Trade Show Display Advice

By: Barry Siskind

Within five years trade shows will be completely paperless is a prediction I heard at a recent conference. When I passed this idea along to some of my clients, they balked, saying,

“How will we get our information to our customers if we don’t have literature at the trade show booth?”

“Visitors want to take away literature.”

” What impression am I making by not having literature to hand-out?”

If this is starting to sound familiar then perhaps its time to re-think the purpose of your exhibition and look at a different strategy for execution.

Firstly, an exhibit at a trade show is not simply a means to disseminate literature. A trade show display is a physical environment where you, your customers and prospective customers get together to find solutions.

As your customer base gets younger (Gen X’s), the need to talk about the features of your products and services at the booth decreases. This audience is comfortable receiving their information on-line. They belong to social groups where they discuss products and services. They have likely already seen your information when they visited your web-site and most likely saved, bookmarked or downloaded what they need.  It is futile to give out further printed information at your trade show booth.

Secondly, there is the cost consideration of excess literature at your booth. This can be measured two ways: the fiscal cost to create and print the piece and the space it takes for storage.

The fiscal cost can be a major investment ranging from a few cents to many dollars. In order to get the maximum R.O.I. on your literature investment you need readership. Yet, studies have proven that nearly ninety-five percent of all literature taken from a trade show booth goes unread. This lack of readership makes the investment incredibly difficult to justify. I am not implying there is no need for literature, but the savvy marketer needs to find other methods of distribution that guarantees the most number of readers, and a trade show booth isn’t it.

To address the cost of storage, try this experiment. Calculate the total cost of your exhibit and divide that number by the number of square feet or meters you have secured. What you quickly realize is that using precious exhibit space to store literature is very costly. When you equate this cost into your investment in creating the piece you see how difficult it becomes to justify the investment.

One last consideration is the cost to the environment. Studies have proven that people are more prone to do business with companies who have taken positive steps towards environmental stewardship. Excess paper in your booth sends the wrong message.

The solution is to rethink your strategy for presenting information. In a world where nearly 70% of the population in developed countries is wired, electronic dissemination makes sense. At a trade show, reminding your visitors of the URL where they can get information rather than a hardcopy brochure makes a lot of sense.  You can accomplish this by using a promotional product such as a pen, key-chain or memory stick. Now your booth staff can give visitors a gift which accomplishes two goals: it’s a positive reminder of their visit and a reinforcement of the value of the information that waits.

Will trade shows become completely paperless in five years? I hope so. There are so many advantages to all of us if they do.

A unique way to boost sales traffic to your trade show display booth is to hire a magician. The increased traffic will generate more leads for you and it can boost your sales potential! It can also help your marketing and sales team  stay energized. Our friend, Magic by Randy specializes in delivering your company’s message in a fun and memorable way. Check out his video below to see how magic can add an extra spark to your display!

By: Barry Siskind

Looking at the return on your exhibit investment often has to do with monetary gains. But what if you are among the many exhibitors whose objective has nothing to do with sales?

Are these exhibitors doomed to a life of never knowing whether their exhibit program is yielding value? The answer is “no”. Corporate and not-for-profit exhibitors can enjoy a non-monetary value of their exhibition program if they know where to look.

The 2009 Center for Exhibition Industry Research study called “The Cost Effectiveness of Exhibition Participation reported that over two thirds of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the following three statements:

• Exhibitions increase corporate and/or brand recognition,

• Exhibitions assist in gaining/retaining market share,

• Fewer sales calls are needed with an exhibition lead because the decision maker was able to meet with staff at the exhibition.

The conclusion was that there is additional value to a show beyond the ability to generate leads. Exhibitors who focus on lead generation alone look for a return on investment (ROI). Exhibitors who focus on non-monetary objectives look for a return on objectives (ROO)

Calculating ROO is a matter of taking the following steps.

