Why Are Trade Show Video Best Practices So Important?

Customer attention is valuable for your business, and your trade show exhibit is a perfect opportunity to capture it. On the day of your show, dazzle your audience with engaging in-booth video content. 

According to the research firm ComScore, over 200 million people in the U.S. watch online videos.  Video content is an increasingly effective way to engage potential customers, but not all video content is created alike. 

What is more interesting to you—a wordy speech about a company product, or a cool video that has sparks coming off machinery, ships launching, or other action shots? Most showgoers aren’t going to stop to watch someone deliver monotone information.

Boring content, poor quality, or irrelevant trade show video content can harm your brand’s messaging. Not only is it unlikely to grab showgoers’ attention, but it could also convey the wrong information to customers and potentially damage your business’ reputation. 

And in the fast-paced world of the trade show circuit, every bit of imagery and content needs to be picture perfect to make the right impression on audiences and potential clients. Knowing even just a few trade show video best practices can prepare you to create video content that is just perfect for the unique environment of expos. 

8 Trade Show Video Best Practices to Know

Your brand is unique, and it deserves the best introduction it can have. Though the world of video content may seem like a challenge, utilize these trade show video best practices to craft engaging, high-quality video content for your booth:

1. Hook Your Audience
2. Simplify Your Message 
3. Avoid Unnecessary Sounds
4. Make Interactive In-Booth Video Content
5. Diversify Your Video Loop
6. Let Your Guests Come to You
7. Understand the Costs of Trade Show Video Content
8. Maximize Engagement with Social Media

1. Hook Your Audience

Effective in-booth video content should hook your audience. Draw them in with the visual appeal, then make sure your staff gets them to stay. Visitors at a trade show are not there just to watch videos all day long. Once you get their attention, seize the opportunity by starting a conversation.

But how do you initially grab the attention of passersby?

• In this digital age, adhere to high production quality standards. Many trade booth visitors will judge a book by its cover. A crisp, HD video shows that you are a professional organization that cares about the quality of your work. People are increasingly accustomed to consuming high-quality media on all platforms, so make sure that your video quality matches the quality of your company.
• Stimulate audience attention with unique animations, live actions, and motion design. Some passersby may see your trade show video content while your staff is already busy with other guests. Their first impression of your booth should leave them wanting to learn more and wanting to enter your booth.
• Beyond execution, be mindful of how many numbers are popping up in your video. While the occasional infographic or chart may be okay, visitors care more about what those numbers mean. Focusing on emotional appeal can be more effective than dumping data and statistics on the screen. Use this opportunity to showcase any action or excitement associated with your business. Once you have a visitor’s attention, your staff can start a more meaningful conversation.

2. Simplify Your Message

Once you’ve hooked your audience, keep things simple. You want your audience to understand your message quickly and clearly.

Just as you’d want to avoid too many flashing lights and cluttered visuals, keep your text short and sweet and only about the essentials. Inviting, engaging in-booth video content can be the first step in the door for new prospects, warming up leads and getting them to stay longer at your booth.

Trade Show Video Content Messaging Do’s and Don’ts  

Do:

• Use as few words as possible.
• Leverage basic graphic design knowledge by making your taglines bigger and the details smaller.
• Focus on using images to draw attention to your brand and what your company mission is all about.
• Adhere to your brand’s color palette for a bold, distinguishable look. 

Don’t:

• Don’t share too much information—it will clutter your in-booth video content. This can easily overwhelm visitors and muddle your business’s message and purpose.
• Avoid using too much on-screen text or a wordy voiceover that may be distracting to your team members as they speak one-on-one with potential contacts in your booth.

3. Avoid Unnecessary Sounds 

Trade shows and conferences can get really loud. There are already lots of people talking, and with so many voices in the room, voice-over videos can be hard to hear or follow.

Your intent may be to enrich your message, but it can backfire by adding to the noise, especially if you are presenting in a small and crowded space. If you are sure it will be beneficial to use voiceover, adding subtitles is one of the most important trade show video best practices you can use to keep your message clear.

When using music, avoid lyrics. Keep in mind that this music will repeat over and over, so try to make sure it will not be irritating to your staff or guests. In general, repetition can be a turn off to guests, so try to use longer videos to reduce repetition.

Lastly, if you’re using sound, make sure it passes the sound test. If you turn off the volume, the viewer should still grasp what your in-booth video content is trying to communicate.

4. Make Interactive In-Booth Video Content

Interaction is the innovation of the present and future, and it can make the visitor experience more fun and memorable. If you are ready to level-up your trade show video content, try branching out to touch-screen monitors and other smart devices, like TVs with motion sensing. You can get your visitors waving their hands in front of video displays, which is sure to bring a smile and attract attention. 

Some technology may be outside your budget. If so, lean on interactions that use visitors’ own smartphones. You can attract tech-savvy viewers with QR codes and other interactive elements that will send information and content right to their phones. This also gives them a reason to interact with your brand after they leave the trade show floor.

