hat makes a trade show attendee stop and stare usually has little to do with your lead- management system,transportationand drayage plans, or even giveaways. More likely than not, people break stride near your booth because of a promotion they've received or one that's happening right before their eyes. Sure,an exhibit with more high-tech wizardry than Google Glass will attract a few gawkers. But if you want your audience to pause and talk shop, you need some potent promotional tactics to attract their attention.
That is why EXHIBITOR magazine pays homage to the power of promotional marketing with its Sizzle Awards. The competition celebrates successful exhibit promotions and provides readers with tested tactics to add to their exhibit-marketing arsenals.

Our panel of judges met in Dallas to scrutinize entries in nine categories. Throughout the day, jurors kept two overarching criteria top of mind. Winning entries needed to rival Steve Jobs in terms of creative genius, and contain enough measurable results to prove the promos delivered hard-core dividends.

Jurors had also established a preference for inventive concepts paired with impeccable execution. Take the "earth harp" from Global Experience Specialists Inc. that helped increase leads by 328 percent. The instrument was created by connecting harp strings to the exhibit-hall ceiling 45 feet above. Tied to the company's Art & Science of Engagement theme, the harp was part of a one-of-a-kind performance.

Similarly, judges raved about the product demo from Polk Audio (a division of Sound United LLC). To demonstrate the sound quality of its headphones, Polk positioned a live band inside a soundproof booth in its exhibit. It then broadcast the concert to attendees through its headphones, a tactic that averaged 110 demos per hour.

So hat's off to this year's winners. Featuring unique techniques that garnered rock-solid results, these promotions offered the perfect combination of sizzle and substance.

Sizzle awards judges
Jarrod Fitch, CTSM, marketing communications manager, Tuttle & Bailey, a Division of Air System Components Inc., Richardson, TX; Amanda Helgemoe, founder, Nuvista Event Management Services, Dallas; Paul Maynard, director of events and relationship management, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Dallas; Susan Shuttleworth, exhibit-marketing consultant, McKinney, TX; Jeannine K. Swan, president and owner, Global Exhibit Management, Fort Worth, TX