Ideas for Promoting Your Brand at a Corporate Event

JANUARY 8, 2020| SpeedPro

Digital Branding

The digital sphere is one of the best places for expanding your image. So much of networking is done on social networking sites these days, so your branding efforts should be there, too. Here are a few ways you can improve your brand recognition surrounding a corporate event with digital strategies.

1. Promote Your Presence

Let everyone know in advance that you’ll be in attendance. Post about it on social media, give previews of your setup or swag and send out an email blast. If you want big names in the industry to know where to find you, get the message out. You can even serve up targeted event promotions to people looking into the conferences. If you’re going to hold some kind of contest, giveaway or special event, advertise it to draw in more people.

You can also involve your client-facing staff members in this task. Have them mention the event in conversations and encourage clients to visit your booth if they’re attending. This tactic is a great way to involve your clients on a more personal level.

When the event rolls around, keep your social media feeds healthily updated. Post photos of your booth, so people know what to look for if they want to find you. Include pictures of any swag you’ll be giving away or contest prizes to draw them in. You could even send a staff member out to explore the event and comment on notable happenings, like a news update.

2. Use Hashtags and Stories

The power of hashtags is impressive, but a central event makes them even more critical to your marketing. Many people, attendees and non-attendees alike, will scroll through a hashtag for updates. Speaking engagements, booths they want to visit and events within the event are all things they’ll be looking for. The more you post with hashtags, the more you’ll show up in the feed. It’ll keep you in the conversation and can help promote your table.

Don’t forget that you can use hashtags with stories, as well. Many social media apps have story functions you can use to reach out to your audience informally.

3. Use Geotagging

Geotags and geotargeting are great for zooming in on the conference location and reaching out to those in attendance. It also adds a sense of timeliness and lets you join in on the conversation when you use the tag on social media. When you post images, use the geotag, along with the conference name and hashtag.

You can use social media geotags in a couple of cool ways to reach conference attendees.

Filters: When you post a picture on social media, you can add filters with branded content on them. Make one for your brand, themed around the conference and geotag it to the conference area. Then, only people within that space will be able to use it. It puts your name in front of everyone scrolling through for a filter and gives them a fun association with your brand.
Stickers and locations: Posting with a tagged location will pull your image up when people look up that place. If you mark yourself as posting from the event center, everyone can read through the posts for that location, which likely converge around the conference. You can tag your location from stories and posts.
Check-ins: Be sure to “check-in” on social media at the conference. This tells everyone you’re there, allows them to interact and shows them what booth to look for if you post an image along with it.

Branding at the Event

When you’re at the event itself, you’ve got to make your booth or exhibit appealing. In the sea of competition, that’s a tough task, but we’ve got a few tips to help you stand out.

1. Give out Swag

Every booth has something to give away. Whether its tote bags, stress balls, flash drives, water bottles or some other freebie, make sure your name is all over it. Plaster your swag with your signature colors and logo, so every time people use that pen you give out, they’ll see who it’s from.

You can get really creative with swag options. Try shooting for functional items that people can use, like a cardholder that sticks on the back of your phone or mini notebooks that someone can use to jot down information during the conference. You can also give out snacks, like cookies and cupcakes, with your logo on them. Some more unique swag ideas that you can brand include:

Reusable straws
Power banks
T-shirts
Yoga mats
Wireless charger
Lunchboxes
Playing cards
Gloves

You can also make your swag stand out by going for higher-quality items. A cheap, plastic water bottle might get thrown out, but a sturdy stainless steel one is a little harder to get rid of.

2. Use Strategic Displays

You’re trying to stand out in a sea of booths and competitors, so you need to make sure your exhibit is covered in your brand’s image. That means using your signature colors, fonts and styles. Some different forms of event graphics you can use include:

Table covers and counters: If you’re set up at a booth, drape a custom table cover over it, so your logo sits front and center, telling attendees who is behind the table. Another approach is to create customized counters or podiums with the image of your choice stretched in fabric across the front. These stands are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit the look of your business, whether that’s sleek and modern, more conventional or something nontraditional and fun.
Banners, signs and displays: The different types of signs you can put up are nearly endless. Between hanging banners, retractable banner stands, backlit displays and much more, you can set up banners and displays all around your exhibit area. You could place small pop-up displays on your table and a large banner next to it. A lightbox can draw in a crowd with a brilliant, illuminated image. If you’re outdoors, stick a flag in the ground and a header over your booth. We have banner stands in a wide array of configurations and styles, so you can find the one that works best for you.
Tents: Outdoor events can be tough without proper cover. Block the sun and get some advertising in with a custom outdoor event tent with your logo.
Fabric backwalls and inline displays: If you get a larger area to work with on the showroom floor, a sizeable image to serve as a backdrop to your exhibit can really make a splash. Fabric backwalls and collapsible displays are excellent options for creating an environmental tone like this.
Kiosks and stands: Got a new piece of tech to show off or something you want people to sign up for electronically? Use a kiosk or iPad stand to do this in style. Include an eye-catching design with your brand’s imagery to make it more of an advertising space.
Architectural structures: If you want to be the star of the convention, try an architectural structure. These unique, often interactive features place your image in shapes like arches, funnels and curved conference spaces. They are both eye-catching and functional.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many options when it comes to stunning corporate event signage. We can even take a more advanced approach with double-decker or custom-built exhibits for something truly breathtaking.