1. Articulate your objective

Non-monetary objectives include such things as your ability to reinforce relationships with existing customers, introduce a brand message or create awareness. The trick is to think carefully about what is the primary focus of your exhibit.

2. Identify who the message is for

Except in the case of a highly focused show, rarely will one message be of interest to all the attendees at a show. It is important to create a profile of the person who will most likely respond positively to your messages.

3. Quantify

Putting a number to the objective is simplified once you have completed the first two steps. Your quantified objective now reads, “I want to introduce three key messages to fifteen senior buyers of large chain store.

See how clear it can become?

4. Determine your performance indicators

You now need to ask the question “How will you measure the results?” The answer to this question is in your performance indicators which are the tools you will use for measurement. Performance indicators can include such things as surveys, post-show web-traffic, or appointment with qualified buyers. Choose the performance indicator that makes most sense for measuring the specific objective. When you change your objective you may also need to consider changing the performance indicator.

5. Establish your benchmarks

Benchmarks are an important consideration with non-monetary objectives.  Benchmarks provide you with an objective method of measuring improvement.  Let’s say that your non-monetary objective is to reinforce brand awareness and you choose to measure it with a survey of trade show booth visitors. Before visitors leave you should ask them a few pointed questions which will reveal their perception of your brand before they entered the trade show booth and the change in their perception after the visit.

Let’s say that at a show you found an increase of 20% in visitor’s awareness of your brand message. The next time you go to this show you now have a benchmark which you can use when making changes to your display and your booth personnel’s approach. You might target to increase the percentage or leave the percentage the same but at a lower cost.

You may always have thought that there was real value in your exhibit program. Now you have a way to prove it.

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Once you have made the commitment to market your products and /or services through trade shows you need to make sure that you are getting the most for your investment. Trade shows can be an effective means of advertising and generating sales, but unless you develop a plan to carry out your trade show, it may not be as beneficial to your organization as it could be. Here are some tips to make sure you are getting the most out of participating in trade show events:

Before the show:

1. Determine the image you want to portray at the trade show event.

Just like creating a business plan you need a plan when participating in trade shows. Talk with your marketing/advertising personnel to make sure that the themes you have in print advertising and literature are the same ones you want to portray at the trade show event. Keep the focus the same (usually big ticket items or the primary product/ service you are offering) and make sure your messages can be conveyed easily to a new prospect. Most people walking by your booth look at it for five seconds and determine if it is of interest to them – make sure you get the prospects you want to stop at your booth.

2. Determine how you are going to utilize your show space.

The bigger the space you have the more area you have to show your products and services. Some people just want to hand out literature and start with a skirted table. Others have either an 8’ or 10’ display with some shelves and graphics to display their products and services. Still others go custom with larger spaces that allow them to have several “areas’ within their trade show exhibit booth to showcase different products and/or services.  How you utilize the space is dependent on the message and image you want to convey to the potential prospect. So for example, if you want to convey the message that you are the number one company in this market – your space better be large and bold.

3. Understand the exhibitor manual guide to the show

The exhibitors guide can help you understand how to conduct yourself at trade shows and what you can and can not do with your booth space.  It should also provide you with a list of companies participating (who could be prospects as well) along with a floor plan and a schedule of when the show floor is opened.  Try to get your booth space in the corners, entrance ways, or anywhere near high traffic areas. You want to see a steady flow of traffic by your exhibit booth.

4. Have a meeting well in advance to the show to prepare.

In order to make your trade show participation runs effectively you need to make sure that you communicate your plans. Make sure the right sales people are available to work the booth, determine what you will hand out to the prospects, get a display purchased or rented, and make sure you have the booth area decorated to match your advertising theme and image.

5. Set objectives and measure the results

Once your plans have been set you need to establish how the results are to be measured. It can be as simple as “one closed sale” to collecting 50 “A” leads.  Make sure you identify what an “A” lead is and if possible document that information at the show. Determine who and how you are going to follow-up on all leads. Are you sending out literature, contacting all leads, or a combination of the two?  Whatever it is, make sure you determine how you are going to measure the success of the participating in any particular trade show event.

