9 Unique Ways to Capture Leads at Trade Shows

Trade shows are a great way to connect with your audience, generate leads, and create brand awareness. But with so many other companies vying for attention, it can be challenging to stand out. From getting visitors to your booth to making them stick and ultimately taking their contact details for further follow-ups, it isn’t easy. 

However, some tricks can help you gain maximum leads. 

[Case Study: How Audiencegage Helped an IT Company 3X their Lead Generation at Trade Shows]

So, here are 10 unique ways to capture leads at trade shows that you can consider:

#1 Trade Show Gamification 

Use games and contests to attract visitors to your booth. People love playing games as they’re fun and entertaining. The booth game can be a great way to offer attendees some much-needed relief from the monotony of other booths.

And when it comes to games, there are two ways to do it. 

1. Physical Games
2. Digital or Virtual Games

Instead of hauling large, expensive physical activations to your event, engage attendees and challenge them by hosting a virtual game or competition. It could be something as simple as a trade show trivia contest. This will not only generate leads but also create a memorable experience for attendees.

#2 Offer a Charging Station

More than 50% of attendees travel more than 400 miles to attend an event. Moreover, according to a study, a typical trade show attendee spends about 8.3 hours on the floor. 

So, it’s a no-brainer that attendees will need to charge their phones at some point. So why not provide a charging station for attendees to use? This will encourage them to spend more time at your booth, allowing you to engage with them. Some also ask for contact details to let them use the charging station. However, this may not be the best strategy as it can put off visitors. Instead, a simple game next to the charging station can be used effectively to get their contact information while they wait for their phones to get charged. 

#3 Offer Trade Show Giveaways 

Offering swag bags filled with branded merchandise is a great way to get attendees excited about your company. While giveaways are usually used to increase brand awareness, they can also be used to capture leads if done right. Just make sure to include a way for them to contact you, like a business card or flyer. You could also ask them for their contact information. However, your audience may not appreciate you asking for contact information in exchange for giveaways. You can also gamify this by including a low-cost and low-involvement game like a raffle game. 

[Read: 13 Trade Show Giveaway Ideas]

Remember, the giveaway you choose says a lot about the company. So, for instance, if you’re promoting sustainability, choose your giveaways carefully as well. 

[Read: 21 Best Eco-friendly Trade Show Giveaway Ideas]

#4 Host a Photo Booth

A photo booth is a fun and interactive way to get attendees excited and engage with your brand. Set up a photo booth or an area with a fun backdrop where visitors can take pictures. This will create a memorable experience and provide an opportunity to capture their contact information. Have attendees provide their email addresses in exchange for a photo strip, which can also include your company logo.

#5  Offer a Demo

Experiential marketing can be an effective strategy at a trade show event. If you have a product or service to showcase, offer a demo to attendees. This allows them to see how your product works and its benefits. Once you finish the demo, you can ask them for their contact details in exchange for an exclusive discount voucher. 

#5 Host a Seminar or Workshop

Attendees aren’t just there to experience your product or service but also learn something new. 

Hosting a seminar or workshop is a great way to position your company as an industry thought leader while helping attendees learn something new. This will attract visitors interested in your topic and allow you to collect their contact information.

#6 Provide Refreshments

Offering refreshments like coffee, aerated drinks, juices, and snacks is a great way to attract attendees to your booth. While asking attendees for contact information in exchange for something as simple as a bottle of water may not be a good idea, you can offer them a discount voucher to the food court nearby or even partner with a food and beverage stall. 

#7 Provide a Charging Station for Electric Vehicles

There are more than 3 million electric vehicles in the USA alone. Giving them a way to charge their cars while they attend the event can be an excellent way to increase brand awareness and capture leads while promoting your brand that supports sustainability. 

However, there’s a catch. Putting up such charging stations at a generic event may not do good, as the quality of leads may not be that good. However, if you're exhibiting at an industry-specific trade show, providing a charging station for electric vehicles is a great way to attract attendees interested in sustainability and eco-friendliness while capturing targeted leads. 

#8 Host a Networking Event

Host a happy hour or other networking events after the trade show hours. You can give passes to the event to attendees in exchange for their contact information. This will allow attendees to connect with your team and other industry professionals.

#9 Create a Branded Interactive Experience

Create an interactive experience that showcases your product or service. This could be a virtual reality experience or an interactive display that attendees can interact with. Have them provide their contact information to access the experience.

Think Outside the Box and Capture Engaged Leads

There are many creative ways to capture leads at trade shows. By thinking outside the box and offering unique experiences, you can generate more leads and make a lasting impression on attendees. 

We at Audiencegage provide exhibitors with tech-based games that not only help in brand perception and audience engagement but also digitize your lead collection, helping exhibitors collect more engaged leads with higher conversion potential. 

Combined with a live leaderboard, post-show analytics, and live support, rest assured we can take your exhibit to the next level and make it memorable for the attendees.

Schedule a demo today to experience the power of trade show gamification at your next event.