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Events such as trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, and marketing events can be vital to certain businesses. In order to ensure your event or booth is memorable, it is important to think ahead and prepare to make an impact and leave a lasting impression on your guests to build brand awareness and recognition.
In this article we will take you through the steps you will need to take to put on a marketing event and the features to offer your clients and guests.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”
THE WHY
Think about the reason for your event, is it to increase brand awareness? is it to increase brand loyalty? — Identify your goals by asking yourself these questions and determine what your event will look like and what features you would like to highlight as well as what the takeaway will be.
For example, if you want to raise brand awareness, your SMART goal could be to increase Instagram likes and customer survey responses by 20% by the end of the quarter. That goal will dictate how you plan the event. You’ll likely want large signage for your brand, and you’ll want to create a cohesive branding package that people can connect with. Your social media should be highly visible to drive people to Instagram to meet your goal.
Family Industries has worked with big and small brands, providing custom apparel applications such as live screen printing, live sublimation, and embroidery. They have helped brands to choose the right printing method for their events by considering crowd size, their budget, and their client base as not all promotional products work well for everybody. Of course, a free custom t-shirt is a crowd favorite but that is not the only option and we will take you to the different promo items that can be just as much of a success.
RESEARCH
Who are your guests? This usually comes into vision once you’ve figured out the ‘WHY’ for your event. Based on your audience we recommend you do research to identify the demographics such as age group, gender, and interests. These criteria will help you in your research to narrow down event features and a memorable experience.
Research also includes looking into competitors and what they have done for their events to help you generate ideas and come up with a bigger and better experience for your guests. Additionally, you can also attend other events to see how they are run and get ideas that way — this is more of a field research approach that can be beneficial, not only because it could generate ideas but you can also make connections with the vendors.
THE PLAN
A creative display can make or break your event. Get it right, and you can attract a steady stream of guests approaching your booth or tent. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself with low interest and missed opportunities. The key is to offer an attractive promotional item to lure people to come up to your booth and interact with your on-site brand ambassadors.
First, find out the requirements and restrictions of the space. Then, get creative and come up with an eye-catching display that sets you apart from the competition. Instead of just a simple static display, try to create something that is experiential and memorable. This is your chance to showcase your brand, so go big and make a splash. Event attendees will likely be wading through dozens or hundreds of other booths and vendors. Do something unique to make yours stand out.
Some brands use technology for attention-grabbing screen walls, interactive art displays, and light shows. Other companies offer free merch with fun customizable options such as on-site sublimation. Family Industries has provided on-site screen printing, sublimation, and other fun applications such as embroidery.
THE EXPERIENCE
INTERACTIVE FEATURES
Custom live sublimation offers not only a free t-shirt but an experience where the guest gets to choose from various designs on a screen to then print unto their free t-shirt. This experience is what makes a lasting impression on the guest or client that we think brings value to brands in the form of brand awareness and recognition.
PRODUCT
Free products are always a hit at any event and can be used as marketing tools for brand recognition. Offering a product with your company logo and tagline is a good way to engage the attendees, especially if those products can be somehow customized with additional artwork. If your brand sells a product, having that product with the ability to customize it is also a good way to engage guests at a big event where you’re competing with other similar brands. Remember, customizations will always attract more than a pre-printed and pre-packaged product.
VISUALS
Find ways to incorporate video and pictures into your experiences. An engaging video can highlight what your brand is all about. A case study or testimonial video can show people your product in action. A behind-the-scenes look can show how the product is made and the goals of the company. Use your imagination to get creative with video.
BRAND AMBASSADORS OR ENGAGING STAFF
Having an engaged brand ambassador or staff can also make all the difference. Making sure that the people working your booth at an event are well versed on your brand is key. Energetic staff can draw people to the booth without feeling pushy. Attendees will remember a great conversation they had with a staff member just as much as they remember a fun video.
HOW DOES FAMILY INDUSTRIES ADD VALUE TO LIVE EVENTS?
Family Industries has been providing live activations since 2009 for a range of different brands and businesses. Family Industries has worked hand-in-hand with marketing agencies providing on-site activations such as live screen printing and sublimation for large corporations such as Toyota. Additionally, not only do they provide the activations, they provide brand ambassadors that are trained to engage with the attendees which is an integral part of running a successful event.
Family Industries works with clients on coming up with the perfect product and print application for the size of the event as well as the budget, making this an easy and convenient way for clients to plan the event. If travel is required, they take care of all logistics leading up to the event and provide lodging for their staff. The brand ambassadors are thoroughly vetted before the event, they are provided with information about the event and the brand they will be representing so that they become experts and can convey the message of the brand to the guests.
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
Anthemic is a brand and culture marketing agency specializing in creating a direct connection with the ever-elusive lifestyle consumer. Launched in 2014 by FILTER Creative Group and FILTER Magazine founder Alan Sartirana, ANTHEMIC is the beginning of something different: an agency whose foundation is built on the art of listening.
Family Industries paired with Anthemic Agency to run screen printing station for Lollapalooza.
Family Industries partnered with Anthemic to create a temporary tattoo event feature for Toyota.
Family Industries has had the opportunity to work with Anthemic and several of their clients such as Toyota for large events. Family Industries had setup live activations such as screen printing, sublimation, and even temporary tattoos of Lollapalooza’s lineup. These live activations have been an integral part for Toyota to engage a large crowd and provide a fun experience to further promote their brand.