3. Sponsor Part of the Event

For a higher level of visibility, see if sponsoring or co-hosting an event is an option. Sponsoring can help you put your name in front of more eyes without much of the work, and co-hosting gets you more involved.

4. Host a “Social Wall”

With this display, you can scroll through a live feed of what attendees are saying with the hashtag for your business or for the event as a whole. Have people post and use the hashtag to show up on it. You’ll get more engagement and some free advertising as they reach their followers with user-generated content.

5. Give Your Booth a Gimmick

Every booth has some kind of a draw. Appeal to everyone’s desire for free stuff by holding a game, giveaway or special feature. You can use traditional games like a spin-to-win, or get more creative and come up with something unique to your company’s offerings. Some of the more alluring options for gimmicks include:

Providing a relaxation space: Many event spaces can get hectic, and some businesses offer attendees a more private place to escape for a while.
Creating an entertaining stunt: Let attendees blend their own cocktails by pedaling on a bike, or have a voice-powered gumball machine. If you can come up with something big and unique like this, the novelty is a great attractor.
Give a product experience: Of course, you’ll want to show people what your product is all about, but some items may be easier to work with than others. Things like food items, games, small devices and home décor are easy to provide samples and displays of. If you sell cars or homes, on the other hand, you’ll have to get creative. See if you can help guests experience the product through a mock room or a virtual reality-powered test drive of a car.
Use mind-blowing designs: If you’ve got the space, you can really make a splash with a huge, eye-catching exhibit. Light-up signs, unique “architecture” and imaginative layouts can make your exhibit the star of the show. You can always partner with the pros if designing an amazing booth is out of your wheelhouse.

6. Be Authentic

Lots of human interaction may be part of your general marketing strategy, and at an event with lots of face-to-face interaction, your representatives can make a difference in how you’re perceived. Choose people to run the booth who are charismatic and authentic. You want guests to have a positive human connection to associate with your brand. These connections can improve brand loyalty and help grow your customer base.

If You’re Hosting the Event

Hosts get a considerable boost in brand recognition — their name is on all of the banners, after all. Hosting a corporate event comes with a slew of difficult organizational tasks, but advertising involves many steps that are pretty similar to the ones above, just on a bigger scale.

1. Don’t Skimp on Signage

The venue should be plastered in signage that tells attendees what the event is and who is putting on the show. Put up large event graphics at all the entrances and exits and think carefully about your designs. They should represent your company well. Also, include your logo on things like passes, maps and schedules.

Consider going off the beaten path with your signs. Put event promotion on your elevators or create a photo op with a step-and-repeat banner. You can add digital signs and window graphics across the venue as well. Directional signage is also a must, as people will need to know how to get around the event space.

2. Match the Tone

Make sure the feel of your event matches that of your company. For example, if your company is generally modern and minimalistic, hosting an event in a historic, ornate theater would feel a little out of place. Keep your event imagery and signage aligned with that of your business.

3. Make a Website

You’ll need a website to organize and inform your attendees about the event, which is just one more opportunity to keep your brand’s image consistent and known. Make your website another display of your theme and include your logo wherever it makes sense.

4. Follow up With Attendees

Add a personal touch to the event by following up with everyone and asking them questions that can help inform your strategy for your next event. Ask them how they would rate the event, their favorite aspects and what they thought of the speakers and organization of it. Their answers provide great feedback. To improve your brand recognition, try giving personalized thank-yous. This action adds a human touch to the event, and people like feeling appreciated, so it makes you more enjoyable to work with.

Make Your Space Stand out With Custom Business Graphics From SpeedPro

Whether you’re looking to jazz up a small table or entertain in a 20-by-20-foot exhibit space, you’ll need top-of-the-line corporate signage to tell everyone who you are. SpeedPro is your source for a wide array of signs, from custom backlit popup displays to counters, tents, banners and much more. We can even make custom exhibits to make a statement. We use the latest printing technology and highest-quality materials to bring you event graphics that are vibrant and durable.

When you work with SpeedPro, you’re working with experts that put every ounce of care into your project that it deserves. Corporate branding is one of our specialties. Find a location near you to get more information on corporate event signage for your next exhibit.

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