Corporate events are a great way to increase the profile of your business. It doesn’t matter whether you’re going to a business fair, a weekend of corporate workshops or attending an expo for your industry.
There are a number of ways in which you can put yourself in front of potential new business opportunities. The only problem is that at these kind of events, there are any number of other potential business competitors who are all vying for the same prospective customers. As a result of this saturation of competition, you need to ensure that you have a way of standing out with your business, and of being memorable.
As the digital and merchandising industry has evolved, we are now seeing more and more innovative ideas that reach far beyond just a show bag or branded merchandise – not that this is a bad way to reach people (quite the contrary) – but there are a number of other ways in which you are able to stay in the forefront of your customer’s minds. I’m going to go over a couple of the best ways in which I have seen people and businesses promoting themselves, in the hopes that you’ll be able to use some of these for your own self-promotion.
Branded Merchandise
As I mentioned before, branded merchandise is one of the most commonly used methods to reach out to prospective customers because of its ease and simplicity. You can find a number of companies that will provide everything from a branded pen to a water bottle to a T-shirt! It works best when you’re looking for branded merchandise that you find a product that actually has some relevance to your company and the service that you provide.
For example, a gym would be well-positioned to provide branded protein shakers because a large amount of their potential client base is probably going to be interested in this and would use it every day. A bridal company would be clever to provide a branded folder for brides to organise their big day, because not only is it a useful product, but it’s something that they’re going to take with them everywhere when they’re planning.
Digital Ideas
Some of the more internet-savvy companies are now reaching out to their potential clients with things like apps and internet downloads which put them at the forefront of their customer’s experience. A party planning company could provide an app to organise all of the logistics involved in throwing a 21st birthday party, or an engagement party, and a health food company might create an app that outlines how environmentally sound certain foods and products are.
Photo Booths
A great option I saw at an expo recently was a photo booth. It allowed people to jump in and take some fun photos, and then the photo itself was printed with the logo and contact details for the company. I think they must have just looked around for photo booth hire and found it that way, but it was a great way to provide a visual reminder to their potential clients as they would probably stick something like that on their fridge where they’ll see it every day.
Show Bags
If you have a fair bit of information that your potential clients or prospects will need to take in, it might be best to get some showbags made up as it will make it easy for them to go home and digest the information in their own time.
Tailored one-on-one consultations
If your company provides a service, you can provide potential clients with a one-on-one chat about your products and give people an appraisal or evaluation about how your product can change their life! Give them some brand information with their details on it and voila! Not only have you helped them but they have information with your name all over it.
I hope this has been helpful for you and that you’re able to implement some of these ideas at your next corporate event.