Successful Marketing - Making An Exhibition Of Yourself
07/03/2008

For many companies, trade exhibitions are part and parcel of business life, and form an integral part of the organisation's marketing strategy, given that having a presence at these events can help in terms of industry exposure. However, with all your competitors vying for attention there too, the real challenge is to differentiate yourself.

"It's quite simple really - to stand out from the crowd, you have to make an exhibition out of yourself," says Bill Duncan of professional presenters and magicians Fifth Dimension. "When you consider the expense involved when exhibiting at trade shows, it's essential that you get a suitable return for your investment. Simply turning up with a stand is almost a waste of money if nobody really notices you."

"We have successfully used magic as part of our client's presentations at a variety of industry events, of all types and sizes, including legal, housing, health and safety, tourism and oil and gas exhibitions, as far afield as Norway, Italy, America and Mexico."

"The problem with exhibiting at trade shows is that you only have a short time to get your key messages across," says Bill. "Although fancy PowerPoint presentations or DVDs played on plasma screens may look nice, they usually won't draw people in, nor make them linger at your stand. Instead, you have to fire their imagination, and this is where a little creativity can come in handy."

It's important to bear in mind that the aim should not just be about getting people to come to your stand, but rather keeping them there. Having something good to give away might mean people come to your stand, but it doesn't make them stay, and it doesn't get your main selling points across either.

Using magic to attract the attention of attendees will help work wonders with the recall of your company or product name, and it can also generate valuable publicity both during the exhibition and post-exhibition periods

"By using entertainment to engage with your target audience, you'll have a much better chance of promoting your company positively, and getting your key messages across. Magic is a great way to grab people's attention and make the event an enjoyable - and therefore memorable - experience for them. You also have the added bonus of the fact it means they are spending less time at your competitors' stalls!"

The whole point of exhibiting is to create interest in your products and services, and that's why making an unforgettable impression is vital," continues Bill. "To really stand out, you need to do something that creates a buzz and gets people talking. You want the attendees to be saying to each other, 'have you seen what Company X is doing yet?', and enticing people to come and find out for themselves."

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