As a company representative with a trade show booth, you are viewed as someone with a product and/or service to sell.
Attendees come to your booth and listen to your sales pitch and may or may not make a purchase.
However, if, in addition to your
trade show displays, you are also a speaker during the event, suddenly there is a shift in perceptions.
As a speaker you have the opportunity to:
- Address current topics that reflect the audience's needs and/or concerns in business.
- Offer your first hand experience, best practice tips and techniques that will enhance a situation or improve on a problem.
- Be viewed as a subject matter expert in a given field.
- Shed light on a given topic that is of interest to the audience.
- Invite attendees to come to your booth to ask follow up questions and learn more about you, your company and your products/services.
Speaker slots are typically filled quickly, so contact the venue's organizer early to see if there are openings for break out session leaders, panelists, speaker openings during lunch or at the start of each day.
There may be a cost associated with the speaking opportunity, so you will want to weight the opportunity versus the potential for additional traffic to your booth.
Select a topic that is timely and will provide you with an opportunity to share examples and tips that attendees can immediately put into practice.
Avoid the temptation to feature your company or your products from the stage. If you provide valuable content in an interesting and even entertaining way, attendees will naturally want to seek you out for more information after your presentation.
If possible, try to secure a speaking time early in the event so that people have the opportunity to visit you over the course of the next few days. Make sure to promote your speech via social media to create buzz and encourage attendance.
If securing a speaking time isn't possible, consider hosting an after hours event. Invite attendees to a host/hostess room for beverages and further conversation. The more opportunity you have to engage with attendees, the more they will learn about your company, the culture, the products and services you offer.
Being viewed as a thought leader at a trade show will set you apart (and a step above) your competitors. Consider seeking speaking opportunity for your next trade show event.
NOTE: When you invite the audience to visit you, make sure your booth has the latest graphics and sales elements to wow attendees. Visit our website. Take time reviewing the
portfolio of our exhibits and accessories and then give us a call. Let 's work together to create the best possible trade show display for your company needs.
