Casting a Perfect Attendee Lure

With a little preparation, they can give an added dimension and visibility to exhibitors' efforts. Without them, exhibitors would have to rely largely on word of mouth or hope that attendees somehow find their way through a tangled show floor to their booths.

But there is a proviso: Pre-show promotions should be used judiciously and with discrimination. It's easy to go overboard and waste time, money and effort promoting to attendees who will never be your customers.

Bob Dallmeyer, president of RD Intl., said the first thing for exhibitors to do when planning and creating a pre-show promotion is to define the target audience, and tailor the promotion to reach that audience. When brainstorming the promotional effort, it's essential to understand what appeals to and motivates this target audience.

There are many ways to entice an audience, but it's important to keep the message of the promotion consistent with the company's image. If the promotion is tacky, it reflects badly on the exhibitor, Dallmeyer said. Such obvious promotions as sending a piece of a puzzle before the show to redeem at the booth for a prize, or sending a key beforehand that will unlock a door or safe in the booth and earn the attendee a gift, can be very effective, but should be used discriminately. Only send such items to qualified prospects – people who might really do business with you – and be sure any giveaways are branded with the company's logo and/or message.

Many exhibitors use pre-show postcards as promotions, often because they're cheap and easy. But, said Dallmeyer, "a postcard is merely a notification, unless it's part of a wider promotion that involves creativity and motivates attendees to come to the exhibit."

No matter what, he reiterated, don't use overkill – only promote your exhibit to your target audience.