During the Expo, SELFLESS; Games, Competitions and Prize Draws | Exhibitor training 21 of 36

Different Ways to Engage As we discussed in the previous blog, an enthusiastic approach and some basic communication skills can play an important role in breaking down barriers and encouraging visitor engagement. However, there is a lot more you can do.

'A great way to increase visitor interaction is by using games, competitions, prize draws, food and merchandise at the stand. This will help build a rapport and could lead to a meaningful dialogue.'

Games

These range from simple games like ‘guess the number of sweets in a jar’ to sophisticated virtual reality consoles. The important thing is that they provide great encouragement for visitors to stop at your stand and get involved. With any games, make sure they work, that they're clearly visible and that they're easy to administer. Make sure your pre-event layout planning allows space for visitors to take part.

Competitions

If you are planning to run a competition, try to include a scoreboard if you can. Scoreboards create a buzz and motivate visitors to really get involved. It’s good practice to keep the scores visible and updated; this will reflect transparency and integrity. It will also help to overcome hesitancy because visitors will see that others have already taken part.

Prize Draws

At a minimum, every exhibitor should have a prize draw to encourage visitors to leave their cards. Make sure they have agreed to be contacted by email. Announce the winner at the show if possible and promote them on social media. But most importantly, let all the visitors know who has won and give them an incentive to stay connected.

Food & Merchandise

Offering food and drinks is another great way to encourage visitor interaction, as is having promotional merchandise at the stand. Free giveaways always go down well. What you offer and how much budget you allocate will depend on the nature of the event and the visitor profile. (Note: we covered merchandise in an earlier session - blog #12.)

Summary

Whether you use games, competitions, prize draws, food or promotional merchandise to increase visitor interaction, the focus will remain the same throughout identifying legitimate prospects through effective visitor engagement. That, in turn, will improve your chances of generating a higher return on investment.

Next: Lead Qualification

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Our next blog topic will look at the third part of our acronym, SELFLESS. L stands for Lead Qualification and Data Capture. This will be the single most important thing you will do on the day of the expo. 1EventsMedia

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