During the show:

6. Quickly qualify potential customers

As prospects come to your booth be prepared to ask them some qualifying questions that will help you quickly determine if the person is a good candidate for your products and/or services. Once you determine if they are a good candidate make sure to collect their contact information either through a business card or lead retrieval system and then document on that card information about your conversation for future reference. Do not try and collect everyone’s business card, focus on the ones that are interested in what you have to offer and fit the criteria of a strong prospective customer.

7. Don’t just hand out the literature to anyone

Most literature at trade shows is never read. It is sometimes more prudent to provide a one page flyer or to offer to send the literature via email or mail. Even better to ask if you can hand-deliver the prospect a brochure after the show and have a meeting to discuss the information in more detail. Regardless, limit the amount of literature you hand out at shows.

8. Create a “trade-show demo”

Instead of standing around asking the prospect sales type questions, it would be more beneficial to create a “trade show demo”. The demo could be a rehearsed list of your products major features and benefits that can be communicated to a prospect in less then five minutes. Make sure everyone at your booth can recite this demo for any prospect.

After the show:

9. Follow-up on the qualified leads you obtained.

Call each qualified prospect (as identified in the beginning of this process) and arrange a follow-up call or meeting. You need to make sure you call them within a week of the show while you are fresh in their minds.

10. Conduct a post show evaluation

With everyone’s input that worked the show, find out how you can improve on your company’s participation in future trade shows. Did your booth attract the right audience? Was your booth strategically placed?  Did you ask the right questions and obtain qualified leads? Should you participate in this show again in the future – or look for new shows with a different target market? How did you compare against your major competition?
Using these simple tips can help you better market your products and/or services through any trade show event.  Good luck!  Contact us if you are interested in learning more at www.thetradeshownetwork.com

By: Barry Siskind

Last month I posted a question on the TSEA (Trade Show Exhibitors Association) Group/Linkedin about the use of promotional products. Forty-five comments later and the discussion is still going strong. Comments ranged from those who thought promotional products were a waste of time and resources to those at the other end of the spectrum who found them very useful.

Tote bags, pens, mouse pads, lanyards, CD’s, note pads, candy, gizmo’s for your computer, stress balls,  luggage tags, buttons, pins, card holders, golf tees, sweat bands, mugs… don’t you just love it? Lots of people do. Ask visitors why then attend certain shows or what they remember best and they say – “all those cool giveaways.”

Ask them what they remembered more, the give away or the exhibitor, and nine time out of ten the answer is the give away.  So, does the investment in promotional products at a show make sense?  Sure it does. But there is more to making a promotional product work.  It’s serious business and requires some intense thought.

A study by the Promotional Products Association International reported some interesting findings:

Of the people who received a promotional product in the last 12 months,

• 76% could recall the adversities’ name
• 52% did business with the advertiser
• 52% had a more favorable impression of the advertiser after receiving the item.
• 34% had the item on their person

The advertising specialty people like to use cost per impression as their method of measurement. A study by the Advertising Specialty Institute found that bags topped the list with a staggering 1,038 impressions per month per bag given away. Caps were next with 476 per month followed in descending order by shirts (365), writing instruments (363), business accessories (294), glassware (251) and calendars (227).

The other noteworthy response was that in terms of wearables. The average respondent usually kept the article for seven months, bags were nine months and glassware seven.

The study reported that the most commonly used products were writing instruments (54%), shirts (45%), caps (31%), bags (29%), glassware (23%), business accessories (17%), calendars (17%) and other wearable’s (4%).

How often does a respondent will use the product?

• Nearly one third who receive glassware used it at least once per week, and another one quarter used it once per day.
• 40% of writing instruments were used at least twice per day.

One further noteworthy finding was that 42% said their impression of the company who gave them a promotional product was more favorable after receiving the item. The only exception here was bags where the number increased to 53%.

