Mojo Consultancy > Blog > blog > Exhibition visitors: get inside their heads

Exhibition visitors: get inside their heads

Posted on June 12, 2012 by admin

‘I really wanted to find out more about your business’. How many times has a stand visitor offered this as the reason they came to your exhibition? I’m betting the answer is ‘very few!’

Most companies will choose to exhibit at a particular show because they want to capture leads or grow their brand awareness, but how many take a step back and think about the reason why people visit the show in the first place?

Understanding what motivates your visitor to pack up their case and travel sometimes hundreds of miles to spend a day or two looking around stands is one of the first things you should think about in planning your exhibition presence. So you’ve gone through the process of choosing which show is right for you (and not just chosen the one you’ve always gone to because ‘that’s what you do!’ right??!’)

Now’s the time, early in your planning process, to dedicate a little time to thinking about what they’re there for. Yes, not what you’re there for. Not yet.

They’re likely to come along for one of several reasons:

  • To get new ideas. The show may be specific to a particular industry and they want to see what’s on offer that can inspire them. If you can offer up something unique or inspirational to them you’re already ahead.
  • To learn something. An exhibition is often a hot-bed of knowledge in specialist areas and useful for tapping into. Make that knowledge accessible and be generous.
  • To scope out a particular product they want to purchase. You might have an array of products or services, but think about which ones will be most relevant to that particular audience. Focusing on a select product or group of products will make your offering stand out. Don’t try to do too much.
  • To network with people with similar interests. If you’ve got the room and the budget, you could encourage that networking to take place on your stand by offering free drinks and a small seating area. Just make sure that you’ve got relevant marketing material for them to browse. People love to put their feet up when walking round an exhibition for a rest. Don’t make it too comfortable though- stools are better than squishy armchairs.
  • To look at what everyone else is doing- companies will browse their competitors’ stands or check out the show for exhibiting at in the future. Make sure your stand is blindingly brilliant and up the ante.
  • To meet suppliers or clients. They’ll know that there are likely to be contacts or customers they already know attending, or want to take advantage of the draw of the show to potential new clients or suppliers. Often these guys will methodically work their way around an exhibition- map in hand. Be friendly and chatty, even if at first they don’t appear to have an interest in your product. They might know someone who does and word of mouth marketing is as important in this area as any other.

You’ll probably have a mixture of all these people at your show. Try to think about what each one is looking for and find some way to reach out to them.

Of course there will be the freebie-seekers who scour the stand for whatever take-aways they can get their hands on! Not all will want to have on-going contact with you, but use them to build your database and follow-up with them too. Some might be ready to buy a year or two down the line and if you’ve kept in touch, you’ll be top-of-mind.  If nothing else, if you’ve got the right branded material to give away on the stand, they’ll help your product or service to be seen around the show and your stuff won’t be chucked away in the bin on the way out. J

If you’d like a no-obligation chat about a particular show you’re attending, give us a call or drop us a line. We’ll help you cover the bases in delivering a great show experience.