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Here are five very good reasons to ditch monitors and rent touchscreens instead.
1. Active Engagement
Here’s the big, obvious reason to use a touchscreen: engagement. When you’re competing for the eyeballs of thousands of people at a trade show, this is the magic ingredient. Offering something interactive, rather than passive, is going to stand out and could get that all-important buzz going. That’s got to be better than people watching half of a slide show, and then wandering off.
Opening the conversation with a delegate is often the toughest part of capturing a lead in person. If you have an engaging experience to offer, you’ll find that they voluntarily enter the space, which facilitates that crucial first touch and can lead to better conversations.
2. Diversity of content
When you consider all of the things you can do on a touchscreen, and the fairly limited range of things you can do with a monitor, the touchscreen sells itself. Again, this is about a one-dimensional passive experience versus a multi-layered immersive one.
Rather than a slideshow on a monitor, you might want to think about a interactive product portfolio, or a quiz or game. Or you can simply ask people to try out your new app on a big screen.
Here’s the real benefit: the more experiences you can offer, and the more creative you are with those experiences, the more likely you are to stand out, be remembered, and make connections.
3. Moving with the times
When Apple first launched the iPad, the tablet computer was largely considered to be a flop. The concept had been tried and tested by Microsoft seven years prior. But for most consumers, it was a hard-sell. This is certainly no longer the case, particularly among young people who have grown up with a touchscreen in their hand for longer than they’ve used a PC. Our advice? Tap into this trend.
For many of your business customers, the touchscreen is their primary digital interface. By aligning yourself with their natural preferences, they’ll feel able to get involved with the content you’re showing them.
4. Creating a buzz
Maybe a giant video wall with a video still raises an eyebrow at business events, but generally no one takes a second glance at a monitor displaying a looped video or PowerPoint presentation. Meanwhile small touchscreens are carried in the pockets of most of the delegates at trade shows. But big, beautiful touchscreens are still relatively rare. Most of us don’t have touchscreen TVs at home or even in the office. So in the world of corporate events, touchscreens – with the right interactive content – cause a stir.
Typically, the most popular sizes for rented touchscreens are 42” and 55”. They’re big enough to create a wow-factor but still easy enough for individuals to use. There’s a place for a giant 80” touchscreen, but the average person won’t be able to reach the top of the screen, so think about how they will be used! A 42” or 55” touchscreen can run in landscape mode like a TV, or in portrait mode, like a smartphone. When you imagine the spectacle of a 55” screen running a touchscreen game, or displaying a website, you can quickly appreciate why businesses are gravitating towards them.
5. Anything a monitor can do, a touchscreen can do better
For anyone who is still doubting the advantages of a touchscreen over a monitor, it goes without saying that anything a monitor can do can be matched by a touchscreen. If video content or a presentation is all you want to show a touchscreen wins hands down.
Why? First of all, with slick curved edges and tablet-style designs, touchscreens look better. Moreover, with a monitor you have to find a way to plug in that USB stick, laptop or external PC to run your content. But the latest touchscreens have integrated PCs so you can run content right from the desktop. There’s no messy cables or laptop shelves, and no chance of losing that USB stick on the first day of your event!
Touchscreens vs Monitors: the Verdict
The humble monitor has served us well, but for situations where you really need to engage and impress, it’s fast becoming an outdated format. The touchscreen has more than proven itself as a worthy successor, capable of delivering cutting edge experiences and giving your customers and leads something exciting to talk about.