Trade Show Exhibit Advice

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

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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By: Barry Siskind

One of my favorite places to buy books is Amazon.com. If you are one of millions of book buyers like me, you are familiar with the typical Amazon.com listing. Their history is noteworthy. Amazon started selling books on the internet in 1995. Over the past decade they have grown to the point that they sell more books, DVD’s, CD’s M3P’s software, videogames, electronics, apparel, furniture and toys on-line than anyone – anywhere in the world. Why? Because they have a formula that works.

Picture an Amazon.com listings and think of it as above and below the line.

Above the line you find the title, price, shipping dates, inventory levels, number of pages, publisher, language, ISBN number, and the details about what’s inside the book. There’s no fault here. Everything you need to know is clearly spelled out. But that’s not why people buy books particularly if it is an author they hadn’t heard about before. They need more than details which bring the discussion to those things that are below the line. These include information about the author, citations, customer rated reviews and a section called, “What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this page?” Above the line points the purchaser to the details and below the line reveals the experience. Which do you think is more important?

This same analogy applies to an exhibit program. What do your signs and graphics say? Are they filled with information about products and services? What about your literature? Is it teeming with enough information to sink a supertanker? And what about your trade show booth staff? Do they fill hours at the show telling people all about the features and benefits of your products and services?

If you answered yes to any of these then it’s time to stand back and re-think your approach.

It all comes down to understanding the difference between remembering and knowing. Remembering, which is prone to error, requires a deep mental level of processing information that is often referred to as the “episodic memory.”  Knowing on the other hand triggers a familiarity which interestingly enough is often without the details of a specific product or service. This is referred to as the “semantic memory.”

The lesson to learn is that knowing lasts longer and has a more powerful impact on decision making than remembering.  When I decide what to buy on Amazon.com, I often refer to the items below the line. This is because to have an  experience on-line, the best I can do is find out what other people feel.

But in a show environment we have the advantage of face-to-face contact. Our customers have an opportunity to touch, hold, smell, taste and hear our products and services through one or more of their senses. It’s when we harness the power of presenting below the line that we create a lasting impact.

Here are few quick pointers:

1. Your front line booth staff should be passionate about the product and services they represent.
2. They should leave the customer with a positive feeling about doing business with your company.
3. Signs and graphics should focus on experience rather than details.
4. Literature should utilize lifestyle photos.
5. It’s little stuff that makes the greatest impact.

This last point focuses attention on an important quirk of human nature. People who expect a certain level of service become very critical when it slips even one iota. When dealing with the public you and your staff should constantly try to provide extras that go above the standard. It’s these little things that often solidify the knowing part of memory.

Whether you are in your showroom or at a trade show, leave your customers  with a positive experience and you will remain top of mind when it comes time to place an order.

By: Barry Siskind

Two groups stare at the same half-filled glass of water and reach different conclusions. It’s always been that way as the optimists and pessimists wage their war of opinions. But lately, I have to admit, in the current world of exhibitions, the pessimists seem to be winning.

All the major indicators point to a clear pessimist’s victory: reduction in net square feet of exhibit space, a decline in professional attendance, a decrease in the number of exhibiting organizations, fallen revenue, lower consumer spending, reductions in travel and the GDP has plummeted, The only two indicators that have increased are  show cancellations and unemployment.  It’s been so gloomy in the economy that even the die-hard optimists are having trouble keeping a straight face.

Has this new world fueled by the pessimists left any expectation for hope? The answer is yes. Even those die hard pessimists have to admit that there is still a future for exhibitions. It’s just that we may have to wait for a year or two and see where the dust settles.

So, what can we do in the mean time. Sitting on our hands and waiting won’t help. Recession or not, companies still have some basic needs: profit, brand, production and shareholder equity. We can’t improve on any of these by taking a back-seat approach to face to face marketing.

So, while we wait to see where the world of exhibitions will unfold, here are a few things to consider doing.

1. Use the time to re-think your approach – Is face to face marketing important to the health of your corporation?

Face-to-face is probably the number one benefit of exhibit marketing. While social networking sites have grown in importance, the question you need to ask is whether there is still a need to meet your clients and customers in person.

2. Is measurement important?

Forget for a moment your perceived difficulty in measuring your success. If you could measure, would it be of help? If the answer is yes then your next step is to learn the techniques that will enable you to create real, quantifiable measurements.

