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Linking Up: How to Create an Interactive PowerPoint Deck with Hyperlinks

If you’re exhibiting at a trade show or convention, you need to set up a booth that can catch everyone’s attention. We talked about how to make video loops in the past. This will give people passing by your display a brief introduction to your brand. When that catches their interest, provide more information with an interactive presentation deck. You can easily create on through the use of PowerPoint hyperlinks.

PowerPoint hyperlinks allow you to jump to specific slides quickly. It can also serve as a command to switch to a second presentation or open a different document. Here’s a quick tutorial to go about it:

Step One

Start by creating your presentation as you normally would. Add an initial slide you’re planning to use at a trade show should start with a slide that will serve as a “homepage”. This is where you’re going to put all the hyperlinks that will lead to specific parts of your presentation. Forgo the usual title slide for a homepage slide instead.

Step Two

When you’ve finished building your deck, go back to the first slide. You can use any object as a PowerPoint hyperlink. It can be a picture, shape, or text. Whatever you decide to use, arrange them in any way you like. Just keep in mind that you should have an object to correspond for each part of the presentation you want to link to.

Here’s an example so you can visualize it:

powerpoint hyperlinks 01

Step Three

Now that you have your objects arranged, you can start making PowerPoint hyperlinks. All you have to do is to select the object you want to use, right-click, and choose Hyperlink.

powerpoint hyperlinks 03

 

If you want to link to a particular slide in your presentation, choose Place in This Document and select a slide from the list. If you want to open a different file or a web page, click on Existing File or Web Page. You can also link to your email address so visitors can easily send in their details.

powerpoint hyperlinks 02

Important note: If you’re using a different computer for the trade show, make sure you transfer your presentation and the files you want to link to. Keep everything in one place to make this step easier for you.

Step Four

When you’ve finished making each hyperlink, don’t forget to give it a test run. You don’t want broken links when people start viewing your presentation deck.

That’s it! It doesn’t take a lot to create an interesting experience for your prospects. All you have to do is think outside the box. Consider making an interactive presentation for your trade show booth. Practice using PowerPoint hyperlinks. Soon, you’ll be building even more complex and professional-looking slides.

 

Featured Image: Elco van Staveren via Flickr

9 Trade Show Tips for a Flawless Outcome

Trade shows, conventions, and other similar industry events offer countless opportunities for your business. These events allow you to learn current trends in your field and outdo your competitors.

But more than that, they’re a great venue to showcase the best of your brand. As startup CEO David Adelman pointed out, a few days in an industry event allows you to achieve what could take months of cold calls and emails. To get the same results, we’ve compiled 9 trade show tips to help you out.

Pre-Show Planning

Success comes from careful planning. Our first three trade show tips will help you smooth out details before the big event.

trade show tips: planning
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1.) Set your goals. Participating at trade shows is an investment, so you need to be aware of what you want to achieve. Are you looking to promote a product you’re launching? Are you hoping to meet industry professional and potential clients? List down the outcome you want to achieve and this will help guide you make decisions along the way.

2.) Do some research. Not all trade shows are created equal. Make sure the trade show you’re signing up for is the best match for your brand. Before you commit to anything, look through websites and past programs to help you determine which event matches your goals. Choose shows that can help you reach out to key decision makers to get the best ROI.

3.) Prep your team. Gather your team and have regular meetings to plan and prepare for the trade show. Trade show exhibits are a lot like presentations. Aside from the visuals, you need to be able to engage the crowd with good delivery.  This won’t happen unless all of you are on the same page. Discuss your goals and train your team long before you’re slated to attend the event.

Exhibit Set-Up

Once everything has been set in place, it’s time to prepare your visuals and display. Here are trade show tips to guide your exhibit set-up.

trade show tips: exhibit set-up
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4.) Don’t be caught unaware. Get in touch with the organizers and learn the specific details about your exhibition space. Learn more about the layout and technical requirements to avoid any unpleasant surprises. You don’t want to be setting up your booth only to find out that there are no electrical outlets near your assigned space.

5.) Make a trade show loop. Aside from decorating your booth in subtle colors that match your brand logo, you should also have a trade show loop set up. Crowds at industry events won’t spend more than a few minutes in each booth. A trade show loop can quickly show those just passing by what your exhibit is about. You can use PowerPoint to make one. You can read our tutorial here or ask the help of our professional PowerPoint designers.

