Give Them Something They Really Need

Since Jeff is traveling, he asked me (Angela Stassi) to jump in as a guest blogger for this week’s Series of Events.

Like most of you probably are… I’m a member of various groups on LinkedIn.  So, I see the questions that colleagues, competitors and clients put out into the cyber universe.

Recently, a question was posed on LinkedIn asking for ideas on what to do to draw traffic to a tradeshow booth.

The perfunctory suggestions were given:  cupcakes, massages, and cocktails.  Trust me, I like a good cupcake just like anyone else, but those are things that never sat well with me as ways to really connect with a potential client or partner.

So, I thought I’d share what we had done at BKA for an industry tradeshow that shook things up.  Perhaps it can inspire you to think outside of the 10×10 box for your own tradeshow booth or that of your client.

During the frenzy of the Presidential election, we mailed an invitation to attendees with a simple graphic, an iconic campaign button promoting “FREE CREATIVE”.  It was the start of a movement to free creative in their minds (and to get some free advice from a team of creative experts.)

We followed up to schedule appointments.  Attending a tradeshow and getting something of value was compelling to the recipients and they signed up, in advance!

Onsite, we brought guests into our booth which we designed as “The Studio” where they met with our Creative Directors and Designers. The space was full of color, designs… and that’s where we had the chocolate!  White boards, sketchpads, and colored pencils were on the table encouraging participation.  Plexi panels separated the studio from the tradeshow aisle, creating privacy but also allowing passersby to view the action where ideas were happening!

Participants couldn’t believe how creative, relevant and fun it was.

Through this experience, we were able to connect on a much deeper level than typical at a tradeshow.  At the end, participants received their schwag, a set of colored pencils that read “I GOT CREATIVE.”

But did this lead to business is what you probably are asking?

And the answer is YES; we booked business as a result.  And, over the course of about 5 hours, we spent 20 solid minutes connecting with 10 relevant potential clients offering real solutions for their real needs.  It beats rifling through a bunch of business cards of people who just stopped by because of their sweet tooth.

Would love to hear about creative solutions you’ve implemented to boost qualified traffic at your booths.