The Infotainers Founder and CEO with the “World’s Most Interesting Man” Jonathan Goldsmith.
Using Celebrities as an attraction at trade show booths is age old tactic. Recently The Infotainers were working a show where at neighboring booths there was “The Mountain” from Game of Thrones, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and the most famous pro skateboarder of all time, Tony Hawk!
The Buzz
Bringing in a celebrity can definitely create a lot of buzz and excitement. You will no doubt create long lines of selfie-seekers which drives scans and lead acquisition. However, it’s mission critical your booth staff “work the line” to qualify your booth visitors or you’ll end up with a lot junk in the pipeline. You’ve gone to the trouble of generating interest in your booth, don’t blow it when it comes time for execution. If your booth staff need a little help in the engagement department, take a look at our Trade Secrets Exhibitor Training.
Double Edged Sword
The downside of hiring a celebrity is that it can be quite costly and the window of opportunity may be short. This will all depend on the level of fame that this individual has achieved and still maintains. The Infotainers were working a show in New York and the street magician David Blaine made an appearance but it was only for 20 minutes! This appearance could have cost $20k or more. You have to carefully assess the value your brand receives because of the buzz, combined with the increase in leads and booth attendance comparing that to the overall investment.
Tie It In
Whether it’s the “Soup Nazi” from Seinfeld or “Data” from Star Trek, try and connect the celebrity (or what they are known for) to your theme or offering. Without the tie-in your company can run the risk of looking “gimmicky”. By creating even a loose connection with your celebrity it will make your product and company more memorable.
Even minor celebrities or people who have deep expertise in a niche can be quite effective especially if they have written a book. If you can get an author who has expertise in your companies “space” have them do a book signing in your booth. You’ll get a long line of people happy to receive a free signed copy of that author’s book.
If you are looking for the increase in leads and excitement without the big fees attached to it, you may want to take a closer look at our Infotaining solution. Reach out to us and we can create an Impact Report in which we can give you an indication of the return on investment even before we ever do business.