10 Cotton Candy Tips for Any Trade Show Newbie

Cotton candy tips are fun, tasty, sticky bits of wisdom with marginal nutritional value.

1. Be nice to the labor. They can solve most problems or create migraine-inducing headaches. The Golden Rule applies until they piss you off. When they do, contact your I&D labor provider or show management. Also remember that the labor guy or gal in your booth didn’t write the hall rules. If you disagree with the rules, contact your I&D labor provider or show management.

2. A trade show is neither a vacation nor a death sentence. Although it may feel like a death sentence during teardown.
Breath mints are more valuable than gold or platinum at a trade show.

3. Comfortable shoes are more valuable than breath mints, unless you are wearing comfortable shoes and chatting with someone who clearly needs a 3 lb. breath mint. More.

SEMA to offer Leads Guarantee Program for show

The organizers of the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show have implemented a Leads Guarantee Program that will provide a list of at least 1,000 pre-registered buyers to all exhibiting manufacturers/importers and distributors.

The list will contain data about companies' whose profiles match those of exhibitors. It will be delievered on or before Oct. 1, 2009. (The 2009 SEMA Show will take place during the first week of November.)

"The list will be prioritized so that exhibitors can see who the best matches are and will include the tools necessary to reach out and communicate with the buyers," say SEMA officials.

"The lists will be personalized for each exhibitor and include only pre-registered buyers whose product interest and company type matches that of the exhibiting company. Exhibitors that do not have at least 1,000 matches will be eligible to withdraw from the SEMA Show without any financial penalties." More.

Twitter is a Must for Trade Shows

Joyce McKee made a request on her blog for stories of how exhibitors are using Twitter to drive traffic to their booths. Read into the comments section for ideas. Link.

Which Credit/Debit Cards are Best to Use Overseas?

Spending money costs money when you're abroad, but a list of cards and fees compiled by USA Today can help you decide which card to pack before you leave.

The same general rules of spending apply when you're traveling: put large purchases on your credit card for the usual consumer protections, and withdraw cash with your debit card. Just make sure you won't get slapped by outrageous fees. Link.

Going to Trade Shows Like it Matters

If your company is going to a show to generate leads, then sales owns the show. Marketing is at the trade show as a support organization. Marketing may be physically “staging” the booth, and may even it “man it,” but don’t be confused, this is the VP of Sales party. While one could argue that a trade show is just another demand creation activity akin to advertising or PR, trade shows are the closest eyeball-to-eyeball contact you’re company is going to have with customers, competitors and partners.

While the industry average says only 20% of show leads are followed up, that only happens in other companies, not yours. Going to a show to get leads is a sales function, if the leads aren’t followed up marketing won’t be supporting these kinds of trade shows out of their budgets. Period. This is worthy of an open and honest discussion with sales up front. Just as marketing needed sales agreement that it was worth going to shows to generate awareness, sales needs to commit to marketing that leads will be followed up. More.

PowerPoint FAQ

Handy site for Frequently Asked Questions about PowerPoint. They even have Mac specific help. Link.

Negotiate Outbound Weights

If you ship catalogs, premiums or other heavy giveaways to a show, always try to negotiate a new outbound weight for your materials handling. For example, say your inbound shipment (exhibit, product, giveaways and other materials) weighs in at 20 CWT. By the end of the show, you know you have given away at least 2 CWT in catalogs; another 3 CWT in computer equipment you plan to ship back via FedEx.

Rather than using your original inbound weight, negotiate a new outbound weight of 15 CWT with the contractor. It's best to do your negotiating on the last day, when you have a good idea of how much product you have distributed over the course of the show. Potential savings: $300, at $60 per CWT. Link.

10 Tactics for Exhibiting Virtually

At virtual tradeshows (VTS), exhibitors compete for the attention and interest of the attendees. And many times, the competition for attention occurs “against” the competitors of your business. Thus, it’s even more important to make your mark, which places an onus on exhibitors to leverage new and creative ways to generate interest. Here are Top 10 Exhibitor Tactics for working with virtual tradeshows.

