Tips for Successful Exhibits & Events:
Your company has made the important decision to make trade show exhibit appearance a part of its marketing program, and you now need to create a game plan that will help you select your appropriate trade shows. You know that exhibiting at the right trade shows can bring successful leads and sales, while the wrong trade shows can waste your company’s time, money and energy. It is essential to make the right decision. But how do you start? The following are nine steps to guide you in the trade show selection process.
1. Work with a tradeshow planning team or key personnel to decide who your target market is and what your objectives are.
2. Identify the tradeshows that appeal to your market and offer the greatest exposure for your message. Research the target market and your competitors to determine which tradeshows they frequently attend.
3. Time your trade show exhibit appearance to meet prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle—not after purchasing decisions have been made.
4. Do your homework. Double check tradeshow management statistics to confirm participant demographics. Obtain audited information, if available. Talk to former tradeshow exhibitors and attendees about their trade show booth experience.
5. Visit the tradeshows that you are considering. Evaluate educational seminars and supporting events for other opportunities for appearances by your company personnel.
6. Consider the location of the trade show. Since 40%–60% of tradeshow attendance usually lives within a 200-mile radius of the show, you may want to match your company’s distribution area and target market with the geographic source of tradeshow attendees.
7. Evaluate the timing of the trade show. Avoid conflicts with events or business activities that may draw your target audience away from the tradeshow (i.e. Super Bowl Sunday, corporate annual meetings, holidays, etc.).
8. Be wary of first-time tradeshows. Even though a heavily promoted first-time event may sound like a winner, without a proven history it may be a risk for your company’s initial tradeshow appearance.
9. Pick your trade show booth space wisely. Get familiar with the floor plan of the tradeshow exhibit space. Consider how close you want to be to industry leaders, main attractions, competitors, restrooms, food stations, entrances, exits, escalators, elevators, stairs, windows and seminar sites. Avoid low ceilings, obstructing columns, dead-end aisles, loading docks, freight doors, dark spaces and ceiling water pipes.
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8 Ways to Control Display Costs working with Professional Company
From time to time, clients ask how they can keep control of trade show exhibit costs without diluting their exhibit impact. Here are several suggestions to help keep trade show display expenditures in line:
(A) How to Set Goals for Your Exhibit
(B) The Role of Trade Show Promotion
(C) Trade Show Exhibit Warehousing
(D) Booth The Power of Your Exhibit
(E) Innovative Trade Show Booth Lighting
(F) More Trade Show Tips
(G) Trade Show Service Providers
(H) Closing the Sale - Calculated Follow Up
(I) More Trade Show Terminology
(A). How to Set Goals for Your Exhibit:
Here are nine key goal setting recommendations from “Tips & Techniques For Exhibiting Success” by Nomadic Display.
It is often said that if you don’t know where you are going, you may miss it when you get there. And, as Malcolm Forbes also points out, “If you don’t know what you want to do, it’s harder to do it.” This is good advice especially in the trade show exhibit arena. It is crucial to establish goals and set objectives before you plan to exhibit at a trade show. As with any important marketing effort, you measure success by how well the activity performs against your stated goals. For example, ask how many hot leads do I need in order to justify the cost of our exhibit? What is my projected close rate needed to warrant my trade show booth budget? You get the idea.
Start by being clear when you consult with your top management and marketing teams as to the reasons why your company wants to exhibit in a particular trade show. Ask the tough question –do you plan to have a trade show display because your competition is exhibiting or is it because you want a set return on your trade show investment? Analyze in advance what you want to achieve from your trade show display, convey this to your exhibit team, and put it down on paper.
Here are nine key goal setting recommendations from “Tips & Techniques For Exhibiting Success” by Nomadic Display:
1. Trade show display objectives should reinforce your corporate marketing goals. Clear, concise trade show exhibit objectives need to be in sync with your overall marketing plan, not function independently of it.
2. Is increasing your brand identity at the trade show a key reason to attend? How will you brand your trade show exhibit? Will your logo be part of the branding? Will you incorporate your brand on all your handouts?
3. Do you expect to increase sales on the trade show floor? If so, by how much? Be realistic and set attainable sales figures.
