Tradeshow Insider's Blog

Making Sure Your Booth Gets to the Trade Show

Jessica Davis — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:57:00 GMT

This horror story happens – you are at the show, but your booth isn’t! Somehow it was lost or misplaced in transit. This post covers the basics of transporting your booth property to the show site. It is important to note, this is one area where you can experience savings by planning ahead.

Candy Adams, in her article on Exhibitor Online Lost in Transportation provided 12 questions you should ask regarding transportation to avoid any snafus. One question is, “where is your freight going?” Her response:

The quickest way to not get your shipment to a show is to provide inaccurate or incomplete shipping information. But there’s more to getting your freight from Point A to Point B than filling out a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Specifically, you need to tell your transportation carrier whether the shipment needs to go to the trade show’s advance warehouse, or direct to the show site. If you don’t make the distinction, you might be sitting in your booth space waiting for your freight to arrive from the advance warehouse, while it’s still en route direct to the show and set to arrive the following day. Not only will you not have your freight, but your setup costs will escalate as the installation laborers twiddle their thumbs until it arrives. What’s more, the additional day it takes the freight to travel direct to show site can result in late-delivery penalties if you miss your on-site targeted delivery deadline.

As Candy stated, you have choices on how you can ship your materials to the show. You can ship them to:

Advanced Warehouse by a certain date

-Or-

Direct Deliveries to the Show Site on specific dates

Each show will have a designated shipping company for you to use and their information can be obtained in Exhibitor Kit supplied by show management. However, you may have a preferred carrier, one you use regularly.

Key Questions which Determine Freight Costs

As you are working with the transportation issues, these are key pieces of information which will determine the cost of freight:

Number of Pieces
Estimated Weight
Estimated Size
Addresses for Pickup/Delivery

Remember, items that arrive after the receiving deadlines can incur additional charges. Once again, you can save money by planning ahead!

An important note: make sure you have the address of the venue correct. Candy shares in her article:

“There can be confusion, especially in major cities, if a specific street address or hall designation isn’t provided. I’ve witnessed freight delivered to the wrong convention center in cities with multiple exhibition facilities, and to the wrong Marriott or Hilton since there can be multiple chain hotels in metropolitan areas. Unless you want your carrier to guess which venue is the correct destination, provide the full venue name and street address.”

Transportation Timing and Charges

The shorter the transit time, the higher the charges are for most deliveries. Here is a brief summary for your review.

The lowest charges are usually common carriers, but unless you pay a large premium, you cannot designate the delivery date. This works mostly for advance receiving shipments, but does not work at all for direct to show site shipments.
Next lowest is the 3-5 business day. Lots of flexibility in that the shipper can designate day and time to deliver as long as we have at least 3 business days. If they designate a time, or if the day is on the weekend or a holiday, there is an extra charge.
2nd Business day is still higher priced. The shipper can still designate date and time.
Overnight is higher still.
Same Day is the highest cost, and it will be delivered as quickly as possible.

Transportation companies designated by show management or those you have used in the past can be great resources for you. If you are new to this, ask questions. Typically, you will find great advice from them and if you plan ahead you can save money.

Transportation problems can be avoided by careful planning. This is an area where you want time to be on your side by advance scheduling.

Stand Out by Using Videos at Your Next Trade Show

Jessica Davis — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:56:00 GMT

The use of videos in marketing is increasing dramatically. A handful of clever exhibitors are using them as a part of the overall event marketing strategy. They are producing video prior to the show to solicit attendees to their booths, at the show for testimonials, demonstrations, etc., and after the show as part of their follow-up. In YouTube’s Creators Playbook they say:

“Online video is different than television and film because a video posted online has a long-tail. The weeks leading up to an event, ‘the pre-buzz’, is just as important as the date of the actual event, maybe more important.”

The trade show videos should have as much planning as your booth design. The marketing message conveyed via the video must be compelling and have a call to action. Relevant, meaningful content delivered with style is the key to success. As with most marketing tools (websites, headlines in ad copy, email subject lines, etc.) the first few seconds are crucial for engaging viewers.

Pre-Show Videos

Many shows are now encouraging exhibitors to have pre-show videos. In fact, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has a contest for the best pre-show video. The prize for winning the contest was a video spotlight on CESweb.org. And five exhibitors were chosen for that via online votes. Here is the link to see all videos.

Below is a Tweet from Rachel Wimberly, Editor- in- Chief of Trade Show News Network about the use of videos before the show.

On Joyce McKee’s website, Let’s Talk Trade Shows she shared Tweets from #ExpoChat regarding trade show videos. Her blog post was titled, The Growing Trend of Video Use at Trade Shows. A few Tweets from the chat:

You can use the pre-show videos to reach not only the potential show attendees, but your entire sphere of prospects. Think about leveraging your show message via the videos to all who might be interested in your products/services. You can have these short, succinct digital assets on your website, video sharing sites, in email campaigns, etc.

Onsite Video Creation and Sharing

All elements are in place for some great footage to be shot on the show floor. All the correct personnel, equipment against the backdrop of your booth allows you to capture quality content which can be used in many ways. You might want to consider having a live stream from your booth for a portion of the show time.

It is extremely important to consider lighting and sound when shooting your video. The viewing audience will be tolerant of a non-professional video if it tells a short story and has the proper sound and lighting. A trade show floor can be quite noisy so be prepared.

Be sure to upload your videos during the show to YouTube and other video sharing sites so the audience who is not there can “be there” from a far.

If you have a blog, make sure you highlight the onsite video. Depending on how active you are on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. these are other places to place your video.

Post Show Videos

As a wrap up from the show, send highlight videos to your audience. You might have links to additional, in-depth videos for their viewing.

As we stated in the beginning of this post, video consumption will continue to grow. In a recent statistic from comScore Video Metrix service shows that” an all-time high of 188 million U.S. Internet users watched 37.7 billion online content videos in August, while video ad views totaled 9.5 billion.” Are your trade show videos among these statistics? If not, we would suggest that this should be considered as a future offer to distinguish you from the competition.

Trade Show Targeting - What Makes My Customer Tick?

Jessica Davis — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 19:53:00 GMT

Understanding the business concerns, issues and problems of your prospects and customers is paramount in crafting a marketing message. This message is a critical component of your trade show plan, as well as your business marketing plan as a whole. However, it is not easy to tap into their minds. This process requires market research to effectively derive their characteristics for purchasing. During the last few years, the buying patterns have changed and possibly your customer persona has evolved into a totally different person. Keeping up with the shifts and changes can be difficult.

One way to tune into the mindset of a customer base is using focus groups. They can be quite effective in uncovering the thought processes and preferences of any audience. If you are not familiar with this research form, let me provide some additional information.

What are Focus Groups?

Focus Groups are great at capturing the attitudes and opinions of a “selected” group(s) of individuals. The moderator poses questions to the group affording the participants the opportunity to share their views. It is important to remember that these groups are qualitative in nature and sometimes would need to be followed up with a quantitative research project to ensure statistical reliability.

However, the catalytic nature of focus groups can provide direction as to what the next steps should be in the evolution of the idea being tested.

In essence – you are testing ideas or communication messages to determine if they are on target or not. Customer and prospect language or what they “hear” can be TOTALLY different from what you are communicating. Being in tune with your audience can spell s-u-c-c-e-s-s.

Using Online Research to Probe the Minds of Your Customer

Rather than in-person focus groups, participants are recruited for the online experience. Typically, 12 – 15 are secured and they commit to the process.

A research moderator posts questions over the course of several days as the conversation evolves and probes respondents for details and clarifications when needed.
Respondents can log in and answer each days’ questions whenever it’s convenient for them – some folks are online at the crack of dawn, some like to login and take a break during work hours and others login after dinner is done and the kids are in bed. Being convenient means that respondents can take time to think about the questions and provide thoughtful answers.
Clients are able to login and observer the discussion and leave private messages for the moderator regarding comments they would like clarified or suggestions for new topics.
They last over a three day period which allows for reflection on questions answered and possible modifications to the moderator’s script.

The participants interact with each other and the moderator as they provide their valuable insights to questions posed. In the process all sorts of light bulbs are illuminated and most often a new, enhanced direction is revealed.

Mike Courtney from Aperio Insights shares these insights when considering online focus groups to determine your trade show messages.

