If you are someone involved in the home furnishing industry, chances are you are not only aware of, but counting days to the High Point Market (formerly known as the International Home Furnishings Market and also the Southern Furniture Market). What makes the High Point Market special? Well, held in High Point, North Carolina, High Point Market is the grandest home furnishing industry trade show around the globe. It hosts two eminent shows every year, categorized into Spring and Fall markets respectively. The exhibit spans over 11 million square feet, with over 2,000 exhibitors participating. What’s more, 70,000-80,000 visitors are touted to attend the market annually!
Why are we doing this number dump? Well, because that’s the crowd you are competing against and competing for respectively. If you’re exhibiting at the High Point Spring Market (13th April 2024- 17th April 2024), you absolutely must be brainstorming ways and techniques to attract footfall to your booth. And it’s a given that this cannot be a solitary exercise. It is not enough to do well enough; the goal should be to do something no one else is doing. After all, you will be in competition with 2000 exhibitors, most of which will be playing for the exact same target audience as yours. So, how do you attract prospects to your booth? We have got you covered.
We thought you would have a lot on your mind, to say the least. And we wanted you to take a load off. Which is why, we have put together a guide full of awesome, crazy ideas you can emulate, take inspiration from, or blend with your own crazy ideas to create something truly magical at the High Point Spring Market 2024. Read on.
Hosting an event has to be one of the greatest avenues to attract visitors to your booth. And there are several ways to do that. Let’s dive in.
Source: Catering by Design
It’s always a great idea to be known for the best food. Why? Word of mouth. Regardless of the nature of the event, people will always talk about the food. You can capitalize on this by hosting a great lunch in your showroom. Host an exceptional lunch at the High Point Market by incorporating international cuisines and themed catering stations. You can do this by creating a dining nook consistent with your overall theme. You can also collaborate with local caterers or chefs, and feature interactive cooking demonstrations. Create customizable food and drink stations to allow visitors to play around and create their own beverages, arrange networking lunch pods for intimate conversations, and infuse the event with stylish decor elements. Consider sustainable catering options, provide entertainment zones, and ensure digital engagement through tech-savvy elements, contributing to a memorable and immersive dining experience for attendees.
Check out Plain & Fancy Caterers in High Point, North Carolina
Image reference: CES Cocktail Party Registration
Source: LaunchBoom
After the hectic 5-day event, visitors must be naturally looking for a place to unwind and relax. Throwing an after-party can be a great avenue to meet and connect with your prospects in a relaxed setting. An event like this can be a great way to forge relationships.
Like the cocktail party at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) which is gradually becoming an annual tradition everyone looks up to.
You can also position your showroom as the go-to place for developing know-how about the latest trends, new product launches, customer insights, and so on.
Image reference: Lounge area at a trade show
Source: Pinterest
Visitors going from exhibit to exhibit are bound to be overwhelmed after a certain point. Take the opportunity to create a relaxing space in your booth that is rid of sales activities and is a space for a little bit of privacy and quiet networking.
Another great way to make sure your booth at High Point Market 2024 does not go unnoticed is to set up avenues of recreation. A dash of healthy competition with a sprinkle of prizes– a perfect recipe to make sure people spend a lot of time at your showroom.
Source: Prize Wheel
a) You can set up a spin the wheel game or any carnival game (darts, ring toss, shooting gallery) with prizes like custom branded giveaways, gift cards, or discounts on your home furnishing products. Either way, offer a good enough incentive to entice visitors to play.
Take inspiration from this uber cool virtual spin the wheel for trade shows: Virtual Prize Wheel for Trade Show Booths - SocialPoint
b) You can also organize an escape room with home furnishing-related trivia questions or a scavenger hunt where you can create a list of items or tasks related to your products or booth display. To seal the deal, offer prizes, discounts, or merchandise to visitors for completing the challenge. It’s a win-win if the visitors are spending a lot of time in your booth and exploring. Another idea would be to set up interactive touch screen quizzes, have visitors design a virtual room with your home furnishing products, etc.
Check out this cool scavenger hunt done at a trade show in Las Vegas: BlueHive Group: Brand Awareness & ExhibitorLIVE 2019 | Trigon Creative
c) Another simple and effective idea is the visiting card raffle. All you have to do is collect visiting cards and at the end of the day, pick a few at random to call winners. Give away goodies, gift cards, or discounts. The upside? You have everybody’s visiting cards.
Source:123print.com
d) Take inspiration from any of the game shows and invite visitors to participate and watch. Or go classic pictionary or trivia. Always fun!
