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Post Link: Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015: The Best Trade Show Marketing
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015: The Best Trade ShowMarketing
A couple weeks ago, Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015 wrapped up in Salt Lake City. After heading out there with a colleague to check out the show and talk with exhibitors, we decidedto highlight some of the best booths and marketing strategies at the show.
With scores of competing brands on the trade show floor, marketing teams have come up withingenious ways to attract attendees to their booths. From show specials and games/prizes toeye-catching signage, exhibitors at Outdoor Retailer pulled out all the stops to show off theirproducts and increase brand awareness. Here’s a list of some of the best examples.
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015: The Best TradeShow Marketing
1. Stanley: Taking Advantage of Airspace
Stanley, the legendary brand of durable food & beverage gear, gets major points for one of themost eye-catching aerial booth displays at the show. When it comes to booth design, exhibitorsneed to take advantage of not just their floor space, but also the space above everybody’s
heads. Stanley’s giant floating replica of their classic thermos alerted attendees to exactlywhere their booth was in the crowd.
2. Surftech: Great Signage
Surftech attracted booth visitors with some really great signage this year. VP of Marketing Rob
Farrow took the time to design this Surftech sign himself. It was a real labor of love, and thework paid off. The bold design, lighting, and graphics definitely attracted more people to theirbooth.
3. Altra: A Living Demo
Altra, a top brand of high performance running shoes, highlighted the comfort and durability oftheir footwear by having runners––clad in Altra running shoes, of course––running constantlyon elevated treadmills above eye-level.
Every time I passed the booth, there were runners on those treadmills, bringing “live demos” toa new level. For a brand that prides itself on testing their shoes to ensure comfort, “whetherrunning for 30 minutes or 30 hours,” this was a great way to showcase that brand DNA.
4. Sierra Designs: Game as Booth Draw
Sierra Designs creates high performance camping, alpine, and backcountry gear and apparel,including light, breathable rainwear that “vents,” allowing airflow even while wearing a pack.
Taking full advantage of the play on words here, Sierra Designs invited attendees to “vent” theirfrustrations on an old-fashioned whack-a-mole game. With the promise of prizes, attendeesstepped up to try their hand at the game. It was an effective, creative way for the brand toattract attendees to their booth and drum up conversations.
5. Nite Ize: Best Refreshment Stand
After 3:00, Outdoor Retailer tends to go into party mode. There are a ton of booths handing outfree booze, and you have to get creative if you want to stand out. One of those stand-outs wasNite Ize, a brand of high performance LED flashlights and other innovative products. The NiteIze booth was indeed giving away free Margaritas, but the way they did it was unique. Booth
attendees got on bicycles, started pedaling, and blenders started whirring. It was a memorable,interactive way to get people engaged.
6. Osprey Packs: Trivia & Theodore Roosevelt
At the Osprey Packs booth, an actor portraying Theodore Roosevelt (who created five national
parks in his time as president) was asking a series of challenging National Park trivia questions.He threw Osprey-branded patches to attach to backpacks, and those who answered a questioncorrectly got a free Osprey pack.
This was a great way to take advantage of people's’ competitive spirit and knowledge, whileassociating the Osprey brand with a respect for the outdoors and a celebration of our country’snational parks.
Osprey was also running a show special, selling a new pack called the Skimmer 24 for just $40(the pack retails for $100). They sold out extremely quickly, as this product hasn’t beenreleased to the public yet. The special was a great way to generate hype for a new productamong taste-makers in the industry.
7. Keen: An Extensive Brand Footprint
Footwear brand Keen had one of the biggest booths at the show. The brand’s presence wasalso made known by a long line snaking around the booth. With a show special running forshoes at just $30, the line drew attention and only got longer as the show wore on.
Keen also brought attention to their brand with this seating area, situated far from the mainbooth. At a long trade show, all you want is a place to sit down and relax. Keen offered thatexperience, creating a branded space for anyone who wanted to take a rest. It was a great wayto increase their brand footprint at the show.
Concluding Thoughts
There you have it. Some of the best trade show marketing at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market2015. Marketing aside, there was a definite theme around all the conversations that I had withexhibiting brands this year. Most of these conversations seemed to revolve around service asthe most important competitive differentiator. Brands want to figure out how they can becomebetter partners to their retailers and deliver the best possible service. It’s something to thinkabout, as products are increasingly commoditized in today’s competitive market.
Of course, no feature on Outdoor Retailer would be complete without at least one mention ofRed Iguana, one of the best reasons other than Outdoor Retailer to head out to Salt Lake City.Their mole is a rite of passage for all trade show exhibitors and attendees. This year, I wasreminded once again that the Queso dip is not meant for two people.
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