Most likely there is a current marketing communications campaign going on within your company. Does your audience really understand the campaign or is there some confusion on the message you are attempt to convey?

Or you can assess whether your prospects deem you as a trustworthy resource. Or do they trust your competition more than you?

Have the prospect or customer “explain” your services or products to the moderator of the online focus group. Are they accurately defining your offering? Note: this question can be quite revealing as to how far off the mark your audience is to what your product does or what your marketing message is.

One other word of note – research can begets research. The more you uncover - additional questions will surface.

As you research and make your trade show marketing plan, consider taking the pulse of your customers. If you can translate their heartbeat (the business issues) into your marketing message, a match is made and most likely they will have a new customer.

Planning for Your 2013 Trade Show Exhibitions

Jessica Davis — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:40:00 GMT

The fall season is typically a time for budget and planning for the New Year. It is fortunate for us to have a new report issued from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) on this topic. On Expo Magazine’s website they provide information from this study. Their article is titled, CEIR: Exhibitors Spend $24B Annually on Events.

“The data in this report is a much needed resource for exhibiting companies to plan and budget the cost of their participation in events,” Doug Ducate, president and CEO of CEIR, says in a release. “It also provides a guide for organizers and service provider on the many different cost centers that comprise the overall cost of exhibiting.”

According to the report, 99 percent of trade show exhibitors find unique value delivered by business-to-business exhibitions, which other marketing channels cannot provide. These exhibitors assign top ranking to the value of face-to-face interactions at exhibitions, which they assign high value to when it comes to achieving priorities with marketing and sales.

How the Trade Show Exhibit Dollar is Spent

Attendees and exhibitors rank exhibitions and sales calls highest in terms of the value of face-to-face interactions, according to a separate report released by CEIR late last month, “Use and Value of Face-to-Face.” For trade show exhibitors, exhibitions (43 percent) and in-person sales calls (44 percent) are statistically tied for first ranking, with no other option ranking close.

While 47 percent of trade show exhibitors say the Great Recession has prompted decreases in exhibiting budgets, 40 percent have reduced the number of exhibitions and 44 percent note the number or budget for private travel has decreased, according to the “Use and Value” report. Looking to the next two years, however, CEIR finds that 54 percent of trade show exhibitors will maintain the same number of exhibitions while 24 percent plan to add events to their schedule.

Determining Objectives to Achieve at the Trade Show

A variety of show objectives need to be identified for any show attended. Normally, the top one is to generate leads for the sales pipeline. Below is a list of other objectives which might be considered in your planning process.

Meetings with current customers to build better relationships and possibly cross sell
Regain lost customers
Announce a new product and/or service
Demonstrate new usage of products and/or services
Extend brand awareness
Develop new markets or territories
Build press relations
Recruit new staff
Network with other industry professionals
Market research and gather competitive intelligence
Community awareness initiatives

It is important to set a measurable figure with each objective. For example, you might want to obtain 100 hot leads at the show, or have certain press exposure in 10 publications. By establishing a numeric benchmark you will be able to report to management the results of the show objectives.

Augmenting Your Marketing Message

Remember that the trade show function is a tool to reinforce the overall marketing message. What message do you want to deliver via the show? What are the 1, 2 or 3 most important thoughts you want your visitors to remember after they leave your exhibit?

Proper planning and execution should fill your sales pipeline full of qualified leads and have the industry abuzz about your products and services.

Go forth and plan! Share your objectives and insights below, and/or contact us to see how we can help you with your plans for next year's exhibiting budget!

Long after the Trade Show is Over Where Will the Swag Be?

Jessica Davis — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:06:00 GMT

Swag is a part of the DNA of every trade show booth. Some items have been worth their weight in gold, due to the attendee’s reaction to them, while some were a waste of money. Will the promotional product make it home or will it be left in the hotel room? There are many questions which should be posed and answered as you consider the worthiness of this endeavor.

The ultimate question is: does that Tchotchke really matter, and will it move the person along the sales funnel? Depending on your target market and what they expect, answers can vary. Below are some questions to consider when reviewing the options for your giveaways.

Questions, Ideas to Consider When Choosing a Tchotchke

How useful is it? Is this item something you would truly use after the show is over?
How does this piece relate to your company and its brand? Will it reinforce your brand image?
How can this swag be tie to the overall booth theme?
Will this item be kept at the recipient’s office? Or is it a fun item that will be given to someone at home, like a child?
Is there a way that this item can share your unique sales proposition?
Can this item easily go through security at the airport?
What types of conversations can the booth staff build around this item as it is being given away?

All of these questions should be reviewed to determine what to choose or pick out. Unfortunately, due to the hurried nature of getting ready for a show, the selection of the "right" promotional product is at the bottom of the list of tasks to accomplish.

Kathleen Hanover has written a post titled: Trade Show Marketing Tip: How To Choose Smart Swag where she presents a great idea:

“Let’s say your company sells a breakthrough solar panel that is 27% more cost-efficient than anyone else’s. Why not give away a small, solar-powered calculator? And what if that calculator had a formula printed on it that the recipient could use to calculate her cost savings over your competition? (Needless to say, it would also have your logo, tagline, and other pertinent details.) The possibilities are endless.”

Think about two different types of giveaways. Use a less expensive, but effective, giveaway for the freebie vultures for those people that come by your booth looking for the free giveaway. Don’t totally discount these people because they may actually just be trying to get your information and the giveaway will cause them to think of you whenever they use it. The second giveaway should be something a little nicer. It is a reward and thank you for a visitor stopping and engaging in genuine interested conversation regarding your product. You definitely want to give them a reason to remember you.

Consider a Charitable Gift Rather than Swag

Depending on the audience at the show, a contribution to charitable cause might gain more recognition for your firm than a giveaway. The show might have a cause they are supporting, like a food bank or a local animal shelter. You could co-ordinate your efforts with the show to add your contribution along with theirs. Let the press know what you are doing in lieu of spending money on giveaways and you might be able to gain positive exposure for your efforts. The press would be seen by show attendees and those who are not there.

Choosing the appropriate gift is often on a trial and error basis. Consult with a promotional products expert to discuss the wide range of options at your disposal. They can guide you in selecting the right item which will meet and possibly exceed your goals. Walk the show aisles to see what other exhibitors are using. You might see something which can be used for another show.

The good news is you have many options to choose from which can allow you flexibility in meeting budgetary considerations. We would like to hear what has been a great giveaway for you in the past. Please share that with us and we will post your responses.

Choosing the “Right” Booth Space for Your Next Trade Show

Jessica Davis — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:47:00 GMT

What size booth you should have at your next trade show is constantly under scrutiny. Your show footprint determines many other variables, especially booth staffing. Choosing the correct size of booth space has become a bit easier with the help of a toolkit created by Exhibit Surveys. The toolkit has two components, one for pre-show planning and the other one for post show ROI. In today’s blog post, we will examine the pre-show aspect.

This free exhibitor tool is called: ROI Toolkit. It was designed “to assist exhibitors in planning for an exhibition and to measure performance in delivering a return-on-investment (ROI) from trade show exhibiting. Funded by a grant from the PCMA Education Foundation to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, this web-site was developed by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. in conjunction with the ROI Task Force of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.”

In order to access this tool, you need to establish an account, which is free, just click here.

The Pre-Event module answers:

How many staff is needed to engage our potential audience?
How much space is required to attract and accommodate our potential audience?

The first step in assessing the potential booth space and associated staffing is to fill in the form shown below:

Those fields with a red asterisk must be filled in so that the toolkit can calculate the booth space. Let’s go over each one. Note these definitions are directly from the toolkit.

Net Attendance: Net Attendance is the total attendance to the show minus exhibitor personnel, press, students, show staff, family members and other ancillary attendees. In some cases, you may choose to include exhibitor personnel (or a portion of them) if your company sells to other exhibiting companies and if exhibitor personnel (or a portion of them) have job titles/functions to whom you typically sell.

It is critical that you get accurate attendance figures from the tradeshow organizer or the calculators in this tool will produce unrealistic results. When requesting attendance figures, ask for EEIAC third party audited attendance figures and request a copy of the full audit. If an audit is unavailable, ask for “verified” attendance figures. Verified attendance figures exclude advance show registrants who did not attend the show. “No-shows” can be substantial for some shows and very few for others.

