What’s the primary purpose of trade shows? To get customers, of course. However, how this is accomplished varies, with some strategies for trade show success being more popular than others.

First, keep in mind that the average person at a trade show will have a very short attention span, what will all that’s going on around them. The task of a trade show booth and its exhibitor is to do the best possible job of attracting attention. This is why many successful trade show booths make use of large graphics – they work to attract the attention of passers-by long enough that the exhibitor can swoop in and begin their pitch or hand out promotional material.

The primary goal for trade show booths and a key ingredient to trade show success is to quickly and clearly illustrate who the company is, what it is they do, and why they are a good company to visit. If your booth is not addressing these key points then you may have difficulty achieving trade show success.

Another tip is to clearly define what you want to get out of your next trade show. Do you want attention? Sales? Follow-ups? Or do you simply want to increase brand awareness? You can more easily plan for trade show success by developing your booth around these goals.

Try to keep your graphics simple and straightforward. Any additional information can be contained in pamphlets or explained by staff manning the booth. In the interest of ensuring your graphics are visible you want people to be able to read them from up to 10’ away so visitors don’t have to come right up to the booth to find what you are about. Lighting is also important as bright, white lighting gives a positive feeling, while dark booths may seem foreboding.

Finally, instead of focusing on your product by name, focus on what it will do for the visitor. People are constantly swamped with new product names, yet by simply stating a fact of how the product will benefit the consumer you can help to attract visitors.

Whether you are preparing to enter the trade show game, or merely want to increase effectiveness these few tips can help you increase your odds of achieving trade show success.