Taking advantage of trade shows to market your business is an excellent way to gain exposure and recognition as well as to meet face to face with potential customers. While the first few times you attend an exhibition may seem exciting, after traveling to numerous conferences, setting up and taking down trade show booths, you may find yourself less excited as you use the same pitch and answer the same questions repeatedly.
This is especially true when the show lasts a week during which time you will undoubtedly find the need to introduce some fun into your days while exhibiting your trade show displays. Engagement is a two way street, and you can engage more than just prospective clients with trade show games. The best plan is to come up with fun things to do that attract attention and visitors!
Below are listed some suggestions that may entertain you and your colleagues at shows.
- Grab handfuls of giveaways from each booth then give them back to the wrong vendors.
- Create a game involving trivia related to your trade show display and have several potential customers play for “fabulous prizes”.
- Walk past a row of booths. When a vendor tries to engage you, look panicked and say, “I can’t stop now. Someone’s following me. If anyone asks for me, I was never here,” and keep walking.
- Experiment with candy bowl additions. Try some of the following and watch the response:
- Soapy candy
- Mustard flavored candy
- Hot and spicy gum or candy
- Red pepper candy
- Fish flavored candy
- Choose a vendor whose name and business venture you know. Write a message reading, “IMPORTANT: CLIENT TO PURCHASE MIL DOL PROPERTY ASAP [or large amount of insurance, etc]. CALL MR. ELI FANTE IMMEDIATELY AT: [insert number for local zoo].” Approach the front desk and state that you have an emergency message for a vendor at the conference. Ask to have the person paged, leaving the message. Stand where you can observe the call.
- Challenge your co-exhibitors to a contest to see who can insert unusual or nonsense words into conversation with customers without being noticed. Try some of the following:
- Callipygian (having well-formed buttocks)
- Lalochezia (emotional relief from using foul language)
- Mungo (dumpster diver)
- Nudiustertian (the day before yesterday)
- Dishkabobbled (nonsense –feeling confused, stymied, disheveled, stunned all at once)
- kaBOOSHka (nonsense – referring to a child falling: a mix of caboose, kaboom and my little babushka
- Make a bet with your co-exhibitors before you arrive regarding what will be the color trend for exhibits. Count the number of each color with the loser buying drinks that are the winning color.
- Play “I spy” with your co-exhibitors. Choose options such as “a person in a red tie”, “someone talking on a silver cell phone”, “an exhibit title that includes the word/s fabulous, unlimited earning potential, etc “. Keep score and have the loser buy lunch.
- Create fictitious scenarios supposedly occurring between two or more other exhibitors with each of your team improvising a different role.
- Use a physical game to draw people to your booth even if it has nothing to do with your trade show displays. Utilize Wii games , Xbox360 Kinect, or download some of the numerous free 3-D and Virtual Reality computer games. Use a large screen to project the games which will catch the attention of other attendees and draw them to your exhibit. While waiting for a turn you can speak with them about you’re actual business. If your team gets bored you can play each other, drawing more customers to your booth.
What other ideas and games do you use to keep your staff entertained and attract clients when working trade show displays at those very long, multi-day conferences?
For more, check out our article on how to dress for success or our analysis of what your visitors want.