With COVID-19, trade show norms like shaking hands and engaging with interactive displays become less common, your booth, approach and giveaways should probably follow suit. But how do you turn your trade show booth from hands-on to hands-free? Here are a few tips.
#1: BYOD (Bring your own device)
Over 85% of Canadians have a smartphone, which means the easiest way to reach out to passersby may be through their own devices. You can:
- Let them be the first to download a new app that offers information, games, or other opportunities.
- Place QR codes throughout the booth that direct visitors to web pages or videos that provide more information—or even a demonstration.
#2: Make everything scannable
While collecting business cards in a fishbowl or handing out pamphlets to passersby have been a trade show staple, phones, apps, and digital codes can replace many of these marketing opportunities. For example, you can:
- Scan their badge to collect contact information from anyone who wants to speak to you.
- Create QR codes and display them in your booth, allowing anyone who scans the codes to have a pamphlet sent to their phone or email address.
#3: Interact with voice control
As smart speakers continue to grow in popularity, more people have gotten comfortable using voice commands—whether they’re looking to be entertained or just need to set a timer.
Creating presentations that incorporate a voice command, such as “Show me the latest services” (or products), to demonstrate important features or value-added services on cue can be a fun way to boost your demo’s wow factor.
#4: Scroll with gesture control
To share a lot of information in a limited space, you may have previously handed booth visitors a tablet that allowed them to swipe through slides, pictures and other enticing information. When you need to share that level of detail—but want people to be able to scroll touch-free—consider adding large screens to your booth and including gesture control.
By offering information that can be flipped through with the wave of a hand, you’ll not only let people absorb critical information at their own speed, you may even catch other interested readers with great photos, design work or animations.
#5: Offer touchless game opportunities
Games, raffles and cool promotional items have always been fun ways to catch and keep attention at a trade show. And thanks to touch-free options, they still are. Consider:
- Spin the wheel: Spin a prize wheel for everyone who provides their contact information from their ID badge. Whether you spin the wheel for them or use a digital prize wheel that can be spun with a stylus pen which they get to keep, spin to win is always fun. To keep things touch-free, you can email or text booth visitors an offer for 10% off your products or services. Or mail them a physical trade show giveaway, like a flashlight or a tote bag.
- Social media raffle: Have people take a selfie in front of your booth and share it on social media with a specialized hashtag for a chance to win a larger prize, like a basket of your products, or trip to somewhere.
- Trivia: Create some friendly competition by having people answer trivia questions about your company (with answers that are cleverly hidden in your booth).
Although creating new experiences with your display might pose a challenge, it also provides an exciting opportunity. By incorporating hands-free trade show display ideas, you’ll be able to catch the attention of potential customers in new ways. If you are looking for some touch free solutions or giveaways for your participation in an upcoming trade show, why not get in touch with us and we can offer you a range of cost effective and economical possibilities.
