Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Google Wave,Twitter and the Transformation of Event Marketing

Google Wave is an exciting new collaborative tool and in their suggestions about how it could be used, organizing events is first on Google's list. Full Article

Monday, December 28, 2009

Increasing Your Trade Show ROI

If your B2B marketing budget is tight for 2010, make it work harder by increasing the ROI of all tactics you have planned.

Tips for Maximizing Tradeshow ROI:
  1. Clarify trade show objective and how it fits in your overall marketing strategy
  2. Scrutinize attendee list for ratio of clients to competitors
  3. Let marketing objectives determine level of participation and investment
  4. Determine break-even and how you will measure success
  5. Leverage investment with pre-show marketing
  6. Maximize your time at the trade show
  7. Measure success and talk about it
  8. Complete next steps and followup communication
Full Article.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Exhibitors – Use the Tweet Fest Plan to Draw an Audience

This is an offer from Joyce McKee about how to use Twitter to increase booth traffic and help other (non-competitor) exhibitors. She offers a free copy of a Tweet Fest Plan. She also shows some examples of good tweets. Link

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

How Exhibitors Can Appeal To The New Generation Of Trade Show Attendees

From TradeshowMarketing.com:

If you have been exhibiting at trade shows for the past several years, you will have noticed that the average age of attendees has declined. It's a natural evolution in the industry as the people who used to attend are promoted into higher levels of management. Younger faces have taken their place on the trade show floor. Exhibitors who employ the same trade show ideas that they used a decade ago will find this new crop of attendees less receptive to their overtures.

The people who attend trade shows today are more cynical than those who went before them. They're less trusting, respond to a different set of triggers, and place more value on presentations that engage them on multiple levels. Below, I'll provide a few trade show ideas that you can use in order to reach this new crop of trade show attendees. Continue.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

10 Tips to Reduce Tradeshow Stress

by Eric Lukazewski on Dec 17, 2009 in Exhibiting:

We’ve all been there before, it’s your last day in the office before the trip and it seems as if you’re still pulling together those last minute requests. Perhaps you even find yourself on the plane second-guessing what you may or may not have forgotten. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Because there’s already enough stress in the business world, use the following list must-have items to bring with you the next time you travel to the exhibit hall.
  1. Keys to your exhibit property and combination numbers to any product trunks or crates that may have been shipped with your product. Carry these on a single keychain, and always keep a master copy in accessible place back at the office, just in case you need a backup.
  2. Exhibit badges for you and your staff to access the show hall. These are easier to forget than you suspect, so you might find it easier to distribute these to your staff upon their arrival. Most shows will print duplicates on site, but you can avoid the aggravation by planning ahead.
  3. Contact information for your staff and vendors. It’s always helpful to consolidate your list of phone numbers and emergency contacts one to two weeks prior to the show. More.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Demonstrate the Value of Your Trade Show Program

From ExhibitorOnline: (by Candy Adams)

According to a 2009 study released by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 33.9 percent of companies’ overall marketing budgets go to trade shows. With such a sizeable investment in exhibits, your company executives undoubtedly want to see the return they’re getting. But if you’re not providing data to prove the effectiveness of your exhibit program, it’s easy for them to view exhibit marketing as a money pit.

However, if you take the time to look objectively at each show and consistently share your results with your management team, you’ll be less vulnerable to budget cuts when comparisons are made between your exhibit program and other marketing programs. Plus, failure to demonstrate the value of your program and its impact on the company’s bottom line will relegate you to the status of a gerbil on the logistics wheel, which doesn’t equate to positive visibility or potential for promotion.

But what do executives want from your show reports? Typically, they’re interested in four things about your exhibit-marketing efforts: strategy, results, budget, and plans for improvement. Along those lines, here are 10 sections to include in your report that will address each of these points and help prove your program’s worth.

Executive Summary
The first section of your post-show report should be able to stand alone as a summary of the whole show. This one-page executive brief may be the only part of your report many of your executives will read. The executive summary should include five succinct sections: your strategic goals and objectives for the show; the most critical results such as your overall lead count, quality of leads, press interviews, number of branding impressions, number of prospects exposed to new product(s), etc.; a summary of the exhibit and accompanying activities; a budget summary; and any future goals and recommendations. More.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

4 Tradeshow Booth Design Tips to Make Your Booth a Stand Out

The graphical displays, lighting, and other components of your trade show booth play a key role in attracting attendees. While a vibrant and attractive tradeshow booth design can inspire visitors and pave the road for qualifying leads, a poorly constructed booth can set the stage for failure. The challenge is to build your booth so it stands out from the crowd of other exhibitors without diluting the consistency of your message and brand. There are many subtle tricks you can deploy to achieve that goal. Below, you’ll discover four design tips for making a splash with your booth at your next event.

Tip #1: Lighting For Warmth And Focus

Lighting can play an important role in attracting visitors and directing their attention. It can be used aggressively to entertain attendees or to create a subtle ambiance of warmth and comfort. For example, an intricate laser show can draw huge crowds of visitors and hold their attention for the duration of the show. By contrast, a warm light cast upon your company’s latest product offering can direct attendees’ attention without seeming abrasive or overbearing. You can use lighting in your tradeshow booth design to achieve a number of useful effects.

Tip #2: Grab Attention With Movement

Motion attracts attention at trade shows. The reason why is because most event exhibitors fail to use motion effectively in their tradeshow booth design. Attendees are seldom treated to anything that sparks their interest or imaginations. You can take advantage of this in a number of creative ways. For example, play a fast-moving DVD on a widescreen TV or use displays that rotate. When you or your staff is giving product demonstrations, use plenty of hand motions. In each of these cases, the movement grabs the attention of visitors, drawing them in. Most exhibitors don’t leverage the power of movement in their tradeshow booth design.
More.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Cheap Internet from Trade Show Startup

From Association Meetings:

To get four computers online at his booth, David Phillips, CEO, NKP Medical Marketing Inc., Los Angeles, says he used to spend “a minimum” of $1,500 to $1,600 for Internet service at each of the six or seven trade shows his company attends each year. But he’s found a way to cut that cost by about 80 percent, with a DIY Internet service that mails exhibitors everything they need to get online.

Phillips found San Francisco–based Trade Show Internet while searching the Web, but with a price tag of just $299 (plus shipping) for three days of Internet service for four computers, Phillips was skeptical. “It seemed way too good to be true. The first time we used it I had the contact name of the convention center’s Internet provider ready in case there was a problem,” he says, noting that his biggest concern was that the speed of the connection wouldn’t be up to par. “We’re a national medical marketing company. We build Web sites and we have to be able to show them. The Internet is our lifeline.”
Full article.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Social Media – Getting Your Exhibit Wired In

Social media and all the related tools associated with it will continue to grow dramatically in the coming years. As an exhibitor, you want to uncover all the avenues available to you via show management. Currently show organizers are anaylzing the various offerings to extend the brand of its show and the exhibitors who participate.

This week Freeman introduced a white paper entitled, Social Media Extending & Growing Your Brand. The white paper is written for the show management, however, I believe you as an exhibitor can gain insights into their thought process. It is paramount that you have a true partnership with the show so that all avenues to gain postive exposure can be captured. Also, you might be able to make suggestions for the show to consider ways of using social media to enhance your efforts. More.

McCormick Place tests out some cost cuts

After two major shows depart, convention center makes changes to food orders.

Cost cuts are being quietly tested at McCormick with products everyone can grasp -- cases of Pepsi and water, coffee and trays of sandwiches.

A cash-and-carry system, where customers pick up bulk items from central locations, rather than pay for delivery, was introduced on a trial basis at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting that closed last week.

The test was limited to cases of water and pop, and coffee, but will be expanded to lunch-type offerings at the International Home & Housewares Show in March, said Jon Kaplan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns the convention hall.

Exhibitors will be able to place a food order online, or at a kiosk, and pick it up at a central location at the time they've specified.

Other big shows are keeping a close eye on the pilot. More.

