All Booths Are Not Created Equal: Tips and Tricks to Stand Out

You just landed an amazing opportunity to have your very own booth (for the first time!) at a key networking event. So, now what? What do you do to stand out and really make the most out of this? How should you promote it? This my friends, is where I come in. Practice Building Consultant to the rescue…
Before I give you my tried and true tips and tricks (try saying that 10 times fast) for having one of the best booths out there, I want to make sure this is indeed an opportunity you should be pursuing in the first place. Keep in mind that having a booth can be great for PR and networking but it is not necessarily a great marketing environment and you will not typically generate clients from it. But, that’s not to say you should pull the plug. If the booth is inexpensive, your target audience will be in attendance and it has the possibility of opening numerous doors in front of organizations that you’ve been trying, oh so hard to connect with, I would suggest doing it.
Once you are clear this is a good event to participate in, let’s hone in on a few ways to make your booth kick the other booth’s butts.
PROMOTION

• Send a news release to the newspaper for community calendar of events
• Add the event to your newsletter mailings, eAlerts, law firm website, Facebook, LinkedIn and local calendars

SET UP

• Try to get a booth at the end of an aisle, so you have traffic coming from more than one direction for better exposure
• People tend to flock toward caffeine (especially if they see that it’s Starbucks), so make sure you have a sign that says: COFFEE SERVED OVER HERE!!
• Have a nice flower arrangement
• Who doesn’t love candy? Have some of that goodness out on the table along with  sugar-free options
• Have a sign-up sheet for them to be added to your mailing list or to sign up for an appointment or make a reservation for an upcoming seminar
• Look into being a sponsor which often times entitles you to present seminars at the Expos

ACTIVITIES

• Hold a drawing/raffle to give away one or two big gifts (tickets to the theater or dinner for two, etc.)
  • Raffle entry ticket should include everything on a business card, plus the firm’s LinkedIn and Facebook addresses

GIVEAWAYS

• NOTE: Booths that do not have giveaways have less traffic
• Have a laptop set up (if Wi-Fi is available) to help people LIKE your law firm on Facebook. Give a small prize to every person who signs up
• People like free stuff. Give away law firm pens, pencils, magnets, etc.
• Have stickers or some other item that you put on everyone who came by your booth so you can see who to pull over and talk with as they walk around

Now my friends, these are just SOME of the things you can do. If you are an Academy Member, contact your Practice Building Consultant and we’ll be more than happy to share all of our booth secrets with you.
Until next time,

Kelly Murphy
Practice Building Consultant
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com