Challenging economic times are a powerful motivator for change, and the recent downturn has given birth to a reinvention revolution. Virtually every client I work with is looking for some way to change up the next meeting or event, that next BIG IDEA. The only consistent element around this trend is that every show organizer has his or her own interpretation of what reinvention means.
Reinvention can be cosmetic – changing the look, feel, even the floor plan layout to create buzz and update the show; possibly adding features or technology that appeal to those elusive millennial. It can also mean expanding the scope through co-location with another show, or by adding a virtual event to extend the life of a meeting. And, in some outlier examples, reinvention has meant “blowing up” past practices and changing the entire focus of a show in response to industry changes or pressures.
If you are pondering reinvention, remember to take a hard look at the real versus perceived value of any changes. If you aren’t already doing so, you should be surveying exhibitors, attendees and potential attendees in some fashion every show. Trends are changing too fast to depend upon old or anecdotal data. Input from exhibitor advisory committees can also drive meaningful change, provided the committee represents a cross-section of exhibitors, versus having a more political or honorary makeup. Engage your service partners (like GES) to give you feedback on what they see and hear, both at your shows and at others.
Do you know the shopping habits of your attendees? How much time are they spending on the show floor? Are they pre-planning their visits to target certain booths or product categories? Are they using a matchmaking service or mobile application if they are offered? Do international attendees have different needs? Do the patterns change when your exhibition moves to a new city or venue? What kind of purchasing power are they bringing to your event? Have the demographics of your meeting visitors changed?
Ultimately, the only valid driver of reinvention is to create value, making it easier for potential attendees and exhibitors to sell their participation in your exhibition or event to their management. ROI measurement is critical for all of your audiences; and if attendees are funding their own participation or making choices regarding the events they visit, ROE (Return on Experience—that’s the fun part of the meeting) may also come into play.
So the next time you are tempted to offer elephant rides or design rotating neon aisle signs, take a step back and ask yourself what audience is gaining the value from your investment—bells and whistles might only make noise. Change for the proverbial sake of change can be costly and misdirected; real reinvention will extend the life and breadth of your event.
By: Julia Smith
Do you want attendees to remember your exhibit long after the event is over? If so, key into something educators have discovered; the more senses you engage in your booth experience the more people will remember your message. People are classified as visual, audio or kinesthetic learners and all three types will be at your trade show. Here are some ways to turn your trade show exhibits into an experience for everyone who visits:
Visual
1. Get rid of the clutter. Keep the area clean and inviting. Push the tables & chairs to the side or take them down altogether. Make certain you have a large enough trade show booth space to properly display your information.
2. Graphics. Think about billboards – use eye-catching colors with text, photos or illustrations, but don’t be a laundry list of product specifications that no one will read… (that information will be listed in handouts). Strategically placed LED lighting should spotlight the boards.
3. Consider Other Dimensions. Strategically place lighting within your trade show booth space to highlight logos & graphics or create fading motion. Think about the type of carpet or flooring that relates to your brand colors and the sense of feeling when attendees step into your booth space.
Audio
1. Use repeating video clips that give an engaging and informative preview of the benefits your customer will receive from your product or service. Use engaging music in the background of the video which will appeal to a wide audience (and not drive your booth staffers crazy when they hear it all day long!).
2. If you have a live demonstration make certain the presenter is professional, entertaining, has a sense of humor and can actively engage the audience. You want this to be an enjoyable experience that will keep your product in the mind of the consumer long after the show has ended.
Kinesthetic
1. Use interactive technology. Create an interactive survey with booth staffers or a touch screen that helps to quickly qualify or disqualify attendees.
2. Products. Have products on hand that the customers and touch, feel and sample (kick the tires). A demonstration of how a product solves problems will be memorable for all attendees.
3. Rest and Relax. If you have a conference room or lounge, invite attendees to stay awhile, and while they re-charge, you’ll have the opportunity to extend your conversation.