3. What level of commitment does your organization dedicate to your exhibit program?

There are three levels of resources that are needed from your organization: money, people and equipment. If in the past your exhibit program has felt like the poor marketing cousin in your overall marketing program, now is a good time to reassess the attitudes of senior management.  To obtain a commitment to resources in these difficult times ensure you have Return on Investment (ROI) and Return on Objectives (ROO) calculations.

4. What have you learned from your exhibiting experiences?

If you are among those trade show exhibit managers who do not conduct a post-show evaluation then you are at a distinct disadvantage. An evaluation of your efforts goes beyond the number of leads collected or the number of people who came to your booth. What you should do is to think of all the information that would be helpful to you to be able to determine what is working and what is not in your program. With this information you will be in a strong position to make the correct recommendations for the future. Some of the things to consider measuring are: high-value leads collected, quality booth visitors, traffic patterns of the show, your sales cycle, success ratios, the use of sales tools such as lead retrieval systems and the time spent with high value visitors. The more you collect the stronger your ability to strengthen your program.

5. What do you plan to change in the future – once money loosens up?

The recession won’t last forever and the optimists will once again take charge. While you have the luxury of breathing space its time to go through your trade show exhibit budget line by line to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck. With a critical eye and a skeptical attitude you will be amazed at what you can uncover.

So pessimists your job is simple. Rather than throwing cold water on your trade show exhibit program take the time to give it a serious make-over. Today the pessimists are the winners; tomorrow the optimists are ready to stage a healthy return

By: Barry Siskind

If you want to improve your golf game watch and learn from Tiger Wood as he drives, pitches and putts. Re-run each swing in slow motion and when you are ready practice…. practice…. practice. While the chances of you or I ever being as good as the master is next to zero, the chances of improving our game, even a little bit, is pretty good.

Modeling the techniques of those who excel at what they do applies to all pursuits. Let’s say you want to improve your exhibit. Find to a guru then watch and learn. The problem is that that amongst organizations that choose exhibit marketing there is no one superstar. Many are pretty good, but those who consistently tower above the rest, year after year, are hard to find.  Does this mean improving your custom exhibit is a lost cause – not at all? In fact watching what other people do – both the good and the not so good – can be a fantastic method of gathering information that will make a powerful difference in your exhibit program.

Where you start is by searching out those places where company’s and organizations like yours exhibit; trade shows, special events, malls, lobbies, or conferences. Then once you have identified a few likely prospects arrange to take a few hours away from the office to attend. Begin looking at exhibits from an exhibitor’s perspective. This is not as easy as it sounds.  Go back to the basics and separate the theatrics of what you observe from the substance. The goal of a display is to attract attention; the right attention.  Attracting the right attention then becomes the substance. The theatrics are the tool and techniques you use to accomplish the displays purpose. When you become overwhelmed with cool ideas and interesting technologies at face value the result can often lead you in the wrong direction. Often interesting ideas can be a distraction rather than a benefit so look and learn.   A better approach is keeping the substance in focus and as you see interesting ideas weight their benefits against their ability to accomplish its purpose.

Another helpful tip to be vigilant. If you find one of these messages is running through your head then you are missing the point of your visit;

•    That company obviously has lots of money and we don’t,
•    They are too big,
•    They are too small,
•    Their product or service offerings are different than ours.

If any of these thoughts sound familiar then you may be short-circuiting the possibilities of coming away with valuable and useful information. Forget about the differences between the custom exhibits you see and focus on the similarities. In your case these similarities are found in your reason for being there in the first place – to attract attention.

When you finish seeing all there is to see in custom display exhibits take time to watch the people who work in these trade show exhibits. Stop, visit and engage in a face-to-face conversation. When its over ask yourself, is that the experience I want my customers to have when they visit my display? More importantly, ask, how do you feel about the interaction. Then ask what could I have done better or in the case where you were treated well, what did I learn from this person.

What all the observations help you with is what I call your “expo eyes,” With expo eyes you are now opening up the possibilities of improvement that you never thought possible. When you can’t look to one spectacular example of trade show exhibit excellence, look to them all. Both the good and bad have valuable lessons for you.