Another option is to give away preloaded USBs that contain your trade show video content. These USBs can act as swag for your booth, while also furthering your message. 

5. Diversify Your Video Loop

Changing up the style and pace of your in-booth video content can keep your display exciting and engaging. Your trade show video content will be played on a loop, so keep in mind that it will be repeated all day throughout the entire event.

With repetitive style and information, viewers will tune out and get bored. Varying the animation, speed, and mood of your video content are all trade show video best practices that can help the viewer feel more consistently engaged.

Think about how long a guest would stay at your booth. If someone stops by for 15 minutes, that means that a 5-minute video will play 3 times. This is better than playing a 30-second video 30 times, for example. But it would be even better to have 3 different 5-minute videos set to play one after another.

When transitioning from one video to another, string them together within a single file. This will help you avoid those awkward pauses that can happen between clips. A single file will also help you to keep your transitions seamless and smooth.

6. Let Your Guests Come to You 

Use your video to break the ice. Not all participants at a trade show will plan to stop by your booth, but many passersby will see your video.

Incorporating video that can be seen outside your booth is one of the trade show video best practices that gives your exhibit more visibility and opportunity to attract attention. An LED video wall trade show booth can be especially eye catching, whether up close or at a distance.

In many ways, trade show video content acts as a tool of engagement that begins to draw in potential clients. The more interest someone has, the more likely they are to interact more with your booth. It’s also important to note that trade shows, while exciting, can also be a daunting experience, especially for newcomers. 

Some guests may initially feel reluctant to begin a conversation with your business representatives on the trade show floor, due to nerves, pressure, or other factors. An engaging video incorporated into a custom booth design allows these audience members to learn more about your services and offerings in a glance, which can encourage them to strike up a conversation with you afterwards. 

If your exhibit doesn’t have a video, staff might need to step further away from your booth to engage passersby. Video can help them feel invited into your booth space, wedging the door open for more natural conversation starters.

Including a video on your booth is one of the most effective ways to design your booth with a kind of built-in sales funnel. You engage potential clients without intruding on their trade show experience.

7. Understand the Costs of Trade Show Video Content

Contrary to what you may believe, creating video content doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming for what you’re receiving. If your team lacks the funding or tools for a full-blown video shoot, don’t worry. 

Today’s technologies make capturing stunning video more accessible than at any other point in history. Even videos captured on a high-quality smartphone, like customer testimonials or live product demos, can help engage passersby on the trade show floor. And when weighing the benefits of in-booth video content over any potential costs, its true worth shines. 

Trade show video content can be reused for multiple platforms and events, making it cost-effective and bringing long-term value. Plus, a video can stay with people longer than a smaller promotional item, such as a pen or a magnet. 

Videos act as a necessary step to encourage people to interact more with your booth, and it’s a great investment for businesses who budget for attending trade shows regularly.

8. Maximize Engagement with Social Media  

You get the biggest benefits of trade show video best practices when you make your video multipurpose. Knowing how important video content is to today’s online landscape, you’ll want to find ways to integrate social media tactics into your booth video. 

Before the Show

You can also use your trade show video content for online advertisements. On average, a person will see between 4,000 and 10,000 advertisements per day, which means you have to compete with a lot of other ads.

When your marketing video is used both online and at your trade show, people will be more likely to interact with your ad. That is because you are more familiar. 

A booth visitor could remember seeing your ad before, drawing their attention and giving your staff a chance to interact with them to share more information. Or, if you run ads with your video after the event, someone who saw it in your booth might be served the ad on their phone or computer, reminding them about your business and what they learned at your booth.

Your marketing video can quickly be used as many layers to a strategic online marketing plan.

During the Show

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Adding a hashtag or social media handle like @cardinalexpo to your in-booth video content can extend your networking opportunities. Guests at the event will see others engage with your business, which can help build trust and encourage excitement about new opportunities.

After the Show

Through additional social media engagement, you have the ability to respond to conversations about your booth or business. If you are regularly attending trade shows, your past connections will continue to see you connect with other leads, establishing your brand as a solid trade show participant. 

Social media can help build long-lasting relationships with leads, making it easier to connect after the show. Following up with potential clients that used your specific hashtag or handle captures the excitement and energy of the show, fostering relationships with potential clients by harkening back to what they were thinking when they met you at the event.

Looking for a New Trade Show Booth?

Are you thinking about using in-booth video content in your next trade show exhibit design? Looking for ways to up your trade show game? Cardinal Expo is a full-service trade show and exhibit services company with national, cross-industry experience.

We work with businesses from coast to coast to build custom trade show booths to fit their exact wants and needs. After almost three decades in the business, Cardinal Expo has all the tips and tricks needed to ensure you have a great trade show experience, whether it’s your first or your hundredth expo.

Contact us below today to see how easy it is to get started incorporating video at your next trade show. We offer a full range of exhibit accessories, and we’ll work with you to create a booth design fully customized to your business.