4. Appeal to the sense of smell and taste. The scent of fresh cookies and coffee will travel even further than the sight of your trade show banners. Let their noses lead them to your booth area. They will be more than happy to walk around your exhibit and listen to the advantages of your products while they munch a cookie you have provided.
Pre-Show & Post-Show Marketing
1. If you don’t tell anyone that you’ll be at the show, how will they know you’ll be there? Consider drip marketing campaigns before the show, using multiple channels to drum up excitement & traffic leading up to the show date.
2. When the show is over, how will you continue the conversation and close the sale? Memorability decreases each day following the close of the show Follow-up immediately each night of the show to secure your meetings & next steps with potential customers.
Michael Flavin |September 14, 2011
Dear Show Organizer:
I realize you have a lot on your plate. The technology is coming at you so fast you don’t know which end is up. You must get a call a day from various vendors wanting to sell you their products and services while you’re trying to get your regular job done. I feel for you. Here’s a list of what I, Ms. Jane Q. Attendee, want from the technology you select for your shows. Maybe this will help a little.
Wi-Fi - Please settle this tussle between third-party Internet providers, facilities and yourselves. I understand the arguments from all sides (costs, signal interference, etc.) BUT if I can’t have Internet access on the showfloor for my iPad or my laptop, I’m going to use a Wi-Fi card or leave the show earlier rather than later. That said, if you’re going to offer Wi-Fi access to attendees, don’t make the login and password a secret.
Matchmaking Software – Rather than check boxes on a profile during registration (most of the time I am in the “other” category in terms of what I’m looking for), I want a free form text box that I can use to describe what I’m really looking for. I want matchmaking software that is smart enough to suggest matches that really suit my requirements – I’m not so sure that a keyword match will always do the trick. I’d like to be able to speak with a human (not to help me work the software) to assist me with meeting the exhibitors that meet my specific requirements.
Genius Bar – I want “neutral” folks to answer my questions about the various technologies that the show has selected for my edutainment. I want the location of the help desk to be clearly marked on the floor plan, and if I have to walk half a mile in heels to ask a simple question, I want to be able to tweet the Genius Bar instead.
Charging Stations – There has to be more charging stations for juicing up the phones, pads, and ‘puters that are part of the professional dress code these days. I realize that some forward-thinking exhibitors have included charging stations in their booths as a traffic draw, but it’s never the connector I need for my Android model. Plus, I want to be able to leave my phone at the charging station and come back later to get it – remember “Sack Sitters”? Can someone figure this out?
Social Selling – I would love a trade show floor with a “No Sales Pitch” zone. I would be intrigued to see how many exhibitors would sign up to be part of it. Here’s why: Everyone in that room wants and needs to maximize their efforts. Attendees want targeted information. Exhibitors want real prospects. Why can’t we both get what we want? In social media, overt selling is frowned upon. And what have we found out when a company shares instead of sells? They get more business.
Tweetups – I want show organizers to sanction and support tweetups by listing them on the Web site, helping to get the word out, maybe even including a tab on the schedule where attendees and exhibitors can add their own impromptu group get-togethers. I also want the show’s hashtag to be posted on the web site home page so that I don’t have to dig for it or guess at it.
Tutorials – I want a single Web page that tells me what technology the show has deployed, how it will benefit me and how to use it. I would love a single sign-on login procedure for everything using my LinkedIn or Facebook information.
Most everything that I want revolves around my portable smart device of choice. I want to distill the entire show experience into something that will fit (or balance) on the palm of my hand. That means that now more than ever you, Mr./Mrs. Show Organizer, have to keep mobile top of mind – from the optimization of the show’s website to the brevity of the content to the accessibility of the technology. I’m watching.
by Michelle Bruno President of Bruno Group Signature Events
You’ve got a small booth — 10-by-20 feet — and a budget to match. You’re getting ready to exhibit at one of your biggest shows of the year, an exhibition that’s jam-packed with big booths and big money. How do you get attendees to notice you?
