In recent weeks, we have seen an explosion in demand for our exhibition units and trailers for food and drink sampling event programmes. A competitive grocery sector and organisations looking to increase their budgets to capitalise on consumers’ appetite for new products has been great news for the experiential sector, however it has meant that agencies and brands are now having to work even harder to make their activation truly unique.
When planning an event, one of the best ways to attract customers and gain a competitive edge is to secure the very best equipment. You need to ensure that your equipment is not only fit for purpose but also leaves a memorable and positive impression on target consumers. Below we have shared some of our top tips to help you plan the perfect sampling event for your customers.
Think about the size and scale
One of the first things you need to think about is the size and scale of your sampling presence. This will allow you to define the amount of space you require and any constraints of your sites. For example, in order to secure a great spot with plenty of footfall, you may have to consider scaling down your presence. Site size is a really important factor in the planning process.
Focus on your aesthetics
The aesthetic of your event structure will be absolutely critical to the success of your sampling project. Our primary advice is to keep it open and accessible by utilising an exhibition vehicle that delivers this.
Far too many food sampling roadshows have a high counter, making staff visibility and sightlines to consumers extremely poor. In order to offer customers a great experience at your activation, you need to choose event equipment that gives staff access to your customers and allows them to effectively communicate and engage with them.
Think outside the box
Just because you’re organising a food or drinks sampling event, it doesn’t mean you have to use a traditional food sampling vehicles. There are plenty of other suitable event vehicles available including exhibition trailers and upcycled shipping containers, which will be much more suitable for your event.
Use exhibition vehicle selection as a way to customise you food sampling tour and really make it stand out. With an explosion in street food vendors across the length and breadth of the UK, consumers are becoming more used to seeing creative and unique environments to prepare and dispense food, so capitalise on this.
It is absolutely vital that the experiential and sampling sector responds to recent trends by providing environments that are equally as impressive. If they fail to exceed their customers’ expectations with their event environment, they risk being seen as out of touch.
Planning a food sampling event? Give your customers somewhere to sit down and try your food properly.
Extend your environment
Hiring an exhibition unit or exhibition trailer for your sampling event is recommended, but it doesn’t mean that you have to rely on this alone. By extending your environment, you can make a greater impact on your customers and give them more of a reason to stick around after they’ve picked up their sample.
For example, you can create a seating area, where customers can sit down and have a drink, whilst they sample your products. Giving customers somewhere they can sit down and socialise, whilst they enjoy your product, will make for a much more positive event experience. It will suggest to customers that you have really thought about their needs and is likely to make them enjoy your samples more, as they will be able to sit down and savour them properly.
Experiment with unusual environments
Everyone expects to find food sampling at supermarkets, so why not change things up a bit and make it more exciting? By choosing an unconventional environment for your food sampling event, you stand a great chance at attracting an audience and captivating them with the element of surprise. You will also find that choosing unusual environments for your event is likely to lead to much lower costs, allowing you to achieve a higher return on investment.
For more information on our temporary event structures including self-drive units, roadshow trailers, mobile showrooms and customised containers get in touch with The Events Structure team today on 0161 821 1010.