As I stepped into the London Kensington Olympia, I was presented with a choice: Human Resources to my left, and Learning & Development to my right. The convention hall is like a game of Tetris with over a hundred exhibitors carefully packed together – and much like a game of Tetris, so much of what was in the colourful environment seemed to blur together into a collection of signs, smiles and freebies. Weaving through stalls becomes part of a familiar dance: one of identifying the most attractive, relevant stalls and discounting 80% of all available options in my path.

How many of us can relate to an expo visitor experience that seems to be about keeping our eyes focused straight ahead, scanning for opportunities and avoiding being swayed by every stall in our path?

As my load of business cards lightened and the weight of my freebies grew, I realised more and more just how competitive this environment was. Why should I talk to that HR consultancy over the other five around it? Beyond curiosity, what pushes me to speak to new companies? When I’m beelining to the other side of the centre, what is strong enough to pull me to the side?

As an exhibitor, you risk being drowned out as in a sea of industry. When you’re investing substantial time and money, you increasingly need to brandish a unique edge and get full professional value as an exhibitor. Whether you represent a start-up, a growing company or a multinational, being able to capture attention – even if in a small way – is key to being a master of impact.

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To prepare you for whichever opportunities you may have on the horizon, here are my top two insights from the CIPD Festival of Work 2019.

 

Provide attractive offerings.

How many cheap, logo-embellished pens do you have lurking in every corner of your house? What about novelty items that seemed like a good idea at the time, but now just hang around?

Giving away “freebies” has always been a popular way to lure people off the beaten path and into conversation’s reach – yet, as brands increasingly step up their game, the classic mug of pens or bowl of candy just don’t seem to have the same power nowadays.

How do you provide an attractive offering for passer-by’s whilst keeping your costs manageable and your brand visible around the expo? Here are the two best types of “freebies” I identified at this year’s Festival of Work.

First, consumable items. Offering something that tastes good brings people near and, with the right labelling, results in people carrying your name around. The three most memorable ones from the Festival of Work were:

Second, items that add value to people’s everyday habits. Novelty is appealing, yet utility is advantageous. Offer desirable solutions to create gratitude and promote long-term brand familiarity with repeated use. The three “gifts” I’m most likely to keep on using from the Festival of Work include:

Beyond chocolates, pens and charging cables, there is so much you can provide that is imaginative, memorable and enjoyable. As an exhibitor, how can you add value to the expo experience? How can you invite people over in ways that spark conversations that can really go somewhere? This leads on to the second tip.

 

Capitalise on your unique value.

After visiting an expo, how many of the numerous stands and stalls do you distinctly remember? When it comes to vivid recollection, it’s likely to be just a few.

When you’re likely to be situated back-to-back with others in your niche, being able to effectively communicate what differentiates you can be the difference between blending in and standing out.

How do you bring the unique value of your brand into the expo space? Capitalise on what your company can uniquely deliver – and if there are multiple points, consider which aspect is most likely to resonate with the audience that the expo attracts.

Here are three exhibitors from the Festival of Work that expertly delivered on their core message:

  • Nespresso’s stall was aesthetically curated with an array of workplace coffee machines, furnished with light oak and decorated with graphics promoting quality and sustainability. I came for an Espresso Origin Brazil and stayed for the conversation about ecology and effective B2C and B2B market segmentation. Through creating a welcoming environment, they highlighted the enticing benefit of quality coffee in the workplace for employers.
  • Purina’s stall was populated with dogs to raise awareness for their “Pets at Work” campaign. It wasn’t just a stall that you stumbled into – it was a stall you wanted to run to. By physically embodying their message, they facilitated conversations with employers and employees alike to promote making workplaces pet-friendly.
  • NLP School’s stall stood out thanks to their bright yellow branding. With their messages contained within the eye-catching hue, I was naturally drawn to read them, even from a distance. By leveraging their stand-out branding, they attracted people interested in developing self-awareness, augmenting performance and honing key coaching skills and positioned themselves as the ones to deliver.

Whether it’s the uniqueness of your product, your service or your branding, consider how you can shape your display to draw the right attention from the right people. What message does your stand convey? What value do you have to offer?

 

Key takeaways.

How do you stand out as an exhibitor at an expo that holds the promise of key networking opportunities and professional possibilities? These are the key points to remember:

  1. Provide attractive offerings – especially ones that are either consumable and appealing or of everyday use and convenience.
  2. Capitalise on your unique value – connect your stall with what your key product, service or branding is all about.

Thank you to CIPD for an excellent expo, and here’s to next year’s Festival of Work 2020.