Have you ever noticed how you can date a movie by the cell phones the character use? The bulkier the phone, the older movie is.
Mobile phones have become so commonplace today that it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without being able to snap a picture of your meal, look up who stars in the movie you’re watching on Netflix or play Words with Friends with a former classmate who now lives overseas.
If you have a booth set up at a tradeshow, you can bet that almost everyone there will have a smartphone on them. Finding a way to take advantage of this and to integrate mobile technology into your booth will help you stand out and make a lasting impression on potential customers and business partners.
Here are a few hints to make your booth as phone-friendly as possible:
Start ahead of time: Millions of people check their social media accounts on their phone daily. Be sure to start a digital marketing campaign for your booth in enough time for it to attract attention and also make it where’s it’s easy to access via mobile devices and phones. You can do this on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
- Audience polling: While people are at your booth, they can answer survey questions and provide feedback about your company or product via their smartphones. Paper surveys can be a pain to collect and tally, but polling via a mobile device provides feedback in real-time.
- Scheduling: You should have a schedule of your booth’s events that’s easily accessible or downloadable for mobile devices.
- Games: You can have participants download games and apps onto their phones or use QR codes for things like scavenger hunts, bingo cards and treasure hunts.
- Content distribution: Now, it is true that not all tote bags are created equal. However, there are alternatives to the usual tote bags, business cards and commonplace knick-knacks when it comes to content distribution. You can use a smartphone as a paper replacement for things like session handouts and exhibit literature. Not only is this method eco-friendly, it allows instant and real-time access and distribution to all information you have available. You can also have conference streaming media available.
- Floor plan: A floor plan of your exhibit booth or space can be accessed by QR code. You can even use GPS tools to help people find their way around the exhibit hall.
- Think outside the booth: You can use QR codes to provide deals or information about hotels/lodging, nightclubs and restaurants in the area.
- Evaluation: You can have apps where people can evaluate your booth, employees and demonstrations.
Although it’s important to keep up with technology, having an engaging tradeshow display is also extremely important. Find ways to integrate demonstrations with smartphones and you’re all set!