Friday, December 11, 2009

EXHIBIT INDUSTRY COUNCIL LAUNCHES BEST PRACTICES INITIATIVE, UNVEILS WEBSITE

BEND, OR (December 10, 2009) – The Exhibit Industry Council (EIC), an advocacy group founded to develop and promote exhibitor-focused best practices for the trade show industry, announced its first set of industry areas where it intends to develop industry “Best Practices” on its website (http://www.exhibitindustrycouncil.org/), which went live today.

The EIC, which is comprised of five major trade show industry associations, was formed to define and advocate exhibitor-focused Best Practices for trade shows, conventions, congresses and private events with all trade show industry stakeholders. The best practices are aimed at increasing exhibitor value at shows and to unite all industry stakeholders to support reputable, consistent standards.

“Face-to-face marketing is a vital part of the marketing mix for companies, but there are conditions in the industry that impede the value exhibitors get from conventions and trade shows,” said Eric Allen, executive vice president of the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA). “The EIC is working to identify the conditions that diminish value, and develop best practices to address them.”

The initial subject areas around which the group intends to work toward developing Best Practices includes:
  • Standardized show kits
  • Standardized work rules
  • Full disclosure and control of exhibitor costs
  • Meaningful and validated show metrics
  • Customer service as a team effort
  • Safety first
  • Specific exhibitor responsibilities
Please visit
www.exhibitindustrycouncil.org to stay abreast of the latest developments regarding Best Practices. More.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

What’s your social media ROI?

From the Tradeshow Guy Blog:

Are you spending time or money on social media? Are you seeing a return on that investment? My guess is that it’s hard to tell. It could be that you’re not looking at it the right way or doing the right things in your company’s social media world. Some companies get it. Others don’t. The rest of us are flapping our wings in between, trying to get some loft out of this new entity…or…whatever it is.

Whether you’re putting resources into your marketing (tradeshow or otherwise), you should find this short (about 4 minutes) video fun, enlightening and perhaps even a bit intimidating when you consider what some of your competitors are already doing with social media… Video.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Monday, December 7, 2009

McCormick labor: We've made sacrifices

Labor unions at McCormick Place have been getting a lot of the blame for the loss of the 2012 and 2015 NPE shows to Orlando, Fla. But are they really at fault?

Jim Leahy, a third-generation member of the Riggers Local 136, responded to the charges
in the Chicago Daily Observer.

He's got a lot to say that will interest NPE exhibitors. First, he points out that McCormick unions have already made sacrifices, "like giving up double time for time and a half, or the cut in crews from three to two in the case of Machinery Movers."
Leahy goes on

Friday, December 4, 2009

Ask Mr. Green

From ExhibitorOnline:

If you have ever listened to the lists of potential side effects in television ads for prescription medications you know that the benefits of medications always come with unintended risks. The same can be said for the products and materials we use every day in our exhibit programs.

Imagine what you might think if every exhibit proposal included similar warnings. “Using plywood may increase the risks of habitat destruction, stream pollution, and health problems for mill workers. Oil spills may accompany the use of plastics in some cases. Patients who use aluminum may be at higher risk due to rising energy prices, air and water pollution, and global warming, so ask your exhibit builder if aluminum is right for you.” Full Article.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

What is Your Social Media ROI?

From Tradeshow Guy Blog:

Are you spending time or money on social media? Are you seeing a return on that investment? My guess is that it’s hard to tell. It could be that you’re not looking at it the right way or doing the right things in your company’s social media world. Some companies get it. Others don’t. The rest of us are flapping our wings in between, trying to get some loft out of this new entity…or…whatever it is. Watch cool video.

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Hottest Trends in Trade Show Exhibits

Like car and clothing manufacturers, businesses are constantly getting creative with their trade show exhibits in order to stand out from the crowd and keep up with consumer demands. And like all good things, when these creative ideas work, more people start to incorporate them into their trade show exhibits. This has caused some fantastic trends to surface going into the new season. Here are three of them that are hot right now: Continue.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

From Tradeshow Week:

Results of the Tradeshow Week Annual Corporate Exhibitors Survey indicating 48 percent of all exhibitors think the cost of show services has gone up more than 5 percent, while about the same number (47 percent) are unhappy with their tradeshow performance, put a coda on a week when two Tradeshow Week 200 shows departed Chicago because of exhibitor complaints about excessive costs.

“I wouldn't call this a cost revolt,” said TSW Vice President of Research and Consulting Michael Hughes, “but exhibitors are being a little more vocal about it.”

While one could make the case corporate exhibitors were somewhat less pessimistic about some issues than they were last year, on other issues they were increasingly dissatisfied.

Specifically, they were more and more disturbed by high exhibiting costs. Full Article.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Show Me The Money: Maximizing Tradeshow ROI

From Hot. By Susan Friedman:

Follow Up Begins Before the Show

Research tells us that over 80% of leads gathered at tradeshows are never followed up. That’s a phenomenal number, especially when each lead has the potential to generate profit for your company.

Why do so many leads fall by the wayside?

It’s because show leads have a reputation for having no substance theyre either just cold business cards or similar basic information imprinted on a company lead card. There’s nothing there to give already busy professionals a reason to follow up.

Even if the salespeople do follow up, there’s only so much they can learn from a business card or bare bone information. For salespeople to view leads as being worthwhile for follow-up, they need quality information.

For this reason, it is vital that before the show you spend time going over the lead collecting process. Clarify exactly what types of information should be recorded on lead cards. Explain the importance of the information you are gathering. Make sure everyone knows exactly how to operate the card readers and use the printouts and lead cards.

Everyone working the show should know exactly what results you want to achieve at the various tradeshows you attend. Each show should have its own set of specific, clear, quantifiable, realistic goals. These goals should be in line with your companys overall marketing objectives.

These goals give staffers something to strive for, but they also serve as benchmarks to evaluate and measure team and individual performance. Full Article.

Friday, November 20, 2009

You Want Me to Pay What?!

From PlannerWire:

In today’s economic climate, it might seem like everything is more expensive than it used to be. In some cases, the costs remain the same, but companies have less to spend. In some other cases, the costs really are going up, and companies cannot always afford the increase. Either way, expense factors have driven many companies to re-examine their marketing efforts, and exhibiting at trade shows has fallen in the crosshairs. For some, long-lamented exhibiting expenses have recently proven to be the last straw, and many industry professionals continue to wonder… Full Article.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Changes sought after 2nd trade show leaves McCormick Place

Note: It has been reported that a third major show (from the National Restaurant Association) is also considering leaving Chicago.

The loss of a second trade show that meant big business for Chicago is putting quick and powerful pressure on McCormick Place, the city's showcase convention center, to combat the impression that the Second City costs too much to visit.

The plastics industry trade show on Tuesday said it is moving to Orlando, Fla., for 2012 and 2015 after nearly four decades in Chicago. The announcement follows a decision by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society last week to move its 2012 annual meeting to Las Vegas. Both shows cited the high cost of doing business in Chicago.

The plastic show's decision to leave is "a very serious loss," Mayor Richard Daley said, calling on unions and others working at the convention center to change fee structures and onerous work rules so Chicago can better compete for major shows.

A lot is riding in the balance. Some 45.6 million visitors spent an estimated $11.8 billion in Chicago last year, generating $656 million in tax revenue, according to the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. Business and convention visitors contributed close to half that spending.

A task force of officials from McPier, the convention bureau, the unions that work at McCormick Place, the restaurant industry and the city's hotels will convene Wednesday to attempt to devise ways to make Chicago more competitive.

Plastics show officials said they expect their move to yield up to $20 million in savings for exhibitors and attendees, with more than half coming from savings in travel-related costs, including hotel, restaurant meals and parking. More.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

EXHIBITORS GAIN BY SHOWS’ RELOCATION

Chicago, IL – November 15, 2009 The Plastics Industry Trade Association (SPI) announced today that NPE - The Intl. Plastics Showcase will move from Chicago's McCormick Place, where it has been since 1971 to Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center in 2012. Last week, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) chose Las Vegas, NV for their 2012 show. This caused the city of Chicago and McCormick Place to lose two large exhibitions in the last few days. Both cited high costs for exhibitors in Chicago as the primary justification for their relocation.

