The Role of In-Booth Entertainment

In-booth entertainment is an opportunity to communicate a message in an informal, relaxed and fun atmosphere. It is an effective tool to use to attract attention to your display because in most cases you are making an emotional appeal to gain your audience’s interest.

Often visitors are inundated with information that’s hard to absorb. Entertainment provides a welcome break from the information overload at the show. However, rather than distracting the visitor from the booth’s objective, an entertainer can prepackage information in a format that is fun, easy and participatory.

One concern shared by many exhibitors is attracting the wrong visitors to the booth. This is the entertainer’s second responsibility. Entertainers are an extension of your sales staff. During the show they will encourage interested visitors to venture into the booth and ask questions. However, the need for entertainment and sales support must be carefully balanced. When the entertainer goes too far to one side they lose their credibility.

In-booth entertainment can be anything from a stand-up magician to a complete floorshow. It can include clowns, mimes, magicians, caricaturists, singers, drummers, jugglers, acrobats and so on.

Entertainment is a tool that nearly every exhibitor can utilize, regardless of booth size. To maximize its effectiveness the message must be clear, relevant and tailored to the audience. Whichever style of entertainment works best for you, it is crucial that the entertainment itself is customized to your unique needs.

When engaging entertainment professionals, be sure they become well acquainted with the products or services you are featuring as well as your overall exhibiting objective. Then let them choose the tricks, songs or skits that best help you accomplish your objective while entertaining your audience.

It is crucial that your marketing messages are integrated into the entertainment otherwise there is no business value in it for you.

Before your show, hold a rehearsal where you invite key staff. The purpose of this rehearsal is to make last minute alternations to the entertainment package.
There are three types of entertainment suitable for booth performances: theatre style, aisle and roving.

Theater style needs space. Think about an automotive display at a car show with a choreographed stage show, dramatic lights and sound and cars driven back and forth across the stage.

The aisle is a more typical approach in which an entertainer or group of entertainers is positioned strategically in the booth to capture the attention of people walking by. This could be a sole magician or a large ensemble.

Roving entertainers can be clowns, magicians or other people who wander throughout the show talking to visitors, entertaining them or giving samples. Some shows prohibit roving entertainment, so check with your show manager first.

In-booth entertainment is a great addition to any exhibit plans. If it is planned well, it can provide that extra pizzazz that will help you stand out among the other exhibitors.