Considering a video for an upcoming industry event? Clients often engage us to create corporate videos – sometimes called “screensavers” – to get attendees’ attention at a tradeshow, conference or convention. The tradeshow video is the perfect opportunity to show your brand in a new light that goes beyond the dry corporate presentation. I’ve assembled five best practices to help you rock your next tradeshow video.
 
1. Brand forward
First and foremost, your tradeshow or conference video should focus on branding. Think high-level brand messaging and imagery that grabs people and sends them off with a feeling about your brand or company. The goal is to move them to visit your booth, where they can get more details. This video isn’t about conveying lots of information – it’s about making viewers take action!
 
2. Loop, not linear
Many viewers will only see portions of your video as they walk by, or start watching the video after it’s started. Instead of a linear story, choose a seamless loop that delivers the right messaging and feel throughout the video. To make sure that people do see the call to action no matter when they’re watching, consider a persistent call-to-action in the lower third of the screen – “Visit us at Booth 288 today,” for example. 90 seconds is a good maximum length (although 60 seconds is better!).
 
3. Silence, please
When it comes to your tradeshow video, the best practice is no audio, no voiceover and no music! Let the imagery speak for itself. Conference and tradeshow halls are loud, bustling environments and you don’t want to add to the noise. Any sound is a bad idea since no one will be able to really hear it.
 
4. Big & bold visuals
This may sound funny, but visuals should be eye-catching, visible from across the room and somewhat vague. Remember, the goal is putting your brand front and center, so imagery should align with your brand. Use your most engaging visuals, either with motion or showing the hero product or people. What do you want people to remember ten minutes later?
 
5. Copy that’s crisp
The tradeshow video is NOT a PowerPoint presentation, so avoid long blocks of text that won’t get absorbed or even worse, will turn off potential customers. Copy should be intentional and polished, kept to short phrases and sentence fragments – close to the level of copy on an animated gif. The tone of the copy should match your brand’s personality. 
 
If you’re ready to get started on your tradeshow or conference video, my team at Signal is here to help.

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Jim Ellis has over 20 years of experience in marketing strategy and implementation throughout a variety of industry sectors. Since 1999 he has been with Signal, a digital agency based in Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina. Signal has proven strengths serving as the “local agency” for global companies, generating solid results in web design, brand identity, mobile app development, digital strategy and more. Jim provides counsel to many of the agency’s largest clients with an eye toward integrated communications and a vast knowledge of both traditional and modern practices. As a songwriter and musician with a business degree, he believes his artistic/corporate “dual personality” gives him added perspective to be an effective liaison between clients and Signal’s talented creative team. Originally from Ohio, Jim graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.S. in Business Administration.