When looking to purchase a trade show display, don’t overlook the flexibility that comes along with compact modular trade show exhibits. What exactly is a “compact modular exhibit” you might ask? Great question my friend! Read on!

What a Modular Exhibit Is & Isn’t

To understand what makes up a compact modular exhibit, it’s also helpful to understand what they are not. Today’s modular trade show exhibits are not pop-up displays and are not necessarily defined by the materials used in their construction.

In fact, “modulars” may be constructed of a number of light-weight materials including extruded aluminum and be paired with traditional trade show graphic panels or newer tension fabrics for branding.

The use of the word modular in this type of exhibit refers to the highly configurable components your booth is comprised of. Modular exhibits are built from components that are interchangeable and meant to be used in different configurations and sizes.

Configurations include 10’ inline trade show exhibits as well as large island exhibits. And with the addition of components and accessories such as wings, shelves, kiosks and work stations – compact modular exhibits may be further customized to meet your specific needs.

The Benefits of Compact Modular Exhibits

The flexibility inherent in modular trade show exhibits is probably their biggest plus, but that being said, they pack a punch in a number of other compartments as well:

• Reduced price tag over truly custom exhibit design and purchase
• Lightweight and compact design reduces shipping & storage costs
• Ease of setup significantly reduces the cost of setup & dismantle
• Because of their modular structure, size and footprint change is simple
• By pairing with different accessories, your booth can be easily customized
• Trade show graphic packages can be swapped cost-effectively to match brand and products – from show to show

What About Renting Modular Exhibits or Creating a Hybrid?

Although the cost of owning a compact modular exhibit is significantly less than that of designing and building a custom display – it still might make better sense to consider renting your exhibit. Especially if you only attend an event or two each year.

The good news is that rental programs exist for compact modular exhibits and come with all of the benefits of owning one, except you’ll save dollars on storage and possibly shipping fees.

Or, if you own a modular exhibit – but need to change the footprint or increase its size for a show or two – create what we call a “hybrid exhibit” by combining the components you own alongside additional pieces you rent.

Toss in a custom graphics package and your brand will look stellar on the show floor! Contact us today to get the conversation started on your next project.

So, your company exhibits at a couple of trade shows every year. And everyone on your team goes through the motions of preparing for the next big show…..

Exhibit design – check. Shipping and setup – check. Sales team and collateral – check. Give-away swag – check. You get the picture.

But are you just going through the motions or are you and your company really taking control and CLAIMING each trade show event as your own?

No matter how large or small your exhibit, there are a number of opportunities for taking your next trade show event and really making it yours!

It Starts Long Before Show Day!

In the months and weeks leading up to your trade show event, you should utilize your arsenal of marketing skills and tools to make the show your own. From emails and direct mail invites, to prospects, to your social media channels – you should be talking up the show – and not just YOUR presence at the show.

Become a resource for anyone attending the show and share information about show related events, learning sessions or special demonstrations that you find useful. And of course include the ones that your company is directly related to or involved with!

By posting event-related content to your social channels and website – you’ll not only reach existing followers and fans, but you’ll also gain organic attention from website searches related to the show!

Have a Voice Once the Show Begins

Once the show begins and your booth gets busy – it’s easy to forget about the outside world. But, don’t ignore those that couldn’t make the event and those who ARE attending the show but are tuned in to social media.

Stories, updated and of course photos are all great content to report – from the show floor on channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.

And don’t be afraid to post content that isn’t directly related to your company – that’s not what folks want from social media anyhow. Feel free to post a review of a demo you just attended, report back from an after-party (be discreet folks;) or show photos of attendees interacting with your exhibit.

The importance is to bring the show to life for those who couldn’t make the event and make new contacts with those who are there in-person!

Don’t Stop When the Exhibit is Packed Out

Once the show closes, be sure to write wrap-up blog articles, make a few last social shares of photos, reviews and plans for next year’s show.

By creating and sharing content – you can claim each show you exhibit at and create a buzz around your exhibit and brand! Be the talk of the show floor and your social channels.

