There are different types of industry events at which you have a chance to market your business. Some are expositions that are specifically intended for advertising your brand and soliciting sales, while others are more of conferences, designed as places to mingle with others in your field and share ideas. In the latter setting, you can still be a marketer, but it's best to be a bit more subtle.

Of course, you'll still need some sort of display booth to draw people's attention and showcase your brand effectively. This raises a key question – what goes into a great conference display? How is it different from what you'd bring to a trade show or on a traveling road exhibition?

There are a few key differences to bear in mind.

What sets conference marketing apart?

When preparing to market your business at an industry conference, it's worthwhile to understand what makes conferences different from other business events and how you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

According to Event Manager Blog, perhaps the biggest distinction is that people attend conferences for the chance to share knowledge with one another. The event is less about aggressive brand promotion and more a matter of collecting insightful tidbits. This is something to prioritise when drawing up exhibition booths. You don't want to focus too much on your brand – rather, make it your mission to help people learn and grow.

When you do put a little promotional twist on your message, you want to do so in a way that's creative and allows people to feel like active participants in the marketplace of ideas – not just customers with money. For example, you can encourage people to engage on social media, as this gives them a chance to connect with others and share their opinions. You want to advertise your business, but you don't want advertising to seem like your sole focus.

How to boost your brand in style

So what goes into a successful brand activation effort at a conference? Perhaps your first order of business should be to conduct research on your industry and figure out what works. You're looking for insights on two levels – one, what brand values and messages are most effective, and two, how best to share those messages with your conference marketing materials.

People attend conferences looking for insights and information.

When people attend conferences, they're looking to acquire wisdom about the world around them. They want to become more knowledgeable and better at what they do. As you go about planning for your next conference, think about how you can present your brand as one that's practical and adds value to people's lives.

You should also keep in mind that having high-quality graphics plays a key role in this process. You want to feature designs that really accentuate what's best about your brand.

Boost your conference travel ROI

Attending a conference is an investment. You're putting a lot of money into travel, not to mention the opportunity cost of missing an ordinary day at the office, and you want that spending to pay dividends later. To make that happen, you need a strategy that will help you maximise ROI.

At Exposure Group, we're big believers in the idea that great design is a source of robust returns. If you've got exhibit designers in your corner who can help you shine a flattering spotlight on your brand, there's really no substitute for that. That's why we have a team of professionals ready to tap into new technologies and design custom booths that will be perfect for you.