Which came first, the retail space or the trade show exhibit? We would like to posit that the trade show industry directly informs the best business practices in the retail space. Since a trade show exhibit rental is a temporary installation, it serves as a testing ground for new technology and practices that can be implemented in the broader retail context. Exhibit Experiences offers a wide variety of options for visual communication, gauging the convenience of display cases, and functionality of a sales floor, without the commitment of retail space. Below are some ways you can use your rental space to test your brand market appeal.
Convenience:
Product displays are all about convenience and ease of the purchase. The popularity of this is actually highly visible through the rise of direct ship sales on sites such as Amazon, as opposed to retail experiences. Augmented Reality has been an interesting trend to watch on the trade show floor since brands can test the utility of trying on things for size virtually. At shows such as Magic, there is still very much the need for racks and shelving systems for displaying product in addition to Cosmoprof. The incorrect display or racking system can disrupt the sales flow and can be easily adjusted at a trade show from day to day, providing vital information for your marketing analysis.
Messaging:
Visual Communication and brand messaging are paramount to gaining visitors to your booth at any trade show. A trade show booth of any size offers numerous opportunities for signage and messaging across many walls and LED screens. One of the best ways to communicate your brand message is through an LED Skin. These walls offer the best of both the flat wall with the brand logo and the LED Screen with messaging loops through the tiles that sync with Windows and turn your exhibit walls into full-blown screens. We offer this and see it often on the trade show trail.
Sales Tactics:
Training a new sales force or timeline for approaching a customer? What better place than a trade show. Depending on what stage your business is in, whether you are launching a product line, or are a regular exhibitor, the trade show floor is an excellent place to analyze sales tactics. The timing of approach, type of personnel managing the floor, and the all-important closing can dictate how the rest of your staff in retail environments operate. A trade show floor approach is often a more aggressive approach than in a regular retail environment, but the close should be the same. Having your marketing team on the floor to monitor the dynamics that can be adjusted day after day is also invaluable information.
Sales Movements:
How does your sales force move through your booth? During a trade show, you have the ability to move furniture and product stations throughout the duration in response to the ways you see attendees interact. Blocked passages and underutilized space can inform your marketing team of how this would work in real life performance.
Innovation Update from the Trade Show Floor:
One great example we have seen on the trade show floor is the implementation of Augmented Reality to sell a product. One way AI has been successful is through selling clothing with body scans on a mobile device. We see retail spaces shrinking in favor of buying online, and one reason is the comfort of trying things on in your home and AI takes this to a new level by scanning your body and suggesting clothing to your body type. Several brands will be testing this at the Magic show in Las Vegas and we think it will be a broad trend at the trade shows of 2019 and beyond.
Exhibit Experience offers more information and guidance on your exhibiting and is available for turnkey delivery of all of your trade show needs, design to dismantle. Some of our latest designs are below. Contact us today for more information! rentals@exhibitexperience.com.
