Create a Free QR Code for a Trade Show (Bonus: Best Practices)

Replacing physical brand assets with QR Codes for trade shows reduces clutter and creates a compelling brand engagement. 

It’s easy to create a QR Code free for your trade show. With Beaconstac’s platform, you can make one in three steps: 

With trade show QR Codes, you can experiment with various content formats such as videos, images, websites, etc., all the while minimizing the need for physical assets. 

Read on to find out how to create a QR Code free for a trade show, which type of QR Codes to choose, and some handy pointers to create successful campaigns.

Table of contents

1. How to create a QR Code free for trade shows?
2. Types of free QR Code campaigns
3. Free or paid: the right choice to create a QR Code for trade shows
4. QR Codes for trade shows: 3 creative use cases
5. Best practices to consider to create a QR Code for trade shows
6. Frequently asked questions

How to create a free QR Code for a trade show in 3 steps

In this example, we are demonstrating the process to create a trade show QR Code for a website URL: 

Step 1: Go to the Beaconstac QR Code generator page, choose “URL” as the campaign type, and paste your link

URL is the default option when you land on the Beaconstac QR Code Generator. You can paste your link in the box below “Website (URL)”. 

Step 2: Customize your QR Code design for brand alignment

You can customize your QR Code design from a range of free options to meet your branding aesthetics. 

Note: Some customization options, such as adding logos and tweaking eye colors and styles, are enterprise-only features. Moreover, you can access other free customization options, such as template styles, pattern colors, data patterns, and frame styles, after signup.

Step 3: Download the QR Code for use

Post customization, you can download and deploy the QR Code in your trade show collateral. The image will download in PNG format. Other formats, such as JPG, SVG, PDF, and EPS, are available after signup. 

6 types of free QR Codes you can create for trade shows

If you want to create QR Codes for one-time use or small-scale campaigns, you can use free static QR Codes. Some content formats you can experiment with this type of QR Code are: 

1. Website URLs: If you have a software-related product or online offering, effortlessly share your online stuff with trade show attendees. 

2. Social media channels: Prompt trade show attendees to connect with your social media channels via a QR Code scan. It is the easiest way to retarget them later with your brand updates

3. PDFs: Have marketing collateral, such as product brochures, how-to guides, etc., in PDF? Simply connect PDFs with QR Codes and make them accessible with a scan

4. Email: Make emailing your business as simple as scanning a QR Code and hitting the send button. Make pre-written emails accessible to trade show attendees with QR Codes

5. SMS: Like emails, make sending SMS to your organization as simple as scanning the QR Code. Let attendees connect with you easily

6. Plain text: Want attendees to see your business on Google search? Simply embed your branded or ranking keyword or keyphrase in a plain text QR Code. Upon scanning, attendees land on a Google search result page with that keyword or keyphrase 

Static QR Codes are free; you can create them from Beaconstac’s QR Code generator page. Once you decide the type, check out our guide on how to create a free QR Code.

If you want to engage your customers with more immersive content, you can explore other content formats too. Here are some examples: 

1. Images: Presenting your portfolio of amazing interior decor works at the event? Let trade show attendees scan your image QR Code to see your hard work in action!

2. Forms: Gather invaluable customer feedback, insights, and sentiments—on-field or later—via surveys, quizzes, and questionnaire forms embedded with a QR Code

3. Audios: Have a business-focused podcast? Want more people to listen to your podcast? Simply install your audio QR Code in your stand with a CTA and let attendees scan to listen 

4. Digital business card (vCard): Take networking to the next level by turning prospects into future customers. Share your contact details—through a URL, a QR Code scan, or via Apple Wallet and Google Wallet—with digital business cards. 

5. Restaurant menus: Want to unveil your new menu to a wide audience? Looking to measure customer sentiment about your menu? Convert your restaurant menu PDF into a QR Code and share it with your trade show attendees. 

6. Landing pages: If you have created a stunning and detailed landing page about your product or service, it’s easy to take it to your audience. Create a QR Code from your landing page and encourage users to access it with a scan. 