Target Audience: Target Audience is the percentage of the Net Attendance that fits the profile of your Target Audience. This number is usually based on the demographic profile data for the net attendance (e.g. type business, job title/function, professional role, etc.) and will vary considerably by individual shows and industry. This profile is usually available from the show organizer and is based on the questions they ask on the attendee registration form, and/or may come from the results of an attendee survey. Ask for EEIAC third-party audited demographic data or data based on “verified” attendance that excludes advance show registrants who did not attend.

Product/Service Interest: Product/Service Interest is the percentage of the Net Attendance interested in seeing one or more of your types of products or services at the show. Research by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. indicates that the level of interest in seeing your category(s) of products or services is the best prediction of your potential for success in the show. This percentage along with the Target Audience percentage will be applied to the Net Attendance to give a realistic estimate of the Potential Audience you can reach at the trade show.

Product/Service Interest data is not always available from the organizer. When unavailable you can estimate product interest based on the following ranges:

Single Product Category - 10% to 20%
Two or Three Categories - 21% to 35%
Four or Five Categories - 36% to 50%
Six or More Categories - 51% to 75%

The more mainstream your product/service category is in the market the show serves, the higher in the appropriate range you should select. Remember, this percentage is used to give you a realistic estimate of the Potential Audience you can expect to reach. It is not critical that the Product/Service Interest percentage be precise to use this tool.

Total Show Duration: Total Show Duration is simply the total number of hours the exhibit floor is open to the attendees for all days of the show. It is used to calculate the number of exhibit staff needed.

Number of Visitors Handled per Hour: # Visitors Handled Hourly/Staff is the average number of visitors each of your exhibit staff should be able to reasonably engage on a per hour basis. It is used in the exhibit staff calculation. Keep in mind that staff are often talking to more than one visitor at a time. The average trade show exhibit staff rate based on Exhibit Surveys, Inc. measurement rate is 10 visitors per staff person per hour and this rate is a reasonable rate to use as a start.

However, you may want to adjust this rate based on the complexity of your product or service. For example, a rate of 5 to 7 may be more reasonable for complex or very technical products/services. Rates of 15 or higher may be more reasonable for less complex products/services or where exhibit personnel are using demos or other types of “one-on-many” exhibit techniques to engage visitors.

Occupied Exhibit Space: Occupied Exhibit Space is defined as the amount of space required for all inanimate objects in the exhibit (exhibiting, pedestals, information counters, etc.) plus any space that is not open or working space available for staff and visitors to engage (e.g. storage space). The calculator will estimate how much open/working space is needed to engage with visitors. The occupied exhibit space figure gets added to the open or working space to give you total exhibit space. Note: if you want to wait and enter this figure after seeing how much open or working space is required, enter 0.

Once you have these numbers filled in, press “calculate” and the toolkit performs an analysis and provides this for you:

Flexibility is built into the toolkit, meaning that you can change or adjust your numbers and assess a new outcome. This “what if’ capability can make this a very powerful instrument for you.

Once you have size determined, you can start the planning process for all the other critical components of a successful trade show.

Take a look at the other half of the toolkit: ROI analysis - see its capabilities. With this free toolkit you are armed to become a star within your organization. We will talk about the ROI aspect in another blog post in the near future. Now that you have this tool, let the calculations begin!

Keep in mind, that just as important as what size booth, is where -
for a free report, click here:

In a Blink of an Eye, a Trade Show Decision is Made

Jessica Davis — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:37:00 GMT

Swarms of attendees are in the aisles, but who will come into your booth? Is one of the attendees your next big prospect? They could be…

The bestselling book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell, informs us: “A person watching a silent two-second video clip of a teacher he or she has never met will reach conclusions about how good that teacher is that are very similar to those of a student who has sat in the teacher’s class for an entire semester. That’s the power of our adaptive unconscious.”

Considering the implications of this in trade show terms, here are some items to be aware of in working with buyers and prospects in your exhibit and creating the best possible impression.

The snap judgments derived in those seconds will determine whether someone perceives you worthy of their time. And whether they will move towards any type of engagement.

When you are creating your booth property you must remember that it will be placed in a sea of other sights and sounds. How do you create a physical structure that is welcoming and delivers your core marketing message to the trade show audience? Not an easy task.

Can your booth live up to its marketing potential? Here are a few questions your team should consider as you prepare for the show.

Will a person who is unfamiliar with our company know who we are and what we do via our graphics?
Do we clearly communicate our solution message in our booth in images and text?
Is your booth open and inviting so that someone is drawn into it?
How can you tactfully interrupt someone who is walking the aisle and engage them with video, music, graphics, a demonstration, etc.?

We know that most attendees come to the show with an agenda, and use the time to evaluate vendors before making a final decision. When a buyer is in the information gathering mode, as is generally the case at an event, there is a relatively small window of opportunity to grab their attention. What happens is they use this time to count in and leave out suppliers based upon their experience in the booth with them.

Starting the Conversation with a Prospect

Let’s assume that your booth has caught the attention of someone walking the aisle. The first step in any engagement process is a conversation. It is conversation which is focused on the attendee, not you.

Do not start the conversation with, “Can I help you?” This is an immediate turn off! Use open- ended questions to probe if this person is a prospect at all.

The best booth personnel don’t sell, instead they “gather” the information on what type of prospect they are engaging. Gathering information is the opposite of selling.

Start the conversation with a “pick up line” that will solicit a thoughtful reply, like one of these:

What conference session has been the best one, thus far?
Wasn’t the [keynote speakers name] funny, entertaining, etc. What did you think of him/her?
What booth on the floor has been the most compelling for you?
What’s the best thing you’ve seen at the show?

What are the qualifying questions that let YOU determine if they are a prospect for you? If you get these questions answered, then you know where to take it from there!

Once you have the conversation started, then you can ask other open-ended questions which can help you qualify them. Here are some examples for you:

What’s your biggest challenge this year?
What did you hope to find at the show?

Now that you have their attention…are they someone you want to talk to? Ask a question about THEIR responsibility at the company. Like:

“Are you responsible for _________”
If no…ask “who is?”
“Are you involved with _________”

They may be a source of information about potential projects. If they are not the right person, don’t waste another second with this person while potential “hot” prospects are walking by the booth. Escort this person out of the booth quickly and politely so you can engage with the right prospect.

Now if you find a decision-maker for your target company-type…take it a step further and find out if a project is on the horizon by asking:

“Is your company planning a __________?”
“Have you chosen a vendor?”
“When will you make that decision?”
“What are the criteria for ______?”
“What is the budget for ______?”

The questions you are asking should match the lead gathering device the booth personnel have. You could be using a lead card, an electronic device, or a handheld smart phone to capture relevant information. Make sure all members of your booth team know what pieces of information you want gathered and someone is monitoring for quality.

By gathering as much information and recording it on the show floor, it will make the follow- up process more robust. In a future post we will discuss several proven follow-up activities that can separate you from the competition and move the prospect along the sales funnel.

Which Trade Show is Right for you?

Jessica Davis — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:24:00 GMT

It is an age old question – should we exhibit? This question surfaces on a regular basis in all marketing departments. There are certain shows, based upon their great performance in the past, that are no-brainers. But there can be others which you may not know much about.

Ask Customers and Prospects about the Trade Shows They Attend

The first point is to simply ask others about the trade shows that they like and attend. Make it a habit to ask customers and prospects alike “which trade shows do you attend?”

Which is the “best” one for finding new products?
How are the shows different and what makes them different?
If they often attend more than one – which one is most important?
Which one would they skip if they had to choose?
Which show(s) have caught their attention, but haven’t yet made a priority?

You might consider conducting a short survey that can be sent out to your prospects and customers to solicit their responses. There are many free survey tools available to use, like Survey Monkey, Zoomerang, and others.

Talk with the Trade Show Organizer

The show organizer's job is to be an expert on who attends their events. Typically they have concrete, measurable registration surveys and audits for you to view. Initially you can review their prospectus; then, if it looks like a fit for you, call them directly. They know that a successful show is predicated on the right buyers finding the right vendors. Consequently, they make a science out of profiling their customers, and you should too.

