Trade shows are an indispensable arena for businesses to directly interact with their audience, creating a dynamic environment for fostering connections and driving commerce. For companies operating in and around Burnaby, leveraging the potential of local trade shows can be particularly beneficial. Engaging with the robust local economy requires astute planning and savvy execution. By harnessing the expertise of a Burnaby sign shop and employing strategic tips and industry best practices, businesses can enhance their trade show impact, generating valuable leads, boosting sales, and significantly expanding their brand presence within the bustling Burnaby marketplace.

The Unique Opportunities of Local Burnaby Grooming Shows

Trade shows held right in your community provide targeted opportunities to connect with local customers and partners. As a Burnaby business, participating in local events allows you to:

• Raise your profile and get better exposure within the Burnaby market
• Build connections through valuable face-to-face interactions with local attendees
• Showcase what makes your business special to the local community
• Generate leads and sales within your existing customer base
• Educate attendees on what you offer as a local business serving their needs
• Engage with local partners and vendors to build strategic relationships

With careful planning and preparation, Burnaby trade shows can be extremely impactful for boosting your brand locally. Keep reading for tips and tricks to maximize your trade show success.

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Pre-Trade Show Preparation – Setting Yourself Up for Success

The work for a successful trade show starts long before you set foot on the show floor. By taking the time to properly prepare, you can make the very most of your participation.

Set Clear Goals and Objectives

First and foremost, define what you want to achieve through the trade show. Some examples of potential objectives could include:

• Generate 100 leads
• Make 10 new business connections
• Promote the launch of a new product/service
• Offer exclusive trade show discounts/promos to drive sales
• Educate visitors about key features and benefits you offer
• Gather visitor feedback and data through surveys or interactions
• Introduce your brand to the local market

With clear goals guiding your planning, you can determine the optimal strategies across all facets of your trade show execution.

Design Your Booth for Maximum Visibility and Engagement

Your trade show booth is invaluable real estate, so make the most of it. A professional, eye-catching booth attracts more foot traffic and encourages visitors to stop and interact.

• Use large, vibrant imagery and displays that quickly tell your brand’s story
• Incorporate interactive elements to attract attention
• Display products/samples visitors can touch and engage with
• Have areas within the booth for display materials as well as open spaces for meeting and conversing with visitors
• Select finishes and materials that align with your brand aesthetic

A thoughtfully designed booth makes you stand out while providing a space conducive to dialogue with potential customers.

Choose Promotional Items and Giveaways

Unique promotional giveaways can be a great way to attract visitors and continue engaging with them long after the trade show.

• Choose useful items relevant to your business like branded pens, notepads, phone accessories, drinkware, etc.
• Offer coupons, exclusive discounts, or free trials to incentivize sales
• Collect visitor info through business card drawings and giveaways to build your contact list
• Give away fun branded items like t-shirts, water bottles, snacks, etc. to boost your brand presence

With the right mix of useful and fun giveaways, you make trade show interactions more memorable while collecting leads for future marketing.

Materials and Signage – Making Your Brand Stand Out

The materials used for your displays, signage, giveaways, and more should align with your brand strategy while helping you visually stand out.

Choosing Durable, Visually Impactful Materials

Trade shows place major demands on your branded materials. Select options able to withstand transport, setup, high visitor traffic, and dismantling. Durability also saves you from needing frequent replacements. Some material options to consider include:

Tablecloths/Backdrops – Stretch fabrics like polyester spandex provide vivid printable surfaces that are wrinkle-resistant and travel-friendly.

Displays – Portable pop-up displays combining metal frames with magnetic/fabric panel attachments offer lightweight durability.

Wall Murals – Durable vinyl films like LG Hausys Dibond provide vivid color and high rigidity for eye-catching oversized brand imagery.

Product Displays – Acrylic shelves, risers, and display cases provide clarity while protecting products.

Wayfinding Signs – Foam board prints, rigid PVC panels, or acrylic prints make affordable durable easy-to-spot directional signs.

Signage for High Visibility and Brand Integration

Your trade show signage should capture attention while integrating seamlessly with your brand identity.

Large Format Exterior Banners – Hang boldly printed fabric banners around the exterior of your booth space to attract visitors inside.

Interior Signs and Headers – Printed signage and headers with impactful text/imagery strengthen your presence.

Tabletop Signage – Smaller signs for tables and displays can provide helpful information while continuing visual branding.

Wayfinding – Direct visitors to key spots with consistent branded graphics and text, like your giveaway area or demo stations.

Consistency Across Materials – Use your logo, brand colors, and key taglines across all signage for brand reinforcement.

