The Medical Engineers team recently attended the Recruitment Agency Expo 2022 at Olympia London. After having a great day talking to recruitment professionals, software providers, marketing experts and more, we began reflecting on the exhibits which made the biggest impact. We put together some DOs and DON’Ts to help companies stand out from their competitors and make the most of their trade show experiences.
DO grab people’s attention with your stand design
GThink bright colours, big fonts and lots of branding! Attractive signage will catch the attention of potential customers who are passing by and draw them in. Make sure you utilise your prominent brand colours and make your logo stand out to ensure visitors who are looking for you can find you easily.
Green Umbrella certainly grabbed our attention with their giant inflatable giraffe. Simple but unique.
DON’T wait for visitors to come to you
Sitting and waiting for people to come and chat to you is not the best way to make the most of your time at an expo. 85% of consumers said that they were more likely to purchase a product or service after conversing with a brand at a face-to-face event, showing the importance of putting yourself out there and talking to as many people as possible (Event Track, 2018).
Be friendly and approachable and ensure you’re always equipped with business cards, flyers or branded freebies to give out to people who are pushed for time so they can find you later.
DO encourage people to spend time at your stand
The more time people spend at your stand, the greater the impact you can have. Encouraging conversations with people will give you a chance to demonstrate the value you can provide to them as a business.
BroadBean and SourceBreaker were companies that did this exceptionally well. They served beer and cocktails at their stands to attract visitors, giving their team the opportunity to converse with attendees whilst they waited for their drinks.
DO interact with your visitors
Try to go beyond saying a quick hello and giving out the odd freebie. Do something that will spark a conversation and make people remember you. Visitors won’t remember all the stands they walked past on the day, but they will remember the businesses that they interacted with.
Marketing software company Paiger engaged their audience by running a selfie competition where visitors could post a picture on LinkedIn to win a hamper of goodies. Not only does this engage your visitors, it also gets your brand in front of a new audience for free!
DO utilise QR codes
QR codes are so quick and easy to set up and are a great way to share more information with prospects, drive traffic to your website and gather people’s details.
You can even connect with people in seconds via the new QR feature in the LinkedIn app, allowing you to easily build your network.
DO try something creative
In a sea of stress balls, pens and water bottles, the most creative exhibitors are the ones that will stand out from the crowd. Try to think outside of the box in order to capture the attention of people walking by. Whether you’re giving away cool freebies, or wowing people with your stand design, create a talking point that encourages people to stop and chat, take photos and tell others about your business.
Some highlights from Recruitment Agency Expo were Sonovate’s money tree, ZeelSolution’s pick n mix stand and Quay Umbrella’s superhero teddy bears.
DON’T forget to follow up!
Exhibiting at an event can be very costly for a business, especially for start-ups and SMEs hoping to increase brand awareness. To make sure you get the best return on investment, you need to make sure your prospects remember you long after the event is over.
Only 2% of sales are made during the first contact so following up with new connections is crucial (IRC Sales Solutions, 2020). Whether it’s sending a follow-up email, messaging via LinkedIn or picking up the telephone, you should re-engage with your visitors to build long lasting relationships and convert interest into sales. Try to do this shortly after the expo to ensure they remember who you are.
Medical Engineers are proud sponsors of this year’s Medical Technology UK event! On the 16th and 17th of March, Medical Engineers will be exhibiting at Stand 76, so make sure to come and see us!