Exhibitors have been bearing the brunt of increasing and, often, outrageous labor rates for far too long, held hostage to single source providers with no competitive options to act as checks and balances. The Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA) understands the business choice made by HIMSS and SPI to choose other venues. In this world of electronic communication and instant gratification, trade shows are still wildly popular, a medium like no other, providing a unique opportunity for face-to-face interaction with customers. When marketers have to cut participation - not for strategic reasons but simply because the rising costs make them impractical or impossible - the whole industry loses.

Chicago is a great city for exhibitors because of its ability to generate attendance and host meetings. McCormick Place is a world-class exhibition facility and the choice of HIMSS and SPI leaving for other locations should not be a reflection on either McCormick Place or the city but on labor rates that give both a bad reputation. We hope the loss of these shows will motivate leaders in Chicago’s exhibition industry to adjust the cost of doing business so that they can compete on a level playing field with cities like Orlando and Las Vegas for shows. TSEA members enjoy the experience of exhibiting in all three cities because of the variety of attendees and experiences each bring. They want Chicago to remain part of their event rotation

Bravo to HMISS and SPI for finally taking a stand on behalf of exhibitors. There is long way to go until they are afforded the respect they deserve.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

How much to tip at hotels, and when: A primer for guests

From USA Today: Hotel Check-In: (note: there is a good chart at the end of this article)

A third of the country doesn't know to tip 15% to 20% at a restaurant, so it's understandable that many people are unsure what to tip in a hotel.

To try to eliminate uncertainty, USA TODAY asked etiquette and hospitality experts and hotel companies for advice on what to tip at hotels in the USA. Their responses aren't consistent in every instance, but there's a consensus for some common tipping situations:


•Valet parking staff. Don't tip a hotel staff member who opens a guest's car door at the hotel entrance or parks the car in a valet lot. The valet who retrieves the car from the parking lot should be given $2 to $5.


•Bellmen. The common tip is $1 to $2 per bag. More can be given if the bags are heavy or the bellman provides other services.


•Maids. They should receive $1 to $5 daily. "The tip should be paid daily to ensure it goes to the person that took care of your room," says etiquette expert Patricia Rossi.


•Concierges. No tip is needed for directions, restaurant recommendations or answers to simple questions. A $10 to $50 tip is recommended for a concierge who obtains hard-to-get event tickets or a table at a popular premier restaurant.
Despite such suggestions, hotel guests "should expect great service, and there is no obligation to tip," says Vivian Deuschl, a vice president for luxury hotel chain The Ritz-Carlton.
More

Monday, November 16, 2009

Google poised to become your phone company

From CNN Tech:

Google is set to become your new phone company, perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process.

Seriously. Google has bought Gizmo5, an online phone company that is akin to Skype but based on open protocols and with a lot fewer users. TechCrunch, which broke the news on Monday, reported that Google spent $30 million on the company.

Google announced the Gizmo acquisition on Thursday afternoon Pacific Time. Gizmo5's founder Michael Robertson, a brash serial entrepreneur, will become an Adviser to Google Voice.

It's a potent recipe -- take Gizmo5's open standards-based online calling system. Add to it the new ability to route calls on Google's massive network of cheap fiber. Toss in Google Voice's free phone number, which will ring your mobile phone, your home phone and your Gizmo5 client on your laptop. MORE

Friday, November 13, 2009

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Exhibiting at TradeShows.

From Skyline Trade Show Tips:

1. You won’t succeed at trade shows if you just show up. A trade show first-timer may think that because they’ve paid a couple of grand to rent a 10 x 10 space for a few days, they automatically will reap the whirlwind of leads and sales from the show’s attendees. If only. Surprise: you’ve actually only paid for access to this great audience of buyers. Now you have to do your part, such as train your staffers, create a promotion that attracts qualified prospects, and design your trade show display to entice the right visitors to your booth.

2. Trade shows are not as glamorous as they looked from the outside. To the uninitiated, this is what trade show marketing looks like from the ouside: Flying around the country to sunny or metropolitan locations, staying in top-tier hotels and meals on the company dime, and access to top-level company execs. But seen from the inside, trade shows are not so glamorous. Trade shows themselves are very hard work with a lot of stressful moments before, during, and after exhibit hours. There are so many details to master, and so many vendors you are depending on. You can sweat more during exhibit set-up than a month of work outs. And while travel can be exciting, it gets old fast when you are repeatedly away from home and your family.
More.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

10 Tipss to Use Social Media to Close More Biz at Your Tradeshows

From the Tradeshow Guy Blog:

1. Tweet out contests and promos for people to come to your booth. Keep a count of how many people stop by and ask about the freebie as a result of the prize. When tweeting at or about a specific show, ALWAYS use the show’s hashtag.

2. Create a hashtag for your company at the show. For instance, if your company was Keen Shoes, you could include the hastags #Keen and #ORSM09 – after the show count how many times those hashtags were retweeted.


3. Create a minisite or blog dedicated to your appearance at a specific show, or targeted exclusively towards your tradeshow marketing efforts. Offer white papers, e-books and special reports exclusive to the site; perhaps related (or not) to your tradeshow appearance. Drive traffic there through social media, email and other sources. Web traffic and download metrics are easily trackable through Google analytics and basic web stats. Folks that download the white papers and reports are now in your marketing/sales funnel.
More.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Exhibitions and the Under-40 Crowd: New Research

From Association Meetings:

How do young professionals view meetings and exhibitions, and what can meeting professionals do to attract them? Those were the central questions explored in a study by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, called “The Power of Exhibitions in the 21st Century: Identify, Discover, and Embrace Change from the Point of View of Young Professionals.”

A key finding of the study is that about 87 percent of professionals under 40 plan to attend at least one exhibition in the next two years. But to keep them coming back for more, the report says, organizers need to know what they like, what they don’t like, and what makes them tick.

Generational DifferencesThe report differentiates between Generation X attendees (ages 28 to 39) and the younger Millennials (ages 18 to 27). For example, Generation X is considered the “Family First Generation” and the toughest sell when it comes to exhibitions. “They do not want to become workaholics whose work hours intrude into their personal lives, especially their time with their children,” the report states.


Millennial attendees, on the other hand, tend to be more like Baby Boomers (ages 40 to 63), driven in their careers and passionate about their contributions to society. “Exhibitions represent a good vehicle to exercise that passion,” the report states. While Millennials can be more easily won over than Gen Xers, their tendency toward instant gratification means they could also be lost if not satisfied. Full Article.

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Friday, November 6, 2009

Exhibitor Social Networks

Written for show managers:

If getting the majority of your exhibitors to participate in an exhibitor training session is a Herculean effort, try giving them their own social network instead. IPC, the Association Connecting Electronics Industries, did just that for its IPC APEX Expo and IPC Midwest shows.

Branded for each event, the sites are chock full of important information, like exhibitor training Webinars, ROI toolkits, money-saving tips, checklists, deadline reminders, documents and forms, service offers and other special deals, and hotel and travel details. Exhibitors can visit the network at their convenience to read blog posts, get quick answers to questions, find out when an important deadline is coming up or connect with other exhibitors to troubleshoot common problems. More.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

TSEA Launches Hosted-Buyer Event

The Trade Show Exhibitors Association has become the latest industry association to introduce a hosted-buyers meeting, announcing the launch of its new event, Face-to-Face Connections.

The event, which will be held January 6 to 8, 2010, at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Market Center, gives TSEA members an opportunity to meet in 30-minute private meetings with vendors who provide products and services to the exhibitions industry. The meetings will take place in hotel suites, not on the exhibit floor. TSEA will pay for the guests’ expenses—including airfare, hotel rooms, and meals. For a flat fee, the sellers will get a hotel suite in which to set up shop and meet with the buyers.