With 2000 competitors sweet-talking your target audiences, you definitely want to establish brand recall. A great way to differentiate yourself from the crowd is having mascots. But here’s a twist. While all your competitors are covering the ground, how about you take it to the sky. Having a mascot is great, but what can really differentiate you is having a floating mascot. You can use an inflatable mascot that hovers in the space above your booth and is visible from a far distance, even among huge crowds. If you’re not big on mascots, use a brand signage or prop; whatever floats your boat.
Image reference: Mascots at trade shows
Another great way to establish brand presence is giveaways. Everyone likes freebies. But the hard part is figuring out what to give away when you’re exhibiting at the High Point Market. Here’s what you can do:
Source: Northrock
A truly great idea we came across was giving away custom branded raincoats and umbrellas for when it rains during the High Point Spring Market (as it usually does). You can go another way about it and give away branded electric fans or sun hats.
Source: Scented Designs
You can give away themed knick-knacks. And when you are talking about the home furnishing industry, the opportunities are truly endless. We cannot think of anyone who won’t value and love a giveaway like scented candles, eco-friendly seed planters, diffusers, and so on.
Image reference: Custom branded tote bags as giveaways
Source: Custom Earth Promo
You can also go the practical/utility route. Give away something that’s not exactly glamorous but you are confident will end up being used. We suggest custom branded socks. Or branded tote bags your visitors will end up needing as they visit 100s of booths in a day. Extra, extra; give away reusable tote bags for a sustainable appeal.
A truly innovative idea for a giveaway we came across was at the Exhibitor trade show: Digital caricatures, printed out with company logo and inserted into a lanyard for your visitors to wear and flaunt. Imagine how many people will be redirected to your booth!
There are a ton of ways you can create an immersive experience for your visitors at High Point Market. Let’s start with a simple one.
Image reference: Booth recognized for the best use of color at Atlanta Market
Source: Atlanta Market
Creating a sensory experience is a great way of going the extra mile to create a memorable demonstration. It’s a way to create not just a visual experience, but one that engages all the senses. Sight is, of course, the primary sense you need to engage, with colors, shapes, lights, all carefully curated to create a delightful experience. Now, let’s consider aroma as an experience. Olfactory sensory experiences can be used to create emotional associations with your brand. And when we are talking about home furnishing, the possibilities are infinite; for instance, using fresh cedar wood fragrance for a furniture exhibit. Similarly, live music for a holistic experience that visitors will continue to associate with your brand.
Check out the booth by BuDha Girls LLC that was awarded for the best use of color at the Atlanta Market.
Source: Pinterest
Interactive elements appeal to both techies and non-techies alike. An interactive screen, for instance. You can replace traditional catalogs with interactive digital catalogs or touchscreen displays. Buyers can easily browse through your product offerings, access additional information, and place orders directly at the booth. Or check out this amazing idea for an interactive floor that is bound to get your visitors playing.
Then there was this interactive immersive display we came across at the 2022 International Conference on Advanced Technologies for Communications (ATC), which was completely touchless and integrated into the booth.
Develop an AR app that allows buyers to virtually place your home furnishings in their own spaces using their smartphones or tablets. This tech-savvy approach adds an interactive element and helps buyers visualize the products in their settings.
Here’s a super cool example of how it’s being done.
With VR, you can create virtual showrooms or spaces where users can explore and interact with your products in a simulated environment. It’s a completely immersive experience that can help you break through the noise at High Point Market and make you stand out. It's like trying before buying, making the whole experience more fun and helpful!
Here’s a wonderful demonstration of VR in home furnishing.
3D projection mapping at the High Point Market can enhance product presentations by showing intricate details, providing immersive virtual space combinations, and allowing for interactive demos. It improves brand storytelling by transforming booths into themed locations and creatively displaying customization possibilities, resulting in visually dynamic experiences that captivate and make a lasting impression on attendees.
Check out this video of 3D projection at a trade show.
Before we go ahead and give suggestions, let us first define guerrilla marketing for you. Simply stated, it involves using unconventional and creative tactics to surprise visitors and drive curiosity. Now, this is one away from the booth (let’s say, outside the conference), but a great, great way to establish brand presence. To draw attention during the High Point Market, you can use guerrilla marketing by organizing flash mobs, producing interactive street art, and putting up surprising pop-up exhibits. Ambush marketing stunts and interactive challenges further engage guests, while mobile branding teams and live demonstrations in unconventional settings pique visitors' interest and lure them to the booth.
Check out this HUGE flash mob at ICE London 2019.
With innovative ideas like these already happening around the world, you have to put your hat in the ring. Standing out at the High Point Market is no easy feat, but with these ideas in your pocket, you are equipped to make a huge difference. Stoked to try out these amazing, out-of-the-box ideas at the upcoming High Point market? Well, go ahead. Pick one you like and make it your own.
Stay tuned for more tips and ideas to be an exceptional exhibitor at the High Point Spring Market 2024. Keep checking this space for more cool stuff like this!
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