Creative Tips on How to Manage Children in your Exhibition Displays
Here’s a subject that rarely gets talked about in the world of exhibition displays: children.
Not every trade show allows children on the floor, but most of them do (at least when accompanied by an
adult) and some trade shows, aimed at home, maternity and children’s products, are going to be full of them.
Rather than ignoring them, or wishing they’d leave, why not look for ways to use them as a draw to your exhibition displays instead?
If you find out that your exhibition displays will be at an expo that allows children, here are some ways you can turn that to your advantage!
Children and Your Exhibition Displays
One of the best ways you can work with children in your trade show displays is to put materials out to distract them.
If there’s something that will keep them busy for ten minutes, that gives you more time to talk to their parents with fewer distractions of their own.
Just as a side note, it’s not a good idea to bring your own children to your trade show booths. It’s hot, it’s stuffy, they’ll get bored, and it’s easy to lose them.
If you really have a need for child models or demonstrators, hire them from a reputable local agency instead. Then they’ll have someone to watch over them, and the children will know how to behave.
Plus, don’t use video games except under very controlled circumstances.Parents will just try to use your exhibition displays as daycare if you don’t give them a reason to hang around.
Coloring Books
Coloring materials are one of the simplest and easiest ways of doing this.All you have to do is put a low table in the corner of your exhibition displays, with some crayons and coloring materials on it.
If you want to get really clever about this, have some branded coloring materials that relate to your products: there’s a fair chance your logo will end up on your visitors’ refrigerators for weeks to come!
Even better, these sorts of materials can be produced at absolutely minimal expense. Chances are you have some black & white clip art lying around your servers that could be easily re-purposed.
Get an intern to combine those with a logo and print out a couple hundred copies, and you’re good to go for no more than the cost of paper and toner.
It’s a great way to stretch your exhibition displays’ promotional budget!
Child-Related Freebies
Giving away stuff is always a good way to get people to your exhibition displays.
Be cautious about overtly giving away toys as this is both a pretty transparently obvious ploy, as well as encouraging people to come by solely for the free toy.
Try to give out freebies that would be useful to the parents: diapers, bibs, and child-sized utensils would be good examples.
They’ll be grateful and they’re likely to spend more time talking to you than if you just gave something to their child.
Child and Maternity Services
Another good option would be to try to provide services that are lacking at the trade show, especially if you have a business that relates to home furnishings, children or maternity in some way.
Invest in some trade show furniture – a couple large, comfortable chairs for pregnant mothers to sit in are a good example of something that would be appreciated, as would snack tables that include baby formula or cookies.
Items like back massagers, padded shoe insoles, or muscle ache cream would all be appreciated as well.
Basically, if there are going to be children around your exhibition displays, get creative and look for ways to make them and their parents welcome. And if you need help planning a space for the kids, or planning any other custom requirements in your trade show booth, let us know!
For more, read how to embrace the holiday spirit in your displays or tips on how to give a great presentation.
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