Trade shows are a whirlwind. Between the LED-lit booths, relentless badge scans, and the ever-present promise of free swag, it’s easy to assume your exhibit is doing all the heavy lifting. But here’s a little industry secret: Some of the most valuable trade show interactions happen outside the booth.
Whether it’s a coffee chat at Starbucks, a high-impact speaking session, or a brilliantly executed off-site event, smart brands aren’t just waiting for attendees to wander into their space. They’re finding ways to connect — beyond the booth and beyond the ordinary.
To get the inside scoop on how to make the most of these beyond-the-booth opportunities, we spoke with Victor Torregroza, Events and Experiences Program Manager at Intel.
Spoiler alert: The booth is just the beginning.
Beyond the Booth (Without Abandoning It)
Before you get any wild ideas, this isn’t a call to ditch your booth and set up shop in a hotel lobby like a rogue entrepreneur. Some of the best beyond-the-booth strategies actually work in tandem with your exhibit or speakership — amplifying your presence, not replacing it.
When Intel made waves by moving off the CES show floor in 2020, they didn’t just disappear into the Las Vegas night. They still maintained:
- A conference presence through a high-profile speaking session.
- A listing in the exhibitor directory so attendees could find them easily.
- Show floor access via VIP tours of partner booths & invitation-only access to Intel’s private space in the Venetian.
“The booth is still a great hub,” says Victor. “But some of our key customers never make it to the show floor because they’re in customer meetings. The biggest missed opportunity is not finding other ways to engage with them.”
Translation: If they can’t come to you, go to them.
Simple, Smart, and Low-Stress Ways to Engage
Let’s be real: Not every brand has the budget (or patience) for a private rooftop soirée featuring a celebrity DJ and artisanal hors d’oeuvres served on ice sculptures. The good news? You don’t need all that.
Some of the best beyond-the-booth engagements are low-key, personal, and refreshingly simple:
- “Let’s meet for coffee.” A morning Starbucks meetup can be just as effective as a conference room, minus the awkward PowerPoint transitions.
- “Join us for a happy hour.” A casual drink after a long day on the show floor can turn a potential lead into a trusted business relationship.
- “Rise and shine!” Kick off your day with us at breakfast Host a short topical chat with key customers and executives over breakfast. Nothing fancy. Keep the vibe casual, topical and informative, discussing top trends and topics with your respective executives and customers and experts over breakfast.
- “Let’s take a walk.” If your VIP doesn’t have time for a sit-down meeting, take a short walk-and-talk around the venue. No Wi-Fi issues, no interruptions — just a solid conversation.
- “Book a private dining room.” If you want to scale up your engagement, consider buying out a restaurant for two hours or reserving a private dining room. Bring in your top two or three most compelling product demos and invite a handpicked audience of key prospects, customers, or partners. It costs more than coffee or a happy hour, but it creates a focused, high-value experience that lets you interact with multiple high-priority attendees at once.
If it’s easy and natural, people will show up. If it requires a 45-minute shuttle ride through rush-hour traffic, they probably won’t.
“I personally don’t want to get on a shuttle bus across town, and then come back to my hotel late at night,” Victor says. “If it’s too complicated, people won’t come. The easier you make it for them to engage with you, the more successful you’ll be.”
Speaking Sessions: The Best Free Marketing You’ll Ever Get
If there’s one way to instantly position your brand as a thought leader, it’s through speaking engagements. These sessions offer:
- A platform for thought leadership. Get your experts in front of a highly targeted audience who actually want to hear what you have to say.
- More visibility for your brand. A session puts you in front of attendees who may never visit your booth (even if you’re giving away the best tote bags in the hall).
- Content that keeps working for you. A sizzle reel of key takeaways can be repurposed for social media, sales meetings, and post-show follow-ups.
How to Secure a Speaking Slot
Landing a session isn’t as simple as raising your hand and hoping for the best. Here’s how to stack the deck in your favor:
- Plan ahead. For major trade shows, speaking slots are often locked in nine to twelve months in advance.
- Work closely with show organizers. Event planners want high-quality, insightful content. If you pitch a timely and relevant topic, they may find a spot for you.
- Look for earned speaking opportunities. Not all sessions require a sponsorship. If you have a staff member who is an expert in a trending topic, they might land a session without paying a dime (which is as good as trade show ROI gets).
- Find a niche that attendees care about. A generic sales pitch won’t cut it. Attendees want insight into hot topics within your industry.
- Bring a customer. Want to make your session instantly more credible? Feature a real-world user of your product. “When you bring in a customer, it rounds out the story and adds credibility,” Victor says.
If you can’t land an official speaking slot, host your own panel at your booth or an off-site venue. Either way, get your experts in front of the right people.
Creative (and Slightly Bold) Ways to Stand Out
Beyond-the-booth engagement doesn’t always have to be a formal event. Sometimes, it just takes a clever idea and a bit of nerve. Here are a few standout tactics:
- Curated Experiences. Work with local businesses to curate special experiences. That may be a special morning breakfast at a coffee shop or in the conference center.
- Sweet Treats. Work with a local bakery to curate custom creations with your logo and share them with your customers during the meetings.
- Local Business Takeovers. A brand once took over an entire ice cream shop, making it an experiential marketing magnet for attendees and locals alike.
- Experiential Pop-Ups. Apple recreated a TV show set in Grand Central Station to create a buzz-worthy moment that tied into the launch of Season 2 of “Severance,” where cast members spent three hours tidying their cubicles, working at their desks, and chatting.
The golden rule? If it makes people talk about your brand, it’s working.
Final Takeaways: The Three Keys to Success
When asked for his best advice for trade show managers looking to maximize their investment beyond the booth, Victor summed it up perfectly:
- Keep it simple. The easier it is for people to connect with you, the better.
- Make it memorable. Whether it’s an intimate coffee chat, an exclusive VIP experience, or a creative activation, make it something people will remember.
- Make it emotional. “Go beyond their title,” Victor advises. “Find a way to connect on a human, emotional level—something they’ll share with friends and family.”
- Make it musical. Hire local artists or musicians from the local school to perform a special set or curated music.
By thinking beyond the booth — but not outside of the show entirely — you can create stronger connections, more engagement, and greater ROI from every event you attend.