Promotional Giveaway Branding

Apply custom branding to make promo giveaway items powerful ongoing brand exposure. Consider:

• Adding your logo, tagline, website, and contact info
• Using your brand’s signature colors
• Selecting items relevant to your business that visitors will use and reuse
• Offering fun customized items like photo booth props to spread smiles and selfies

Some Burnaby businesses have executed trade show promotions exceptionally well. For example, Instant Imprints Burnaby effectively leverages trade shows to showcase their wide range of branding capabilities through the use of eye-catching printed signage, branded giveaways like custom water bottles and notepads, and even personalized photo booth props for engagement. Their cohesive branding across all items and interaction points makes them stand out while showcasing exactly what their business provides.

Staffing and Booth Engagement Strategies

Your trade show booth is only as impactful as the staff representing your brand. Put these strategies into play to maximize trade show interactions.

Train Your Team for Effective Communication

Your team should deeply understand your brand identity, products/services, and trade show objectives in order to engage visitors effectively.

• Conduct pre-event briefings – Discuss objectives, ideal interactions, FAQs, and your trade show promos/activities
• Roleplay common scenarios – Ensure staff know how to converse knowledgably and engage visitors
• Provide quick reference notes/guides – These keep key info top-of-mind for easy reference during events

Design for Interaction

Visitors will spend more time at your booth when engaged through:

• Product demos – Let visitors interact hands-on with your products
• Giveaways – Contests, games, and freebies incentivize engagement
• Technology integrations – Incorporate interactive screens or VR to attract crowds
• Photo opportunities – A photo booth or other fun staging draws attention

Gather Lead Information

• Use giveaways and contests to collect visitor contact info for marketing follow-up
• Offer signups for email newsletters to build your subscriber base
• Survey visitors for product feedback to help improve offerings
• Have team members actively network and collect business cards from promising leads and connections

Location and Layout Optimization

Carefully planning the placement and configuration of your booth can significantly impact its success.

Location, Location, Location

Consider visibility and traffic when selecting your exact booth spot.

• Request placement near main entrances or anchor vendors to tap into heavy foot traffic
• Target areas with wide cross-aisles that naturally allow more people to see your booth
• Avoid dead end aisles with low visibility unless the location has other major benefits
• Be near complementary businesses you may share target customers with

Design for Visibility and Flow

• Avoid placing tables, displays, or signs where they block sightlines into your booth from key directions
• Leave open spaces within your layout for multiple visitors or small groups
• Use wayfinding signs or floor graphics to lead visitors to important spots
• Place your most eye-catching elements, like demonstration areas, in visible prime position

Incorporate Technology

Integrating tech-based attractions can set you apart while providing opportunities for visitor interaction and data collection.

• Digital displays or videos playing your marketing content
• Interactive multi-touch screens with product info or demos
• Audience response systems for surveying visitors
• AR/VR to immerse visitors in an experience
• Gamification through digital questionnaires, spin-to-win games, leaderboards, etc.
• WiFi access offering landing pages to collect emails or offer downloads

Successful Post-Trade Show Follow Up

Don’t squander your trade show momentum. Implement strategies to effectively follow up with all the leads and connections you generated.

Organize Leads and Make Plans

• Separate leads into groups based on interactions and priorities
• Enter lead info into your CRM as soon as possible while memory is fresh
• Set aside time to follow up within the week following the trade show

Follow Up While Interest Is High

• Send customized emails thanking high priority leads for visiting and providing any requested info
• Use captured emails for targeted email campaigns related to their interests
• Offer special promotions, discounts, or trials to hot leads
• Schedule demos, consultations, or quotes as applicable

Measure Results and Plan for Improvement

Analyze metrics before, during, and after the event to quantify success. Capture lessons learned to optimize your next trade show presence.

• Compare visitors, leads, sales, traffic flow, engagement, etc. to your pre-defined goals
• Note which display areas, giveaways, staffing tactics, etc. were most effective
• Identify areas for improvement like signage visibility, lead follow-up process, etc.

With strategic preparation and execution, Burnaby trade shows can deliver tremendous value for boosting your brand and sales in the local market. For your upcoming trade show signage, displays, customized giveaways and more, the team at Instant Imprints Burnaby is ready to make your brand stand out. Contact us today for a consultation on achieving your trade show goals.

Call to Action

Ready to Make Your Next Trade Show Your Most Successful Ever?

The team at Instant Imprints Burnaby can support all your branding and promotional needs to get you noticed and bring in quality leads.

Contact us today for:

• A consultation on your upcoming trade show goals and strategy
• Eye-catching display materials to make your booth shine
• Custom branded giveaways visitors will love
• Bold printed signage and banners for high visibility
• Trade show checklist and planning resources

Let’s partner to make your next Burnaby-area trade show a big success! Contact us or visit our Burnaby showroom today to get started.

Business Partner – Influence Signs and Graphics

Address: 8337 Eastlake Dr #120, Burnaby, BC V5A 4W2, Canada

Phone: (604) 5657-446

Email: info@influencesigns.com

Website: https://influencesigns.com/