1. Promote ‘Til You Drop
A targeted pre-show promotion is key to combating the disadvantage of size.
2. Focus Your Graphics
Every exhibitor needs graphics, but a small exhibitor’s graphics need to be more effective and more attractive than most. Your message must be clear and memorable to overcome the issue of size.
3. Do It Yourself — or Find a Way to Do It Cheaper
If you have the time and the know-how, try creating your own graphics. If you’re able to do some of your graphics yourself using the standard computer programs out there, you can save a great deal of money because you don’t have to pay a graphic designer and an advertising house to produce them.
4. Design for Change
When designing a booth, try to envision a variety of ways you can use it. This ensures that the final booth design will be configurable in a number of different ways, and it allows you to change the look of the booth from show to show and year to year —which makes the exhibit more competitive.
5. Think Outside the Booth
To stand out in a sea of exhibits, use scenery and props. At one major show, an exhibitor rented a 1932 Packard, which was parked in the center of the 20-by-20-footspace next to two lead counters and signs that proclaimed the company’s “long-standing affair with the automobile.” The Packard cost $2,300 less than the company’s regular booth rental, and increased the number of qualified leads by more than 35 percent over the previous year.
Exhibitor_eTrak, Mark Goldberg & Bob Burke
Trade shows can intimidate anyone new to exhibit marketing. The best course is to dive into the pool. The following tips — from the shallow end of the pool — will get you started.
10 Tips for any Trade Show Novice:
1. A trade show is neither a vacation nor a death sentence. Although it may feel like a death sentence during tear down.
2. Be nice to the labor. They can solve most problems or create headaches. The Golden Rule applies until they make you angry. When they do, contact your I&D labor provider or show management. Also, the laborer(s) in your booth didn’t write the hall rules. If you disagree with the rules, contact your I&D labor provider or show management.
3. Breath mints are more valuable than gold or platinum at a trade show.
4. Comfortable shoes are more valuable than breath mints, unless you’re wearing comfortable shoes and chatting with someone who clearly needs a large breath mint.
5. Rule of Three — This is a sad but true fact regarding labor at most trade shows. If three people are assigned to your booth, one person will be a star, one will be average, one will be a dufus. Hire nine people and you’re guaranteed to have three stars and three dufasses. Sometimes you get lucky, and the ratio works in your favor. Sometimes not.
6. No two shows are the same. Think of each show as a first date. Look your best and do your homework about the show, the attendees, and your competitors.
7. Every exhibitor has a “Joe.” He drinks too much, gambles too much, and wanders too much. He’s like the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, constantly circumnavigating the show hall. About a half a dozen times a day, you’ll wonder what happened to Joe. Five minutes ago he was sucking down his third espresso, leaning on the counter, and ogling anything with two X chromosomes. Suddenly he’s gone . . . again.
8. Be ruthless about evaluating your show graphics. Everything else is secondary. Replace them BEFORE they need to be replaced.
9. I Bet You 50 Bucks You’ll Forget One of the Following: wire management for the exhibit, cleaning supplies, business cards, belt (two belts in Las Vegas = one mortgage payment), lip balm (again, crazy, ridiculously expensive in Vegas), phone charger, your moral compass.
10. FINALLY, work with professionals, whether it’s a graphic designer, an exhibit consultant, or a certified trade show manager. Trade show exhibit marketing is a craft learned the hard way through trial and error. It’s easy to burn through a lot of money before you finally figure out what works and what doesn’t work. Don’t stumble through a year or two of mistakes when you can rely on experts who can save you time, money, and embarrassment.
Bonus Tips: For goodness sake, get some fresh air and a little sunshine once in awhile! Your mood will improve by a 1000 percent. And just once, put on the workout gear you bring to every show and never use. Exercise clears the head and refreshes the soul.
