4 Key Tips for Trade Show Video Displays | Episode 036

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Since it’s trade show season, we figured it might be good to give you a double-dose of trade show episodes! Now that you’ve gone over last week’s session on emails to prepare for your trade show leads, let’s talk about your actual booth and trade show video displays at the show. Are you going to have a video rolling? You should. But don’t just try to pull in your corporate clips from YouTube!

Here are four key tips to prepare your video displays for any trade show.

• Plan a video specifically for the show ahead of time.
• Prepare captions or graphic text.
• Make it big and tall.
• Use a reliable video format.

1. PLAN FOR IT AHEAD OF TIME

Give yourself enough time to prepare your video months in advance. A lot of companies assume they can just use a video they already have, but they don’t think to edit it to make it more ideal for a trade show setting.

Video at a trade show should never be treated like some sort of afterthought.

If anything, if you ever create a new corporate video, you should consider having the editors create an additional “trade-show-friendly” version as part of the contract. But what would a trade-show-friendly video look like?

2. PREPARE CAPTIONS OR GRAPHIC TEXT

Trade shows tend to be loud, so you can’t rely on sound to communicate your message.

Some videos have such clear messages illustrated by icons or animations that they may not need audio or text, but most corporate videos probably do. If yours is one such video, consider asking your production company for a second version of the video that has graphic text built in.

Another option is to burn a set of captions into the video so that viewers can read along. If you go that route, there are a few ways to get the transcripts.

• You can order them yourself;
• Have the production company order them; or
• You can use editing programs or even Youtube by yourself.

3. MAKE IT BIG AND TALL

It needs to be able to catch the eye of passersby.

You can still play it on tablets or computers where people can come interact closer, but trade shows are also about drawing attention from a distance. That means using a big HD screen that can show off the incredible quality of your video.

4. USE A RELIABLE VIDEO FORMAT

• A USB
• An HDMI connection w/a computer
• An old-fashioned DVD

Never, ever rely on an internet video. Bring your own copy.

A patchy connection could not only ruin streaming, but it could also affect your display as well and keep your expensive HD video from looking…well, HD.

If you use a USB drive, just copy the .mpeg or .mp4 or .mov file onto the drive and then plug it into the television if your TV has a port.

Another reliable option is to use a HDMI cord to plug in your computer; then select “Input > HDMI 1” on your television. Your computer screen should appear on the monitor. Then play the video on a loop.

You can also bring DVD as a last resort. But unless you have the ability to create a BluRay disc, that expensive video burned to your DVD isn’t going to be in High-Definition anymore.

In general, just try to eliminate as many independent elements to your process as possible, so you can eliminate extra chances for things to go wrong.

 

 

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If there’s a particular topic that you’d like for us to talk about, or if you have a particular a challenge that you’d like us to take a crack at, send us an email. We’d be happy to answer them for you – and if your topic gets picked for a future episode, you’ll win a free IndustrialSage t-shirt!

 

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