Booth Review: From the Trade Show Floor

Industry tradeshows are a lot like a trip to the mall: it's an assault on the senses, and the difference in sales between the best and worst merchandisers is a huge split. The people watching is fun and scary, too. What were they thinking? What exactly are they trying to sell me?

Each year we head to California for the annual SPIE Optics and Photonics and Photonics West trade shows. We are always struck by the diversity of the way exhibiting companies present themselves.

Examples

At PLS, we're a pretty positive group, so this photo roundup is of approaches that we believe worked.

First: New Scale & D3 Engineering co-exhibiting with a Pirates of the Caribbean and Spongebob diorama to showcase their auto-focus camera system. Drew a nice crowd and created an interactive experience.

Next up: A simple, flexible and very portable tabletop booth. The "hook" makes this booth effective - a simple but relevant giveaway (lens cloth from a lens designer) to stop traffic and start a conversation. The old-school viewmasters with project images are also memorable.

Another portable and audience-relevant booth that uses a series of banner stands to create impact:

Finally, the most "controversial" of the bunch. Many were upset by the "cheap ploy" of hollywood pin-ups. At least people were talking. Better would be a tie-in to the company's key message, technology and value proposition. Last year they wore berets. Improvement?

Maximize Tradeshow ROI 

Tradeshows are under pressure from a budget allocation perspective, so it's important to demonstrate ROI. For tips on increasing tradeshow ROI, download our Tip Sheet here.