Content is King

A video pitch is most effective if it is an eye-catcher that delivers pertinent information and not just a drone of data delivery. A follow-up verbal message from a booth staffer provides you the opportunity to receive more feedback from the visitors and address their specific needs. Without proper content planning, a video could be what Macbeth called “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” In other words, one can spend a lot of money capturing eyeballs that don’t connect to a brain. You want your sales pitch to be retained by your visitor long after the trip home. Videos should be full of relevant content, signifying useful information.

Ideas on video

Video, with its constant motion always attracts attention. It may not be interesting and, thereby, not effective, but, it will always attract attention if it is a major part of your display. The challenge is to make it interesting enough to hold some eyeballs longer than 5 or 10 seconds, because, the thing about a video presentation is that it is fixed and doesn’t vary so it is always the best, mistake-free pitch you can present. The downside is that a video message is fixed and doesn’t vary, so it can’t read the instant feedback from your visitor. On balance, a video presentation is an excellent way to capture eyeballs. Your challenge then is to interact with the visitor immediately after the video viewing or during the viewing if the visitor has questions or loses interest. During the viewing you should act as if this is the first time you have seen the video pitch. This helps the visitor maintain focus and he or she doesn’t feel like you are studying them while they are studying the video. Make the video as large as your space will allow. Bigger is better for an arresting sales pitch and for stopping power.

Take advantage of any relevant sales videos available from your vendors. Combine the video on a separate background screen or side by side with your locally produced video. This method provides a more dynamic, active presentation while adding credibility and gravitas to your local operation. The more professionally produced promotional video reinforces your message and adds substance. However, if both videos are used simultaneously, don’t allow both audios to run at the same time as this would be distracting and undermine both messages. If appropriate to your message, use the audio from your vendor as it will be more professionally produced. The trade show environment is noisy so you may run superimposed text subtitles across the bottom of your video. Usually, it is difficult to ignore information across the bottom of a video.

You can make your locally produced video appear to be a part of your national vendor’s video (with their permission) by positioning the two videos together. Create a video wall or a large panel monitor for the professionally produced video and position a smaller video monitor screen in the middle of the video wall or large screen. The smaller monitor, appearing to be embedded within in the larger screen would present your local message. The center video would be surrounded by a background video that presents one or more vendor videos to support and enhance your locally produced video.

Note: Go-pro and most current HD video cameras have approached the high definition of professionally produced videos so there will be little or no video quality drop-off between your local video and your vendor’s dealer video.

The aspect ratios (relative width/height) should be the same for both video sources. Generally, this can be accommodated with some video editing.

A video wall made of an array of monitors will add big impact to a small space.

Standard video mounts in this design add a custom element to standard portable banner stands being used as background graphics.

If space allows, create a relaxing environment for your video presentation. In this setting, a sales pitch doesn’t feel like a sales pitch, yet, invites your booth staff to interact and gain access to the visitors interests and needs.

Next > Planning for Trade Show Success

A well-produced video can dominate an exhibit, even in a small space.

Combine your supplier’s professionally produced video with your locally produced video to add interest and credibility to your local operation.

Eyekon OutRigger displays make it easy to combine your supplier’s national video with your local video to add impact to your business. Our OutRiggers can also be used anywhere in your exhibit space as freestanding displays.

Bigger than life or smaller than life, video can create an environment that would otherwise not be possible to “immerse” your visitor in the environment.

An interesting video can “take you there,” especially when reinforced by a theme display that immerses the viewer in an environment.

A separate viewing area that is not completely private serves to attract attention yet provides a degree of isolation from the distraction of the rest of the show. (Illustrated above and below).