A healthcare company’s ability to attract and hold the attention of attendees on a busy tradeshow floor—with many other companies competing for time with the same healthcare professionals—is essential to success at those shows and beyond.
A Fundamental Change in Attendee Expectations
As the tradeshow attendee demographic skews younger, the expectations around digital engagement are changing. Not long ago, just having a lead collection tool or a basic game put your company at the forefront of the digital movement. Today’s attendees are looking for much more.
Younger healthcare professionals, in particular, want informative, interactive, and immersive digital experiences. Their impression of a booth and the brand behind it hinges largely on how well the company meets those expectations.
They want their interactions with the business to be streamlined and enhanced with a variety of digital capabilities, including:
- Data collection
- Interactive displays
- Multimedia content kiosks
- Non-interactive content
They still enjoy digital games, but not as the mindless distractions they often were in the past. They expect gamification to serve the dual purpose of entertaining them while making it easy to understand and remember who a company is, what its offerings are, and what differentiates the business from its competitors.
Engagement by the Numbers
How important are digital interactives to tradeshow success? They can have an enormous impact on the benefit a company derives from its tradeshow strategy.
By some estimates, having a more-or-less static tradeshow presence might result in a 1.5-2% lead capture rate. If any of those leads turn into new business, that’s certainly a win and, depending on the deal value, can justify the cost of attending.
However, having data collection tools and thoughtfully developed digital interactives in place, along with the right staff (more on that below), can, in our team’s experience, increase lead capture to an impressive 11-30%. That huge bump can significantly impact a company’s marketing and sales goals, especially across several tradeshows.
Interaction Is Essential
It is crucial to make the distinction between self-guided digital content and digital interactives. The former might get a booth visitor’s attention and keep them engaged briefly, but they will likely lose interest quickly.
A digital interactive experience, on the other hand, initiates an extended conversation and facilitates an effective marketing opportunity analysis.
Whether that interaction remains strictly between the attendee and the screen or brings in a company representative, it’s much more in-depth and productive.
The most effective exchanges tend to involve attendees immersing themselves in a digital interactive experience that makes them open to engaging with reps to learn more. At that point, the digital interactive assumes the role of a copilot, supporting the dialogue and providing data, visuals, etc., as needed and requested by the visitor or the rep.
The Vital Human Role in Tradeshow Digital Interactives
As noted above, digital interactives are powerful, but human interactions are also essential. You can have the most innovative interactive game or experience, but it won’t be used—or, at least, used to its full potential—without someone on the tradeshow team providing initial encouragement and then jumping into the conversation when appropriate.
That reality highlights the importance of thorough training of tradeshow teams. They must understand how best to use digital interactives to get the most benefit from them.
Real-World Impact: Examples of Effective Digital Engagement
At Slate360, our engagements with healthcare companies have demonstrated the benefits of leveraging digital interactives to connect with tradeshow attendees. That includes our work with:
- An ophthalmology medical affairs group. We collaborated on a unique “pay it forward” program. By working closely on the strategy and its multi-channel execution, we helped structure an inclusive initiative for the eye care community. The project demonstrated how digital elements can be woven into a broader engagement strategy to create a sense of belonging and build brand affinity beyond traditional product promotions.
- A leading pharmaceutical company. This project showcased the blending of physical and digital engagement. Recognizing the neurology community’s interest in golf, we created an interactive putting green experience that drew traffic to the booth, generated some friendly competition, and paved the way for conversations with company reps. Interactive kiosks gave reps instant access to relevant info, while RFID rebadging enabled effective follow-up.
In these projects, and many more like them, the digital interactive components were the foundation for results that greatly exceeded the client’s expectations.
Key Takeaways for Leveraging Digital Interactives Successfully
If you’re planning to integrate digital interactive elements into your tradeshow strategy or increase your use of them, keep these recommendations in mind:
- Start with strategy. Before implementing any digital interactive, clearly define your goals and determine how the tool will help you achieve them.
- Focus on facilitating conversations. The best digital elements are fun experiences that serve as gateways to deeper engagement.
- Carefully consider the user journey. How will visitors interact with your digital experience(s) from the moment they enter your booth, and what can you do to create a smooth, interactive experience?
- Ensure seamless integration. All of the elements in your booth—digital and physical—should work together to create a positive impression of your brand and offerings.
- Equip your team for success. Ensure your reps have the training and confidence they need to utilize the digital tools effectively.
- Collect actionable insights. Your digital interactives should gather information that helps you better understand your target audience.
It’s also to your advantage to work with a team like ours at Slate360 that has deep expertise and extensive experience helping healthcare organizations maximize the benefits from their tradeshow appearances.
Healthcare Tradeshows: The Future Is Bright (and Interactive)
Successfully engaging with healthcare professionals at tradeshows and events increasingly involves creating dynamic, informative, interactive experiences. Digital interactives, when implemented thoughtfully and in support of human interactions, are no longer a novelty but a necessity.
By embracing these tools strategically, you can move beyond just exhibiting and start truly connecting with attendees, generating interest in your offerings and building lasting, profitable relationships.