Here is a sampling of the positive and helpful comments that were posted on the TSEA Linkedin Group.

• The promotional product should be a thank you item not a must have item.
• Can be used effectively to reinforce the brand.
• A great way to reward survey respondents.
• Consider the environment and choose products with a longer life cycle and better quality.
• Integrate the promotional product into the overall lead generating strategy.
• Use as prizes in conjunction with a contest. This can motivate customers to spend more time in the booth.
• Make sure the promotional product is tied to the overall messaging and theme of the display.
• Don’t give away stuff for kids.
• Train staff on how and when to hand out a promotional product.

The debate rages on. Some love promotional products and swear by the benefits they receive while others avoid the discussion altogether. But, in an age when we need every advantage we can to make our show participation memorable, perhaps promotional products deserve another chance.

By: Karin Roberts

Background. This client came to us because they had decided to exhibit at a new trade show event and therefore requested a new custom exhibit design and event strategy that would help drive increased brand awareness and capture the attention of the architectural community. The goal of participating in this event was to clearly articulate the company’s message as the number one supplier of all glass.

The Solution. After conducting some research on the target market and some of the competitors in this space – “Where glass becomes architecture. We turn ordinary glass into extraordinary buildings” became the new high powered message used in both the custom exhibit strategy and the event strategy. For the custom exhibit, we decided to use a more artistic display featuring bright eye-catching visuals and imagery which would appeal to this audiences taste and would entice them to see what this client had to offer. A light show was added to the booth that highlighted glass used in commercial building contracts. A dynamic exhibit that clearly articulates messages and captivates interest certainly was effective at increasing overall brand awareness. However, the client needed to take additional steps to secure quality leads. As an incentive to draw attendees to the booth, an event strategy was implemented and it was recommended that the client offer a drawing to win a new Tablet PC. To enter the drawing the attendee needed to complete a survey card which asked a few key questions designed to qualify the prospect. The client obtained 255 leads from the top 1000 architectural firms, which was far above their pre-show objective of 50 firms.

The Results. The results of this integrated program were phenomenal. The booth traffic was enormous and was predominantly due to the exhibit itself, graphics, and the draw or a giveaway. The client obtained 255 leads which was a 325% improvement from their last show. These leads were entered into a database and contacted by sales representatives and literature was sent out as a follow-up measure. The client stated that based on the survey card results, the exhibit itself attracted 21% of the target audience.

What was learned. It is extremely important to conduct an analysis of your target market at each show you attend. Every market has different pain points and issues that will attract them to your exhibit – you just need to determine what they are – and create them within your booth space. They say if you build it they will come, I do not agree. But if you build it with market intelligence your chances of a qualified lead coming into your exhibit space is greatly enhanced. Try it. You will like it.

By: Barry Siskind

My kids think I’m a Luddite. I am from the world where the value of face-to-face marketing was one I understood. Now I live in a world where people communicate with their thumbs. However lately I’ve seen that faces and thumbs can live in harmony.

I will admit that thumbs can connect to the world instantly. They can communicate to large numbers of people in real time, even at the cost of good grammar and spelling. Faces still have the advantage of being able to stare eyeball to eyeball with a client even if it is only one at a time. So in a world where it is faster and considerably less expensive to connect with a text, can one justify the cost of face-to-face?

A report I read recently prepared by the Harvard Business Review called, “Managing Across Distance in Today’s Economic Climate” focused on the issue of the high cost of business value versus the benefits.

The report described four key areas where face to face trumps technology:

• Developing new clients. 95% of respondents said that face-to-face was crucial for building strong and long-term client relationships.

• Negotiating: When negotiating major contracts and agreements, 82% said that face-to-face meetings are the most effective tool in their arsenal.

• Maintaining relationships:  It’s relatively easy to hide feelings, concerns and priorities behind technology. Any one who deals with people face-to- face on a regular basis will attest to their ability to pick up on signals that often reveal the real story behind the words.