“The idea actually came from our members, who are exhibitors at trade shows,” says Dave Brull, director of marketing and membership at TSEA. “At industry trade shows, they typically do not walk the floor because they spend so much time on the trade show floor in day-to-day life. Their first two priorities are education and networking. So they needed another way to be able to meet with the suppliers in the industry.” Also, since they travel 100 to 200 days a year, they wanted something “short and concise that really gets down to business.”

TSEA is not the only industry association to introduce what is often called a hosted-buyer meeting. In recent months,
IMEX, Reed Travel Exhibitions, and Meeting Professionals International have introduced hosted-buyer meetings. More.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Is this just in Chicago?

This is an excerpt of an article about Chicago. Do you agree? What other cities have similar costs? Please post in Comments below:

It's no better in Chicago. Daley now is fighting to keep a huge national plastics industry convention from fleeing Chicago, its 40-year home. The show brought in $95.3 million last June, but it appears the exhibitors are fed up with the extravagant costs they must pay to riggers, tradesmen and other organized workers at McCormick Place. As the trade publication Plastics News reported, Daley met Wednesday in his office with convention officials to plead with them to stay.

The problem? As trade show exhibitor Tim Hanrahan explained in the publication, it cost $345 to get four cases of Pepsi to his booth. "The invoice breaks down to $254 for the four cases of Pepsi, a 21 percent service charge, and a 10.25 percent Illinois state sales tax, a 3 percent Chicago soft drink tax, a tax on the service charge and a food and beverage tax. Government taxes totaled $38.06, which is more than the legitimate retail price of the soft drinks," he said. "I could go on. A $640 TV stand rental is another good example," he said. "But you get the point."

Hanrahan gets the point, but do we? For the sake of a special interest -- organized labor in this case -- the body politic seems willing to drive away business that brings dollars into town.
Full Article.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Promotional Marketing - Effective Promotion Vs a Cheap Giveaway

The notion that simply giving stuff away at a trade show is effective promotional marketing may be one of the biggest myths ... one of the biggest bottles of snake oil ever sold to business owners and marketers. In order to craft a more effective trade show program you must first divest yourself from "giveaway" thinking. To that end, it's vital that you understand the difference between a giveaway and a promotion.

A giveaway is a one-way street. You basically spend your money to fill up people's junk drawers. A business gives away some cheap "doodad" thinking it will create goodwill and effectively promote their business, mindless of the fact that the item is irrelevant to their business or the wants, needs or desires of the person to whom the item is given. The recipient takes the item home and:

1) puts it in a drawer,
2) gives it to the kids,
3) throws it away,
4) uses the item but never does business with your company,
5) is so beholden to you that they fall all over themselves to do business with you and they go out of their way to tell everyone they know about your existence.

With a giveaway you cannot measure your return on investment. You gain practically nothing meaningful, certainly nothing you can actively follow up on. And as far as building business? Few will say, "Wow! They gave me a cheap piece of junk with their name on it! I've really got to do business with them." Seriously. #5 rarely happens as a result of handing out inexpensive "giveaways" at trade shows.
Full article.

Exhibitions make strong contribution to Sustainable Development

Faced with global warming and diminishing resources the exhibition industry is conscious that it must strive to improve its impact on the environment both locally and globally.

As a result, exhibition venues and exhibition managers around the world are taking steps to reduce waste, convert to sources of renewable energy, recycle frequently used materials and ensure that they contribute to the development of staff and the local community.
More.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Do You Have Problems with Time Zones?


This coming weekend, it is time for most of us to move our clocks back an hour. (Spring forward, Fall back). But some places, like Arizona, don't change times. And the Southern Hemisphere is just going into Daylight Savings Time.


Time and Date.com is a great site to check time zones.
They also provide useful information on international dialing codes, date calculators, and calendars. This is a go-to site for anything time related.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Competitive Intelligence Smarts

When you exhibit at trade shows you want to know how to stand out from your competition and secondly there is no better place to collect competitive intelligence than at a trade show! In this lesson we will focus on both of these areas. Good news is, you won’t have learn secret codes or other tools of the spy trade.Why Track Competitors? Besides needing to differentiate yourself at the shows you exhibit at, tracking competitors is an important analysis tool to help define what your competitors are up to and "where they are headed". This information helps steer many aspects of your business:
  • Trade show exhibiting
  • Advertising
  • Management planning
  • Marketing
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Restructuring
  • Pricing
  • R&D (research and development)
Types of Competitors

When you are defining who your competitors are, you shouldn't just look at the companies offering similar products to what you offer. There are 3 types of competitors to look for; direct competitors, indirect competitors and future competitors. Direct competitors are the most obvious; these are businesses offering the same type of product/service as your business does. Indirect competitors are businesses that offer an alternative solution to your key prospect's problem, sometimes it's a little harder to think about what alternative solutions may be, but here's an example that may help you understand this better. For example airlines are not just competing with other airlines, they compete with chartered flights, high speed trains, bus services and arguably even video conferencing. Future competitors are businesses that are expected to start "invading your market space" sometime down the road.

Finding Your Competitors

To know who and what to research, you need to determine who your top competitors are in those 3 categories. There quite a few places to help with your search for competitors. Below is a list of a few examples to help you get started with your search.
Full Article.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Power of Buzz

How did a new email service gain over 12 million subscribers in 18 months? How did the very low budget movie like “The Blair Witch Project” become such an incredibly successful phenomenon in a sea of big budget films? The answer lies in the power of “buzz.”

Buzz, or word-of-mouth marketing, influences more people to buy, or not to buy products and services, than most other forms of marketing.

Why is it so powerful? Basically, we have a need to share information as a means of communication and also as a way of understanding the world around us. Often, we base many of our purchasing decisions on information gleaned from friends and well-respected associates. We tend to listen to them more readily than most mass-media messages, because we view their opinion as credible and reliable.

So how do you create “buzz” in a business environment where it currently does not exist? We offer some guidelines to assist you in developing the “buzz” factor.
Full Article.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Getting Media to Your Tradeshow Booth

Trade shows are great opportunities to meet with the many professionals writing about your industry. Meeting with a reporter face-to-face can solidify a relationship beyond what email could ever do. Here are some tips to working with press at tradeshows:

Get the Show Media List: The first step to getting a reporter to visit your booth is to set up an appointment with the reporter. But first you need to know who is going to attend. Contact the show's press contact and request a media attendee list. It is usually free to show participants.

Make an Appointment: Media reporter’s schedules can fill up fast at trade shows, so once you have that list, go ahead and ask them for a meeting - try to do this at least 3 months ahead of the show. Give them a reason to stop by your booth (show them a new product you're launching, meet with your CEO, etc.) and be as accommodating as possible to their schedule. You may need to be persistent if you want the meeting - don't give up after one email. Email and call again as the show nears.

Do Your Homework. If you do set up a booth visit with a reporter, make sure you do your homework and prepare for the meeting as if you're about to do a formal interview. Have your press kit on hand and only say what you're okay seeing in print. In a relaxed environment we often say things we shouldn't - so be buttoned-up if you're not ready to release info to the press. (Side note: Some times reporters don't want to lug around press kits and product samples - so offer to mail the items to the reporter's office - brownie points for you!). Go to Full Article.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

5 Hottest Marketing Trends

Does your tweeting leave them chirping? Are you aware that awareness marketing is huge? Are you getting all the green you can from eco-friendly promotions? Find out how to add value to your client's campaigns by taking advantage of these hot trends.

Tweet this: A recent survey of distributors and suppliers on asicentral.com shows that 91% of them use Twitter. Only 20% of them did one year ago. The poll also shows that 86% use Facebook (34% a year ago); and 84% use LinkedIn (45% a year ago). This dramatic increase of usage in the ad specialty industry alone illustrates the marketing power of social media sites.

It’s no surprise. Such media promote community and connectedness. Those qualities – along with a sense of social responsibility and a touch of goofiness and humor for fun – are some of the characteristics of promotions that are building big brand buzz right now. Here we take a look at five top strategies you can use today.
Read more.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Increasing Trade Show ROI

In today’s economic climate, increasing trade show ROI is as important as ever. While we can get very in depth on how to do this, I’d like to throw out a few quick trade show strategies that can help your company close more deals from your trade show leads.

