, well in advance of the show date. Mention it in your blog. Get it announced in the trade show announcements. Make a plan to succeed, and then WORK the plan!
For more, read our article on things that booth buyers need or check out tips on how to have a successful booth.