To begin profiling your customer, start with these questions: Who do you want to attract to your exhibit booth? Who are the ideal customers for your product and/or service and what is important to them? Depending on whether your market is business to consumer, or business to business, the criteria will be different. Regardless of the specific terms you will need to define your customer, the broad range of data categories are: demographics (who is my customer), psychographics (what do they do), behavioral (how do they do it) and causation (why they do what they do). According to Barry Siskind in an article called The Right Place to Exhibit – A Strategic Approach, “causation is the sum total of all the demographic, psychographic and behavioral data you have accumulated. It matches up your features and benefits with your customers’ perception of their importance.”

As you profile your target audience, you can ask questions to find out where they are and the best way to reach them. Given that shows have various geographic focuses (regional, national or international), you will want to choose those ideally suited to both you and the audience you serve. Ultimately, you have plenty of choices, though finding the right trade show can be challenging. “The right show is a blend of audience, cost and logistics. Good event selection is a solid base upon which the rest of your exhibit program is built,” Siskind reminds us.

Resources for Locating Trade Shows

If you need to look up a show, here are several online resources for you.

Events in America: www.eventsinamerica.com

Trade Show News Network: www.tsnn.com

The Trade Show Calendar: www.thetradeshowcalendar.com

Selecting the right trade show is just the beginning of the process. In future posts we will provide you with a full range of marketing tips and ideas to make it the best show ever!

For more info on whether we'd be the right company to partner with once you've determined where you'd like to exhibit, check out our Top 10 Reasons to Switch to Alexis and put our experience and resources to work for you!

The Low Down on Trade Show Exhibit Layouts

Jessica Davis — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:10:00 GMT

There are ins and outs and pros and cons to all the various types of trade show booth layouts, and determining which layout will deliver the best results for your company can be a difficult task. Evaluating your company’s needs and objectives will be your first step in determining which exhibit floor plans will work best for you.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the more popular tradeshow exhibit layouts and the pros and cons of each to make that decision easier. Keep in mind, however, that variables exist between each layout type. Exhibitors can change each layout’s components, size, and positioning and mix and match layouts and elements to suit different situations.

Classic Diamond.
Consists of a large, central structure with a series of independent elements (kiosks, demo stations, graphics, product displays) surrounding it.

Pros: This layout offers a strong visual presence, and its simplicity and lack of walls helps draw in visitors. Also works well for displaying multiple small products.

Cons: The layout’s central structure blocks view across the booth and offers only one spot for a single, high-impact statement or slogan. As far as traffic, this layout requires careful staffing to encourage visitors to explore the whole booth.

Centerpiece.
Typically used when one message or product needs to be featured; all other elements are directed toward one main focal point.

Pros: This layout offers easy access to focal point of booth and offers great impact for main marketing message or slogan. Allows easy access to main focus of booth.

Cons: This layout type offers little flexibility over time and single focus makes it hard to hold attendees’ interest for very long. Central focus of exhibit can attract so much traffic to cause congestion.

Theater.
The underlying purpose of this layout is to show some form of a presentation. Rather than walls, it uses dividers along the sides and demo stations or kiosks along the back.

Pros: Layout drives all attention toward presentation and openness encourages visitors who shun enclosed presentations. Allows strong medium for message delivery and partitions can display smaller, tangent messages.

Cons: Singular focus prevents highlighting multiple products. Offers no capture effect and quick exits after presentations difficult to prevent.

Club.
Also referred to as a closed exhibit, this layout type uses some type of material to create a fully or semi-enclosed environment within the booth space.

Pros: Interior offers quiet off-floor environment and exterior walls can attract attention and deliver messaging. Allows complete control over entry and exit of visitors. Exhibit walls offer lots of space for graphics.

Cons: Attendees can’t see main focus until they step inside and limited entrances discourage walk-up traffic. Main entrance clogs easily and confusion can result from too many messages.

Random Display.
This layout deconstructs formal floor plans in an effort to look unique and consists of an arbitrary arrangement of shapes, activities and elements.

Pros: Allows use of multiple products and presentation media. Permits many levels of messaging.

Cons: Prevents highlighting one central focus and multiple messages can cause chaos that work against proper message delivery. Confusing layout can be difficult to navigate and traffic can clog at focal point.

Plaza.
All large structures are pushed to the aisles to create an open, inviting environment in the center for casual conversation and product displays.

Pros: Offers open and inviting interior space that allows all elements to be seen at once. Openness encourages attendees to wander and explore; visitors are free to leave as easily as they enter. Allows placement of large graphic displays.

Cons: Doesn’t offer one main focal point. Central elements can draw too much traffic, causing congestion.

Make a lasting impression and download our Top Trends in Tradeshow Booth Design!

Exhibiting at International Trade Shows

Jessica Davis — Fri, 13 May 2011 12:58:00 GMT

With the U.S. economy still climbing its way out of the doldrums of recession, many organizations are increasingly thinking global, looking to expand their businesses into emerging foreign markets. Exhibiting overseas is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to identify the best foreign markets for your company’s products and services.

Exhibiting internationally introduces many new challenges for organizations and requires thorough research to determine which ones will attract your target market. A good starting point is the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service (FSC), part of the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

If you’re the person put in charge of exhibit management at your company, you need to do your research to make sure your company’s significant investment into international trade shows isn’t a waste of time and money. Tactics that have proven successful in trade show exhibiting in the U.S. might fall flat in another country.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when exhibiting internationally:

Hire a translator. Probably the most important step is to hire an expert (preferably native-born) translator who not only understands the language but the culture of the country and its people. This person will prove instrumental in helping fine-tune your company’s marketing message, slogans and marketing collateral to assure that your message is effectively delivered to this new audience.

Hire a designer. It might also be a good idea to hire a local designer who understands how this foreign market will interpret the colors, design, symbols, logo, and look of your exhibit. For example, one color might be considered lucky or prosperous in one country, yet might symbolize something completely different or have a negative connotation in another.

Check on technical and safely standards. Before you commit to a foreign show, make sure your products comply with international technical and safety standards, which may vary slightly from those in the U.S. Another important consideration is power requirements. When exhibiting overseas, your electrical equipment might need to be adapted to different power voltage outlets.

When in Rome… Things are done differently in other countries. Be sensitive to how business is conducted and how decisions are made in the host country. Read up on proper business etiquette, how the sales process typically works, and the nuances of relationship building there. In Japan, for example, a handshake at the end of a business meeting is as good as a signed contract.

Exhibiting at an international trade show can bring big benefits and open up an entirely new market for your company’s products or services. A savvy planner, however, must do their homework well in advance.

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Buying Versus Renting Tradeshow Exhibits

Jessica Davis — Mon, 09 May 2011 20:29:00 GMT

Many organizations don’t realize they can test the waters when it comes to tradeshow exhibits, renting before they commit to buy. For some companies, however, especially those that know they will be exhibiting multiple times throughout the year, buying might be the best and most cost-efficient option.

Let’s take a look at some of the rationale behind why companies chose to rent over buying and vice versa. There are pros and cons to both approaches.

Why rent?

If your company has never before exhibited at a trade show or are fairly inexperienced with trade shows, you might want to consider renting the first time around. After your first experience, you’ll have a much better idea of what your company’s needs will be for future shows in terms of space, size, design, functionality, etc. You’ll also have a better sense of if participating in trade shows will help your company meet its marketing objectives.

Renting the first time will also give you the opportunity to check out what your competitors are doing as far as exhibits. You don’t want to have the exact same booth as your competitor. Your company needs to stand out amidst the sea of competing exhibits to drive traffic and draw in prospective customers.

Another reason to rent is your company simply cannot afford to buy its own exhibit. Tradeshow booths can cost thousands of dollars, so unless your company has a proven track record of success at trade shows, you might want to rent. Hopefully after a few successful forays into trade shows, your organization will be able to financially justify the purchase of its own trade show booth.

Why buy?

If your company regularly exhibits at trade shows, even if it’s twice a year, then it simply doesn’t make sense not to own your own booth. Rental fees quickly add up, so if your company is committed to participate in multiple trade shows or events throughout the year, purchasing your own booth makes good financial sense.

Experience at past trade shows also means you have a solid understanding of what type of booth your company would require; overall footprint and layout, size of actual booth space your company is reserving for each show, and overall type of design. Chances are you also have checked out your competition’s trade show exhibits and know what your company will need in terms of its own booth to stand out.

Keep in mind that many exhibit companies will allow you to put the money you spend on a booth rental towards the ultimate purchase of a booth. In this way, renting before buying is a great way to experiment with different booth designs and see what works for your company before diving in and making the investment in your own tradeshow booth.

