Trade shows are still a great way to promote your products and meet potential customers on a personal level, but they aren't the same as they used to be. Now it’s not enough to have a good product and some brochures, you need to have a cohesive marketing package that attracts attention and helps to keep the focus on your company.

Technology and social media are increasingly being relied upon in the trade show arena to draw audiences and promote events, while booths are being designed to increase engagement as well as respect visitors' space. Check out these trade show trends for some great ideas:

Looking for the WOW Factor

Chic, cool, and stylish displays are what it’s all about. Combined with technology like plasma screens and high-tech lighting today’s trade show displays are meant to embark a feeling of mystery and intrigue to pique visitor’s curiosity and encourage them to find out more.

Interaction = Engagement

The more you can get a visitor to interact with your trade show booth, the longer they will stay (and that’s good for business). Today’s trade show booths really push the boundaries of engagement – with touch screen displays, social media invites to special demos, even interactive games via a Smartphone app. Creativity is awarded, so companies should consider the options that can put their booth ahead of the crowd.

“No Sales” Space

Rather than hovering over visitors to give them a sales pitch, trade show attendees are designing trade show booths to visitors some space to explore the product on their own, with a sales person on hand nearby if any questions come up. This lower-pressure environment is resulting in positive sales - so perhaps it's time for a redesign?

Environmentally-Conscious

As the amount of literature handed out during a trade show could restore an entire forest, it’s no wonder that trendy trade show participants are making an effort to “go green” and reduce their environmental impact. QR codes to download sales material can easily replace printed brochures or catalogues and can be placed anywhere – not just adjacent to the booth. In addition to helping the planet this option also cuts down on your cuts by reducing the amount of material you need to carry.

Getting Social

It’s almost like social media was made for trade shows – where else can you tell people about upcoming events, update them during the event, as well as letting them know how it went? That’s right, social media is it, and if you aren't using it to promote your product before, during, and after trade shows then you’re really missing out.

So there it is the top trade show trends for 2013. Which one do you think your company should focus on to up your game? It could be one, two, or all of them. Remember that you can’t go wrong by following in other’s footsteps; it keeps you from being left behind.

Photo Credit: Keawpiko