Source: Mel White
If you’re debuting a game-changing event, the same-old marketing and back-end services probably won’t cut it.
I recently consulted for a client launching a new hybrid show in a pretty competitive space. They felt their show and conference would differentiate itself from the rest of the competition in the marketplace by securing high-level speakers, thought leaders and disruptors.
However, when it came to using new marketing ideas for the event, they continually went with the status quo, responding to any new ideas with, “This is how our competition does their marketing so we should do the same thing.”
I also questioned them on their tech supplier (since customer service with that company was an oxymoron), their answer was, “Since they are our competitor’s supplier, they know the special needs of our industry. No one else will understand.”
This show and conference is held in a hotel. It’s got 7 or 8 educational tracks, keynotes in ballrooms and less than 100 booths, also in ballrooms. Sounds like at least a thousand other shows held around the U.S. on an annual basis, right? (Of course, you can’t tell the client that!)
What’s wrong with both of those attitudes?
1. Don’t pick a technology supplier just because your competition uses them. Do you want the same look and feel of your event as your competition? This is not to say that tech and other suppliers are incapable of doing creatively awesome work—but don’t base your supplier due diligence solely on what your competitor uses.
2. Pick suppliers that understand your needs. If they can’t deliver great customer service, get out quickly. There are a lot of great tech companies in the exhibition space. Why put yourself in customer service hell? Add performance indicators and customer service into the contract. Be clear in your expectations. For example, phone calls returned within 24 hours, etc.
3. Differentiate your marketing. If your event is unique, why market it the same way everyone else does in your space? Remember it’s all about the attendee! Communicate clearly. Understand that at least one-third of the people you are trying to attract may not know all the fashionable buzzwords in your sector. Deliver the message in clear and easy to understand language! If you aren’t sure, ask a friend not in your industry to read the proposed copy. If they don’t understand it, neither will a large segment of your potential attendees. Really. Trust me.
Does your marketing team know the difference between a benefit and a feature? Do you? Does all of your copy and communication answer your attendees’ question, “What’s in it for me?”
If you plan to challenge the status quo in your sector with your event and its programming, be thought provoking in your advertising and messaging! Compelling people to come to an event is getting more and more challenging—and controversy is not a four-letter word. Boring is.
Thursday, July 21, 2011 By Stephanie Selesnick, CEM
When exhibiting at trade shows, it’s important to understand the display options that are available. Before making a decision, be sure to educate yourself on the different types of trade show displays. Then you can choose the option that best fits your company’s needs and budget.
Trade show display booths include custom trade show displays, modular displays, exhibit rentals, pop up (or portable) displays and banner stands. All of these trade show display booth types can effectively market your business.
A custom exhibit can make all the difference for the company needing to stand out at a trade show. These custom exhibits promote your company through branded marketing so that trade show attendees immediately get a feel for the style, capabilities and professionalism of your company. Modular displays are elaborate trade show display booths that create the feeling of a product showroom or office space. These displays can include shelving, counter space or computer workstations.
Pop up and portable displays are relatively inexpensive. Made of lightweight materials, portable displays use components that assemble quickly and easily to create either tabletop or floor display booths. Because the materials are light, shipping is inexpensive.
A banner stand is a simple way to emphasize one portion of your business – a website, new product or literature type. Banner stands are retractable, lightweight for shipping purposes and easy to set up.
Exhibit rentals are perfect for companies that either do not exhibit at trade shows frequently or that want to try a trade show display booth style before making a purchase. These units are available to rent in a variety of configurations and can be customized with your own graphics.
March 14, 2011 | Posted in Trade Show Market
As pop up displays continue to defy their very name and nature with custom enhancements such as: wide screen monitors, cascading product shelves, lockable storage units and semi private meeting areas, your presentation options seem to go on for miles. Although pop ups can get you the visual “Oomph” you need, treatment of visual elements in a pop up display are somewhat different than a full blown custom modular. So, follow our show smart tips for having an outSTANDing pop up display.
