Putting your booth in the best location is the key to success. But where is the best location? Taken from my Trade Secrets Exhibitor Training DVD, I will briefly tell you the Pros and Cons of some of the most common places of booth location.
Entrance
Pro – Many large companies immediately covet the entrance, and for good reason. It is the first thing people see when they come in! The entrance booth fuels all the excitement of a tradeshow.
Con – Often times, the front booths are ignored. People want to explore the trade show so they are less likely to invest time in the first booth they see. Even if they are truly interested, they may never make it back to the booth because of the shows massive size. Shows are big and people get lost easily!
Restrooms
Pro – Your booth will have plenty of foot traffic and exposure. Most people will at some point use the restroom; thus, they will have to pass by your booth.
Con – While many people pass by, shopping is hardly their main priority. They will not be eager to stop when on a mission. Depending on the urgency, they may be passing by your booth very quickly. However, once relieved, they may gain interest in your booth upon returning to the “shopping mentality.”
Food and Beverage Area
Pro – Like the restrooms, most people will find themselves in this area more than once. Unlike the restrooms, people are not rushing and are more likely to leisurely walk.
Con – Many people use the food/beverage area as break time. They may be less business-minded and more social-minded.
The Triangle Theory
There are many theories on which location will yield the highest exposure. I am skeptical to believe all these theories, but there is one I do believe in. It is the triangle theory. Imagine you are facing the trade show. You will see the entrance booths, and you will most likely walk by them to other booths. The booths that are along the walls in the front of the room get the least exposure. Why? Because trade shows are big and people get lost. They want to explore all the booths as fast as they can, and most of them do this by walking forward.
Gradually, the booths gaining traffic increases. The booths with the most traffic are the booths in the back of the room. Why? Because people are more likely to walk from side-to-side then to walk all the way to the front of the room. If they see something they’re interested in at the entrance, they may return. But the likelihood is low and even if they do return, they will be going with a mission. Customers may not have a “let’s look around mentality” but more of a “I want to look at that_____booth I saw when I came in”.
Booth location will not guarantee success but it is definitely an important thing to consider when setting up your booth. While you want as much exposure as possible, you need to consider the customers mentality. If people are preoccupied, it will not matter if they see your booth or not.