Standing Out When Every Booth Looks The Same (with Jihan Donawa from Swoogo) | Ep. 1

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS!

Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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MASSIVE thank you to our Sponsor, Cvent!!

Cvent is an event marketing and management platform designed to help you plan, promote, and measure your events all in one place - whether they’re virtual, in-person, or hybrid.

Regardless of your size, check out Cvent today to get the tools you need to run smarter, more effective events.

Check out more at cvent.com/Jay

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🔗 Links

1. Jihan Donawa LinkedIn
2. Swoogo on Instagram
3. Swoogo Website

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Charlie from New Jersey asks the big question: how do exhibitors stand out when every booth looks identical? Host Kristin Nagle brings in Jihan Donawa to break down exactly how to stop blending in. Jihan shares why "play" is the missing ingredient on the trade show floor and how to transform a boring 10x10 space into a destination.

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She explains why you must train your staff to stop hiding behind laptops and how to use pre-show attendee lists to fill your schedule before you even arrive. Whether it is a hardware store theme or useful swag like mini toolkits, this episode covers the tactics you need to make your next sponsorship worth the investment.

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👤 Guest Bio

Jihan Donawa is the Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Swoogo. With 18 years in the event industry, she started her career as a registration coordinator and now helps event marketers utilize their data effectively. She is a central figure in community engagement strategies and frequently serves as the Master of Ceremonies for Swoogo's user conferences.

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✅ The Event Question

Charlie from New Jersey asks: "How can sponsors or exhibitors stand out when everyone's booth looks the same?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Lean into play: Use whimsy and fun to draw attendees in rather than just setting up a standard branded backdrop.
2. Commit to a theme: Design your booth intentionally, such as Swoogo's "hardware store" concept, which visually represented a tool in a planner's toolbox.
3. Work the pre-show list: Do not wait for foot traffic; contact attendees in advance to get your booth on their tentative agendas.
4. Rethink your swag: Invest in items people actually use and keep, such as mini tape measures, toolkits, or paint scratch-off cards.
5. Train your staff: Ensure team members stand up, close their laptops, and actively greet people rather than chatting among themselves.
6. Engage everyone: Pull people in with compliments or conversation, even if they are not the buyer, as you never know who they are connected to.
7. Verify your intent: Adopt the mindset that if the execution isn't a "hell yes" for your budget and brand, it should be a "hell no."

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Q: What are you embarrassingly good at that would never show up on your resume?

A: Jihan is excellent at puzzles, possesses great balance from her time as a Pilates instructor, and admits to being a high-functioning multitasker.