By: Barry Siskind

When I was young my parents told me to study hard, I would sit at my desk with a pile of books on one side, an open workbook book in front of me. When my parents would peak into my room they would say ”It’s nice to see you so busy.” That’s optics.

Making decisions based on optics alone can catch up with you sooner or later resulting in bad grades, foiled campaigns and lost opportunities.

One of the concerns that many marketers face in these troubled times is a reduction in marketing budgets. The knee jerk reaction is to chop the number of shows and events. Other marketers are reluctant to reduce their face-to-face marketing exposure, continue their program, albeit with a reduced budget, for fear of creating a negative impression on potential buyers.

During the past few years there has been much talk about the value of face-to-face marketing. Industry experts, including myself, have detailed the process that will help exhibitors calculate a return on investment and return on objectives. Yet, surprisingly few have adopted this basic business tenant and integrated the practice into their exhibit plans. Some opt out when they learn that their efforts have not been as good as they would have imagined, other stay because they are led by the mistaken idea that the calculation of results are only for those who sell products.

If more marketers would take the time to calculate their results, they would have the crucial answer on their return of their exhibiting investment. But the issue of optics involves one more criteria. You also have to look at the cost of not exhibiting. This may seem a more difficult number to calculate, but there is enough industry data around to help. For example the CEIR recently (Spring 2009) found that the cost of obtaining a high value lead at an exhibit was about half the cost of obtaining a similar lead without a trade show. The cost of an initial visit with a high quality contact was about a fifth of the cost when compared to non-show activity.

Statistics like these and the many more that are available point to a clear value for maintaining a trade show exhibit. However, what about those non-monetary values such as reinforcing a brand or gaining market share. Similar studies provide evidence that there are definite values in these non-monetary goals. In a CEIR’s recent census, a survey of exhibitors found the following:

With these numbers in mind the issue of optics comes into play. When you withdraw your support for your face-to-face program you run the risk of losing the direct advantage you sought by choosing to be there in the first place but of equal importance is that you also create a negative impression in your customer and industry’s eyes that can be irreparable. Even if you can’t justify your show participation by new contacts or orders written it is important to let the rest of the world know that you are not hurting. Stay visible even if you participate in a show with less space. However, don’t shortchange your overall look and feel of your trade show display just to be there. Stay visible in a smaller space but maintain the optics of success. At the end of the day your investment is sure to reap rewards.

By: Barry Siskind

There was a moment in the 90’s when the thought of “virtual trade shows,” sent shivers up the spines of some show managers and exhibitors who thought the Internet would mark the death of the world’s oldest marketing tool. Well a decade and a half later, we know that all that fuss was for not. Not only have shows continued to thrive they have done so living side by side with the Internet.
Using the Internet makes a great deal of sense. It can save time, help you focus and ensure that you are participating in the right show.

Here are a few hints and helpful sites to visit before your next show.

1. Finding the right shows.

Gone are the days of the hard copy, telephone book size, show directories. Sites such as tsnn.com, expotop.com or eventseye.com, offer exhibitors a helpful and easy to navigate way to learn about thousands of show options.

2. Learning about your show

Every show has a dedicated web-site. Some trade shows have replaced their bulky exhibitor manual and have put everything you need to know on line; the floor layout, the show program, timing, links with the show suppliers, attendee profiles, show rules and so on.

3. Promoting your presence

You have two on-line options to promote your presence at a show, your company’s website and the show website.

a. One of your marketing thrusts should be to direct traffic to your web-site. This activity opens up a terrific no cost way of promoting your presence at a show. A banner ad on the first page of your site will let your audience know where you will be exhibiting.

b. Often show managers will provide live links from each exhibitor’s website to the main show website.

4. Find out about your show manager and best show practices

Throughout the world there are many associations that have incredibly helpful websites. Here are some noteworthy sites to give you a taste of examples of what is in store for you.

• International Association of Exhibits and Events www.iaee.org
• Union des Foires Internationales www.ufi.org
• Canadian Association of Exhibition Management – www.caem.org
• Associacion Argentine de Organizadores Y Proveedores de Exposiciones – www.AOCA.org.ar
• Center for Exhibition Industry Research – www.CEIR.org

5. Media

There are a number of publications that are dedicated to the exhibition industry. They report on such things as trends, industry trends and statistics, best practices, case studies and profiles of industry leaders. Here are a few examples. Check their web-sites and see what’s in store for you.

