Ever get tired of the same old, same old at trade shows?
Us, too.
The seas of plain, banner-laden booths are informative, sure, but do they hold our attention? Capture our hearts? Make us open our pocketbooks?
Definitely not.
Changing the Aviation Advertising Game
Apparently, we’re not alone in thinking the trade show status quo is boring. And fortunately, a few brands are taking it upon themselves to change the game.
In the last year or so, a number of exhibitors have taken their aviation advertising to new heights. Instead of tired, yawn-worthy booths, they’ve created interactive experiences, immersive demonstrations and eye-catching displays that don’t just draw in visitors—they engage them, too.
Here are just a few of our favorite examples:
- Clay Lacy Aviation – At NBAA 2016, Clay Lacy Aviation enlisted local artist Stacy Weltzner to turn its CEO’s career into a live-action infographic on the spot. Weltzner transformed an entire booth wall into a colorful mural, detailing Clay Lacy’s life as a private jet pilot—reason in itself for customers to buy in.
- Embraer – Embraer also used NBAA to get creative. The executive jet company turned booth visitors into designers on the spot. With the help of a virtual reality headset and two hand controls, visitors could create the aircraft interior of their dreams right before their eyes.
- Bell – At HAI HELI-EXPO earlier this year, Bell went all out in showing off its newest, futuristic helicopter, the FCX-001. With an on-site life-size mockup and, once again, fully immersive virtual reality headsets, visitors could literally step inside the alien-looking craft, which boasts hybridized propulsion, morphing rotor blade tips, gull-wing doors and a cockpit completely free of physical control buttons.
Though this is just a snippet of the brands that have disrupted the trade show status quo in recent years, they prove one thing: A new bar has been set—and set high—for the future expos before us.
How can you follow suit? Here are a few tips:
- Create an experience, not a booth – People won’t remember what they read or what was said to them, but you can bet they’re remember how they felt—their excitement, their curiosity, their shock and awe. So forget handing out flyers and brochures, and immerse visitors in your brand instead.
- Cover all the senses – Most booths have something you can see (or maybe just read), but few really engage visitors across all five senses. Give them something to touch, taste, hear and smell—something that really sticks with them, even after they’ve left the tradeshow floor.
- Leverage technology – Apps, virtual reality and other technological innovations are great ways to enhance your booth’s experience and make them more interactive for your visitors. You can also leverage social media—including hashtags, to increase your booth’s visibility both at the show and across the world.
- Use your space – The space you rent may be a basic square or rectangle, but that doesn’t mean your exhibit has to, too. Use your space creatively and to its fullest. Build up, out and all over, and give your visitors a start-to-finish experience they’ll remember.
Want to put these tips into use? Need help upping your trade show game? Our aviation advertising experts can lead the way. Contact us today to chat.