• Cultural barriers: Try texting a partner on the other side of the world and see if the real message was understood the first time. I am not just talking about language but the nuances of your message which may or may not be recognized. The value of face-to-face is to be able to read the non-verbal acceptance of what you are saying and be able to clarify if necessary.

So there are advantages to face-to-face. However, with the high cost of business travel in a shaky economy do these advantages justify the cost?

In this same report 60% of sales and marketing people said that cutbacks in their business travel would hurt business, while 36% of finance people said cutbacks  would have no impact on the business.  So now we have the age old conflict between those who solicit business and those who pay for it.

The solution is to make a strong enough case for face-to-face and to provide new metrics for measuring return. Here are three things to consider:

• Combine business travel with other activities.  A major event like a trade show or conference is a magnet for buyers and sellers. By combining your exhibit investment to include time for individual sales calls, meetings and presentations, you can amortize the cost and increase the value of the investment to your corporation.

• Establish a singular budget. Often the exhibition budget is a marketing activity while sales calls are sales. When you combine both activities under one budget line you create a corporate expenditure that has a higher probability of measurable success.

• Establish multiple metrics. In the past, corporations measured success by focusing on one or two metrics. In our new world this list of metrics should be expanded. For example you may use your trade show to gather quality leads, a sales meeting to close a sale and an on-site presentation to advance the sales cycle. Three activities needing three individual metrics with the results of the three being attributed to the overall success of the exhibition program.

The battle of thumbs and faces has only just begun.  Perhaps in the future one will totally replace the other – but that’s not the case now.  Before you let the finance people decimate your face-to-face budget perhaps its time to sit down with them and have a serious conversation.

Reference: . http://hkg.grants.ba.com/harvard-business-review.pdf

By: Barry Siskind

I have been walking trade shows for nearly a quarter of a century and I still get excited each time I do. It’s the energy and the glitz and glamour of show biz that keeps me coming back for more. It’s especially interesting to watch a show during set up, sometimes from the vantage point of a balcony of mezzanine. Beneath me I see the organized chaos of hundreds of people scurrying around, forklift trucks lifting wooden boxes and empty spaces being converted into showpieces – each piece of the jigsaw puzzle magically coming together.

Try watching the show you are exhibiting at take form. See if you aren’t as impressed as I am. But, we don’t have to keep this excitement our little secret, my guess is that lots of your customers might really enjoy seeing the sights and sounds of a trade show even if they can’t attend. You can share the experience through the technology of social media.

I read an article in Exhibitor Magazine which reported that the Freedman Decorating Company of Dallas, Texas used Twitter to bring visitors to their booth. That sounds easy enough. They had a significant following on Twitter so by offering a $5.00 Starbucks coupon and an opportunity to hear about their latest offerings, their pre-show promotion took on a whole new look.

But, you have the power to take your show promotion even further. For example the technology giant Intel Corporation posted images and videos on YouTube and Flicker for people around the globe who could not attend one of their major international conferences. These absentee customers could see new products, hear speeches and share in the experience of a show.

It’s pretty easy to explore the world of You Tube. Visit www.youTube.com and enter trade shows. When I did it I was quite impressed. I found one video that received 1,940,425 views and another with 1,276,956. While this may be beyond most company’s realistic expectations you can still achieve a viewership. With a bit more searching I found a video posted by Auto Page, an automotive solutions retailer, who shot a video at their show in Las Vegas and received 5, 019 views and Freeline Skates who manufactures skate, surf and snow boards, exhibiting at in San Diego received 981 views.

Think about it. Freeline Skates was able to attract 981 people who spent 2:38 minutes watching a video about their products. That’s not bad.

So, if you are looking to beef up your show promotion efforts with a minimum of costs keep social media in mind.

Here are a couple of things to consider:

• Take serious steps to developing a social media site on Twitter, LinkedIn, Flicker or Facebook to encourage the people you want to follow you with interesting and timely information. You can also use social media to invite guests to your display.