• Trade Show Week – www.TradeShowWeek.com
• Exhibitor Magazine – www.exhibitornews.net
• Trade Show Expo – www.trade-show-expo.com
• Expone Magazine – www.revistaexpone.com
• Feira & Cia – www.feiraecia.com.br
• Exhibit and Events – www.exhibit-event.com

6. Industry trade shows

Where do exhibitors go to learn? The answer in addition to many of the sites already listed is to attend one of the few trade shows dedicated to the education of exhibitors. You can learn about these annual events by visiting such sites as:
www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitorshow
www.TSEA.org
www.ExpoSystems.com.br

7. Vendors

Vendors are easily found by simply googling the type of vendor you are looking for. One good place to start is www.TradeShowStore.com.

8. Selling hardware

If you have dated or slightly used hardware that is taking up space in your warehouse there are sites that you can use to sell them. Visit www.exhibittrader.com, and www.boothfinder.com and learn the details.

That should get you started. Happy surfing!

If you happen to run across a helpful site let me know about it – just leave a comment below!

By: Barry Siskind

I recently had the opportunity of moderating a panel of experts at the Eastern Canada chapter of the Trade Show Exhibitors Association.  The panel members covered four areas of the exhibition industry; a show manager, a display builder, a shipper and a show contractor. Each spoke on how to ride out the current economic uncertainly from their perspective.

We started by asking the audience for a show of hands on how many would be cutting back on their exhibit expense, how many would be maintaining the same level as last year and how many would be increasing their budget. The percentages were split evenly at one third for each question. It is both astonishing and encouraging to hear that two thirds of the participants plan to either keep their budgets at the same level or increase it.

The panel offered some thought provoking ideas. Here are a few points that are worth considering.

1. Exhibit Space

Rather than pulling out of a trade show, consider taking a smaller space.

Some companies are pulling out of shows to an attempt to lower their expenses.  The problem with this approach is that in many cases these companies do not really know which shows produce results and which don’t.  Chopping shows from  can be tantamount to “throwing the baby out with the bath water.” A better solution is to pare back the amount of exhibit space during these challenging times and measure the results. Once the company knows clearly which shows produce positive results then the decision about which to drop not only becomes easier to justify it makes sense.

2. Working with the Show Manager

Now more than ever, it is important to strengthen your relationship with show management. Prior to making any radical changes to the exhibit program, companies should talk to the one person who has an incredible wealth of knowledge – the show manager.

Traditionally there is a wall between trade show management and exhibitors with no attempt to cross over to see what’s on the other site. The show manager is busy juggling the needs of many exhibitors and the exhibitor looks at the show management’s advice with skepticism. The truth of this myth is that show management has a long term view of their shows. Nothing pleases them more than exhibitors who add value to their trade shows and are happy with the experience.

Show mangers have also raised the bar on their professionalism through some of the certification programs offered by the industry. Ignoring this potential wealth of knowledge means that exhibitors simply miss important opportunities.

3. Negotiate Costs

Show managers generally will not cut the cost of trade show exhibit space and suppliers generally do not adjust the price for specific services. But both agreed that they would be open to discussing the entire trade show exhibit expenditure and helping the exhibitor put together a package of services that make economic sense. The panelists expressed a willingness to sit down and talk with the exhibitor’s and develop win-win solutions.

4. Maintain the company image

While it may be necessary to make some cutbacks, of equal importance is the assurance that the integrity of your presence has not been compromised. In this economy the last thing any company wants is to show cracks in their well-being. Poorly conceived exhibition plans can quickly back-fire leaving the impression with your clients that your stability is not what you profess it to be.

5. Turning the economic downturn into opportunities

Since one third of exhibitors might be cutting back or maintaining the same level of commitment, there is an opportunity during the current economic slowdown for those who stay in the game. While some exhibitors may choose to have less space, it’s what they do with the space that is crucial. Those companies who give proper attention to their trade show exhibit, ensure that their physical appearance attracts the right people and gives the right message and have booth staff who are up for the challenge will come through this economic downturn well ahead of the competition.

The discussion between panelists and participants was lively and the feeling in the room was that, in spite of some of the rumors and to paraphrase Mark Twain, “Reports of the death of trade shows are an exaggeration.”