Like to learn more about how to attract and engage your prospects, through your trade show marketing strategy? From exhibit design to full-event management services, ColorCraft can help make you the show-stopper at every event you attend. Give us a shout!

Much has been written about trade show marketing and how to not only fill your booth with visitors but also how to follow up with prospects after the show closes. In fact, we’ve written three recent posts specifically on marketing your exhibit/event before, during, and after trade show events.

This being said, sometimes technology comes along that can not only help to simplify a process, but also make it more effective. Enter “marketing automation”. And for our purposes here, how it can be used to make your trade show marketing program more successful!

What is “Marketing Automation” in the first place?

By Wikipedia’s definition, marketing automation is “software platforms designed for marketing departments and organizations to automate repetitive tasks.”

While this definition helps to tell part of the story (a bit dryly, I might add) – it really doesn’t paint a complete picture of what marketing automation is and does.

In practice, marketing automation does include software services like those provided by Act-On, Pardot, SharpSpring or Marketo. These online services (and others like them) help you, as the marketer, nurture leads through automated campaigns – with a huge emphasis on email and content strategy.

So, you might ask – how does that help me to market my company at trade show events?

Well, read on!

Marketing Automation Before Your Trade Show Event

As we described in our article, “Pre-Trade Show Marketing Strategy – Fill Your Booth with Attendees“, roughly 76% of trade show attendees come to the event with a planned agenda. In other words, they know which booths they will visit before they ever get to the show. So, you had better get your company in front of these prospects BEFORE their schedule is spoken for!

Marketing automation can assist, when you make email an important component in attracting prospects to pre-book appointments prior to the event date. By sending your email blasts through your automation tool, you’ll not only be able to track and quantify the basic stats of emails received, opened and clicked – but you’ll be able to add those who opt to receive special offers to your automated campaigns.

Of course, be sure to include your booth number, any special events or promos you’re offering, and your unique value proposition. Give attendees a GREAT reason to visit your booth once at the show, AND an incentive to set an appointment.

Marketing Automation During Your Trade Show Event

We believe the real power of marketing automation kicks in once the show has actually begun.

Today, it’s common-place to capture lead information at trade shows, either through badge scanners (which can be purchased or rented) or the old-fashioned way – business cards (stacks of them) and of course paper/pencil.

Unfortunately, these all leave you with lots of contacts that then need to be added to your CRM (customer relationship management) tool of choice. Often manually. Difficult to manage and impossible to track/quantify.

To leverage marketing automation to help perform these tasks, your company would create a landing page (in your website, most likely hidden) and add a lead capture form from the automation tool to the page. Now you can use iPads or a computer station in your booth for visitors to fill out that contact form.

When a booth visitor enters and submits their contact information, they are immediately added directly to your marketing automation leads and can be subscribed to automated campaign emails – including one sent right away thanking them for visiting you at the show!

Pretty cool, huh?

Marketing Automation After Your Trade Show Event Has Ended

Once your trade show ends, your marketing work is far from over. Now is the time when all of your leads need to make their way into your marketing automation system and CRM (if you’re using a separate piece like SalesForce.com).

Of course, any contacts added directly to your marketing automation tool via your iPad landing page will already be in the system and possibly already assigned to drip email campaigns.

Any leads captured outside of that system, say by attendee badge scanners, will need to be exported from that service, as a spreadsheet, and imported into your automation tool. This is typically a simple but necessary step in the process.

Once all of your leads are in your marketing automation system, these leads can be added to a drip campaign alerting prospects to upcoming events, promos, white papers or webinars your company is offering. Or to a special offer – available only to those that visited your booth during the show!

In other words, you’ll be able to easily keep marketing to these prospects with minimal manual work. A beautiful thing, right?!?

Yes, but don’t forget to compile any notes on the contacts you’ve made and assign each to the appropriate sales representative on your team! Marketing automation doesn’t replace your sales team – it supports them and helps to build more qualified, “warmer” leads!

Hope you find this helpful and a place to get your mind turning. Marketing automation can be used in a number of ways….get creative and let it do some of the work for you.

Like to learn more about marketing your company through trade show events? ColorCraft has the team and expertise to help make you the success of the show floor…. Contact us today!