Trade Show Lead Qualification – Being face to face with prospects is the main benefit of exhibiting at a trade show. The conversations that take place on the show floor determine which leads are good opportunities. The challenge is recording that conversation. Just scanning their badge with an exhibitor lead retrieval system doesn’t cut it. You need to either have to use a trade show scanner with custom qualifiers or use lead retrieval software with custom surveying capabilities.

Lead Rating – Once you have the trade show leads qualified you can use a lead scoring system to rate the leads (hot, warm, or cold – A, B, or C, etc.). There is no need to waste the sales reps’ time with the cold leads, so only send out the good leads. This will keep the reps engaged in your program, save them time, allow them to put more energy into the quality leads and, as a result, increase trade show ROI.
Full Article from Tradeshow Guy Blog

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Successful Exhibit Marketing

by Margit Weisgal, CMA
President/CEO, TSEA

"An exhibition is the ONLY marketing vehicle that delivers a pre-qualified BUYER to you."

Read full article here.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Avoid the Tradeshow Sinkhole

Rule 1: Know Why Are We Here

Decide why you are going to spend money participating in the show. Set up very specific goals and understand what information you are going to gather. Make sure you can measure these goals. Goals need to be specific like “gather 300 names and addresses of qualified persons who we can call sometime after the show to demonstrate our product”.

Rule 2: Know Who You Are Talking To

Everything you do at a tradeshow requires a deep understanding of who is attending, what their needs are and what “jargon” they are speaking. Figure this out and shape your message (your handouts, your demonstrations and your booth signs) so that you are speaking directly to the people who are at the show.

Rule 3: You Have Two Seconds to Tell People What You Do

It goes like this… People who are walking down the aisle will spend about two seconds trying to figure out what you do and if it has any benefit for them. If they can’t figure this out in two seconds, they will turn and walk away. Next time you are at a show, walk around the floor and give the “two second test” to a couple of other participants. To be able to communicate what you do and it’s benefits requires your signs and every part of your display to be clear, concise and short. Full Article.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

5 Common Mistakes By Virtual Tradeshow Exhibitors (and How to Fix Them)

1. Assume that visitors will naturally engage (proactively) with your booth staffers – first, understand that the dynamics of a virtual trade show are different than a physical trade show. In a physical event, you can (at minimum) make eye contact with a visitor to your booth. From here, you can gauge the visitor’s interest in speaking further and determine whether you want to strike up a conversation. You don’t get the same sort of signal in a virtual event. However, leaving your booth is but a single mouse click away – so if you do nothing, there’s a chance that your visitor will depart and never return. What I like to do is welcome visitors by way of your booth’s Group Chat – letting them know that you’re there to answer any questions they may have. Alternatively, send them a vCard (virtual business card) with your contact info – inviting them to contact you at any time (within the event or via email/phone). Don’t assume that visitors will engage with you – instead, utilize proactive means for reaching out to them

Fail to have product experts staff your booth
– in a b-to-b event, your booth may receive visits from qualified buyers – folks with purchasing authority and budget who are finalizing their short list of solutions vendors. They’re likely to have some detailed product questions to help them narrow their list. If your booth is staffed with sales and marketing staff who are unable to answer product-level questions, then you’re missing out on a great opportunity. If instead, you had product experts staffing your booth (e.g. product manager, sales engineer, technical engineering manager, etc.) – they can engage with these prospects and provide them with all the information they need. Leverage your product experts, as they’ll move prospects down the sales funnel along the way to a purchasing decision. Continue.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Social Media Tip Sheet

From Association Meetings:

Listen, listen, listen. “You need to know what’s being said about you everywhere on the Internet, and what’s being said about you on Twitter,” says KiKi L’Italien, membership and education services manager, Optical Society of America, Washington, D.C. Set up Google alerts for your organization’s name, your annual meeting’s name, any secondary meetings you have, your primary competitors, and keywords for your industry, to pick up news articles, blog posts, photos, and anything else related to your alert topics. Because Twitter isn’t tracked on Google, you also need to set up a separate-but-similar keyword search on Twitter. Continue.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

7 Ways Your Tradeshow Staff Can Sabotage a Deal

Tradeshow consultants and trainers sound like a broken record when they harp on how important it is for your front line people – the tradeshow staff – to be “on” all the time. To put their best face and effort forward. To respond with a smile. Etcetera.

In spite of how fast information spreads (like wildfire!), some tradeshow managers just don’t get it! So here’s a quick list of ways your staff can blow the next deal that may be walking into your booth. Pay close attention now and see if they’re making any of these mistakes: Continue

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Shipping Help


Have you discovered Shipgooder ? The site compares costs for shipping rates for local, regional and national couriers -including UPS, FedEx, DHL and USPS.

You can check zip code to zip code - and by weight. Even for international destinations.

The site is free and does not require your personal information.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

What is in a Brand?

According to the American Marketing Association, a brand is a:

name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition’.

The word brand is derived from the old Norse word ‘brandr’, which mean ‘to burn’ as brands were originally and still are used as a method that owners could mark their animals in order to identify ownership (Keller, 2003). Similarly today, companies add their brand is order to identify ownership and differentiate from competitors.
Full Article.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Enhancing Tradeshows with Online Tools

It is human nature to be comfortable with the familiar. We trust what we know and find comfort in the words "Tried and True". When faced with new methods we tend to react with apprehension, resignation, or panic. Tradeshows have been around since the dawning of commerce when merchants and buyers began congregating at central markets. Tradeshows are familiar. They represent the "Tried and True".

The internet brings efficient communication, networking, and a new method of commerce. While buying and selling online is now common place, it is human nature to suspect that this new medium of online buying, selling, and communicating threatens the traditional face to face marketplace of the tradeshow. In reality the connectivity of online communication is a wonderful opportunity for the savvy tradeshow organizer to augment the face to face medium of tradeshows and conferences.

Here are 3 tools for tradeshow and conference organizers to enhance their shows. Continue.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Top 10 Mistakes Convention Managers Make in Europe and How to Avoid Them

Inflation, soaring energy prices, a weak dollar and the stress of exhibiting across the pond may leave some convention managers feeling anxious, but with a little ingenuity and some advanced planning your convention experience in Europe will go smoothly. Norbert Hultenschmidt, European Manager for Nth Degree, a company that offers event management and marketing services, has zeroed in on the top 10 mistakes that convention managers often make in Europe and, more importantly, how to avoid them during your next event.

Here are the common mistakes...

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Exhibitors Use Social Media to Promote Booths

Forty percent of exhibitors use online social media to promote their exhibits, according to a new study by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.

Personal social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, are the most popular online tools among exhibitors. Roughly 41 percent of survey respondents say they use these networks for promotional purposes, while 36 percent use videos, and 34 percent use blogs, according to the paper, entitled “Effective Methods of Visitor Promotion, Part II: Exhibitors.” The use of these three tools is expected to rise in the next three years, especially the use of blogs. In three years, 44 percent of the 218 exhibitor respondents anticipate using blogs to promote exhibits.

Approximately 26 percent of respondents use virtual events, while 23 percent use microblogs, like Twitter. These percentages are anticipated to rise to 31 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in three years. Full Article from Association Meetings.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

What’s the Real Cost? Determining Your Exhibit and Trade Show Budget

What You Should Know about Exhibit Budgeting
  • How to differentiate between normal marketing expenses and exhibit marketing expenses
  • The exhibit is the largest initial expense, but your ongoing exhibit marketing will easily surpass that initial cost
  • Create a budget and maintain an accurate Return on Investment (ROI) on your exhibit marketing
  • Include the Exhibit Costs, online expenses, and Show Services when developing your budget
An Accurate Exhibit Budget

Companies should define a workable exhibit marketing budget, one that includes all related costs. However, the line between marketing expenses and exhibit marketing expenses can be somewhat fuzzy. You will want to create a well-defined budget that separates them.

