Participation in a professional event: how to generate interest around your presence?

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Will your booth at the next trade show be a business driver or just a decoration? Everything depends on the preparation before the event.
From crafting a compelling promise to leveraging the right promotional tools, every step is crucial to ensure your participation impacts your pipeline. Let’s break it down…

#1 The art of formulating your exhibitor promise 

To make a lasting impression and entice participants to stop by your booth or attend your presentations, focus on the impact of a unique message.

Resist the temptation to be exhaustive. Don’t try to say EVERYTHING. Otherwise, your promise will be diluted, and your participation will be shrouded in confusion. You need to distil your value proposition into an ultra-direct, clear, and concise format. One well-articulated promise should permeate all your communications before the event.

Start by identifying the most striking feature of your value proposition or the offer you wish to promote at the event. Turn this feature into a concrete and measurable promise. “Reduce your operational costs by 15% before the new school year” is much more impactful than “Optimize your processes with our innovative solutions.”

However, be cautious: your promise must not be deceptive. Every word must be demonstrable on-site. A trade show is not the place for vague claims. Prepare concrete evidence: demos, customer testimonials, numerical data. Finally, link your message to an immediate and specific action:

• ✔️ “Stop by booth 42 for a free 15-minute diagnostic”;

• ❌ “Come and talk with our experts”.

In summary: a strong message, a unique promise, and a concrete action. This is the winning formula to generate interest around your participation.

#2 What content mix should you use to communicate about your participation? 

A point of caution, however: coherence and synergy between communications are crucial. Each format must support your unique promise and remind your audience of the event’s date and location.

The press release 

Classic but effective, the press release officially announces your participation and provides essential information to specialized media for relaying your message. Aim for a concise release that summarizes your promise, the context of your participation, and practical details.

Structure your press release with a catchy headline, a compelling lead paragraph, and striking quotes from your executives. Distribute it to media outlets specialized in your sector, ideally two to three weeks before the event.

Avoid turning your press release into a product catalogue or company history. Avoid internal jargon and hollow superlatives (“undisputed leader”, “revolutionary solution”) without supporting evidence. Avoid generic quotes that add nothing (“We’re delighted to be involved…”). 

Video clips

The video makes a quick and powerful impact. In just 30 seconds, you can embed your message in the minds of your target audience and increase your chances of standing out amidst the flood of content.

Opt for a format suitable for social media (square or vertical), and include subtitles for soundless viewing.

Avoid clichés and corporate language, overwhelming special effects and overly long videos that lose viewer interest. Get straight to the point.

Blog article

While brevity is key in press releases, video clips, and social media posts, a blog article allows you to delve deeper and develop a rigorous argument or showcase your expertise.
Use this platform to explore topics related to your participation at the trade show. Subjective formats like opinion pieces (chronicles, personal essays, editorials) are particularly relevant in this context.

Avoid getting lost in overly broad topics or ones unrelated to your participation at the event. Direct advertising pitches.

Video interview

Opt for a short video interview that allows prospective participants to get to know the expert who will welcome them.
Prepare punchy lines but maintain spontaneity. Ideally, this interview will be broadcast on the event’s channels or a reputable media outlet within your industry. If you don’t have access to a major media outlet, create your interview and distribute it through your channels.

Avoid overly scripted responses that feel too much like marketing. The interview should reassure participants about your expertise and your ability to address pain points effectively. 

Teaser posts on social media

The goal here is to build and implement a cohesive storytelling strategy that leads up to your participation and beyond. These posts should articulate your promise through compelling concepts:

• Recurrent posts such as “Save the Date”;

• Introducing team members who will be at the booth;

• Behind-the-scenes videos during preparations;

• Your team is ready on the “D-Day,” and so on.

Whenever possible, identify influencers who will be present at the event. Strategically mention them in your posts to amplify reach. Don’t forget to use the official event hashtag across all your posts for better visibility.

#3 Strategies to promote your participation at the trade show

Emailing

Email marketing is an essential lever, provided you have a good database. Prioritize targeting your current clients interested in the event’s theme, qualified prospects in the advanced stages of the sales cycle, and former clients you wish to reconnect with.
Construct a progressive email sequence to announce and remind about your participation, including a call to action (booking an appointment at your booth).

Display advertising

Display advertising can be an effective complement to your promotion strategy to reach new qualified audiences. Target specialized media in your industry and event partners’ websites.
Choose a mix of ad formats, including classic banners for broad visibility, site takeovers for strong visual impact, and/or native formats for subtle integration into editorial content.

Utilize retargeting to reconnect with users who have already interacted with your content. This helps maintain their interest and increases the likelihood of them visiting your booth at the trade show.

Lastly, ensure you implement precise tracking to measure the effectiveness of your display campaigns and adjust investments accordingly. Use dedicated landing pages for each campaign to better evaluate conversions.

Strategic partnerships

Identify participating companies that offer complementary products or services to yours.

Propose co-marketing actions to combine efforts and expand your respective audiences: joint webinars before the event, cross-visibility exchanges at your respective booths, and cross-promotions on social media.

Offline activation

Don’t overlook offline actions to complement your communication plan. For instance, send personalized physical invitations to your VIP prospects and clients. Create an original press kit that you can send to specialized journalists to draw their attention to your participation.