After wandering among thousands of stalls spread out over convention halls larger than football stadiums, hunting down thirty (mostly probiotic products) and drifting into countless others through either simple attraction or plain exhaustion, one notices trends.
Paleo, probiotics and protein are uber-popular in 2015. Gluten-free too. Organic mostly, non-GMO many and geared to the educated consumer, the new products predict a healthier population of the future. Vendors big and small populated the Natural Foods Expo West in sunny Anaheim last March to market their products to retailers and many consumers.
They were mostly amazing. Some were missed or avoided. In that spirit here are 5 Surefire Ways to Repel People from your Expo Booth. Next week stay tuned for Rules of Attraction.
- Find beautiful young models to stand out front with samples. OK, this probably does work for men but they won’t be discussing or remembering the black bean humus with all that eye candy.
- Accost the visitor with a big hello from across the aisle. If that person is standing back, there is a reason.
- Pepper the visitor with questions when they step into your space. The retailer is doing a quick sizing-up (overload, remember) so best to wait for their questions. A smile and soft hello is nice.
- Act disinterested in your product. Stay on the smartphone. Four days of booth-sitting may border on torture so best to rotate staff. Even the most sociable need a break.
- Decorate with too much product but don’t give anything away. A sample is nice. Full-size is heavy or unwieldy and may be wasted. A discount coupon or free trial could work.
Small complaints these are. The expo is crazy fun, deliciously exotic and a must-see. Go.
Part II
Next, stay tuned for Rules of Attraction.