Effective marketing: 4 benefits of hosting a booth at events this summer

By Emma Sturgis

Having a booth at a trade show might well be the single most important marketing decision you make all year.

Why’s that? Partly because it gives you the opportunity to interact with vendors, manufacturers, prospects, and customers in real time and find out what’s driving everyone’s decisions. That give and take is invaluable.

Get real-time customer feedback

If you have a pitch for an upcoming product or you’re looking to get the word out about your company that’s just starting up, then hosting a booth at events this summer presents an amazing set of opportunities for you and your company.

When you step back to think about it, watching someone deliver a streamlined presentation on a product or service and then stick around for questions is more than persuasive: It’s a powerful experience.

Hosting a booth at an event gives the audience the chance to ask follow-up questions or clear things up. What you thought was perfectly clear might benefit from further streamlining, or you might find customers want a new direction altogether. This personal interaction can also help you find long-term customers. Reliable customers are ones who feel a connection with a business and feel like they are valued.

Events level the playing field

One thing that small and medium-sized businesses love about trade shows and events is that they level the playing field between small businesses and the most successful ones in the field.

Prospects and industry insiders go from booth to booth and determine the best partner on a case-by-case basis largely informed by how well you make your appeal.

A lot of other times, you would have a hard time getting the attention of big players in the industry without also being one yourself. Hosting a booth is different.

Motorola two-way radio rentals can come in handy on the day of your trade show and allow you to coordinate everything with your entire team. They may also help you communicate with other businesses, big or small.

A booth is affordable

Hosting a booth at an event is both affordable and lucrative in terms of the return on investment (ROI) that it generates.

Renting space at a trade show and spending money on travel, meals, and lodging does cost money, no doubt, but the returns from hosting a booth at an event could be orders of magnitude beyond the amount spent on accommodations for the big day.

Boost your direct sales

This might be the most powerful benefit to hosting a booth, but also one of the more overlooked. Hosting a booth lets you make a direct sale to a customer unlike other forms of step-by-step marketing that can stretch the buyer’s journey out into months. When a customer is able to see a product in person, they may be more likely to make the purchase. Booths give you another opportunity to sell your products.

Whether your business is just starting out or established, trade show booths can be beneficial. Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of any opportunities to host a booth. Remember the above benefits and consider investing time and money into your own booth.

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Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2.

1 comment

  1. Iris Smith says:

    Thank you for pointing out that, in contrast to other types of step-by-step marketing that might extend the buyer’s journey across months, sponsoring a booth enables you to make a direct sale to a consumer. I own a tiny, newly established software firm. To attract a large number of direct purchasers, I wish to locate a booth area for sales.

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