Taking on the Competition at Trade Shows

At trade shows, competition is fierce, and differentiating your brand from competitors can be tough. Organisers often place similar businesses near each other to make product sourcing easier for buyers. However, this also means that you are positioned closely with your greatest competitors.

While competing online can be challenging, it becomes even more difficult when your rivals are right beside you. A strong strategy is paramount for success, covering your exhibition stand design, positioning in the hall, giveaways, and team. This guide shares expert advice on differentiating yourself from competitors at trade shows.

Many exhibitors think they have to walk blindly into their exhibition planning and strategy, but there is a lot of great information online that can inform decisions.

Most trade shows release a list of exhibitors, images, and videos from previous show editions that can give you an understanding of the show standard. Though exhibitor lists can change a little from year to year, many of the names will be the same each time.

Exhibitor interviews and show reviews are also useful as they offer a fuller picture of the show. Our channels have many of these that you can enjoy. Additionally, your competitors may post updates about their exhibition plans across socials, so keep an eye on platforms like LinkedIn.

This can give you a strong idea of the competition you’re working with, so you can proceed with your exhibition planning.

The exhibition stand design should be one of your greatest considerations when differentiating from competitors. Your stand is your visual brand identity at a show, but it is also your way of distinguishing from market competitors.

We have all seen custom-build, wooden stands before, and truthfully they can all look a little similar. Large-format graphics are excellent for making an impact and differentiating your brand. The colour themes, imagery, and typography on the stand provide an opportunity to tell your brand story.

Above we have a range of exhibition stand designs, with very different styles. Some use imagery, photography and key typography, while others use their key brand colours. When you look at each of them, you see exactly who they are and what they do.

Very well-known brands can thrive using their name as the focal point of the stand, other brands benefit from showing visitors what they do through imagery.

When you work with our expert design consultants, they help you to find the best approach for your brand, whilst working with your brief.

Alongside the images, typography and brand colours, additional features can help companies differentiate from competitors. It’s likely that like you, your competitors are also working towards maximum visibility and impact in the exhibition hall. Adding features to ensure visibility and engage visitors will give your brand the best opportunity to stand out.

This 4m feature ensures your stand reaches its maximum height in the exhibition hall. These shows are often crowded so height really is your best friend.

Many stands will not have moving elements. In an otherwise static exhibition hall, a rotating header adds dynamism and captures attention. The rotating headers usually include a brand name or logo and can be further elevated with lighting!

Adding light to your stand is a great way to garner attention. Backlit features offer a range of opportunities, from full panels to key icons and headers.

Edge-lit acrylics create a unique, professional floating logo effect that draws in guests.

Photo-floors complete your graphic landscape and define your space in the hall!

Your positioning in the hall matters. Certain areas garner more traffic, and if buyers happen to see you first, you could lock in a deal before your competitors.

Entrances and areas around seminar halls can be great for brand awareness, but the leads are not always relevant and can swamp and distract from your stand.

The centre of the hall experiences high foot traffic, making it an excellent location for increasing brand awareness. However, since the stands are open on all four sides, it can be easy to miss lead-generation opportunities. If you’re booking a centre space, ensure you have strategic staff positioning to maximise the opportunity.

The ends of aisles, or near the ends are often the most beneficial for lead conversion, as you gain three routes of direct traffic. This allows your team to capture relevant leads and attention before your competitors without the stand being overrun by junk leads.

Giveaways and freebies are a great way to boost memorability and differentiate from competitors.  They are most successful when they are engaging and align with the brand. While useful items such as portable chargers and coffee flasks are popular, they are also quite common. To truly stand out, try to find something directly relevant to your brand.

There was a great example of this at The Land, Lesire and Tourism Show. Our client, Evelyn Ecology, is dedicated to increasing biodiversity in habitats and offered free hazelnut saplings at their stand! Unique giveaways like these stand out from the usual offerings and can attract the attention of guests, helping to differentiate your brand from competitors at a trade show.

Interactive features can excite guests, differentiating you from competitors at a trade show. They build brand memorability and give opportunities for your team to start conversations.

Consider including a spin-to-win, game, or photo-wall on your stand, where visitors can get involved.

Below are some great examples from our clients.

• Kuflink – A Plinko Game
• Roomex – A Spin-to-Win Wheel
• West One Loan – A Bespoke Croquet Game & Photo-wall
• Vault X – A Photo Wall and Polaroid Camera

Your team should be one of your greatest assets and differentiators at a show.

Ensure they are knowledgeable about your brand, products and services. A lack of knowledge can be an immediate deterrent as it looks unprofessional and introduces doubt. You can avoid this with good preparation. Practice key talking points beforehand and establish a strategy for engaging leads.

Body language also plays a crucial role in making a good impression. There’s nothing worse than walking past a stand that you’re genuinely interested in, but the team is distracted, not making eye contact, or is preoccupied with their phones. To avoid this, adopt the “meerkat approach”. Appear friendly, proactive and confident so you’re ready to help passersby.

If your company advertises sustainability credentials, you can stand out from competitors with a fully sustainable exhibition stand. Too often exhibitors display sustainability values on a one-use, unsustainable display. Extending your values to your stand can give you an advantage over competitors, making you look more trustworthy and credible.

Quadrant2Design exhibition stands are fundamentally sustainable because they are fully reusable. You don’t have to sacrifice impact, as these stands can incorporate custom features and can be reconfigured for each event, adapting to different stand spaces. Every stand featured in this blog is a Quadrant2Design modular exhibition stand.

Don’t underestimate the importance of pre- and post-show marketing!

Build excitement and awareness of your trade show presence with social media and email marketing. At Quadrant2Design, clients are invited to visit a pre-build of their stand. If you attend, take and share images to build recognisability ahead of time. Our teams often build email footers, dedicated to a show appearance. Set these footers within your teams to build additional awareness for the show.

After the show, be sure to follow up on your leads promptly. Sending personalised emails is much more effective than sending a generic message. If you need to take notes during the show to help with this, it’s worth doing. Referring to a specific talking point can make a significant impact and set you apart from exhibitors who send out general follow-ups.

Exhibition halls are highly competitive, however, these measures can give you a strong advantage over your competitors.

Focus on your exhibition stand design, differentiating features, body language, giveaways and post-show marketing to perfect your strategy ahead of the show.

Our design consultants are experts in exhibitions and exhibition stand design. If you have any queries, they are always available to help.

Email design@quadrant2design.com or call +44 (0)1202 723 500 for a design proposal that is completely free and without obligation. For more information on Quadrant2Design, please take a look at our credentials.