Know your real estate
With a pop up display you’re working with significantly less visual real estate to communicate your brand and services than in a full blown custom modular. You have to be more selective of the messaging that you are using and maximize the little space that you have.
Keep it clean
Since you’re working with smaller amounts of hardware and graphics than a custom modular unit, maintaining your presentation is essential to your audience’s perception of your brand. Wrinkled or dingy trade show display graphics will show and tell your brand in a bad light. So, Show Smart and switch out your trade show booth graphics from show to show so that it gives you ample time to perform any repairs or maintenance. Make sure to always bring a hand held steamer and cleaning supplies for un expected hiccups during set up.
Watch For Wordiness
Although communicating your value proposition is important to letting prospects know what services/products your company provides, anything that takes longer than 3 seconds to read is simply TOO long. You want to be able to captivate your audience in 2-3 seconds using one seamless power packed presentation. Make sure that your messaging has corresponding graphics to ensure your pop up isn’t too copy heavy.
Stay Solid
While stylistically, transparent typeface paired with bold print can add dimension to your messaging and graphics, it’s challenging to see from a far and can overwhelm your viewers. A general rule of thumb taken straight from our free white paper, Graphics that Work, is that you should place your text on a contrasting back ground that’s not too busy.
Picture perfect
In the world of exhibit design, less is more. Cluttering up your pop up with unnecessary imagery that you think will draw attendees to your trade show booth, will do the exact opposite, and send prospects straight to your competitors.
Be Stand Offish
Actually, stand off trade show graphics can give your pop up display just the added lift and dimension that it needs. You can also switch the order of the stand off graphics from show to show or even replace them with different stand offs to accommodate your campaigns.
by Nomadic Display
One of the many tasks that each Exhibitor is faced with on the first day of every trade show, is the customary visit from a representative from show management. They stop by every exhibit space to let each exhibitor know when they are scheduled to choose a booth space for the next year. Typically exhibitors who have exhibited for consecutive years, and with larger booth spaces have the ability to choose booth spaces before new exhibitors can. If faced with choosing a booth space for the first time, this task can be daunting! Here are a few trade show exhibitor tips that will help make choosing a booth space much easier in the future.
How to Choose a Booth Space:
• Look for the Entrance of the Hall – as this is where the most consistent attendee traffic is. The closer you can be to the Entrance will help fuel regular booth traffic.
• Know Who and Where your Competitors’ Booths are – depending on your industry, your relationship, the the comparable size of your booth space in relation to your competitors, you may or may not want to be right next to them. But you may want to be close enough that you can keep an eye on their booth traffic. Regardless of your strategy, be aware of who and where they are on the show floor before choosing a location.
• Be aware of any Featured Areas on the Show Floor that you may want to take advantage of. Sometimes exhibitors will be grouped into categories or pavillioned areas that may draw attendee traffic, or there may be a featured exhibit specific to the show that may attract a majority of the attendees. Education areas, smartphone charging areas, and new product areas are also a traffic draw. Depending on how the show floor is structured, different areas of the floor may have more traffic then anticipated.
• If the Floor Plan indicates a marking such as a triangle, square, or circle, and is not detailed, ASK for clarification! Choosing a booth space with one of these indicators near it could mean a large column, or some building design feature that could impede the entire design of your booth structure – as you need to have room for those digital video walls you’ve invested in! If there are any questions about what any markings are on the floorplan that cause uncertainty, do not hesitate to confirm what these markings are.
• New exhibitor to the show and all the “good spots” are taken? Take all of the above into account, pick a booth as close a main aisle as possible, close to an industry leader, or near a food station. If you are not happy with your booth space, as the show draws closer, check with show management for cancellations. Very often the floor plan changes, and by communicating to show management about a desire to change booth spaces, an exhibitor will very often have the ability to update a booth space to one they will be happy with.
by: Gallo, May 24, 2011
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