You can create these with dynamic QR Codes. They are ideal for large-scale, recurrent campaigns. 

To explore dynamic QR Codes, you need to sign up for a 14-day free trial on the Beaconstac platform. 

Free vs. paid QR Codes: make the right choice to create a QR Code for a trade show

It’s common to be confused between free (static) and paid (dynamic) QR Codes. 

Both QR Code types are helpful depending on your use case. However, the difference lies in the features they offer. 

Static QR Codes are limited in scope since you can use them to link only one content, for once! Moreover, you won’t be able to track or gather customer insights from them. 

Dynamic QR Codes, on the other hand, are more flexible in nature. With dynamic QR Codes, you can: 

1. Edit the destination URL and change the content as per will
2. Track the QR Code scans for mining critical location, frequency, and demographic data
3. Retarget potential customers through Google and Facebook ads
4. Use multiple types of content to engage trade show attendees
5. Deeply customize your QR Codes to match them with your booth’s theme

For this reason, going ahead with dynamic QR Codes (available after signup, with plans starting at $5 per month) are always preferable to get more control over your trade show campaign performances. 

How to use QR Codes for trade shows: 3 creative ideas

QR Codes for trade shows have plenty of use cases for your brand. Here are three of them: 

1. Share product information

Convert your brand collaterals, such as brochures, websites, images, PDFs, etc., into shareable QR Codes. Cut through the clutter and make product information sharing easy with your trade show attendees by directly delivering it on their mobile devices. 

2. Stay in touch with your customers over social media

Convert your social media channels into QR Codes and prompt attendees to scan to follow. Post-event, reconnect with people who scanned your QR Code during the trade show. Use QR Code retargeting to deliver your brand updates later in their social media feed via Google and Facebook retargeting.

3. Gather customer feedback

Create a feedback QR Code to make collecting customer feedback fast and easy. Did your customers like your product? Do they have any suggestions or improvements? With these insights, optimize your product and improve your customer experience. 

Best practices to follow before creating a QR Code for a trade show

You’re all set to kickstart your trade show QR Code campaign. 

You’ve created a QR Code for the trade show and decided on the type of QR Code you want to go ahead with. 

The following best practices will come in handy before you launch your campaign.

Create a successful QR Code campaign for a trade show with Beaconstac

A QR Code generator such as Beaconstac offers a world of opportunities to make the most of your trade show events. 

Create free static QR Codes to drive online traffic via your trade show booth. 

The dynamic QR Codes offer much-needed flexibility, such as the ability to edit and track your QR Codes at will. 

Moreover, if you plan to scale up, you can create bulk QR Codes for big trade show events without hassle. 

The cherry on top: your workflow will be smooth with the support of over 2000+ integrations, including Zapier and Make. 

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I create a QR Code for an event for free?

You can create a QR Code for an event, such as a trade show in three steps: 

1. Go to the Beaconstac QR Code generator page and choose your preferred campaign type
2. Customize the QR Code design as per your branding preferences
3. Download the QR Code in the available format

2. How do you use a QR Code at a trade show?

You can use QR Codes for trade shows in various ways, such as linking them to your product landing page, social media channels, or feedback form. 

3. How do I get customers to use QR Codes at trade shows?

You can announce that you’ll use QR Codes for your trade show on your social media channels before the event happens. During the event, you can place your QR Codes prominently so that it’s easy for customers to scan. You can also provide clear instructions on how customers can scan the QR Codes and mention clearly the deliverables they will receive on the other end. 

• Author Details

Author Details

Suhotra Roychoudhury

Suhotra is a content marketer who has always been interested in how technology is rapidly changing the modern world. Presently, he is documenting the growth of QR Codes as a solution to bridge the physical and digital worlds. His insights help brands integrate QR Codes into their marketing strategy successfully. You can find more of his work around QR Codes here. When not documenting or writing, he loves photography and cycling.

https://blog.beaconstac.com/

[email protected]