TRADESHOWS
Last week, our team here at Howell Studios had the opportunity to attend this year’s ISA International Sign Expo in Las Vegas. Throughout the week, we got some great photos and videos for our clients, talked to new businesses, learned more about the industry, and had a ton of fun! It was incredible to see what is in store for the future of the signage and graphics industry.
What is the ISA International Sign Expo?
The ISA International Sign Expo is the largest gathering of sign and graphics professionals in the country. Held every year, ISA provides an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their products and capabilities and for attendees to learn more about the industry and develop meaningful connections with industry peers and colleagues.
What were we doing there?
Most of our time was spent capturing stunning photos and high-quality videos for our clients in the industry. When we weren’t working for our clients, we were walking the show, striking up conversations with other businesses in the industry. We attended the educational aspects of the show to grow our knowledge of the industry which helps us better serve our clients!
Our Takeaways
1. Attendees Showed Out Strong
We have been to many of the past ISA Sign Expos in the past, and we can confidently say that the attendees showed out strong for this year’s tradeshow. It seemed to us that while the size of the trade show floor seemed a bit smaller, the actual number of people attending the show seemed to be the highest since pre-pandemic levels. This is a great sign, as it signifies that the industry is continuing to grow and businesses are looking to remain on the cutting edge.
2. Being Engaging is a Must
A lot of time and money is spent on being an exhibitor at a show like this. While it may be harsh to say, a lot of booths we saw squandered their hard work by being too passive. While the expo is tiring, it is important to consistently strike up conversations with those walking past your booth. At the very least, looking engaging goes a long way in enticing people to come over to your booth.
With so many people attending the show, it was crucial to show those walking around what you do and why they need you as clearly and concisely as possible while still demonstrating the capabilities you bring to the table. The difference between those who got this right and those who didn’t was evident in how busy their booths were. Make it as easy as possible for your customer and engage them at all stages of the buying/decision-making process.
P.S. People seem to gravitate towards booths offering free things such as raffles, beers, or food. This could be a good way to get people to your booth to start a conversation. Who knows? Serving free coffee may end up leading to a new customer or client!
3. Companies Are Starting to Realize The Importance of Digital
While tradeshows like ISA will continue to remain an important part of companies’ marketing plans, from our conversations with exhibitors, they are realizing the importance of rounding out their marketing efforts with a strong push toward digital marketing.
Advertising should be a year-round effort and not enough companies are utilizing the power of sites like Google, Facebook, Bing, & Linkedin to continue delivering their message to their intended audience. Many companies are ahead of the game when it comes to advertising their product, but fall behind in communicating their efforts with their target market through digital marketing.
What do you do with all of the contacts that you receive at the tradeshow? While you can reach out to them manually, you can also set up an advertising campaign targeted towards those individuals, so you remain top of mind. Certainly, you will have an influx of traffic to your website after the show, so how does that website perform? Is it mobile-responsive for people looking you up on their cellphones in the airport on the way home? Is it optimized to rank highly in search engines?
These are questions that have already started to be asked and answered by exhibitors and attendees alike. Nonetheless, there is still room for improvement, which is why working with a company such as ourselves is a great option for many.
Howell Studios at ISA International Sign Expo
Our team is super excited to see what the year ahead brings for the signage and graphics industry. We will continue to make sure our clients thrive and adapt to any changes that come ahead. Check out some of our shots of ISA International Sign Expo 2023 below!
In Summary
We had a blast at this year’s convention and look forward to next year’s ISA International Sign Expo in Orlando, Florida! If you find yourself looking for a marketing agency that knows the industry, can speak the language, and can get you in front of your target audience, consider giving us a call! We would be honored to work with you.
