At Trade show / promotional events what are some of the effective ways of drawing traffic to your company's exhibition booth?

Very good question Mr Zaheer. 

Only your budget is the limit to what you can do to attract visitors to your stand in a trade show.  

Pre show promotion - Do a mass e mailing inviting all your customers – Direct e mail – Telemarketing – social media – Tweet - trade publications ads - Press release – billboards – airport ads – hotel ads – mobile ads - Be sure that you are on the must see agenda of visitors  – Pre registration list

Ensure that you have a stand where you will have footage, strategically and ideally located taking into considerations traffic pattern -

Be original and creative in the presentation of your stand, it should stand out from the rest and attract visitors and convey your brands – eye catching trade show booth that differentiate you from competitors-  lighting is very important and seating facilities for your visitors

Use hostesses “spotters “to roam around the trade show, approach and invite visitors and accompany them to your stand – train and motivate your staff, they are your marketing team =90 % of positive feelings and business are due to staff – smiling staff – keep twitting your followers and keep them updated using hash tags with the name of the event – post pictures of ongoing trade show on you tube, Facebook. Flickr.

Dress code to be unique, innovative, creative and smart

Use practical giveaways promotional gifts that are branded to market your business like a canvas bag with your logo and branding that will prove useful to carry all the brochures and leaflets collected, this is like a roaming billboard for you in the trade fair or convenient card holders, pens or notebook with your company contact details to visitors so that they can remember you even after the trade show and get your contact details.

Use aromatic food and beverages like coffee, tea, cookies to attract and welcome visitors.

Do as much sampling or wet demos if you can

Flyers and leaflets for every visitor

Organize a contest where all visitors to your booth are asked to drop their card in a box and follow with a draw to win a tablet – use the entries to make a database of prospects on potential buyers.

Very interesting question, Mr Zaheer. 

I can think of a few points I would like to outline.

Firstly, I would start with the design of the booth. Once you know what type of crowd will be attending this event, you can design a booth that will easiliy attract their attention - that could be through using colors, the shape of the booth, size, height, etc  

It is a psychological trick and a fact that if something looks interesting, attractive and unusual, people will go and have a look what that is!

Furthermore, the people representing the Company are of extreme importance. They should be very well trained on the subjects taking part in the Event. However, one should not forget the appearance, too. Appropriate dress code is a must.

Giving out promotional gifts is vital, too. That could be anything with the Company's logo on. Like pens, notebooks or pads. Generally something for people to take home and/or show others. This is practically how Word of Mouth helps the business. 

If there is a product to be sampled, that should be offered to people passing by, and explaining them what that product is/does. 

Flyers and leaflets containing information about your Company is a must. People will want to know and read info and it is also something that could be taken away and spread. 

To conclude, I also have to say that before the Event, it will be good if there is a small advertising campaign in place through local media, by the use of Social Networks, or through the company which is actually coordinating the entire Trade show / Promotional Event. 

In case of trade show, properly chosen location of the booth will guaranty the traffic.

Any promotional activity  held during the show days will work out as well.

Examples:

1. Through research about the trade show (media kits, locations, competitors, prices, available technical aids)
2. Preparation (right staff in place for a trade show, sufficient promotion material)
3. Attention-grabbing material & actions (banners, banner stands, gifts, contests or prize drawings, literature, interactive elements, touch screens, demonstrations, surveys etc.)
4. Pre trade show publicity (direct mail to attendees, announcement on website, blog, e-letters, e-mail signatures)
5. Contests & prize drawings (attract people to your booth by to complete a leads qualification survey, for example)

Other than a thorough pre show preparation see If you have liberty or it is in SOP to organize a game show or have a competition for visitors who visit your stall.You can have a good anchor a host who should be quite lively and can be a crowd puller.

In my opinion gathering a large traffic at Company's booth is Attractive Advertising, Good Demos of the products if possible and of course providing memorable souvenirs

The best idea would be to offer

Attractive Ads in magazines web, news papers(prior to show)

Advanced technical Advertisement ,

latest  colour fuldisplayes,

Free and conditional offers 

Promotional offers 

 sponsers from world class  companies 

Just be unique... do something that is not done at other booths...people like different .... but the easy way can be  gifts and prizes .

I would suggest taking a two-pronged approach. The first would be to contact your in-house file – that's your regular customers, local contacts, and solid prospects.  Secondly, I would focus on reaching out to the registered attendees of the show or a segment of attendees that might be interested in you - either through direct mail, e-mail, or even phone.  The exhibition booth should also acts a “meet and greet” location for your current or prospective customers, suppliers, analysts, as well as your colleagues (e.g. corporate staff meeting with field sales and marketing staff).

Try an interactive display with visual rather than a plain old panaflex display .. Costs more, but better for eye catching (given it doesnt violate the SOPs of the events in question).

First of all, you should know what are the main objectives of drawing traffic into your stand;

If you are seeking to increase sales:

• you have to identify who is likely to come to such trade show or event.
• you have to consider the sapce and the period of the event ( don't invite1000 customers while you have a stand of12 SQM). You have to be able to accommodate them if you opt for closing deals during the event, so they feel comfortable
• Start corresponding with your customers till you really have a great knowledge of what  they really need to see in your stand.
• Equipe your stand with the necessary samples and price list
• Catalogues and printed marketing materilas should be there.

For Branding

• Do the same like above plus;
• There should be newsletters that ar sent to your potential customers
• Expanding your promotional advertising tools as much as you could in such away as to be consistent with the overall tone of your stand design for example ( using small billboards within the major check-in points at the airport, Mega board around or within the fairground, other tools such as shuttle bus stops within the fairgground), your customers should receive the same message , information, colors till they get into your stand.  Even if people they won"t step into the stand but they would know the name due to the reinforcement you did.
• your printed materials should have the some colors and tonality like pocket guide, or floor plan, and your product catalogue.
• Giveaways to be distributed randomly. (such as bags, stress ball, ect..)
• Stand design should be unique and simple.
• let ushers and catering team wear uniforms with your logo printed on it.

The extent of achieving the above depends on your budget.