Promoting at an Event on a Budget

by Kevin Smith Author

Conventions, festivals, and other public events are vital to many kinds of businesses, from catering companies to merchandise producers to various relevant services. Standing out is difficult in these environments, especially if you don't have the clout or funds to get a prominent area for your business. Larger companies can afford large scale advertising campaigns, custom tents, and large amounts of staff. Still, there are ways that a smaller business can promote themselves at events without breaking the bank. Check out these ideas before your next event to make sure you're prepared.

Know Your Location

While you may not get the front entrance or other prestige locations, it's important to understand where you are and what that means. If you have a choice, think about high traffic areas. If you're just looking for attention, maybe being by the restrooms is ideal; if you're serving food, it probably isn't. If the event is organized into sections or categories, know which you belong in, and where you can be in that section. Even if you have no choice, think about why visitors might be around your space. Is it on the way to the main event? Keep in mind you don't have a lot of time to attract people. If it's a place for browsing, maybe you can hold their attention for longer.

Stand Out

It almost goes without saying, but you will have plenty of competition. While it may be tempting to look the same as more professional booths, uniqueness and prominence are the most important elements. Look into large signage, feather banners, perhaps a tent with a different color. Make use of your space to draw eyes. If you're making food, use its smell to your advantage. If you're selling merchandise, make sure it's front, center, and visible. Be loud, be confident, and push your brand into the crowd. While the adage "all publicity is good publicity" isn't always true, it's rare that a negative impression is worse than no impression at all.

Customize

It's never been cheaper or easier to use the internet to make custom promotional materials. From signage to shirts, flags to feather banners, tents to pins, and so on. While business made at the event is valuable, your business' long term health depends on brand recognition. A good logo, well distributed, can make the difference between a future client remembering your business or not, and an event is a great place to put it front and center.