Today, I’m going to explain an overlooked tool that a majority of trade show exhibitors fail to leverage. When used correctly, the clothes that you and your booth employees wear can create a branded memory in the minds of attendees.
When you follow up with your leads, your ability to trigger that memory can be instrumental to closing a deal. Like most of the event marketing strategies I’ve been sharing with you, planning ahead is the key to ensuring success. Here are 5 quick tips for choosing the right clothes to wear at your next trade show:
Tip #1 – Wear Your Brand
Your logo needs to be visible on your shirts. If you have a consistent tagline that communicates the benefit of working with your company, include it near the logo. The higher visibility you give your brand, the more often attendees will see it. Repeated exposure helps build your brand and customized corporate logo shirts are an incredibly cost effective way to accomplish this.
Tip #2 – Promote A Consistent Theme
Your booth staff should wear the same uniform: clean, crisp shirts and pants that are the same color. Try to eliminate as much variation as possible. When attendees at the trade show walk by your booth, they’ll see your team dressed in the same uniform and instantly assign a level of credibility and trust to your business.
Tip #3 – Pack Plenty Of Extras
Hope for the best and plan for the worst. Pack several extra shirts and pairs of pants. If you or one of your employees spills food or a drink, having a clean set of clothes will be invaluable.
Tip #4 – Invest In Quality
I’ve seen booth employees dressed in shirts that couldn’t have cost more than a few dollars. While the exhibitor probably saved money by buying lower-quality clothes, it likely had a lasting impact on how attendees perceived his business. Invest a bit of money and provide high-quality shirts and pants for your staff. Trust me, the quality of your apparel is more obvious than you may imagine.
Tip #5 – Swim Upstream
One of the worst things you can do is buy trade show clothes based on the suggestion of an apparel salesman. It’s likely that most exhibitors will buy whatever uniform is being recommended. As a result, the majority of booth employees end up being dressed similarly. It happens often. If anything, listen to the salesperson’s suggestions and then buy the opposite.
Bonus Tip: Comfortable Shoes
They’re rarely seen, but shoes can play a key role in how effectively your booth staff communicates with attendees and collects qualified leads. Make sure they’re wearing comfortable shoes so they don’t grow tired from standing.
Being successful with your trade show marketing is about planning and executing the small details consistently. While various types of trade show attention grabbers such as a Money Blowing Machine or Wheel of Chance should definitely be a part of your repertoire, factors such as your trade show apparel can have a dramatic impact. This topic is seldom addressed, but important enough that you need to devote attention to it. Next week, I’ll share another event marketing tip with you that I’ve used successfully.