The exhibit is typically the largest initial expense. However, over time, the cost of using the exhibit will easily surpass the initial cost of the exhibit, often significantly. When constructing a budget, evaluate your ability to maintain the expense year after year. Weigh the repercussions of scaling back. In some industries, scaling back can be more damaging than never exhibiting in the first place.
Continue.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Four Simple Ways to Cut Your Trade Show Marketing Budget in Half

Many times when a trade show is planned for there isnt someone who watches the budget and tracks where the money goes. But, if you do want to know where your trade show marketing dollar goes and want to do better, this article is for you.
You should track each expense and when you show is over hold a quick review to discover how much you spent. You might be surprised at how things add up.
Here are four simple ways to make your trade show marketing budget count. If you can reduce your show spending a losing show might suddenly be worthwhile.
1. Track your deadlines and discounts.


Look at your show agreement and see where you get discounts for making early commitments. A better way to look at this is the premium you pay for not being well planned. Youll see a deadline and a price before the date and an increased price after the date. Youll see yet a higher premium for getting a service on the day of the show.

Keep good records of the discount deadlines and dont miss any. That will ensure you minimize your surcharges.

Keep special track of your shipping costs and ensure you have time to ship ground and still make your setup deadline.

Good planning will really be worth your while and can save you easily 25%
Full Article.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Budget Guidelines for Trade Show Marketing

From Tradeshow Training:

Trade shows are the second largest expenditure of corporate marketing dollars in the US. Only the field salesperson costs a company more.

How much of that money is wasted? Oodles - if you don’t know what you’re doing and how to track it.

Clients often ask, “How much does it cost to do a trade show?” It can be a little or a lot. Remember - a tabletop show at a Chamber of Commerce networking event will cost you significantly less than a 10-day international event, but these EIGHT major components are good guidelines in budgeting.

1. The Rent on your Space - The only constant in trade shows is the real estate -that piece of gray concrete you rent. Some shows are priced by a flat fee. Most are priced according to a square foot (sq. meter) standard for the show. Generally, it’s 10sq ft or 3sq meters (about 100 sq. feet). Prices will range from $10-$100/sq ft, or $1,000 to $10,000 per space. Check your calculations carefully.

2. On-floor Expenses - Anything that requires labor or utilities for your exhibit. This includes all labor (i.e. - I&D installation and dismantling - to setup and tear-down your exhibit) and utilities - electricity, gas, water, compressed air, etc.

3. Your Exhibit, Graphics and Accessories - All of the physical parts of your exhibit, including design fees and production, and crating.

4. Freight and Drayage - These can be confusing terms, so here is the easy way to remember. Freight is how your exhibit gets from anywhere (your office, warehouse or another show) to the current show’s loading dock. You can put it in a car, send it by plane, ship, bus or truck. Drayage, on the other hand, has a very specific meaning. It is only the movement of your exhibit from the loading dock to your exhibit space and back to the loading dock. Then “freight” takes it from the loading dock to its next destination. More.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Conferences, Tradeshows Still King of Marketing Budgets

With airline traffic down and hotels working overtime to woo guests, it’s surprising to learn that businesses still allocate a whopping 25 percent of their marketing budgets to conferences and trade shows, says Page Ballenger of Exhibit Resources in Raleigh. Citing studies from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), Ballenger says face-to-face marketing at trade shows and conferences thrives—despite the recession and despite abundant opportunities for lower-cost, “new media” outlets.

Unlike online marketing, exhibit marketing is personal, tactile and emotional—some of the main reasons it still draws crowds. In fact, meetings and events provide the highest return on investment of any marketing channel, according to a recent Trade Show Week survey of Fortune 1,000 chief marketing officers. And even though attendance at shows is slimmer now than in the past, today’s attendees are usually top decision makers at their company. The bottom line for exhibitors? Prime space on the floor is easier to snag, and prospects for sales leads are better than ever.
Full Article.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Developing a New Exhibit, Design Strategy

In many cases, multiple bids on exhibit construction from designs provided by your custom exhibit designer will vary as much as 50-75% depending on how busy an exhibit builder is, other exhibits they have going into the same show or how interested they are in adding a new account to their roster.

Exhibiting in major US cities like Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, and Anaheim is challenging enough without adding the extra complexities and potential problems of shipping in a brand new exhibit built by an outside organization with little big trade show city experience. In most cases, the results will cost you time, money and add to the frustrations trade shows have a way of delivering. Full Article

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

IAEE Board of Directors Says San Jose Exclusive Labor Program is Detrimental

Calls on Mayor Reed and the San Jose City Council to Set the New Program Aside

DALLAS -- 15 September 2009 -- Calling Team San Jose's recent seizure of all Teamster labor at the McEnery Convention Center a plan primarily designed to generate new revenue for that convention center, the board of directors of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) is calling upon the city's Mayor and City Council to rescind the program immediately.

IAEE says that the new program eliminates competition and like most exclusive in-house services, is very likely to drive customers' costs much higher while driving down service levels. It also tramples upon an already existing collect bargaining agreement that was negotiated by the general service contractors who service most of the business in the McEnery Convention Center with Teamsters Local 85 that runs through the end of March 2011. General service contractors who refuse to agree to the new exclusive labor program are not permitted to work in the building. If they do accept the terms of the new agreement they face grievances from Teamsters Local 85 who has already warned at least one contractor who has worked an event in the building under the new plan that they have violated their agreement.

To make matters even worse, says IAEE, the new plan exposes exhibition and event organizers, exhibitors and general service contractors to serious liability exposures because San Jose's exclusive labor agreement renders them third parties not covered by the exclusive remedies of workers compensation insurance.

The new exclusive labor plan also improperly intrudes into the business contracts of general service contractors and their organizer and exhibitor customers, some that run for many more years. Team San Jose's new program also assaults key provisions of its own existing building leases with customers who have already agreed to bring their events to San Jose.

IAEE President Steven Hacker, CAE communicated its concerns directly to Mayor Chuck Reed and the San Jose City
Council on 15 September 2009.


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Trade Show Exhibits: Sales Process

The key relationship in the initial phases of a trade show exhibit sales process is between the Client and the Account Executive. This relationship is the most important factor in the success of any exhibit house experience. The Account Executive is the client’s advocate, acting as the liaison between the Client and all internal departments including design, engineering, production and/or accounting. The AE’s role is to be the eyes, ears, and voice for the Client, accountable for the success of every project from initiation to completion. The effectiveness of this relationship is dependent effective communication and documentation.

Account Executives should also add value to the design process by providing creative ideas and options that serve to further the goals of the project. Full Article.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Exhibit Survey’s White Paper: Looking Past the Recession

The Exhibit Surveys folks have created a great White Paper -Looking past the recession: Exhibition strategies for the interim. In it they detail our current economic situation and what exhibitors must consider for the near term.

Synopsis: Exhibitions are down, but far from out. Real time findings from the current recession indicate cause for optimism, including sustained audience quality levels. Also, even though exhibitor budgets are down and will likely trail the recovery, the perceived value of exhibitions as a marketing tool not only remains intact but is enhanced in terms of its role within the vogue of “experiential marketing.” While discernment of the depth, duration, and breadth of this recession is still difficult, metrics that track the health of the industry and the economy show hints of a turnaround that may begin late this year. In the meantime there are strategic moves the industry can employ, particularly in terms of its key constituencies, as it rides out the storm so it may exploit the coming recovery period from a position of strength.

To obtain your free copy of this valuable White Paper, click here.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

TSEA ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF EXHIBITOR ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Polling Results From TS2 Attendees on Issues Effecting Exhibitors at Trade Shows

Chicago, IL – September 9, 2009 – After polling members of the association and attendees at TS2, the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA) confirmed the need to officially form an Exhibitor Advocacy Committee. People were asked to choose up to three (3) answers from a wide variety of topics that members of TSEA had voiced distress about this year. The polling showed:

34% felt lack of choices for exhibitor appointed contractors were a top concern.

