Virtual Exhibitions: How to ensure success in the post-pandemic world

We’ve had to shift many of our old marketing and network-building methods to the online realm due to 2020. A virtual trade show booth has become the new standard for organizations and businesses who want to stay in that world.

We’ve got you covered if you’re looking for the finest ways to jump on the bandwagon and launch a profitable virtual trade booth.

Webcams, webinars, and even allowing guests to visit your virtual trade show booth will enable you to communicate with attendees at virtual trade exhibitions.

Keep reading for our guide to ten tried-and-true methods for running a successful virtual trade show booth.

1. Recognize the Virtual Trade Show Booth or Virtual Event

You must understand both your audience and the virtual event itself to make your virtual booth stand out in the virtual event to which you are a participant.

Speak with the event organizers in detail. Inquire about your time slots, the amenities supplied to guests and virtual booths, and any other unique offerings to attendees, if any.

Most virtual event systems include one-on-one video chat sessions with attendees, live chat options, digital flowcharts, and other cool, informative, and engaging elements to give your attendees the impression of being at a real-life event. If you can, learn about all of the features ahead of time and plan your product showcase and audience engagement techniques accordingly. In the virtual trade show or virtual expo, your virtual trade show booth will truly stand out.

2. Think beyond the box when it comes to your brand’s niche

If you want to make your virtual trade show booth genuinely stands out, make sure you’re not only talking about your items and your virtual display. After the virtual event, you should actually let your audience take something home with them.

Experiment with going beyond your brand’s carefully crafted niche. Provide your audience with in-depth, well-researched, and well-presented knowledge of your sector. This will not only help you sell your items and boost brand awareness, but it will also help you create a memorable experience for your attendees, so they remember you for more than just your products! It will assist your audience in learning something new and beneficial.

3. Identify your audience

When considering virtual trade show booth ideas, you should keep your target audience in mind. When deciding who you want to attract, you should know the demographics of your target audience.

The most effective approach to achieve this is to learn everything there is to know about the trade fair. What are the names of the event coordinators, presenters, and any other vendors who may be present?

You can design some events to meet the interests of your target audience if you know who they are.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to strike up a natural conversation with event-goers if you only meet them in passing. You can still talk to them in private one-on-one video calls to find out what they’re interested in.

4. Customize the look of your virtual trade show booth

Money and abilities are two of the most significant limitations of traditional trade fair displays. When you design a virtual trade show booth, the options are unlimited. However, it is far easier to explore creative avenues online when creating your trade show booth design.

You can put photographs, movies, web pages, links, and anything else you want in the design of your booth.

When coming up with virtual trade show booth ideas, keep in mind that you’ll want to make sure that people immediately recognize your exhibit and associate it with your brand.

5. Make sure your design is eye-catching, but don’t go overboard

You’ll also want to make sure your logo is of good quality and that the films you choose to show are engaging for the audience. What can you do to make yourself memorable?

Remember that throughout the trade exhibitions, attendees will see a lot of virtual trade booths. Make an effort to make yours stand out! Determine the best approach to personalize your exhibit.

6. Games for Virtual Trade Show Booths

Including a game for people to play is a great way to make your trade booth stand out. When people arrive to see your trade show booth, they will be greeted with a little bit of fun to keep them entertained throughout the day.

You might be wondering, though, what kinds of virtual trade show booth games are available.

Because they’ll be using a computer or other device, there are a plethora of games to choose from! You may even set it up such that they can compete for prizes. Whether it’s a discount code, swag item, digital gift card, or anything else you may think of, a prize adds to the fun of your game for participants. Memory match games, spin the wheel games, slot machines, scratch-off cards, and various other games are all possibilities. Attendees will appreciate the opportunity to unwind from the frenzied trade fair by playing a game with your exhibit.

7. Schedule virtual meetings with leads ahead of time

Make sure you stack the deck in your favor before you even arrive at the show. Virtual exhibition hosts will often share the attendees’ names with sponsors, just as they would at an in-person exhibition. Before setting up your appointments, make sure you identify the most promising leads. If you are scheduling meetings when invitations are more likely to be accepted, please check the event schedule first. A meeting scheduling tool will often allow you to include an access link to a virtual meeting, making the process even more seamless. Post your meeting sign-up link on social media to encourage prospects to sign up for meetings with your team. In addition to capturing more leads and closing more transactions, taking pre-booked meetings will make your trade show staffing more efficient

8. Develop Social Media Campaigns

The sprinkles on top of your virtual exhibition marketing dessert are social media posts. They’re the little reminders that greet potential clients where they are and keep your name fresh in their minds as the expo approaches.

Greet your followers with samples of your booth and bits of your digital catalogs and fliers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Follow up with clear, simple language that invites them to schedule a meeting with your team before the expo.

Also, consider running a paid lead ad on Facebook or Instagram. When it comes to spreading the word about your fantastic booth at a virtual expo, ads can often make all the difference. The beauty of a lead ad is that distributors can enter their information without leaving Facebook or Instagram.

9. Distribute a Press Release

Another excellent way to secure appointments at a virtual exhibition is to issue a press release.

Use your press release to highlight new and exciting items, as well as a promotion or special offer, and then let them know they can learn more at the expo. Then, offer a link to your scheduling tool so that they can confirm the appointment.

Remember that the purpose of virtual expos is to set up appointments, but not everyone has the time to do so. However, always invite attendees to come in and interact with you at any time. A press release can help you reach out to those who aren’t already planning on attending the event.

10. Get audience feedback after the show

It is essential to keep in mind that virtual trade fairs do not end once sales representatives leave. Post-show regrouping is still necessary, and leads must still be entered. Experts recommend consulting your sales team to determine what worked and what didn’t. By improving your virtual trade show strategy, you will be able to enhance your efforts.

Your sales team and prospects can engage in safe business exchanges after a major epidemic with virtual trade exhibitions. By engaging in virtual events with the same creativity and thought as in-person events, you may have a productive and profitable experience.

Conclusion

That’s a lot to take in, but adopting some or all of these strategies can help you get the virtual expos appointments you desire this year. Use them to attract people to your schedule and secure appointments long before you step foot into any event’s virtual doors.