1. Set up a (physical) war room – it seems a bit contradictory, given that you’re exhibiting virtually, but if it’s practical to gather in a single location (physically), you’ll be more effective and coordinated. As visitors pour into your booth and engage with you, it will be easy to shout aloud, “I’ll take this one” and have everyone immediately know what you’re referring to. In addition, being together physically creates a buzz as the event goes on – you’ll hear cheers, shouts, jeers, etc. as activities unfold throughout the day. I’ve participated in one and it does help with coordination and build camraderie. Short of a physical gathering, another option is to keep a telephone conference bridge active throughout the day to coordinate activities. More?

The Importance of Trade Show Giveaways

Trade shows are the perfect place to meet potential customers, as well as being used as a social networking resource. Obviously, your number one priority at the event should be to have a stunning, eye-catching trade show display that will appeal to your target market and intrigue them to visit your display booth. However, what incentives are you giving these visitors that will make them feel that it was worth their time to stop by your exhibit? This is where trade show giveaways come in.

Promotional giveaway items should be used to make you more memorable, and should communicate your marketing message effectively. So, what items will you plan on giving away? Susan Friedmann, The Tradeshow Coach, explains that the first step is to figure out what your objective is. Once you have a clear goal, it should be much easier to decide which giveaway items would help you achieve this goal.

You should have different sets of items to be given away. A pen with your company’s name and logo on it can get you remembered each time the pen is used. However, for the potentially more serious customer, perhaps a package of eye catching literature on your company would be more appropriate. After a few minutes of speaking with your visitor, you should be able to figure out into which category they fall. More.

Top 5 Tips to Have Them Lining Up At Your Trade Show Booth

1. Think color. Lots of it! Bold, sassy colors that immediately get attention from trade show attendees. Many people make the mistake of thinking if they build it, they will come. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to trade show booths! You have lots of competition and to beat it, you need a trade show booth that lets people know they're dealing with professionals who know what they're doing. Color does this almost better than anything else-unless you're going against the grain by using stark, upscale colors like white and black to make your statement. And believe me, color does make a statement.

2. Now think lights! Lights can make a fairly ordinary tradeshow booth something special. How? Think of the way paintings in museums are lit, the way candlelight sets the atmosphere for dinner or weddings. You can take a regular Joe trade show booth, put some truly cool lights in place, and Presto! You have a real show stopper-right there at your booth where you can smooze and sell to your heart's content (or your feet wear out, whichever comes first!).

More.

Increase Booth Traffic with a Trade Show Entertainment Strategy

Creating a buzz on the trade show floor is pivotal to drawing attention away from the competition and increasing meaningful traffic to your exhibit area. With more booth visitors exposed to your products and sales message, your trade show sales team has a greater prospect pool in which to pre-qualify leads and generate sales.

That's why savvy exhibitors are continuing to deploy new and creative methods to attract trade show visitors. At shows across industries and locales, exhibitors are using methods that range from creating more dynamic display graphics and creative lighting techniques to giving away gourmet treats and unusual trade show promotional items to attract crowds. More.

6 Things You Can Do to Avoid Forced Freight

The Official Show Contractor has to see to it that hundreds of exhibitors have their exhibits shipped out in a timely fashion after a trade show. If there are any hiccups along the way they will simply load your freight with the Official Carrier to insure that there are no bottlenecks in the process.

The carrier will then contact you to pay the shipping charges via Credit Card or they will put your exhibit in storage, further racking up your charges. Plus, it typically takes longer for your freight to return. If you need it for another show, that could further complicate matters. It truly can turn into a nightmare.

As trade show season heats up, be sure you know the proper way to work with your freight carriers to avoid this situation. No matter how much preparation and planning you invest in your trade show exhibit, small fires can always pop up. It’s the nature of the beast. If you aren’t careful, you can easily run into the costly, inconvenient problem of this “forced freight.” However, this is one problem that can easily be avoided. More.

Greening Suppliers: Overhauling Tradition

When show managers decide to make their shows more sustainable, there are things they can control – such as decorating – and things they can’t.
Those that can’t be controlled are usually services provided by suppliers, though there are options out there for show managers who look for them.

Starting at the very beginning of the process for most exhibitors is an area that often is a sticking point for shows trying to make themselves greener – freight shipping.