4. Outline your expected trade show results. The more specific, the better. Are you planning to introduce new products or services at the trade show? If so, what are they and how will you showcase these new products/services?
5. Is an important emphasis of your trade show display to educate your target audience? If it is, will you have on-site speakers, website presentations, handouts at your trade show booth display?
6. Do you expect to gather industry information and customer preferences at the trade show? Do you have a formal survey and will you offer incentives for people to fill out your survey?
7. Is one of your goals to attract new business? If so, how many new orders do you feel are realistic?
8. Is recruiting new dealers or distributors a priority? If so, how many new dealers or distributors will be at the trade show?
9. Do you expect to educate customers? How do you plan to do this? Free literature Handouts? Internet presentations? In-person talks by your top management?
By putting your goals in writing, you have a list that you can manage and measure. Your specific goals need to be realistic and timed. Make deadlines and meet them.
You already know that trade show displays can enhance your marketing plans with measurable results. You now need to focus first on your goals and objectives so that your measurement and return on trade show investment are indeed meaningful.
(B). The Role of Trade Show Promotion:
Trade shows is the answer for the growing demand of businesses when it comes to effective and cost effective advertising. They are frequently used by companies who want to launch new products to the public. Indeed tradeshows is very advantageous for any type of business for it allows them to have direct contact with their prospects. This way they can generate leads and increase customer traffic.
For companies who will exhibit at a tradeshow for the first time, it is ideal if you will plan for the show. Planning can ease the burden of the whole trade show exhibition. When you plan, you're able to prepare for the show and do what's supposed to do. This also involves the use of some well thought-out strategy that will facilitate you to a well-executed trade show promotion. Remember an effective strategy is crucial in attracting prospects. You can stay on top of the competition if you're efficient in securing the interest of prospects.
To make the most of your trade show exhibit, you should utilize some publicity in your trade show promotion. Most trade show organizers perform some promotional activities that could perk up any kind of trade show exhibit. These promotional activities are usually associated with media such as press releases or newsletters. You can do your own publicity plans by getting in touch with the media connected with the show. Promotional activities are vital in the business plan for through these activities you can be assured of a booming trade show promotion.
How to make sure you get the most out of the trade show exhibit?
Simply, make a strategic trade show marketing plan. This implies a strategy that involves different promotional procedures starting from the pre-show to the after the show follow-up.
(C). Trade Show Exhibit Warehousing:
Warehousing plays a critical role in ensuring the successful shipment of trade show exhibit properties. Warehouse personnel keep accurate records of crate contents and work closely with project management, production, and shipping to create and update crate inventory records.
Warehouse personnel keep accurate records of crate contents and work closely with project Management, Production, and Shipping to create and update crate inventory records as well as confirm crate count on shipment requests, insuring all components are pulled for shipment. The Warehouse also makes sure that all components leave and return in good condition. As the last line of defense, the warehouse personnel become the final check and balance in the successful movement and maintenance of customer properties to and from show site.
Other Warehouse functions include supporting Production in the safe movement of crates in the facility during in-house trade show exhibit installations, refurbishment of customer properties, and the labeling and proper storage of new properties.
(i) Department Processes
Specifically, the Warehouse fulfills the following responsibilities:
· Maintain crate inventory data, including crate contents, size, and weight.
· Track movement of properties in and out of the facility, guaranteeing that property is returned complete and undamaged.
· Efficiently and securely store customer properties to minimize unnecessary handling and ensure safety of crate contents.
· Continual communication with Project Management, Production and Shipping departments to insure accurate and timely movement of properties inside and outside the trade show exhibit facility.
(ii) What the Trade show exhibit House Needs from the client
In order to maintain the property, all trade show exhibit houses require a basic level of detail from your company including:
· Preparing a detailed data sheet regarding the existing properties needed for each event to insure that all necessary properties are pulled and packed.
· Supplying information regarding additional items that will be forwarded to the trade show exhibit warehouse to ship, including company literature, giveaways, AV equipment, client products, etc. will help the trade show exhibit house prepare proper documentation, determine the most cost effective method of packaging and insure that all pertinent items ship to the show.
· Identifying lists of any additional client properties that will return to the trade show exhibit house that were not part of the original shipment, allowing for proper inbound documentation and preparation for storage.
