Modern trade shows don’t exist in a bubble. Just as your company’s website is tied to a larger network and your business exists within a marketplace, your custom exhibit is part of a larger whole. Innovative technologies such as analytics, lead capture and augmented reality can optimize your brand’s presence at any trade show.

Gathering data and using it to improve your brand presence used to be a difficult task – but not anymore. Modern booth design allows for seamless integration of these three technology trends:

1. Real world analytics

The power of analytics has disrupted nearly every modern industry, from health care to automobiles. Today’s exhibitors can take advantage of Internet of Things (IoT) powered sensors to get a complete picture of how show attendees interact with exhibits.

According to Scanalytics Inc., exhibitors can use unobtrusive sensors to collect data and generate reports similar to that of web traffic analysis. With this technology, you can get an accurate report of how many visitors come to your booth, how long they stay as well as how they interact with your brand.

The value of this data is high, because it allows you to make informed decisions on how to optimize future exhibits. If a heat map of your booth shows one of the corners is neglected, it’s a good indicator that it can be better utilized in another manner. Likewise, if you’re giving product demonstrations and the analytics report shows a high bounce rate, it could indicate that the demo should be shortened to allow for more demos per hour.

2. Lead capture systems

Trade shows are highly communal experiences where connections are made and new partnerships forged. Your ability to follow up on those connections after the show is only as effective a your lead capture platform.

Long gone are the days when attendees would fill out a paper form with their phone number and email address. Not only is it a hassle to decipher everyone’s handwriting and add the information to a database, but the quality of those traditional leads is lacking.

Every Tabs reported that many lead capture applications have been developed specifically with trade shows in mind. Some applications allow you to scan attendee badges, instantly gather and store business card information and collect survey information. Getting additional data allows you to sort leads by priority after the show.

3. Interactive technologies

Interaction is a key component of any successful trade show booth because today’s attendees are more distracted than ever. Everyone in attendance has a smartphone buzzing in their pocket with calendar invitations, emails, texts and more. Pulling attention away from those devices to your brand is no easy task – but interactive technologies can help.

ZDNet explained that virtual reality (VR) product demos are growing in popularity – but it’s important to know your audience. A small group of potential investors will have time for a 10 minute demonstration – but large group of consumers may only have a few minutes to spare.

Augmented reality is another option that’s easier to implement due to its lack of reliance on a single piece of hardware. For example, you could use QR codes, custom Snapchat filters and similar technologies that attendees can access from a personal device.

Attendees want to come home with stories about the brands they interact with at trade shows. Innovative technologies such as VR and AR can get people talking about your business, spreading awareness and building excitement.