For the past two years, EA Logistics has added a sustainable option to its services. President Mike Ellis said the company put a brand on the effort – Delivered GrEAn – a little more than a year ago. It started, he added, with “a realization that climate change is real and that we in the freight transportation industry contribute to it.”

How it works is simple: All EA Logistics shipments benefit from being on fully loaded, fuel-efficient trucks that run on biodiesel and don’t idle while being loaded and unloaded, Ellis said. To get the benefit of the Delivered GrEAn part of the service, all clients need to do is ask. Then EA Logistics buys offsets at Carbonfund.org to make the shipments carbon-neutral at no additional charge to the client, he added. More.

Turn Trade Show Leads Into Sales

Were you aware that 80% of all trade show leads never receive any form of sales rep follow up once the trade show is over? And that 43% of your key trade show prospects will have already made their buying decision with someone else by the time they get your materials? Did you also know that 76% of companies’ sales people think of trade show leads as cold calls, and that less than 10% of all companies use any form of post trade show event measurement? There has got to be a better way to turn trade show leads into sales, and there is.

According to Michael Gilvar, President of Fish Software Inc., a Carollton, Texas- based trade show event measurement and interactive marketing firm, trade show attendees can now be categorized, identified and measured as to whether they are hot prospects through its “Immersive Media” software. By using radio frequency identification technology (RFID), trade show exhibit staff can better focus a sales pitch on their most highly qualified leads and thus greatly enhance the efficiency of lead tracking. More.

First Quarter 2009 CEIR Index Results

DALLAS, 12 May 2009 - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) announces that data collected for the annual CEIR Index report for the first quarter of 2009 reveals that the exhibition industry experienced an overall decline of 11.6 percent when compared to the same quarter of the previous year, before any widespread industry downturn had begun. Year-over-year contraction of the exhibition industry is directly linked to the continuing recession. Further declines are likely throughout the first half of 2009.

The 6th Edition CEIR Index, released in early April, reported that the National Association of Business Economists predicts that the U.S. economy will recover during the second half of 2009, with the GDP beginning to grow again at that point at an annualized rate of 1.6 percent.

While the Index data for the first quarter of 2009 does convey declines in all four metrics of measurement, attendance fared surprisingly well, with less than a 2 percent drop in reported figures. The first quarter numbers compared to the first quarter of 2008 are Net Square Feet (-14.8 percent); Revenue (-19.7 percent); Professional Attendance (-1.5 percent); and Number of Exhibiting Companies (-10.4 percent).

As an objective measure of the annual performance of the exhibition industry, the CEIR Index measures year-over-year changes in four key metrics to determine overall performance. The CEIR Index provides exhibition industry performance across 11 key industry sectors: Professional Business Services; Consumer and Retail Trade; Sports and Entertainment; Food; Government; Building and Construction; Industrial and Manufacturing; Communications and Information Technology; Medical and Health Care; Raw Materials and Science; and Transportation.

For more information and to purchase the 6th Edition CEIR Index, contact Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP, executive director of CEIR at cbreden@ceir.org or +1 (972) 687-9201.

About CEIR
CEIR serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering research-based knowledge tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position. For additional information, visit

Foot Pain Blog

Ha! Even the Foot Pain Blog has an article about tradeshows. Link.

How to Maximize the Value of Trade Show Giveaways

Trade show giveaways are undervalued and underestimated by most exhibitors. The evidence can be found within the trash bins that are scattered throughout the convention hall. The problem is that many exhibitors think promotional items are only useful to the point of attracting attendees to their trade show booths. Nothing could be further from the truth. Link to more.

Common Rules To Follow For Your Trade Show Display Graphics

The most common trade show display graphic mistakes usually involve text, color, graphics and maintenance. If your booth has any of these mistakes, it could be an instant turnoff for attendees. But if you follow these simple rules then an attendee visiting your booth can turn into a promising lead. Click here for more.

Event Salons to Become Permanent Part of Exhibitor Shows

This sounds like a great idea. People walking the floor would welcome a place to rest their weary feet. Link.

Small, nimble conventions thrive as behemoths struggle

Small show operators who might have been overlooked during the boom time are now benefitting from the lower costs of space, hotel rooms and airfare that make Las Vegas a great venue.

