e93d043d-22c8-4627-a6ba-40709b57f6dd

[giscus[bot]]

e93d043d-22c8-4627-a6ba-40709b57f6dd

How to get the most out of your event booth by executing across three areas: the space, the people, and lead capture and conversion, so your sponsorship spend actually turns into leads.

https://www.ssw.com.au/rules/event-booth-success

[andrewwaltosssw]

I think that tailoring the booth setup to your goals is important as well. Interested only in promotion and getting a name out then have games, merch, competitions, etc to get a buzz going. If the goal is having fewer but deeper connections like conversations about how we can solve your problems, then the booth should be calm and inviting.

[brookjeynes-ssw]

Having people at the booth that are ready to talk with and open are the best kind of booths. People don't want to feel intimidated, they want an open conversation.

[Calinator444]

I think the most important thing about a booth is to have some kind of catch that grabs people's attention. The flappy bird game at the YakShaver booth had a lot of people coming up to us for chats and led to us making some valuable connections.

[TobyChurches]

Honestly, They way that you initiate conversations is by far the most important. Being confident, a little bit of 'funnelling' small talk into the target conversation is essential. If a conversation opened with a sales pitch I would not be interested. But if it was a 'down to earth' conversation to turned into a sales conversation I would be genuinely interested. For introverted personalities (Which can be common in tech 😂) I find that you need to build that sense of trust, where they can ask questions, otherwise its less of a chat and more of a lecture (one sided).

Also - A firm handshake is EXTREMELY important in my opinion. A limp handshake projects a lack of confidence.

[kulesy]

The most important attribute at a booth is being friendly and open to conversation. Seeing a booth where everyone is chatting away and lively, would be a great look.

[designbyalex]

Approachability is the big one for me. Opening with a sales pitch is the fastest way to get a "no thanks" and a quick walk-away. I'm much more likely to stop if there's something interesting going on - an interactive game, challenge, or live demo. It gives me a low-pressure reason to engage without feeling like I've committed to a pitch.

[chrisschultzssw]

The people are the most important attribute of the booth!

The rule seems to contradict the video - the good example for an opening question does not match the "What questions do you ask" section in the video.

[MarcusIrmscherSSW]

There are so many aspects to running a successful booth, but friendly and welcoming booth staff go a long way.

[bahjatalaadelssw]

Don't be overly excited, always try to observe and match energy. And free stuff or a big prize, SSW Rewards blew up at NDC Melbourne because of the grand prize.

[RobJT-wq]

I think the most important attribute for staffing a booth is approachability

[sam-s-maher]

Not trying to push an agenda, just to engage and interact with people. The ones that want to know more about SSW will let themselves be known.

[0xharkirat]

1. Use the games to draw people in

When the talks break and people start spilling out, start playing the game yourself, whether that's Tap Yak or tossing yaks into the tube. People notice, get curious, and come over to ask if they can try. For attendees who are watching from a distance, don't wait, walk up and ask "want to give it a try?". The game does most of the work for you.

2. Reference a session they were in

If you attended a session and recognise the speaker or someone from it, lead with that. "I caught your session yesterday, the karaoke slide was great, takes guts to do that live." It's specific, genuine, and instantly puts them at ease. From there, glance at their lanyard, ask about their company, what they're working on, and the conversation flows naturally.

3. Close with a personalised LinkedIn request

I always ask before sending them LinkedIn invite, "I am wondering if I can send you the LinkedIn Invite to connect" They always says yes, and then when you do, personalise the invite, mention where you met and what you talked about. A generic "I'd like to add you to my network" gets ignored. "Great chatting at NDC about your team's migration work" gets accepted.

[micsblank]

Having more than 1 person at a booth (2-3 ideally). Allows versatility, breaks, back up and to cover more ground in high impact times.

[edkranz]

It's important to just have a normal conversation with the users. Don't force the product down their throat, just have a chat, and then segue naturally

[micsblank]

Having more than 1 person at a booth (2-3 ideally). Allows versatility, breaks, back up and to cover more ground in high impact times.

[jimmy1992abc]

Having attended and run booths before, one lesson I’ve learned is that a booth should be designed to demonstrate value and attract attention, not simply to “generate business.”

For SSW, the main focus should be traffic flow and exposure, rather than the number of leads collected. This is more like a marketing event: if we get enough visibility and create enough interest, the right people will naturally come over and start conversations.

Conversely, very few people will approach a business with an empty booth unless they already know the company. In that case, we are likely only reaching people who were already aware of us — not expanding our audience.

My tips and lessons to share with new people:
Keep a big smile😀, proactively talk to people passing by👋, and offer something free🎁🧧 to create an easy reason for them to stop and engage.

[landonmaxwell]

It's also good to think of it from the view of the punters - what would make you approach a booth, and what sort of interaction would you want to have? Then try and match that energy

[Aibono1225]

Haven’t done a booth yet - I think the most important thing is to be approachable and prepared. You should know the product well enough to explain it simply, and know when to pass deeper questions to the right person

[Pravino24]

Friendly staff with a warm smile does work. Looking available vs looking busy makes a big difference.

[Berber-Mama]

Can't agree more! Everyone should know this rule before joining the event!

[Berber-Mama]

Make sure everyone's briefed on the talking points beforehand. This includes the TV crew, marketing person or an admin—it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation. Since we’re a small team on-site, every interaction counts. Even if you’re just handing a guest over to a tech expert, make it happen.

[stephanfakossw]

I believe the most important thing is to man the booth with friendly and engaging people (think Marina and Uly)