Top Tactics to Make Your Trade Show Booth Stand Out

Jessica Davis — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:37:00 GMT

Every industry has its norms. At a medical industry show, the show floor will resemble a tranquil sea of blues and whites, colors that convey cleanliness and reliability. At technology industry shows you’ll see lots of bright colors, bold graphics and eye-popping presentations on flat-screen monitors. While every industry has its norm, the reality is that in order to make your booth get noticed by attendees, the last thing you want to do is to blend in with competing booths.

So how do you differentiate your exhibit so attendees will be captivated long enough for your booth staff to engage them and deliver your company’s marketing message? In order to successfully achieve your company’s trade show objectives, whether that is generating sales leads or educating a new market about your products or services, the first step is to garnering the attention of prospective customers.

Many companies exhibiting at trade shows make the classic mistake of trying to fit in with other exhibitors. Perhaps it’s your company’s first foray into a particular market or event. You want your company to look like it can play in the same sandbox with other big players in the market. The problem is fitting in isn’t going to help your company stand out amidst its competitors.

Here are a few ways in which you can differentiate your company’s exhibit.

Color: Avoid the standard color palette of the industry. Choosing a unique color scheme for your booth is a simple way to visually set your booth apart from the other booths. Be careful, however, and do your research before picking a color scheme. Different colors convey certain messages that might not align with your trade show objectives or your marketing message.

Structure: Be creative here and don’t settle for a standard exhibit configuration. If your competition typically uses a booth layout with formal meeting areas/rooms, go for a casual lounge feel instead. If competing booths are very geometric and angular, go for a free-flowing, airy feel with a fabric structure featuring organic shapes and soft, curvy lines.

Lighting: One way to breathe new life into an older exhibit is to enhance or change up the lighting scheme. Be creative here as well. Colored lights can add pizzazz and be a real attention-getter. Soft lighting can create a calm, intimate setting.

Product Displays: Don’t overcrowd surfaces with product displays. Again, take note of what your competitors are doing. Use creativity to highlight your products in a way your competitors aren’t. Again, the purpose is to get your booth to stand out so attendees will pause long enough to notice your products and marketing message.

Booth staff: It’s important to put together a “front line” offense when it comes to your booth staff. Don’t staff your booth with temp workers or new employees. Bring out your “big guns,” which typically means your product development folks who can speak at great length—not just about your products, but those of your competitor’s and industry pain points as well.

Trade Show Tips - How to Do More with Less

Jessica Davis — Tue, 03 May 2011 11:51:00 GMT

A reality of the past several years of recession is that companies across all industries have had to tighten their belts when it comes to marketing initiatives. One of the biggest and most costly pieces of the marketing pie is trade show exhibition. Marketers and exhibit managers are then faced with a challenge. How do they increase sales and bottom-line revenue without the resources to amp up their marketing efforts?

Borne out of necessity and a lack of monetary influx into their existing budgets, many marketers and exhibit managers have found creative ways to do just that. And, it’s no magic trick. Simple cost cutting measures that help shift resources and re- allocate money into areas of your company’s marketing efforts that can deliver the most benefits and payoff during economic downturns, such as trade shows.

Here are a few ways you can cut money out of your exhibit budget:

Buy, don’t rent. Renting accessories, equipment and individual components (display racks, folding chairs and tables, etc.) from an exhibit hall or show- appointed vendors adds significant expense to your overall exhibition budget. Save big bucks by shipping these items from your home office or storage warehouse. Even with shipping and drayage costs, you’ll still come out ahead for most items. This logic applies to your actual booth itself; if you exhibit at multiple shows per year, but don’t rent.

Cut travel expenses. Hotel costs for traveling staff members can very quickly add up and bloat your trade show budget. Learn to negotiate with hotels to get the best deals; also, bigger shows typically negotiate with local hotels to offer special “show” rates for exhibitors and attendees. Join hotel chains’ customer loyalty programs to get other free bonuses, such as free stays after a certain number of stays. Double up employees of the same sex in one room and look for hotels that offer free breakfast.

Lighten your load. Reduce your shipping and drayage costs by taking a close look at what you’ll really need on-site and in your booth. Focus on one product to highlight; don’t bring every product in your line. An overcrowded booth is a turnoff for attendees and makes it more difficult for visitors to focus on the one product you’re announcing or launching at the show. You might also be able to trim some off your drayage costs by shipping some things, such as brochures and other collateral material, directly to your hotel.

Order show services carefully. This is kind of like the hotel mini-bar. Seems so convenient, but when you check out and see that you shelled out $7.50 for that can of pretzels, you might think otherwise. Order the necessities (electricity, lighting, booth cleaning, etc.) by the earliest deadline and you might be eligible for a discount. Determine the actual wattage needs of your equipment and make sure that you don’t order more than you need and bring your own electrical power strips.

Top Technology Advances for Trade Shows

Jessica Davis — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:35:00 GMT

Advances in innovative technology are constant and keeping up with the latest in whiz-bang gadgets and technology tools is not always an easy endeavor. Event planning and tradeshow technology continues to advance, with products becoming cheaper and easier to use. Having these tools in your business arsenal can provide your company with a competitive advantage and can go a long way towards helping it achieve its trade show objectives.

Let’s take a look at some of the technology advances that are playing a significant role in today’s trade show world.

Go mobile. One of the difficulties of attending or exhibiting at trade shows is the fact that taking the show on the road means being away from your office and the resources you’d typically have at your fingertips. With the virtual explosion of mobile apps hitting the market, being away from the office no longer means going without. Hundreds of apps designed for both attendees and exhibitors at trade shows are now available for smart phones. These apps are used for networking, lead exchange, electronic ticketing, audience polling, surveys, pocket programs, pocket exhibit guides, course notes/literature collection and much more. There is a new website: www.meetingapps.com, that can help you find them. Many more apps are in the technology pipeline, so stay educated.

iPad and other tablet-based PCs. Apple Computer has released several game changers in the past few years. Its iPhone sold like hotcakes and spawned a crop of look-alike smart phones from competing vendors clamoring for their share of the “Apple” pie. The company has done it yet again with its innovative iPad, which has now led to a barrage of competing touch-sensitive, tablet-like PCs. All these highly portable devices are ideal for trade shows, where they can be used to give demos; view streaming event video; input data for surveys or lead generation systems; distribute handouts for attendees; or run bigger versions of the mobile apps described above.

High-definition video conferencing. Skype’s newest 5.0 beta version provides 760p high-definition video conferencing—with the ability to conference in four simultaneous callers—for free. This capability will prove ideal for speakers presenting remotely at events or for conferencing customers or partners in to on-site meetings or press events. The price of video conferencing technology has plummeted, and along with increasingly more dependable Internet connections, the video reliability is excellent.

Online collaboration. While email is an efficient way to quickly communicate ideas and thoughts to others, when you need to iterate on a topic with another person, it’s often inadequate. Wikis (collaborative websites) have emerged as a much more efficient manner with which to communicate on topics and collaborate on projects that require discussion and the effective management of information and documents. These websites provide an easy way to track conference or exhibition logistics and other details with geographically dispersed team members. Free tools, such as Google Docs, help manage the data side of things, making sure that everyone is working from the most current version of a document.

Top Trends That Can Improve Your Trade Show Marketing

Jessica Davis — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:04:00 GMT

Doing effective marketing to promote your company’s participation in trade shows is essential to achieve your overall trade show objective, whether that goal is to boost traffic to your booth, generate sales leads or sell products.

Those of you who are responsible for event and trade show marketing and promotion on behalf of your organization are probably always looking out for that next trend or technology you can leverage to help you achieve these goals.

Let’s take a look at some of the emerging trends companies are using to improve their trade show marketing efforts.

Social media. It’s hard to find a company today that hasn’t at least dipped their toe into the social media waters. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others have ballooned in popularity and are being used increasingly by event marketers. A recent study conducted by Forrester Research predicts that B2B companies will increase budgets for interactive marketing to $54 million by 2014, double the amount they spent back in 2009. Social media tools are being used by trade show marketers to promote participation in upcoming events or share news happening in real-time at events with customers, partners and prospects via Twitter feeds or YouTube videos.

