Saturate your exhibit with sensory appeal. Color, shapes, sounds, textures, smells and entertainment, along with a high degree of interactivity, all help to make your exhibit unforgettable. Be creative, original, fun, real and help visitors see themselves in your message. Everything you do is helping to establish an emotional relationship with your target audience. When you appeal to them at a sensory level, you touch them at a deeper level and sow the seeds for a long-term relationship.

3. Make your exhibit interactive.

When people manipulate objects they often form an attachment to them. They get an idea of how the products work and are more excited about the possibility of buying them. Set up audio-visual displays that visitors can easily operate -- they will feel like they are part of the experience as they connect with your products or services. Remember to make it fun.

You can interact with potential attendees through your website, both in your pre-show and at-show exhibit marketing. Direct them to your site through your various marketing efforts — direct mail, email, broadcast fax, advertising or PR. Make sure that there are a lot of fun things to do. Use games to inform, to educate and to help them find out more about your products and services. Entice them to visit your booth to collect their prize for their game participation. The same activity could be at the booth for those who didn’t know or have an opportunity to visit your site prior to the show.

5. Make your exhibits fun.

Live entertainment, educational seminars, clowns, puppeteers, and magicians are just a few of the tools you can use to make your exhibit fun and informative. Don’t rely on your products alone to sell the show biz experience. Booths filled with inanimate objects are boring and won't capture the attention of your audience. However, if you inject a little excitement, you'll have attendees in the palm of your hand and swarming your booth.

Make sure you have enough space at your booth to comfortably accommodate visitors. Don't try to cram as many products as possible into the space allotted. A cramped booth environment does not allow attendees free rein to wander comfortably. Design your booth so it doesn't sacrifice comfort for hardware. Booths that are crowded with display items make it difficult for consumers to focus their attention on each item. Set up your booth so that attendees can see everything clearly in an uncluttered space. Make it open and welcoming. Provide good lighting, easy-to-read signage, and attention-grabbing graphics.

7. Inject show biz excitement into your advertising and public relations.

Without resorting to hyperbole, your pre-show marketing should reflect the excitement, creativity, and flavor of your exhibit. Observe how the producers of movies and Broadway musicals advertise their shows. Incorporate as many of those elements as are feasible into your own marketing campaign, and look to showcase the opportunities you’re offering.
Elect a staff member as a media contact and have them on hand at to articulately tell reporters about your products/services and what makes them unique.