So you’ve decided to take the plunge and promote your business at a trade show. You’ve booked your stand and ordered your exhibitor badges, but what next?

Exhibitions are an effective way of getting your product or business out into the world and meeting prospective clients face to face – but they can also be expensive. That’s why it’s important to be clever about how you market yourself when you get there.

It isn’t easy to make a trade stand look exciting or different, often they aren’t the most inspiring spaces. How are you going to catch the eye of the busy passer-by?

Bringing your business or product to life through video is a fantastic way of attracting attention at exhibitions. Videos are versatile, memorable and interactive conversation starters, and they are also extremely adaptable – what more do you need?

The initial cost of the equipment is slightly higher but by playing a video on a large screen you can attract attention without having to awkwardly stalk the aisles trying to get people to catch your eye.

“Videos catch the attention of passers-by and provide an opportunity for discussion” says our client Hiral Chavda, Marketing Manager, Growth Markets for Ascom “I also find that videos are a great way for people to engage with your stand in their own time and space before they make the decision to speak to you”.

Research suggests that exhibition videos increase the viewer’s perception of product quality. A great video will make people want to stop and talk to you – giving you the perfect chance to swoop in and capture their details!

The beauty of video is that it brings your product to life in a way that static images in a brochure or on a leaflet never could. If you don’t have the budget or space for a large screen on your stand then tablets are an excellent way of introducing your business to show visitors.

A video will showcase your product in real life situations. Imagine you are attending an exhibition to sell your hotel or venue to event organisers – images can only show a limited amount of your venue’s style and versatility. A video show reel would allow you to take a visitor on a virtual tour of your venue – whilst you are still standing in the exhibition hall.

Siân Smith, Owner of Cloverleaf Business Development explains; “We are always searching for new venues to work with and recommend to our clients, but it is difficult to really understand their capabilities just by looking at another boring brochure. Everyone uses a tablet or smart phone these days and if a sales person can walk me through their venue or even show me an event in action by using a video presentation then I am able to visualise exactly how it could work for my clients too”.

How many times have you returned from an exhibition with a huge bag of brochures, only to dump them in the corner of your office – never to be read again?

A video brochure leaves a lasting impression of your business and can be utilised in several ways:

1. Hand out complimentary USB sticks at the show with your exhibition video ready to play –a lasting reminder that is also very useful to your prospective client.
2. Email your exhibition video link to your leads after the show as part of your sales follow up – a great way of keeping in touch and engaging with visitors even after the exhibition has ended.
3. Stream your exhibition video via your website or You Tube channel to engage with the show organisers AND visitors via social media before, during and after the exhibition.

So, if you want to really stand out and make an impact at your next exhibition, a promotional video is the ideal way to tell visitors your story. A well-produced video will attract prospects to your stand, give you an easy opener to spark up a conversation, enable you to showcase your product in an effective way and provide a great opportunity to follow up on all of your leads – what more could you possibly need?