Go global. While the U.S. economy slowly recovers from multiple years of recession, companies might look to exhibit their wares internationally. According to the World Bank, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in developing countries will grow nearly six percent in 2011, while the GDP in the U.S. will only grow by three percent. If your trade show budget doesn’t allow for the expense of exhibiting at an international trade show, look for opportunities to partner with a foreign company with complimentary products or technology or exhibit in a smaller booth within a group pavilion.

Marketing on the move. Mobile computing is probably one of the fastest evolving technology trends today. Smart phones are everywhere. Growth in mobile marketing is expected to continue its rapid rise in 2011. A research study conducted by Forrester Research found that mobile marketing will grow at a much faster rate than traditional B2B marketing mediums and predict that half of all web traffic will come through mobile devices.

Smart marketers are working to make sure their websites and blogs can be viewed adequately on these mobile devices. Other exciting news for tradeshow marketers and attendees is the introduction of tradeshow-specific apps. Look for apps that replace printed show directories; apps for sales lead management; and audience polling apps.

Download your FREE Social Media and Digital Marketing Strategy Guide! Click here.

New Functionality on iPad 2 Ideal for Trade Shows

Jessica Davis — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:50:00 GMT

Apple is now shipping the second version of its extremely popular mobile computing tablet, the iPad 2. Despite early skepticism, both consumers and the work world have embraced the iPad, as more and more apps hit the market to fulfill nearly every computing desire.

In general, business users en masse have adopted the iPad over competing tablet devices. Just three months after its April 2010 launch, Apple reported that the iPad was being tested by 50% of Fortune 100 companies. By the beginning of this year, that figure had jumped to 80% of Fortune 100 companies.

Better, faster, thinner, lighter? Check.

Courtesy of AppleThe iPad 2 offers twice the computing horsepower of its predecessor and a high- performance graphics processor that delivers a whopping 9X performance boost over the original iPad—all in a smaller envelope. Though the screen size remains the same, the unit itself is 33% slimmer than its predecessor and weighs a bit less as well. If stolen, the new iPad will also offer a feature that would enable users to “remote-wipe” data.

The iPad 2’s now features a front-facing camera for video-conferencing with VGA resolution. The rear-facing camera features 720P HD resolution. Front and rear cameras will not only make it easier to shoot impromptu videos, but will also enable more use of apps such as Shoeboxed’s business card scanner on trade show floors and conferences. In addition, any web-based app for registration, ticketing, or other forms of data collection will also now be easier.

For lead capture on the iPad, install your video, download iLeads and you’re ready to go. Be sure and put some quick response (QR) codes on business cards; the iPad’s camera and associated app can easily capture that data as well.

The unit comes preloaded with a video calling app, called FaceTime, and an app for capturing photos and videos and performing simple edits, called PhotoBooth. Onboard video editing will enable users to do videoblogging from trade shows and conferences or on the go. Another boon to trade show exhibitors will be onboard audio editing, which will enable podcasting from the iPad using the Garageband for the Mac app.

Another feature improvement is ramped up memory; the iPad will offer 512 MB of RAM, up from 256 MB in the original iPad. New mobile hotspot functionality on the iPhone means users will have a roving hotspot for their iPads if they need it, which translates to more opportunities to work remotely, work on the go, or work in areas with limited data throughput, such as trade show floors.

Whether you’re at the trade show booth or in a conference room, the video- mirroring app is likely to help presenters and speakers do a lot more with interactive presentations. Speakers can create presentations and show them on the iPad’s screen or plug into a larger display, and then collaboratively put together a takeaway from a conference session that will be unlike anything attendees have ever seen before. The iPad 2 will also be ideal for sales presentations and demos, plugging easily into flat panel TVs on trade show floors or conference rooms.

How to Make Your Trade Show Booth Stand Out

Jessica Davis — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:21:00 GMT

Exhibiting at a trade show is a marvelous way for your company to capture the attention of its target market in order to introduce a new product or service, generate valuable sales leads, get media attention, or sell products. Garnering that attention, however, can be tricky when your booth is amid hundreds of competing booths, each staffed with eager employees trying to grab the often-fleeting interest of passing attendees.

So how do you make your exhibit stand out? Research shows that exhibitors have mere seconds to grab the attention of attendees, often weary and overwhelmed by the vast number of booths. You can’t meet your tradeshow objectives unless you get those folks in your booth to hear your pitch, so exhibitors must always be on the lookout for new and creative ways to make their exhibit stand out.

One way is to walk the show floor and take note of what other exhibitors are doing with their trade show exhibits and displays. Notice what types of marketing strategies they are using to attract booth traffic. Also, pay attention to what booths seem to be drawing in the largest number of attendees. Is there an enticing giveaway drawing in hordes of people? Ask attendees that have stopped in your booth which exhibitors’ booths they were most drawn to and why.

Leverage your relationship with your display provider as well. They often can offer specific expertise on what has proven successful for other customers as far as boosting traffic. It is their job to stay on top of the latest in exhibit design, event strategies and promotional trends.

Another potential source of innovative ideas are trade show associations and industry consultants. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (www.ceir.org) is another great resource for ideas on how to increase your tradeshow exhibit’s visibility. Once you have developed some new strategy ideas to boost booth traffic, lead generation and possibly sales, just make sure they are all align with your company’s brand positioning.

Here are a handful of promotional ideas to draw in visitors to your booth:

Entertain them. Magicians, caricaturists, and celebrity look-alikes are sometimes cheesy but often effective in grabbing the interest of attendees, giving your booth staffers an opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Photograph them. Take a digital photo of visitors and superimpose them on unique backgrounds, such as magazine covers to create a memorable takeaway. Or use the image to perform a virtual makeover, so visitors can see what they would look like in various hairstyles or clothes.

Let them play. Provide a chance to play virtual sports, such as golf or baseball using simulation software systems. Winners take away balls with your logo printed on them.

Feed them. Weary and often hungry trade show attendees tend to flock to booths offering free food, coffee or beverages. While they are munching or sipping, make sure your booth staffers introduce themselves and give them the two-minute pitch.

Reward them. Offer an incentive to stop by your booth. A creative giveaway— with your logo and marketing slogan on it—could include tote bags, laser pointers, memory sticks, apparel, golf tees, pens, coffee mugs, etc.

Choosing the Best Trade Show Display For Your Needs

Jessica Davis — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:39:00 GMT

Once you've decided to take the plunge into tradeshow exhibiting, the next question might be: what type of display or exhibit will we need? The answers will vary depending upon a multitude of factors. You'll need to ask yourself some basic questions, such as: how large are the events you wish to participate in? What type of audience do you wish to attract? What location type (in-line, corner, end, island) and size of booth space are you considering?

Other questions in regards to the frequency of exhibiting and how you will transport your exhibit also need to be considered before you can determine which type of display will best serve your needs and meet your tradeshow objectives. Another important question is how much do you have to spend on a display. When you include the physical display itself, plus banner stands, lighting, and accessories, you could be talking anywhere from a few thousand to over $50,000 in costs.

Once you've determined all these things, it's time to start evaluating the different types of displays. Let’s take a look at the various types.

Pop-up displays. These are made up of a lightweight, folding frame covered with magnetic-backed fabric, vinyl, or plastic panels. These displays are available in tabletop or floor versions.
Pros: Because they are lightweight, they are easily and less expensive to transport.

Truss displays. Structured around lightweight or aluminum tubing, these displays can be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes, from entire booths to special exhibit features, display walls, islands, and entranceways.
Pros: Highly configurable for added flexibility.

Panel displays. These displays are made up of fabric-covered rectangular sections that are connected to make a wall.
Pros: Also very flexible because they can be configured to fit different sized and shaped booths.

Table-top displays. This display type, which features a lightweight display that sits on top of a table, is ideal for small events. The displays typically have three panels with Velcro-attached graphics and headlines that can be easily changed and updated. Some come with briefcase-style cases for easy transport.
Pros: Least expensive option and more durable than pop-up systems.

Banner stands. These banner stands provide an easy, lightweight means to display your corporate banners or other signage. These are available in single, double or triple-sided models. You can use two placed together or separately in different locations within your booth. Some come with lights to enhance the image display.
Pros: They are lightweight, portable and durable.

Custom displays. Exhibit companies can help you design your own custom display in any size or configuration will fit your needs. You can also incorporate accessories, including cabinets, counter tops, back lighting and bridges. Most will also offer a no- obligation design and price quote for your proposed design, so you can weigh your options before committing to anything.
Pros: Designed exactly with your needs in mind.

