Trade show days can be long days, so it’s smart to entice attendees over to your exhibit with some refreshments they’ll use as a much welcomed pick me up. There’s a right way and a wrong way to offer refreshments as part of your trade show exhibit experience, and a few tips before making this a part of the attendee experience you’re offering are:

• • Get to know the venue rules first – Every trade show venue will have different rules and regulations in regards to serving food and beverages. Before incorporating refreshments into your trade show exhibit experience, make sure to clear whatever you may want to offer first. You may need written permission to serve refreshments, you may have to offer enough for every guest in attendance, you may only be allowed to provide certain types of food or beverages, and there may be no refreshments allowed at all. Knowing the rules ensures you have a successful experience.
• • Consider aroma – Nothing will draw attendees over to your exhibit quite like a scent they cannot resist. When choosing your refreshments, opting for those that have an enticing smell is an excellent idea. A few failsafe picks include fresh cookies, coffee, muffins, tea, and breads.
• • Don’t get messy – Even if your brand is teaming up with an up and coming barbecue sauce, that doesn’t mean a trade show is the time to dish out samples. Consider what attendees will be doing for the day at the trade show, and choose your refreshments accordingly. Neat foods ensure guests can enjoy a bite without worrying about wearing the proof for the rest of the day. Avoid messy foods like powdered donuts, saucy items, or food that’s likely to stain in favor of easy to eat bites like pretzels, finger sandwiches, bagels, or cookies.
• • Keep it quick – Trade show attendees have a lot to see throughout the day, and while you might want them to spend as much time as possible at your booth, they have a schedule to maintain. Quick bites they can finish in just a couple of minutes are preferable to refreshments that they can’t bring with them or take longer to eat.

For more on creating a welcoming and exciting exhibit at your next trade show, contact Lighthouse Exhibits today.