• Videos don’t have to be broadcast quality. You can take it on your  iphone. An interview with a customer at your booth, a tour of your trade show exhibit booth or a walk around the show may do the trick.

• Video don’t have to be lengthy. The most popular videos on YouTube were those in the 2 – 4 minute range.

• Focus on the experience. Keep away from the tendency to reiterate information your customers can already see on your web-site and focus more on the experience they are missing at the show.

• There is no limit to the number of videos you can post. You can do a comparison of your display this year to the one you had last year to let your customers know that you really listened to their feedback. Perhaps you can do a mini version of an in-booth presentation or take a time-lapse video of your booth under construction.

Promoting your attendance at a trade show is crucial, but the methods have changed largely because of the demographic shift in your customer base. Years ago sending out a thousand e-mails might have done the trick, but not today.  The Generation X’s and Millennials who are technology savvy, demand information in bit size chunks. Keep these tips in mind when you promote your next show.

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It has been proven that companies that attend trade shows find more success in the market than those who are sticking to typical business practices.

This makes it more appealing for your business to attend a trade show. There are companies that can provide a trade show exhibit booth display to your company for a low price. You can either purchase or rent this trade show exhibit booth display.

The company will assist you in customizing this display. More than likely, you will want to add your company logo and name to the structure. Other recommended additions would be photos of your product line, a telephone number for ordering or questions, and a computer terminal.

With a computer terminal, you can make it possible for potential clients to sign up on your business’ website. Once you have their e-mail or other necessary contact information, it is relatively simple to go about contacting them in the future.

This way even if they do not seem interested at the event, it is possible to send them information with no worries.

Another advantage is that a potential client can see your website. With this available to them, they can see what you have to offer them in terms of service and products.

Most clients judge a company off of their website, so it is crucial to make sure you have a professional website that is appealing to potential customers. Many of the businesses at a trade show might not have a professional website, so it is important to make sure you devote the necessary expenses to this facet of your company.

Other than those recommendations, there is nothing extra that could entice more potential clients to visit your trade show exhibit booth display. Make sure you and your staff has a friendly smile, and possibly play a video to attract potential clients. Overall, this is primarily a marketing event, so be sure to sell you product!

A business that is looking to participate in a trade show should take careful consideration of how they want their trade show booth display to look.

The design of the trade show booth display is often overlooked by the beginner, and such a mistake can be devastating to the outcome of one’s trade show experience.

The art and craft of the booth display is taken very seriously amongst trade show attendees. Those who are regular attendees know to start preparing for their trade show at least three months ahead of time.

There are many variables to consider. If you intend to be a regular attendee of trade shows from now on and make the shows a significant part of your marketing campaign, then you should consider purchasing a custom booth display. If you are simply testing the waters to see how the experience impacts your business, then you should consider a rental booth display.

There are hundreds of booth displays at any given trade show, and all of them are competing for the most attention. In order to ensure that your booth display and business receives the attention it deserves, it is important to consult your marketing department or the experts at the trade show booth provider company.

The experts who provide you with your trade show booth will have plenty of insight on what works and what doesn’t.

With marketing rules in mind, they can craft a custom booth for you that will best highlight your business and makes a proper fit for your products and services.

If you intend on renting, don’t feel like you are short on options. Those who have been in the industry of creating and providing trade show booths for a long time will have a wide range of options for renters to choose from, as well.

At the end of the day, it is extremely important to make sure that your booth speaks to your target audience.

Those who target environmentally-conscience consumers can opt for an Eco-friendly display. Businessmen that need the latest gadget would be attracted to a high-tech, futuristic display with flat-screen TV’s featuring the latest products.

Those who would like to reach a trend-conscience consumer would benefit from a fashion forward display with loud colors and a sleek design.

Whichever audience you are targeting, it is important to work with a member of your marketing team or an expert from the trade show booth provider to decide which display will speak to your consumers the most.