Trade Show Planning: Creating a Timeline

Jessica Davis — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:25:00 GMT

Organizing your company’s participation in upcoming trade shows can be stressful and requires precision and strong organizational skills. To make it a tad less stressful, prepare a timeline of things that must get done and when they must be accomplished. This alone can help you stay on track, reduce some of the nail biting and prevent missed deadlines that can cost you down the road in lost discounts, rush fees and missed opportunities.

There are deadlines for choosing an exhibit space, for ordering show services, and for creating your exhibit. There is no one right way to create a timeline, as they can be organized in a myriad of ways (deadlines, tasks, etc.). However, once you come up with one that works for you, use it as a master template for creating timelines for all future shows.

Here are some general guidelines to help you in your planning:

12+ months out: Determine your objectives

Identify the role that trade shows will play in your overall marketing and sales plan. Will trade shows be primarily used to generate sales leads and prospective customers?

Conduct research on what shows will best achieve these objectives.

Determine a budget and project your return on investment (ROI).

9-12 month out: Initial planning mode

Compile a list of specific objectives for each show, such as number of leads, number of products sold, amount of publicity sought, etc.

Identify the booth size needed and type of display, along with marketing collateral and promotional items.

Register for the show and reserve your space with show management and request full details of exhibit requirements (deadlines, shipping information, etc.).

Create a trade show marketing plan that uses a mix of promotional methods to reach sales prospects.

6-9 months out: Fine-tuning your message

Develop your sales message that will communicate a compelling story and deliver the key points you want to make in as short a time as possible (preferably less than 30 seconds).

Choose an exhibit company to help create and deliver an exhibit that will fit your needs and budget. Research their capabilities, experience, and design talent, and be sure and check references of past clients.

Determine what promotional strategies, such as giveaways and attractions, you’ll use to draw attendees out of crowded aisles and into your booth.

4-6 months out: Tying up loose ends

Order promotional items (giveaways, takeaways, prizes, etc.)

Confirm delivery dates with your exhibit company to assure your display will be ready on time.

Determine who will be staffing your booth at the show, develop schedules, and plan training sessions.

Make travel and hotel reservations, if you haven’t already.

Determine how your exhibit and accessories will be shipped to the show.

Launch pre-show marketing initiatives.

1-3 months out: Check and double check details

Assemble packets of information for post-show marketing follow-up.

Contact show management for any last-minute details, changes, etc.

Finalize production of display, promotional items, and marketing materials and confirm shipping date.

Schedule dinners, briefings, or other meetings with customers, media, or sales staff.

Re-confirm hotel and travel arrangements. Last minute snafus are costly and can be eliminated by doing one last review of all your staff’s travel plans.

One week out: Crunch time.

Wrap up staff training of booth personnel.

Confirm shipping arrival dates for your display, marketing materials and promotional items.

There’s always going to be that one thing that completely slips your mind, however, having a timeline can help you stay focused, and more importantly, stay on schedule.

Tips for Selecting the Right Trade Shows

Jessica Davis — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:23:00 GMT

Making the decision to exhibit at a trade show is a significant commitment—in both time and expense—for any size company. Trade shows can deliver significant bottom-line benefits by generating valuable sales leads, increasing company awareness, launching new products or services, building brand recognition, finding new channel members and gaining media attention. In order to successfully achieve any of these, however, you must first select the right trade show for your company.

If you are the person tasked with this selection process, the burden is on you to make an informed decision, selecting shows that will deliver the right target audience for your marketing message. Here are a few questions to ask when evaluating your trade show options:

What are my goals? You first must determine your objectives for the show so you can choose the show that will give your company the best return on investment (ROI) in terms of your goals. If your goal is on-site sales, picking a show where there are dozens of competitors selling similar products will be a bust and a colossal waste of money.

Who will be there? Your first step will be to quantify the total number of relevant prospects, buyers, and influences who will be interested in your company’s products or services. Obtain an Exhibitor’s Registration Kit and look at the attendee profile of previous shows, including job title, industry representation, type of business, and geographical distribution.

Does size really matter? Bigger isn’t really necessarily better. Really. The size of the show should match your goals (number of sales leads, units sold, etc.). If you’re a smaller company, it might be difficult to stand out at big trade shows, whereas at a smaller one you might be more noticeable. Smaller ones, however, won’t generate the same high number of leads as larger shows so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of both and how they relate to your overall objectives.

Will your competitors be there? Though you might not like competing for the same mindshare, the proximity of competitors in one place can be a boon for your business. Find out in advance which of your competitors are going to be there. This actually can help you formulate a winning strategy and effective marketing message specific to that show. What new products are you introducing? And, how and why are they better than your competitor’s?

Is it the right choice? Though you’ll never know for sure in advance whether a trade show is going to deliver a return on your investment, there are some ways to hedge your bets. Ask yourself whether this show is well aligned with the core competencies of your business or just one facet of its offerings? Is the right audience going to participate? Can my company stand out and be unique on the show floor?

What about media coverage? Ask for last year’s press list. Do any of these publications reach your target customers? Do you have a compelling story to tell them? If so, this show might be a good fit.

Deploying Online Marketing Strategies to Promote Trade Shows

Jessica Davis — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:36:00 GMT

The Internet is called the “Information Highway” for a reason, as it provides an easy way to quickly to find information on an endless array of topics. It also provides an ideal vehicle by which to educate and communicate with vast numbers of people. For all these reasons, the Internet is a great way to promote your company, its products, as well as its involvement in upcoming trade shows.

Deploying a web-based strategy can help you maximize the chances of trade show success by increasing your exposure and message frequency to your target audience. It’s important to integrate e-marketing techniques to promote trade show participation before, during, and after each event.

Before the Show.

Devote an entire section of your company’s web site to highlight your participation in an upcoming trade show or event. Cross-promote this particular page and your site in traditional printed marketing materials, such as brochures, newsletter, or advertisements.

For people who are attending the show, provide an online form for them to fill out to schedule a demo, then follow up by phone to confirm the time. Have another form for people who are unable to attend the show—but are still interested—so you can provide them with information.

Contact the show’s management and seize any opportunities to utilize marketing vehicles it uses to promote the show, such as web sites, publications, or newsletters. If the show has a web site, look at web advertising, such as banners, links or any type of promotional copy, to lure site visitors to your site.

Generate some pre-show buzz by promoting a contest, quiz, drawing, game or other incentive on your web site. Contestants should be directed to your booth during the show to receive their prize, find the answer, etc.

During the Show.

Promote your online marketing resources. Ask visitors to your booth for contact info so you can add them to your online distribution list for newsletters, e-zines, etc. These online resources provide them with helpful tips so be sure and present this as an opportunity for them to receive something of value, not just advertisements and junk email.

Give the winners of promotional contests or quizzes some face time on your web site. Highlight photos of winners collecting their prizes at the show. And, let visitors to your web site who were unable to attend the event register for contests, drawings, etc.

Update your web site with daily highlights from the show. Include news, product launches, customer interviews, speaker summaries, etc., to keep everyone who couldn’t attend the event up to date.

After the Show.

Update your web site immediately. Add streaming videos of product demos or customer testimonials from your exhibit. Your customers can often tell a more compelling and credible story than your sales people by explaining how your company’s product solved a problem for them. Prospective customers often can relate to your other customers because they possibly share the same problems, concerns, and issues that need to be resolved.

Integrate new prospect email contact info into your database to develop an ongoing web-based communications program that includes email, e-newsletters, e-zines, and other important corporate announcements.

Make sure your site is continuously updated and stocked with valuable, useful content for your existing users and potential customers. The web is an excellent place to gather information about new products and technology. Seize the opportunity to use your web site to position your company as a thought leader in its industry.

Best Practices for Establishing a Tradeshow Budget

Jessica Davis — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:54:00 GMT

Preparing a corporate marketing budget these days is a daunting task. All companies need to increase sales leads and amp up revenues, but shrinking marketing budgets have forced companies to carefully consider what must stay and what must go as far as budget items. An important component of the overall marketing budget is the portion allotted to tradeshows, which can be a valuable tool to help increase the visibility of your company and boost sales.

The reality, however, is that no matter how you look at it, tradeshows are expensive endeavors. You have to rent the space, create a display, promote it, stock it, and staff it. So before you decide to undertake a tradeshow, take a comprehensive look at all the costs associated with exhibiting as well as the expected returns.