Exhibitors are also enjoying that lighter attendance means a higher percentage of attendees are dedicated buyers, not sightseers. That means small exhibitors and small shows don't have to dedicate personnel to accommodate attendees who aren't serious about making deals. Link.

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Creating a Memorable Trade Show Event

With an ever-increasing number of events occurring outside the trade show floor, the job of a trade show event planner has become a real challenge. With so many get-togethers to choose from, the trade show event planner needs to create enticing venues that will attract the often weary trade show attendee who has canvassed numerous trade show exhibits during the day.

Of course, getting VIPs to networking events can be a hat trick. In order for the trade show exhibitor to put his/her best foot forward, then, they need to have not only a professionally produced event, but one that is highly memorable. But how do they do this?

According to Karla Krause-Miller, Director, Cappa and Graham, Inc., a professional event planning company in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, it is critical to create a trade show social gathering that not only dazzles but also provides essential networking opportunities. Here are a few of her event planning tips:

The main rule is to create an experience –not just an event. You must make it memorable by adding a “celebrity touch” or a special enticement. Link.

National Badge Plan

5/1/2009 - The Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) will soon launch the Worker Identification System (WIS) which will be used by convention facilities to identify tradeshow labor when they are onsite.

The system will help alleviate the number of badges required by tradeshow labor, who often work in many facilities throughout the country and have had to go through the badging system at each venue and end up with multiple badges. WIS will provide one badge to be used at all facilities that are enrolled in the program. Atlanta, Houston and Dallas will be the first cities to roll out the new system, but all major facilities are expected to follow.

The badges will contain a magnetic strip, a barcode and a passive Radio Frequency Identification chip and facilities will be able to establish specific contractor entrances where the badges can be scanned. More.

New Law

The following is a post that was made on the MeCo Listserv. (with permission of the author, Yvette Lee, San Diego:)

Hello MeCos,

I just had a twist thrown at me that I wanted to share with others to help avoid some stress.

Nevada has a new law that says that when submitting plans with
applications for fire permits (which we need to for our double-decker booth), you must have your plans stamped by the state's engineer--in this case Nevada's engineer. Florida also has this law. California may be next.

For us to make our move-in of 5/14 at Interop in Las Vegas, we need to have our plans in hand at the Clark County Fire Dept by 5/7.

Unfortunately, I found out TODAY why we were rejected--but at least I now have a contact at Clark County who will be watching for our resubmitted plans.

Here was her response to the request for permission to post here:

Sure—here is part of an email sent to me from my exhibit house’s engineer. If I can help anyone, it’s worth it.

To all,

In case you haven't heard already....the states of Florida and Nevada are indicating that two story, and most probably all, displays must now be stamped by an engineer registered in their states...no "outsiders" anymore. I have immediate access to a Nevada stamp and I am looking into getting my seal in Florida.

California is apparently getting ready to follow suit and who knows how many will also jump on the bandwagon in the future. I suggest that you check with the venue to determine their current requirements.

Additionally, it is my understanding that there is a requirement that all certified drawings are to be submitted 3 weeks in advance of the show. Once again, I suggest that you check with the venue to determine their current requirements.

Obviously, this will result in higher certification costs for those displays headed for venues in more than one of these states. You need to advise your clients accordingly and plan for these higher costs.

Yvette Lee
Sr Trade Show and Event Specialist
ESET
http://www.eset.com

Rut Busters

Routine is comfortable. We like knowing what we're going to do, when we're going to do it, and what we'll be wearing while we do it. It's nice, safe and predictable. There are no surprises, no unforeseen contingencies, no upsets.

There is also no growth, no excitement, and no spontaniety. Routines can easily become ruts, especially at a trade show. It's very easy to do, especially if you always go to the same shows, display in the same location, use the same graphics and literature, and go through the same sales spiel. It might seem effective. It'll definitely be comfortable.

It's also one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Exhibiting is, by its very nature, is a constantly evolving art. To be successful, you need to embrace what is new and exciting. It requires pushing boundaries.

Click here for the 5 Easy Steps to Get Out of a Rut.