32% want independent 3rd party audits of convention attendees to help them make informed decisions about what shows will provide the best returns on their investment.

26% felt unfair convention housing policies caused the most problems for exhibit managers.

Almost 50% of healthcare industry exhibitors believe show hours opposed by education, entertainment, meals, etc is a policy of many trade shows that needs to be changed.

One TSEA member was not surprised that only 15% of participants responded that encryption of attendee’s badges was an issue. "Most exhibitors do not even know they can own lead retrieval equipment and customize it to feed directly into their internal sales and customer databases. Show management has done such a good job of ‘training’ exhibitors to rent their official show equipment that they do not even investigate the possibility or understand that some shows block the ability by encrypting their badge. Capturing leads is a key objective of exhibiting at tradeshows. By blocking the ability to use your own personal lead retrieval system they (show management) are impeding exhibitors’ ability to harness the potential business from attendees who visit their booth. It is critical that event badges be legible by all lead management scanners."

Equally unsurprising, the second highest response was that exhibitors want independent 3rd party audits. "The tradeshow industry is under pressure, as are all forms of media," stated Glenn Hansen, President and CEO of BPA Worldwide. "Exhibit departments struggle to document their relevancy and keep their share of budget. In this economic climate, more appreciate the value of having third-party verified data. "While 32% were counted at TS2 as wanting independent verified data, we would like to see this percentage triple. The goal is to share information such that exhibitors use independently certified data as a tool to help plan, budget, validate and market more effectively. Audited data helps shows stay relevant to exhibitor management. Organizers are waiting to hear from exhibitors that audited data is essential to marketing."

One item all exhibitors agree on is the need for all shows to have exhibitor advisory councils and listen to what they have to say.

As the only association in the world dedicated solely to exhibitors’ needs and rights across all industries, TSEA acts as their voice. The only way to accomplish this goal is to create a forum where exhibitors feel safe sharing what affects their ability to maximize their returns at trade shows and events. Exhibitors have long felt that if they voice their complaints and concerns to show management that they will be labeled as "troublemakers."

A new member of TSEA said: "I never knew anyone could or would ever try to change the rules show management sets for exhibitors. I felt I just had to live with it. I am so happy to become part of an organization that cares about me and will stand up for my rights."

Association members have asked for someone else to speak on their behalf; therefore, TSEA has formed the Advocacy Committee to act as the exhibitor advisory committee to the industry. Its goal is to actively assist the association and its membership in determining what issues and, specifically, which shows are affecting face-to-face marketing professionals. The committee members’ identities and companies will not be disclosed by TSEA to ensure they can provide necessary input to change the status quo. Individual members of the committee cross all industry sectors and their mandate is to speak with exhibitors of shows in which they participate to garner support and build a united voice of exhibitors everywhere. They have all signed non-disclosure agreements so everyone can freely discuss what shows are causing our members the most difficulty.

TSEA is currently in contact with management from shows that members have brought to the attention of the committee and staff. The committee and TSEA are asking all exhibitors to support their efforts by submitting the shows and issues that have detrimental policies to advocacy@tsea.org All submissions will be kept confidential; names and personal information will be not disclosed without permission.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

4 Ways to Use Twitter at Your Next Trade Show

Do you know what do trade shows and Twitter have in common? Both allow you to make personal connections with potential clients while building their confidence in you and your brand. Neither one is an appropriate place for a hard sell routine, in fact, quite the opposite. They are “getting to know you” tools. And both can pay enormous dividends in terms of brand recognition, customer satisfaction, and sales.

Let’s look are four ways in which you can make Twitter work for you at your next trade show:

1. Start early. Establish your Twitter presence long before the show opens. Every day, post amusing or informative links, resources, observations, and announcements.

2. Share Twitter names. When you get contact information for new clients, make sure you get their Twitter ID. Make sure that yours is on your business card, as well as on your web site.

3. Keep Tweeting! During the trade show, use Twitter to keep attendees informed of events at your booth. You may want to use a Twitter client, such as HootSuite or Tweetdeck, to schedule pre-written announcements, for example, “The next demo will starting in 15 minutes at Booth 212.”

4. Follow up. After the trade show has ended, use Twitter to maintain contact with new prospects. Make sure you add them to your “following” list. Not only will that remind them of you, it also helps to make people feel warm and accepted. Source.

Getting The Crowd Into Your Trade Show Booth

Getting the proper crowd into your trade show booth can be a big task, but not impossible. Walking the trade show floor on numerous occasions I have noticed that there are some impressive looking trade show displays and some just mediocre. I have also noticed some of the nice impressive booths have no crowd in them. Attendees just pass them by as if they were not there. The booth looks relatively nice with decent product displays yet no visitors to the booths (as a matter of fact I have seen some exhibitors which are the powerhouse of their market without any crowds in there booth at all) this means no new clients and also they may have gotten to be a powerhouse by other means, definitely not by displaying at trade shows. What makes the difference in attracting attendees into you booth? There are a few factors

1- In getting attendees into your both first of all you must have a friendly and inviting trade show display
, this mean do not configure your trade show booth like a forte. It should be open and inviting -one should not feel trapped once they enter your booth.

2- Greet attendees in the trade show aisle not in your booth, Very few will ever freely enter your trade show booth without being invited

3- To capture attendees’ interest you must have something different from the rest of exhibitors. Try to create some sort of theme or major attraction inside your trade show booth. This will serve as a major draw for show attendees. Your trade show booth might be nice looking but still unable to entice the crowd, therefore, a crowd pleaser is a must. I have seen this happen at a recent show, true the attendance was down at the show but all in all most exhibitors said they did better that the previous year or show , why?. Fewer exhibitors mean less competition for you the exhibitor. This in turn turns into leads which eventually can result in sales. In getting the best out of your trade show you must have something unique different from the rest of exhibitors. DO not use gimmicks they only work but for so long, be creative about your product or the imagery of your booth…always introduce a theme whether in the appearance of the booth itself, your product or the actual displaying of the products themselves… be creative intelligently and forget the gimmicks
Source.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Can You Afford Not To Exhibit At Trade Shows

Exhibiting in a trade show can involve a major investment of money and time. The financial returns for your business can be first-rate if you learn some of the secrets of trade show booth success before signing up for a show and investing in your displays. In these economical times a great decision can make or break you.

Most exhibitors are already dedicated to their exhibit space if you are a regular trade show exhibitors. Last year outlook on the economy was not as bad and it seems these day, so naturally you committed to a larger or same size exhibit space. So now it’s probably too late to reduce your exhibit booth size. A great alternative to this is to rent your next tradeshow displays and opt in to an all inclusive trade show rental package. Most of your competitor are probably are doing it already and rightly so, it helps to reduce the high cost of trade show exhibiting. All inclusive packages eliminate the hidden cost, and mishaps associated with having a custom trade shows, such as, shipping, installation and dismantle.

Successful trade show promotions require a strategic plan involving everything from pre-show promotion to post-show follow up.


Tradeshows are great venues for generating qualified leads and super opportunities to meet existing and potential customers face-to-face and talk with them about your products and services in a very informal environment. Trade shows can be very effective, or of little use; it all depends on how you develop and execute the plan.
Continue.

Friday, September 4, 2009

How to Get the Best Out of Trade Show Services

You've heard the expression–The devils in the details. This is especially applicable to trade show exhibiting where success hinges on all the big and little things that constitute a trade show appearance.

The process starts with the obvious: selecting the right trade shows to attend; designing a high quality exhibit booth to properly portray your company; and arranging to get the trade show display to the exhibit floor on time.

Your trade show exhibit builder has the expertise to help you make your event a success. But it can often be any one of the following pesky details relating to trade show services, which, if overlooked, can undermine an otherwise well-planned trade show experience.

Here are ten key recommendations from Tips & Techniques for Exhibiting Success by Nomadic Display:
Continue

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Free Report: 9 Things to Know When Buying a Custom Booth

Trying to decide if you should invest in a custom tradeshow exhibit? Don’t know if it’s worth the money? How about downloading a free report “9 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Custom Tradeshow Exhibit.”

