As a business you always need to stay on top of current trends and consider whether or not you should be following
them. Many business trends, including in the marketing sphere, come and go, but many are the key to staying ahead of the competition. When it comes to exhibitions, you have to do everything you can to look different. Here are some of 2016’s top marketing trends for events:

Personalisation

Brands need to be individual and offer something exclusive, but personalisation goes well beyond this. Offering consumers a personalised service will really help you connect with your audience, and makes them feel special. This is already being done online – Google ads will check your preferred content and searches to show you relevant ads you may be interested in. Similarly, some dynamic websites now offer personalised homepages based on history.

But when it comes to face to face selling and exhibitions, how can personalisation be incorporated? It could be as simple as offering a range of giveaways instead of just one. For example if you attend a bridal show, you’ll be meeting people at all different stages of the planning phase. You could have a different gift for brides who have just got engaged, booked the venue, looking for finishing touches etc.

Inclusion

It’s hard to make everybody feel included at large events, and people are turning to technology once again to make it happen. Social media sites such as SnapChat have been utilised by brands to make consumers feel connected to them at certain times. Platforms such as Periscope are also good for conferences and trade shows.

Bloggers and Brand Ambassadors

One guaranteed way to get people flocking to your exhibition stand is with a special guest that visitors will want to meet. Celebrity brand ambassadors are great but they can be expensive and hard to come by. Having a blogger write about your company or product is an easier job, and if you make a good team then why not ask them to appear at your next live event to promote your product too?

Try these marketing trends throughout the year at exhibitions, and see how many more leads you could generate!