Resources
Blog
Insights on events, technology, and the future of gathering
Latest articles
Insights on events, technology, and the future of gathering
Quick answer: To increase traffic to your exhibition stand, start before the event by contacting attendees, inviting existing clients, and promoting your booth on social media. During the event, combine an eye-catching design, a welcoming and knowledgeable team, gamification, incentives, refreshments, and freebies to pull visitors in and keep them engaged.
An exhibition stand is a serious investment. Booking the space alone can cost thousands of dollars depending on the size and reputation of the event, and travel, staffing, promotional materials, and equipment push the price tag higher. The only way to make an in-person event worth that investment is to bring ample traffic to your booth.
As anyone with exhibition experience will tell you, that's easier said than done. The good news is that booth traffic responds to preparation: tips 1–4 below build momentum before the event, and tips 5–14 turn that momentum into a busy stand on the day.
Contacting attendees in advance puts your booth on their must-visit list before the competition gets a chance. Once the event begins, attendees are surrounded by options, so you don't want them to happen upon your stand - you want them to be looking for it.
How you reach them depends on your options. Some events use event software that lets exhibitors access attendee contact lists in advance; in other cases you may need to get more creative. Either way, give attendees a preview of why your booth will be a hotspot they'll want to visit.
Existing clients are some of your most valuable booth visitors, even though they are already “sold” on your product. First, a busy stand attracts more visitors: when people see others stopping by, they assume something interesting is happening. Second, a booth visit is a chance to nurture the relationship and build stronger brand loyalty. Third, it lets you introduce products they don't yet own, so existing clients still represent an opportunity for new revenue.
The general public should hear about your upcoming exhibition stand too, because you never know who might be attending. Use social media, email marketing, and your other channels to spread the word and get people excited about the experience waiting for them at your booth.
Event technology helps you generate buzz long before the doors open. Online event technology solutions like Canapii let you integrate social media promotion with event sign-ups and even book private consultations and meetings in advance, so your stand has a full diary before the event starts.
At the event, your booth competes for attendees' attention with dozens or hundreds of others. As simple as it sounds, eye-catching design and decor make people turn their heads and help your stand rise above the crowd.
An attention-grabbing design gets people to stop in, but the environment decides whether they stay. Craft a space that is welcoming and enjoyable for the audience you want to attract - maybe a fun, lively booth with games and music, or a quiet, relaxing corner. Either way, make it fit your product and your audience.
The staff on your exhibition stand make a major difference in whether attendees explore your booth or walk blindly by. Choose people who are sociable, can read visitors and engage with each person at their level, and know your business and product well enough to answer questions from industry insiders.
In-person events and conferences are packed with passive information - signage, brochures, pamphlets, and so on. Provide a genuinely engaging experience instead and you'll be fielding more booth visitors than you can handle. Build interactive, gamified elements into your stand, whether that's a literal game or an interactive display.
If you want people to visit your exhibition stand, give them a reason to do it. Offer incentives for stopping by, like exclusive tools and products, special discounts, and similar perks reserved for booth visitors.
Social media keeps driving traffic to your stand while the event is running. Offer attendees an incentive to post about your booth, for example, or use corporate event software to manage your own social media posts throughout the event and generate positive press in real time.
Give attendees as many reasons as possible to visit your stand and as few reasons as possible to leave. Light refreshments make visitors comfortable and keep conversations going - mini bottles of water, small cups of coffee or lemonade, and cookies are practical options that won't break your budget.
Your exhibition stand is an opportunity for people to get to know your brand. Include branded visuals that paint a clear picture of who you are and what you can offer, so every glance at your booth reinforces the story you want visitors to remember.
Everyone loves collecting swag at in-person events, and it's a perfect way to get the word out that your booth is worth visiting. Pens, notepads, and stress balls always disappear fast, but freebies attendees can use or wear during the event - hats, pins, water bottles, tote bags - work even harder, because other attendees see them and head to your stand to get their own.
Glitz and flash make an impression in some marketing scenarios, but not at an exhibition stand. You'll be speaking with visitors who know their industry, so your booth needs to offer genuine value and interesting information. Substance is what turns a booth visit into a business conversation.
Start before the event by contacting attendees, inviting existing clients, and promoting your booth publicly. During the event, combine eye-catching design, a sociable and knowledgeable team, interactive experiences, incentives, refreshments, and freebies.
Well before the event begins. Generating buzz in advance - through attendee outreach, email marketing, and social media - means you arrive with momentum and your booth is already on attendees' must-visit lists.
A busy stand draws more visitors, a booth conversation strengthens the relationship and brand loyalty, and it's a natural moment to introduce products your clients don't yet own - so they still represent new revenue.
Items attendees can use or wear during the event, such as hats, pins, water bottles, and tote bags. Other attendees see them around the venue and head to your stand to collect their own.
Event platforms let exhibitors reach attendees before the event, integrate social media promotion with sign-ups, and pre-book private meetings and consultations, so your stand has a pipeline of visitors before the doors open.
Exhibition stands are expensive, but they can be among your most lucrative investments, driving connections that grow into long-term clients. Canapii has powered 2,000+ events for 300,000+ attendees across 45+ countries - get a demo and see how our exhibition software keeps your next stand busy.