A Year-End Recap Of Top Trade Show Tips & Trends
As 2018 comes to a close, Hollywood is shrewdly releasing its most buzz-worthy films, just in time to be eligible for the Academy Awards. In this same spirit of saving the best for last, we thought we’d share this list of key trade show marketing trends and takeaways from the past year of the Skyline Trade Show Tips blog:
FESTIVALIZATIONIn his blog post “Brand It Like Bonnaroo,” Houston’s Shawn Lacagnina drew parallels between the trade show experience and summer music festivals. The analogy is an apt one: today’s event formats are indeed changing from the old school floor experience too much more dynamic, interactive, and personally engaging events. Tradeshows and congresses are increasingly overlapping. Business networking is more often being paired with the type of cutting-edge entertainment that will draw attendees to a distant city when a traditional show experience may not. While the “festivalization” buzzword will likely fade in the years ahead, the trend toward using entertainment to build brand awareness is definitely here to stay.
MINIMALIZATION If making your festival-like spectacle of your booth seems like an insurmountable task, then Adam Deming’s wildly popular post on minimalist booth design will be music to your ears. With key tips on simplifying your lighting, furnishings, graphics and overall layout, Adam’s post will reassure contains the critical tips you should follow when working on a budget, yet are trying to set your booth apart in a crowded exhibit hall. His tips will ensure that overwhelmed attendees will gravitate toward your open and inviting booth when navigating a sea of busy trade show displays.
EXPERIENTIAL SWAGThe trend toward giving attendees experiences rather than “stuff” was so pronounced last year that both Sofia Troutman and Mindy Feigh touched on different aspects of it. From in-booth experiences to branded social media filters to event giveaways, exhibitors are increasingly realizing that attendees prefer to take home enduring memories rather than disposable swag. The shareable and authentic nature of experiential premiums makes them a much better alternative than cheap plastic trinkets.
IMPROVED SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENTSocial media management can be a challenging and time-consuming task, but several Skyline reps shared some fantastic insights in 2018 for maximizing social reach while minimizing time and effort on each channel. From livestreaming video on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to improving LinkedIn engagement to a helpful social media checklist for trade shows, our team’s 2018 tips showed how to stay abreast of the changing features of each social platform, and use them to your advantage.
Will there is no “Best Picture” award in the world of trade show marketing, Skyline is blessed with a global network of staff and distributors with the insights to make your next trade show experience a true contender. We hope your 2018 was a success, and look forward to sharing more helpful insights in 2019!
By: Matt Bohar – December 6, 2018
