Exhibiting at a trade show fills in the days of the event, but how are you spending those night-time hours? If you’re attending social events hosted by other companies, you could be sitting on a lost opportunity. Instead of attending another company’s event, host your own! Holding a trade show social event can be an effective way to engage your audience and give them a fun night they’ll remember after the show is over, meaning they’ll remember you too.
What Makes Trade Show Social Events Valuable?
Trade shows, exhibits, and other industry events serve multiple purposes for those who attend them: They’re places to scope out new products, learn all the latest industry news, and catch up with colleagues and friends. As a result, trade show attendees have hectic schedules. They’re busy attending seminars and networking sessions, as well as walking around the show floor.
Most trade show attendees also have unscheduled time during the days or evenings, when they can choose what they want to do. This free time represents your company’s golden opportunity to use a trade show social event to capture their attention. It’s an excellent chance to entertain guests and educate them on your company’s innovative, interesting, or inspiring aspects. Above all, it’s about networking—a uniquely valuable aspect of trade shows that’s worth exploring to its fullest potential. A trade show social event can be a hugely effective way of doing just that.
How to Design a Trade Show Social Event
Throwing a trade show social event can represent a major opportunity to engage both current and potential clients and customers. But you must attract their attention first, in such a way that they’ll consider your event one they can’t miss. It’s likely you’ll be competing with other companies for your audience’s attention, so how do you make sure it’s your event they choose over their other options?
Match the Event to the Show, Your Goals, and Your Audience
If you’re planning to hold your own trade show event concurrently with the main trade show, your first step is to make some choices about the kind of event you want to hold. This means evaluating your trade show goals and the audience you’re aiming to target to decide what kind of event will work best. This is vital to ensuring that you can seamlessly transition from the exhibit to the event with the same marketing messages being reinforced at every step. Whatever event you settle on, it should be fully integrated into your trade show booth’s overall marketing strategy.
It’s also important to make sure you’re targeting the right audience segment and that the event you design meshes with their goals and preferences. For instance, if you’re targeting groups such as software designers or computer engineers, consider that these are people who dress casually at work and are probably doing so at the event too. A trade show social event with a black-tie dress code is a mismatch, both for your audience and perhaps even for the trade show as a whole.
Who Are You Inviting?
When it comes to issuing invitations, you have two main options. One option is to make it a come-one-come-all kind of affair, where you just open the doors and let anyone and everyone show up. This can definitely be a great way of getting a large crowd. But is it the crowd you want? Consider that when you exhibit at a trade show, you’re always aiming for qualified leads over unqualified leads. It’s generally better to do the same thing for a trade show social event.
By making your event invitation-only, you can gain a number of benefits:
- You know in advance approximately how many people are going to show up. This means you don’t have to worry about running out of refreshments, blowing out your bar tab, or generally spending more than you had planned.
- If your event is a free-for-all, you have no control over who shows up—meaning you could be wasting money wining and dining your competition.
- Smaller events tend to provide more opportunities for quality interactions. The bigger the guest list, the harder it is to chat with everyone.
There are always exceptions to this rule, of course! For some brands, throwing massive parties has become a tradition—like the CES Cocktail Party hosted in 2023 by the trade association DPAA. Held every year, this party is open to all and, as such, has become something of a tradition for CES attendees. For huge brands with similarly sized budgets, it’s not necessary to limit the guest list because publicity and brand awareness are worth the expense.
Create an Experience, Not Just an Event
When you hold a trade show social event, know that you have competition. It’s not as much as on the show floor, of course, but there will be other brands and companies vying for the attention of your target audience. Plus, you’ll be competing with the attractions of the host city itself.
To attract your audience, you need to offer something special. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to do this. Some options include:
Venue: Rent out a special venue that’s associated with the city in which the event is being held. Alternatively, choose a venue that’s unique in some way. One popular option is to hold an event on board a yacht or cruiser, providing an atmosphere that’s both intimate and exclusive while limiting the guest list to a lucky few.
Entertainment: Provide live entertainment, such as a band or comedian. Go with something low-key, like a swing or jazz band for a smaller event. For bigger parties, a more high-energy option is appropriate.
Swag: Offer special swag items, such as signed memorabilia or goody bags.
Branding a Social Event
Should you brand a trade show social event? How much branding is enough, and how much is too much?
First of all, yes: You can brand a social event. You don’t have to, but it’s not inappropriate to do so. However, branding shouldn’t be the sole focus. Instead, use branding to provide subtle accents that don’t overshadow the event itself.
- Brand your invitations – Even if you want to underplay the promotional element, you can still make sure your invites are branded.
- Brand with your décor by using company or product color schemes.
- Offer branded activities – For instance, set up a photobooth that lets people take selfies with props or digital frames. Encourage guests to post them on social media with the event hashtag.
- Whether or not you choose to brand the rest of the event, make sure to brand your swag or goody bags.
Be Mindful of Any Applicable Guidelines or Regulations
Depending on the event and your audience, there may be regulations or guidelines that limit the scope of social events. For instance, if you plan to invite people in the pharmaceutical industry, you should brush up on
More Tips for Awesome Trade Show Social Events
- Don’t use a trade show event as an opportunity for sales pitches. Let people relax and have fun without creating any obligations.
- Create time within the event for face-to-face interactions and networking. Providing an optional opportunity to be productive can be another effective way to entice people to attend.
- Be mindful that your guests probably have time constraints, even after hours. Keeping your event short and sweet makes it easier for people to commit to attending.
- Try to avoid competing with official trade show networking and social events. If there are any official events scheduled at the same time as yours, attendance may be lower than you hoped for.
- Avoid early morning breakfast or brunch events on the morning following an official late-night party.
Expand the Scope of Your Booth with a Trade Show Social Event
The trade show day doesn’t have to end when the exhibit hall closes. There are plenty of options for creating memorable and ultimately productive moments after hours too. With a well-planned trade show social event, you can expand the influence of your booth, as well as your marketing messages.