· Providing a show schedule in order for the Warehouse to anticipate the customer’s shipping needs and schedule work accordingly.
(iii) Customer Benefits
By working in partnership with your trade show exhibit house, the customer can realize enhanced value including:
· Easier maintenance of crate inventory data, allowing for more accurate freight quotes.
· Proper packing of trade show exhibit properties onto trucks to minimize wasted space and save on freight costs.
· Minimal handling of property, creating labor cost savings for the customer.
· Proper handling and timely return of customer properties that accompany the trade show exhibit shipment.
(D). Booth the Power of Your Exhibit:
Your company’s presence at industry trade shows is critical to stay competitive in a global marketplace. A properly managed trade show display can be one of your most effective and powerful sales tools.
Here are some pointers to consider as you approach the challenge of maximizing your trade show selling efforts:
- To get started, enlist the early interest and participation of your Marketing Director. He/she should be a dedicated promotional partner in getting your exhibit program launched. If you do not have a communications department in your company, consider hiring your trade show exhibit company or an outside trade show marketing consultant. If you do not have the budget for a consultant, take the time to educate yourself and your sales team on the basic essentials of trade show selling.
- Recognize the importance of trade show exhibiting and give it your very best. Business-to-business marketers in greater numbers every year are adopting the trade show exhibit function as an increasingly valuable component of their promotional toolkit. A study on the nine basic marketing approaches used by the nation's top companies, trade show exhibits rank #3 in marketing dollars spent, only behind advertising and sales promotions and ahead of sales force management, direct and online marketing, premiums, public relations among others. What this means is you need to spend time and effort on exhibiting at trade shows to remain competitive.
- Set standards for trade show exhibit quality, design and staff conduct to optimize the trade show exhibit area experience. A well-presented exposition area can be a very compelling attraction especially if you make it a first class event with strict standards for quality trade show displays with a set of guidelines. Portable and custom modular exhibits are now available through professional exhibit specialists who handle the entire design and build function from initial graphics to delivery of the finished exhibit at the trade show site. New lightweight materials and collapsible construction make assembly, breakdown and shipping both easy and affordable.
- Train your staff to effectively sell at your trade show booth. Keep in mind who you are exhibiting to, what your specific message is and why visitors to your trade show booth need to know about your product, service or message. Practice your message with your staff to make it clear and brief. Be sure you have the informed staff at your booth to answer specific questions in detail. Make sure they are effective representatives for your company and that they have proper trade show booth etiquette –no eating, no lounging, no chatting amongst themselves and ignoring client prospects.
- Seek guidance from reliable sources. As the trade show exhibit industry has grown, so have its resources for providing support for those interested in making the trade show exhibit function an important part of their marketing efforts.
As you plan your sales and marketing function, take a closer look at the added value of a well-conceived or upgraded trade show exhibit. In today's business environment, where the high tech conveniences of e-commerce and cell phones eliminate face-to-face encounters, your company is probably craving the high touch experience a trade show exposition can add to assist your sales team.
(E). Innovative Trade Show Booth Lighting:
Never underestimate the value of the proper lighting of your trade show exhibit.
Creative lighting for your trade show booth is sure to lure more visitors. On the other hand, a poorly lit exhibit detracts from the trade show exhibit space and can leave it largely ignored.
Your trade show lighting professional can use dramatic illumination techniques to create a show stopping effect or simply use lighting to highlight graphics and/or products.
It is essential for the lighting designer to know the exhibitor's goals, exhibit design and budget before presenting lighting options. Once this is established, the trade show lighting professional can offer multiple options to maximize the visual appeal of the exhibit display.
By innovative use of different types of lighting, the same trade show booth can have a completely different look, effect and mood. There is a wide range of lighting choices ranging from a simple clamp on arm, to high quality fluorescent lighting, track or rail lighting, recessed lighting or fully programmable, changing color LED lighting fixtures.
Each of these forms of illumination serves a different purpose.
The selection of the proper lighting product is therefore based on what effect the exhibitor desires to achieve.
For example, in the more decorative trade show booth using tension fabric, the fully programmable, changing color LED lighting creates a dynamic, dramatic effect that is certain to draw the attention of trade show attendees.