Establishing an accurate tradeshow budget early is essential to developing an overall strategy that will achieve success and assure upper management buy-in. The amount you allocate to tradeshows will depend upon the scope of your efforts and the number, size and location of the shows you are planning on exhibiting at throughout the year. Though strategies will vary from company to company, the methods of establishing a tradeshow budget remain relatively the same.

Let’s take a look at some of the larger components you’ll need to be cognizant of when preparing your overall tradeshow budget.

Space rental. Exhibit halls will charge your company based on the size of your display so determine early what size booth you will be using so you can more accurately estimate how many dollars to allocate to booth space rental.

Utilities and related booth expenses. There will be a charge for installing and dismantling your booth. Other expenses include electricity, gas, water, and any other items you may require at your booth during a show.

Exhibit display, signage and accessories. This would include everything from display production, graphics, and banners to booth furniture, literature racks and any equipment needed to demonstrate your products. Crating and storage costs should also be added to this category.

Shipping and drayage. This would include all expenses associated with transporting your exhibit and materials to each location. Freight would include charges for shipping your exhibit, literature, and any other materials to the event location and back to your office or warehouse. Drayage costs account for items delivered to and from your booth space from the loading dock of the exhibit hall or conference center.

Travel and entertainment. Try to put together a realistic estimate on what it will cost you and your staff to attend each tradeshow. This estimate must include travel expenses (airfare, taxi fares, rental cars, etc.), meals, and hotel expenses. This category would also include any expenses associated with entertaining prospects and customers during the show.

Show marketing. This would include all the marketing and sales collateral required to support the exhibit. These materials could be used at multiple shows, so keep in mind that these costs will be spread over a number of shows. These might include product literature, handouts, staff training, and show promotional items.

Best Lighting Solutions for Trade Shows

Jessica Davis — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:57:00 GMT

Proper lighting is an essential component of your tradeshow booth and can help increase traffic and create a favorable environment in which to pitch your company’s products. According to booth design expert, Bruce Baker, who’s published articles on booth lighting, a good lighting system that functions at peak performance will boost sales more than any other item you can purchase.

Your lighting requirements will vary depending on your specific promotional goals, display configuration, exhibit color and design, booth lighting fixtures, and space. To determine what type of lighting will best create effective, creative exhibit illumination, you must carefully consider the following questions:

What area or product in your booth will need to be the focal point?
What visual impact, impression, or message do you want to convey through lighting?

When you want to create a spotlight effect to highlight one particular area of interest in your exhibit, you might consider overhead truss lighting. If you’d rather create a more inviting, warm and welcoming atmosphere to make prospects feel more comfortable, you might select a soft lamp or ambient lighting.

Special illumination techniques can be used to create a more dramatic atmosphere that can possibly draw more attendees to your booth by setting it apart from competing booths. Determining the mood you want to create—exciting and dynamic or warm and inviting—will go a long way towards helping you determine the most appropriate lighting.

Other questions to ask when weighing your lighting options are:

What type of lighting is being supplied by the exhibition facility?
How much power will be available in your booth?
Would additional power be available, if your lighting needs require it?
How are light fixtures attached to your display?
How much can you spend on display lighting systems?

Once these questions are answered, you can go to your lighting supplier and find the best solutions for your particular needs. Good lighting can lead to increased booth traffic, additional sales leads, and possibly higher resulting sales, so choose wisely.

Calculating a Trade Show’s ROI

Jessica Davis — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:07:00 GMT

Exhibiting at trade shows is a costly and time-consuming marketing activity. Though that is indisputable, the costs are often more than recouped when the show is a success and your company leaves with many promising sales leads that can—with proper sales follow-up—be converted into future customers.

So how do you determine whether a trade show was a success and worth the expenditure? In order to determine if the cost of attending a show was justifiable, you’ll need to calculate the show’s return on investment (ROI). In this case, ROI is the gain or loss from the money spent on various marketing activities (tradeshows, sales promotions, advertisements, etc.) that are intended to drive sales.

Calculating ROI is pretty straightforward. You simply divide the gross sales dollars resulting from the effort, in this case a tradeshow, by the cost spent to execute it. For example, if your company generated $600,000 in gross sales as a result of sales leads generated at a trade show event and it cost $150,000 to attend.

ROI: $600,000 ÷ $150,000 = 4

ROI is expressed as a ratio so it would be 1:4, which means for every dollar invested, your company got back four dollars. The tricky part is that it’s very difficult to determine exactly which sales leads from tradeshows resulted in actual sales. So in this case, you’re estimating ROI, not calculating an actual ROI.

In order to estimate ROI from tradeshows, companies use a variety of methods. Some companies have determined through past experience the average number of qualified leads it takes to get a specific number of opportunities to pitch to potential buyers, and how many of these will ultimately result in a sale.

The numbers of presentations that close in a sale are known as the “close ratio.” Over time, a company will be able to compute an average close ratio. Once a company has determined a close ratio, it can use leads generated at a show to estimate potential ROI from that event.

Another way to estimate ROI is to perform a sales conversion study. This is a controlled interview technique that is conducted via email or phone within a few weeks of an event. The intent is to uncover buying intentions and purchasing time from a pool of qualified leads collected at an event.

ROI: Gross dollar buying intentions ÷ cost of the event and the cost of the survey = Potential ROI

Though measuring exact ROI is difficult, these techniques can help you estimate your possible return using information that is more easily accessed from your internal sales groups. Using a projected ROI is a great way to strengthen reported results from tradeshows as well as to increase your credibility with upper management.

Tradeshows on a Shoestring Budget

Jessica Davis — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:35:00 GMT

Attending and exhibiting at a tradeshow can lead to excellent bottom-line benefits for your company: exposure to a highly targeted audience; opportunity to pitch your company’s marketing message; generation of sales leads; and the opportunity to learn more about your industry through panel discussion, speeches, and seminars.

The reality, though, is that many marketing budgets have been tightened significantly as a result of multiple years of recession so not all companies have the carte blanche to blow big bucks at tradeshows anymore. No need to remove tradeshows completely from your marketing plan, however. Take a critical look at your tradeshow expenses and you might find some creative ways to carve some costs out of your overall tradeshow budget.

Here are a few areas where you might be able to cut costs:

Transportation. This can typically account for a significant portion of your tradeshow budget so it’s the first place you should look at to trim down on expenses. Biggest thing to keep in mind: plan early! Most companies will know six months to a year out that they are going to be exhibiting at a particular show, so plan ahead and make your airline reservations early. Airlines penalize last-minute business travelers with high-priced tickets. Fly everyone in the day before the show and fly them out the last day of the show to save on extra food and lodging costs.

Also, keep in mind other modes of transportation if the event isn’t that far away. Renting a van to take a large group of people or partner with another exhibitor in your area and charter a bus, which can significantly cut down on travel expenses.

Hotel. Typically larger conferences will offer attendees and exhibitors rooms at hotels within a close proximity to the event at a discounted rate. Take advantage of this savings. Booking an economy hotel farther away might seem like a smart strategy, but once you add up taxi fares, it might not make sense. Double up employees in each room to instantly cut hotel costs in half.

Also, if you’re attending multiple events throughout the year, look at hotel chains that offer special discounts for multiple hotel stays or those that offer special member programs that offer additional discounts, such as free nights after a certain amount of stays. Also, book at hotels that offer free breakfast. Might sound silly, but feeding a large group of people breakfast every day will add up to hundreds of dollars after a multi-day stay, and possibly bloat your budget.

Booth rentals. You can instantly shave hundreds off your budget by renting your tradeshow booth. This can be especially helpful for companies that to exhibit but need to cut tradeshow costs in the short-term as well as for those companies that don’t attend shows frequently. Make sure you read your rental agreement carefully and understand the terms of it. Find out what accessories will come with the booth and what you’re responsible for bringing. Be creative and enhance your rental booth with banner stands, literature racks, lighting and other extras that can increase traffic to your booth.

Shipping. Exhibition halls often add significant costs to receiving and storing your freight and associated material for your company. Instead ship things such as literature and giveaways directly to your hotel instead. Mark shipped boxes with a shipping label that reads, “Hold at front desk for (your name)’s arrival.” Hotels do not charge for accepting and holding shipments for guests.