You’ll find a brief comparison of the pros and cons of custom vs. pop-up or modular, as well a look at other considerations such as drayage and shipping.

(PDF – approx 400 KB). Download here.

Monday, August 31, 2009

3 Reasons Trade Show Exhibitors Can Thrive During a Recession

During a recession, the first thought that goes through every trade show exhibitor's mind is how he or she will survive the inevitable downturn in sales. After all, everyone is tightening their belts. Consumers are keeping their wallets in their pockets. The businesses that sell to those consumers are adjusting their budgets accordingly. Most trade show exhibitors, often a few tiers away the economic epicenter, see the coming storm and react rather than anticipate. In many ways, your competition is removing themselves from the field.

This is good news for trade show exhibitors who are willing to take the reins that market leaders abandon in a sluggish economy. Below, you'll discover three reasons why you can thrive during the current recession.

#1 - Your Competitors Have Become Lazy

During an economic boom, improving your sales and revenue base is almost as simple as showing up to the convention hall. In some cases, this is exactly how many of your competitors thrived. They constructed their booths, put up their trade show displays and attendees flocked to their exhibits. Everyone has budgets to spend when the economy is healthy. During an economic bust, those budgets dry up. Considering this a positive environment for your business might seem counterintuitive, but this is when opportunity rears its head. More.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Exhibit Survey’s White Paper: Looking Past the Recession

The Exhibit Surveys folks have created a great White Paper -Looking past the recession: Exhibition strategies for the interim. In it they detail our current economic situation and what exhibitors must consider for the near term.

Synopsis: Exhibitions are down, but far from out. Real time findings from the current recession indicate cause for optimism, including sustained audience quality levels. Also, even though exhibitor budgets are down and will likely trail the recovery, the perceived value of exhibitions as a marketing tool not only remains intact but is enhanced in terms of its role within the vogue of “experiential marketing.” While discernment of the depth, duration, and breadth of this recession is still difficult, metrics that track the health of the industry and the economy show hints of a turnaround that may begin late this year. In the meantime there are strategic moves the industry can employ, particularly in terms of its key constituencies, as it rides out the storm so it may exploit the coming recovery period from a position of strength. More.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

The 'Pablo Picasso' of Virtual Meetings

The Virtualis Convention Center in Second Life has become one of the first options that Dan Parks offers to clients looking to save costs.

For example, one event last year brought in 80 people from several different countries for three days of training – with a team of people to help with orientation for an entire week. The total cost was around $10,000. By comparison, the budget for the previous year was $175,000, Parks said.

In general, he said, an event in Second Life is about 10 percent of the cost of a similar event in a physical location. Full Article.

Friday, August 28, 2009

What you need for an effective Outdoor Tradeshow?

Options for effective Outdoor Displays

Branded Pop up Awnings – What better way to be prepared for unpredictable weather than with an instant shelter, fully printed to promote your brand, logos, marketing message or products.

Outdoor Banner Stands - Outdoor banners stands are durable hard wearing weather resistant displays that are an effective way to display your graphics. Outdoor banner stands are portable and sturdy, making them an ideal display choice for your outdoor graphics.

Flag Displays - For high impact, attention grabbing displays, feather flags, wing banners, flying banners, portable flag poles and event flags for maximum viewing at your outdoor display or exhibition.

Portable Counters - Portable counters that can be personlised to your corporate style with graphics that are either permanently applied or attached for easy removal for rebranding later projects. All counters fold down for portability and flexibility and are suitable as promotional counters at your outdoor event.

Display Barriers РDisplay barriers are ideal for queue management, crowd control and caf̩ barriers. Display barriers are ideal for defining seating use at your event and promoting your logos.
More.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Are You Serious About Tradeshow Marketing?

It’s a fair question, and one you probably don’t think about enough.

“Of course I’m serious,” you respond. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I weren’t serious!”

Gitomer’s approach is from the sales aspect, and he covers such things as ability to deliver, desire to serve, friendliness, truth at ALL cost and more.

Much of that applies to tradeshow marketing. So, how serious are you?

Do you plan your pre-show marketing?
Do you pick your staff with an eye to having the most open and enthusiastic personalities at the show?
Do you train your staff?
Are you regularly re-examining your tradeshow booth’s marketing message to make sure it in sync with your products and your audience desire?
Do you debrief your staff each evening before turning them loose?
Do you make adjustments at the show based on your observations of visitors or the staff debriefing?
Do you have definable, measurable goals for each tradeshow?
Do you re-assess those goals based on the type of show and expected audience?
Can you crunch the numbers to come up with the ROI over the last year’s worth of shows?
Do your sales staff have real, actionable leads after each show, rated as ‘hot,’ ‘warm,’ or ‘cool?’ More.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The 8 Best Tradeshow Tweets

1. Conferences and Break-out Sessions. Business execs find this useful. It gives insights into presentations and ideas, and helps bring you closer to people who are not there…as well as connect with ones who are.

2. Booth Promotions. Got a prize to giveaway? Regularly tweeting about stuff going on at your booth is a good way to bring visitors by, and helps remind non-attendees what kinds of things your company is doing.

3. Raves. Love a booth? Promotion? Graphic? Break-out session? Meet a cool dude/chick? Tweet out a rave. Works even better if they’re on Twitter; if so, be sure to use their handle.

4. Ask/Answer Questions. Trying to find a good restaurant or watering hole? Need an answer to an industry question? Ask and ye shall receive.

5. Engage in Conversations. Similar to #4, but perhaps on a more casual or personal level. A conversation may only be a few tweets long, but even a short one can be engaging. Continue.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Eco-Friendly Promotional Marketing...and More

Try to put yourself in the shoes of a customer or prospect walking the show floor at your next event. You're likely to be overwhelmed by an endless array of Frisbees, coffee mugs, paper weights and squeeze toys. What exactly does it take to catch your eye or to make an impression?

Before opening a catalog or visiting a Web site and drooling over all the shiny items available to promote your organization, think about what you can do that will stick in someone's mind and remain cost-effective. Think about what you want the promotional products to do. What do you want to achieve at your next event? Do you want to generate "buzz" and attract attendees to your exhibit? Do you want to make sure every attendee goes home with something in his or her "goodie bag?" Or do you want to be more selective, rewarding actual prospects with something significant?

The best promotional strategies work toward one of two goals -- reinforcing your branding or emphasizing a call to action. Different products work better to help you achieve each of these goals. Let's start considering three types of promotional giveaways: practical, somewhat risky and green products.
Continue.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

3 Tips for Turning Your Tradeshow Contacts into Customers

Have you spent all day at a convention or fair pitching your products and services to a plethora of people with the hopes of hooking in new clients? At the end of the day, your feet and back hurt, you have the mental fortitude of a zombie, but your hopes are high that you’ve made some solid contacts. Yet, over the next several weeks the expected uptick in sales never materializes.

Your investment of time and money were high, but your return of new customers and sales were low. You question whether the convention was a gathering of time wasters and trinket collectors or if there was something in your pitch that put people off. Here are a couple of methods for converting those contacts into customers.
Continue.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Trade Show Booth Staff Training Essential

Never underestimate the importance of your trade show booth staff. They are your front line ambassadors and the critical links to your overall trade show success. It makes sense that if you want to have a positive experience at your trade show display, you need to pay attention to all the elements of trade show exhibiting. By putting a premium on grooming and training your trade show booth staff, you can rest easy they will be performing at their best.

The first step in your company’s trade show venture, then, is to recognize the importance of the trade show booth personnel. The second step is to invest in the training of your booth people.To launch this process, make sure you get executive “buy in”. If top management respects and values their trade show team, then face- to- face training skills become effective.

Remember the key value of exhibiting at the trade show is to engage real people about real products/services in real time. A typical company representative can often hold meaningful conversations with about 3 or 4 people in a ½ hour at a trade show as opposed to spending an entire day in the conventional field selling process. Continue.