For a clean appearance in the same trade show booth, very white fluorescent lighting works well. If, however, dramatic shadows are desired, certain types of targeted track lighting may be preferred. Quality clamp on arm lights can be versatile enough to deliver good white light on focal points or to wash lighting evenly on backwalls. High quality white light ensures that colors and graphics are accurately displayed. Since light can also alter color, it is essential that your white light renders consistent and true color.
Keep in mind that when searching for the right lighting effect, there are a number of price options that can help you reach your goals. Be mindful that there are rental options available for very high end lighting that may be an appropriate way to satisfy your trade show budget constraints.
Rob Cohen, Vice President/Owner of Display Supply & Lighting, Inc. of Itasca, Illinois, offers examples of how a professional trade show lighting company can help you avoid two of the more common exhibit mistakes. They are:
1. Be aware of the electrical codes, capabilities and constraints in exhibit halls. Find out in advance what is allowed or disallowed in the convention hall to meet local lighting requirements. Find out requirements for exhibit halls whether they be the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, the Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Las Vegas Convention Center, the San Jose and Santa Clara Convention Centers, etc.
Be sure your trade show booth lighting products meet the exhibit hall's specified criteria for trade show exhibitors. For example, trade show halls require 3- wire grounded plugs on all lighting fixtures at the trade show. These fixtures are not commonly available at large volume box stores.
2. Scope out the location of the exhibitor's trade show site.
This is important as not all types of light bulbs are allowed in some facilities. Recent regulations restrict a couple of major conference facilities from using certain types of light bulbs often for safety reasons.
Cohen says it is critical that your exhibit house either understand their lighting options or have a relationship with a company that can advise them on trade show lighting opportunities and concerns.
Remember, lighting can either attract or detract visitors to your trade show booth. It is best to know what your exhibit display emphasis is and what your lighting options are before you design a lighting system for your trade show display.
(F). More Trade Show Tips:
Follow up on the leads you generate. You would be shocked to know how many exhibitors fail to follow up with potential clients. Your work does not end when the trade show ends.
Train your booth staff on your products and services. Unknowledgeable staff is unprofessional.
Plan in advance. The cost of expedited shipping can be tremendous, so make sure you are planning your purchases months in advance.
Pick a show that is right for you. All your efforts will be wasted if none of your target audience attend the trade show at which you are exhibiting.
Please, don't try to do your own graphic design work. The work of a professional designer with an aesthetic eye is substantially better than the work of a person who simply understands the programs.
Practice setting up your display before the show. This can save you valuable time at the show to mingle with other exhibitors.
Send pre-show mailers.
You only have a certain amount of time at your trade show, so evaluate potential leads quickly. Spending too much time with a dead-end attendee can cause you to squander other valuable opportunities.
If you must exhibit internationally, plan well in advance.
Less is more in display design. You are not creating a museum exhibit, you are creating a trade show display. There is only a few seconds to grab the attention of potential leads, so make your graphics simple and powerful.
Make sure to read the guidelines for booths for the specific show you will be attending.
(G). Trade Show Service Providers:
If you are in the throes of getting ready to exhibit in a trade show, you will need to be mindful of many tasks -from selecting the proper trade show exhibit, making the decision to buy or rent your trade show display, incorporating your company's logo design and marketing message into your graphics, coordinating your trade show booth staff's training, and supervising a variety of other trade- show- related tasks that require constant follow through.
Instead of having your trade show marketing staff spend countless hours on all the myriad details of handling a trade show display-- any one of which could sabotage your trade show
experience-- there is a helpful alternative: the trade show services professional.
If you get the right help from a trade show services expert; the pro will plan, supervise and implement the many details that go into making a trade show exhibit successful. Your trade show marketing staff will no longer be faced with the daunting challenge of handling all the trade show exhibit details to assure a seamless exhibition experience.
It is important to find the right trade show service provider to relieve the burden of overwhelming trade show demands. When you are searching for the right trade show service expeditor, you need to find out if you can rely on their expert help with the full spectrum of such services as: trade show planning and budgeting; supervising of set-up and dismantle of your trade show booth; and the overseeing of the storage and refurbishment of your trade show booth.
Before retaining a trade show service contractor, screen to see if they can handle the main areas of show services coordination covering the supervision of the following:
- Installation and dismantle labor - Material handling (show site drayage service)
- Electrical services - Daily booth cleaning
- Rigging (forklift team for hanging banners, etc.)