6.) Be organized and creative. Draw the crowd’s attention by keeping your booth organized, but with an element of fun. Your display will be easier on the eyes if you arrange your materials in levels. Place smaller items up front and larger objects at the back. Arrange your flyers and brochures in a place where people can easily reach for them. You can also display a portfolio so others can learn about your past projects. These are usual things for a trade show booth, so don’t forget to integrate something new. It’s common to offer giveaways at a booth. Most exhibitors like to give office supplies. Deviate by coming up with something more creative with a care package, or food.

Networking

Engage the crowd by giving them a pleasant experience. These trade show tips are useful for networking with prospects.

trade show tips: networking
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7.) Utilize social media. Most big industry events will have a strong online presence.  Even for smaller shows, organizers will likely integrate the use of social media. If this is the case, tweet about your involvement using the trade show’s official hashtag. This will serve you two ways. You can draw attendees to your booth if they see your tweet in the event’s live feed. It will also give your followers a chance to get a glimpse of your exhibit, even if they’re far away.

8.) Make conversation.  It’s important to strike up a conversation with those visiting your booth. It doesn’t have to be too long. Chat up people who stop by your exhibit, using the opportunity to introduce others to your brand. Don’t forget to exchange business cards. You should also have some press kits prepared, just in case someone from the media stops by.

9.) Don’t forget to follow up. Connect with contacts you’ve made right after the trade show. Write an email with a personalized message. Use the opportunity to re-introduce  them to your company. Frame it in a way that relates to their own interests. Learn more about making follow-ups here.

Industry events are the perfect venue to introduce your brand to potential customers or clients. Make sure you put the best foot forward. Follow these trade show tips and you’ll meet a successful outcome.

 

 

Reference

Adelman, David. “10 Simple Tricks For Getting More Out Of Conventions And Trade Shows.” Forbes. Accessed August 18, 2014.

 

Featured Image: Think Geo Energy via Flickr

Powerful Presentation: Creating a Captivating Trade Show Video Loop with PowerPoint

Trade shows are a great opportunity for several things. Big industry events like it allow you to study the latest trends in your field and learn more about your competitors. Most importantly, it gives you the chance to showcase your company and demonstrate your latest products and services. For this reason, you’ll need to make a great impression on your target audience.

Your goal is to make others want to get to know your brand better. For starters, you’ll need to work on a booth that will attract plenty of visitors.

One way to do that is by projecting a trade show video loop. This way, passers-by can easily get the gist of what you want to say in just a short while.

You can make a trade show video loop by using PowerPoint. There’s a function that allows you to create self-running presentations. But your booth needs more than just a bunch of slides running again and again.

Here’s a presentation made in PowerPoint 2010 that can help you set up your own looping videos for trade shows.

How to make a PowerPoint loop for trade shows

powerpoint loop options

Step One: Go to the Slide Show tab and click on the Set Up Slide Show option.

powerpoint loop slide show

Step Two: Once the dialogue box appears, choose Browsed at a kiosk (full screen) under Show Type.

powerpoint 2013 loop rehearse timing

Step Three: You can begin setting up the timing of your presentation by selecting the Rehearse Timings option, still on the Slide Show tab. Keep in mind that once you click on Rehearse Timings, the program will begin timing your presentation immediately.

powerpoint loop 03

Step Four: A small toolbar will appear on the upper left side of your screen. You can customize the way you time your presentation in this section. In the image above, certain icons are numbered to guide you. Click on: #1 to move on to the next slide, #2 to pause, and #4 to repeat; while, #3 shows you the slide time, and #5 shows you the total time for the presentation.

powerpoint 2013 loop timer

Step Five: Press ESC on your keyboard if you’re satisfied with the timing. This will prompt the program to ask you if you’d like to keep the slide timing you recorded.

There you have it! Use these looping slide shows to engage people on-the-go during trade shows. You might not be able to pitch to them as they pass by your booth, but an interesting enough presentation that speaks for itself just might pique people’s interests and stop them in their tracks.

If you’re looking to become really impressive, it needs a sleek design that matches your company’s core message. It’s more than worth it to ask for help.

 

Reference

Trade Show Booth Ideas That Attract Visitors.” Trade Show Ideas. Accessed June 19, 2014.

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