- Lead tracking equipment
- Telephone and internet hook-up services
- Booth security
- Audio visual equipment rental
- Plant and floral rental
- Exhibit photography
- Plumbing, gas and water
- Furniture, carpet, computer and AV equipment rental In addition, your trade show services support team should offer the following:
- Trade show document preparation - Exhibit transportation and coordination
- Exhibit rental Do not forget, that once the trade show is over, you will also have the need for ongoing trade show support services, such as:
- Short and long-term storage
- Inspection of exhibits for damage and estimates for repair after every show
- Repair and refurbishment of exhibits to make them show-ready for the next trade show
These trade show provider services apply whether you exhibit in the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York, or the Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Long Beach, or San Diego Convention Centers.
When you need to expedite your trade show booth from one trade show to the next in a timely, efficient manner, and you want to sleep soundly at night, you may want to consider enlisting the trade show service professional who will be able to handle all the details that need to be taken care of to insure a trouble-free trade show display experience.
(H). Closing the Sale - Calculated Follow Up:
Tradeshow exhibit success requires immediate follow-up on leads and activities generated from the trade show floor. Giving booth visitors your company literature, collecting contact information about leads, and engaging in meaningful conversation with prospects about your products represent only a portion of the tradeshow exhibit sales process.
Immediate and continual follow-up by mail, email, phone and personal visits is essential to maximizing your revenue potential.
Determining how you will collect lead information and the materials you will use in your follow-up activities needs to occur during your tradeshow exhibit planning process.
Include different information and literature for your marketing before, during and after the event. For example, rather than sending the same company promotional brochure that you mailed ahead of time to registrants or had available in your exhibit booth, plan ahead to send a new piece with additional information and selling points that appeal to the needs of your prospects.
In your follow-up communication, be sure to address specific interests or needs the customer shared while visiting your booth. Any way you can personalize your written or verbal communication will yield greater marketing impact and put you closer to securing a new client.
If you are making a follow-up phone call, which always makes an impact, refer to the conversation you had with the prospect when he or she was visiting your booth. Or, send specific information the potential customer requested and include a personalized handwritten note.
Mailing articles, fact sheets, and other detailed product information that directly address customer needs will send a message of service and commitment that will help you solidify the sale.
The style and form of follow-up in which you engage should be determined by the sales potential of the lead. Before the event, you should develop a "scoring" system for leads generated from your tradeshow exhibit booth and segment prospects for different types of follow-up based on potential to buy.
So a prospect you met at your tradeshow exhibit booth who has decision-making authority and a large budget would get a higher score and more intense follow-up attention than someone picking up your literature who represents a business that is auxiliary to your product offering.
When making follow-up contact, include a special offer specific offer to encourage your prospects to take action. This may include special pricing or value-added offers that are meaningful to helping prospective customers be more successful.
In all follow-up activities, timing is critical. Don't let a hot prospect become a cold lead because too much time has passed before you've made contact. Leads from tradeshows should first be contacted within a week of the show.
(I). More Trade Show Terminology:
If you are looking for a trade show display or trade show booth for an upcoming convention, it is important to understand all the terms that industry experts use. It can be difficult to navigate your way through the maze of the trade show industry, but you can learn a lot by understanding the terms that are commonly used.
Aisle - A place for visitors to walk through the trade show.
Booth - The area to which your exhibit or display is confined.
Drayage - A term for service that moves exhibits from place to place.
Floor Port - A location where electricity can be accessed.
Hand Truck - A small dolly used for moving heavy material.
Island Exhibit - A booth completely confined by aisles.
Peninsula Booth - A booth surrounded on three sides by aisles.
Rigger - A worker skilled in handling exhibit materials, especially hanging banners and signs.
Show Manager - The individual or company who has been placed in charge of the trade show as a whole.
Panel Display - A display with flat panels that connect to one another to form a large structure.
Prefabricated Display - A display that is made to be instantly deployed on the show floor.
Tabletop Display - A display designed for use on a table surface.
Modular Exhibit - A display that can be modified to suit the needs of specific exhibitors.
Portable Display - A display that is designed to fit within a specific shipping case. |
