Friday, July 31, 2009

The Ultimate Trade Show Survival Kit: Booth Maintenance & Repair

In order to set up your booth and keep it gleaming, you’ll need a literal toolkit of construction and maintenance supplies. You’ll also need all essential paperwork and documentation, as well as the handouts and giveaways that you’ll be stocking in the booth. That’s why we’ve included logistical matters in this category.

Tools and Cleaning MaterialsWhen you bought your booth, it probably came with a set of tools you need for setup. Make sure before you leave for the show that you have everything you need in a handy-dandy toolbox. Make a list of the contents and if you use the same booth repeatedly, make sure your list is up-to-date, and that certain tools haven’t mysteriously disappeared.

Essentials to include:
  • Tape (duct, masking, scotch, double-sided)
  • Keys or combination lock numbers; padlocks or cable locks, if needed
  • Any exhibit furnishings you are not renting, such as trash cans, floral arrangements
  • Set-up tools, such as screwdrivers, hammers, and wrenches
  • Paper towels
  • Cleaning supplies
  • More

Thursday, July 30, 2009

FREE WEBINAR: Using Social Media to Promote Your Trade Show Participation

Social media is the new hot buzzword in marketing. You just can't get away from it even if you try - it's reported in the news, used in blogs, shown persistently on web pages, it's used by celebrities like Oprah, it's appearing on business cards and billboards. In effect, it's everywhere. But what does all this mean to you as a trade show exhibitor, and how does it help you? This 45 minute webinar will be exploring and discussing social media and how you can use it to make your trade show event more effective. Specifically, we will be covering: * Introduction to social media * Tools of the trade o social communities o media sharing o blogging o micro-blogging o social bookmarking * Best Practices and Strategies * Using these tools as part of your trade show strategy o Creating pre-show buzz o Increasing booth awareness during the event o Extending network connections after the event

Info and Register.

Trade Show Strategy - Who Cares?

The little guy cares. In the hundreds of trade shows that I’ve attended, here is my general sense: the budding entrepreneur who invests anywhere from $300 at a chamber event to $10,000 at a national convention is going to work his booth. He cares about converting leads to sales, and he acts like it. Usually he is excited to be there and welcoming attendees into his booth. He is engaging and follows up on all leads.

Conversely, the salespeople from big companies tend to view the process not as an opportunity, but rather “BOOTH DUTY”. They use that word all the time in phrases such as “Ohhh, I got BOOTH DUTY . . . hey Jay, when do we get out of here?” A trade show is more of a sentence to serve than it is a privilege to network.

Granted, there are many exceptions to this, but nevertheless the generalization holds true.

Just walk down the aisle at your next national show to see how many salespeople are sitting, have their arms crossed, talking amongst themselves, on their cells, eating, or looking like the alive dead. You’ll notice these signs of “poor booth behavior” are less prevalent at a home show, where entrepreneurs are trying to build their business. More.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Tradeshow Jungle

Whether you exhibited or plowed your way through the multiple exhibit hall floors, you’ve had firsthand experience in the value of human interaction. In a world of multiple communication tools it’s more important than ever to place a face with the voice on the other end of the line.

But in reality, it is a combination of your polished soft skills and diligent follow up that’s imperative in turning those handshakes into dollars and cents.

Proactive Preparation: Know Your Audience

• Review and scrub your Rolodex against the exhibitor list.
-There is no better time to revisit contacts whose venture never made it to fruition.

• Assess the speaker list and proactively arrange to meet with individuals/firms.
-The majority of speakers are the decision makers so take advantage of starting a dialogue after sessions. More.

Twitter Adds to InExpo's Virtual Show Experience

Twitter is now being used to enhance the communication and camaraderie among attendees at virtual trade shows, and could also create closer ties between live and digital events.

InExpo has taken a simple but important step in community building among attendees by incorporating Twitter directly into its virtual trade show platform. This allows participants to engage in online exchanges - ranging from serious networking to casual chit chat - with other attendees taking part in a virtual show or live exhibition. More.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Five Ways to Make Rental Trade Show Exhibits Pay Off

There are times when renting, versus owning, a trade show display makes good sense. It could be that your primary trade show booth is already in use at another show; you have budget or turnaround time constraints; or you may be testing the trade show experience for the first time.

Whatever the case, here are five fundamental guidelines that will make your trade show exhibit rental experience trouble free and successful:

1. Find a highly transportable solution

Find a rental trade show display that can be easily and quickly setup to save on trade show display installation and dismantling costs. Choose trade show exhibits that are built to survive unpredictable transport and are constructed to ensure fast, flawless trade show exhibit assembly and rapid, fool-proof trade show exhibit breakdown. More.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Do You Find Value in Taking Staff to a Trade Show?

  • Do you think taking staff to a trade show really inspires them? Is that an owners/buyers job and not one of full and part time staff?
  • How do you decide which staff members to take the first time? Do you throw a contest?
    After the first contest do you rotate your staff or always take the winners of the contest?
  • How many days do you think are appropriate? Obviously hard work deserves at least a day or so to play and see Vegas.
  • Do you take your staff to sit with you when picking out merchandise?
  • What in your mind is proper when it comes to their pay while away on this business trip? Their normal wage? Per diem for food or reimburse their receipts? Hotel included? Flight included? Link.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Trade Show Etiquette

Is it permissible for an exhibitor to stand out in the aisle to speak to or direct people to his booth?

Is it appropriate to have food served in your booth? Article.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Trade Show Exhibit Themes Increase Sales

Trade show exhibitors often create magical environments to take you out- of- the ordinary?and sweep you away to another world. They can be filled with music (The House of Blues found at the Exhibitor Show 2006 in Las Vegas), or animals (live African blackfooted penguins at the Magnussen Home Furnishing?s booth at International Home Furnishings Market?s biannual trade show in April 2005), adventure or just plain fun.

Trade show exhibitors often ask why they should create a distinctive theme for their trade show display booth. There are at least three good reasons. Themes set you apart from your competition, stimulate excitement and momentum for your staff, and dramatically increase traffic to your trade show display. More.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

This is a Test

Calamities happen at trade shows. It’s not a question of if — it’s a question of when and how bad. But when it comes to exhibiting emergencies, you can’t just have a Plan B in mind, you have to have a Plan C, D, and E as well. And if a natural disaster occurs ruining all your back-ups, well, you need a plan for that, too. Link.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Thinking Outside the Event: Social Media Strategies to Boost ROI

Use Social Networking Sites to Create Pre-Show Buzz

You’re obviously on Twitter, and have tons of information about your exhibit on your blog, right? If not, get started today! Run contests, tweet reminders, and blog about why your exhibit is going to be awesome- in short, generate your own buzz.

Even more powerful (and a less time consuming) is to let others generate buzz for you. Contact popular industry bloggers and tell them about your company, your products, and your exhibit. Remember, if it’s a popular site, they probably get similar pitches every day. Send links to your product reviews, a current press release- anything that will make them want to visit your booth and write about it. More.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Effectiveness of Promotional Products as Giveaways at Trade Shows: An attendee's perspective

This is a link to a study done for the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) by Georgia Southern University.

62.6% of the the trade show attendees surveyed stated that they had received a promotional product. 71.6% of the attendees who received a promotional product remembered the name of the company that had given them the product.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

Trade Show Strategy Overhaul: 6 Steps to 36% Larger Deal Size

SUMMARY: Event marketing is a prime target for budget cuts in a down economy, but some marketers have at least one big, annual show they just can’t skip. How do you make the most of your investment in a big trade show presence?

See how an insurance company revamped their trade show strategy on its head by creating a booth and events that talked primarily about clients -- not the company. Includes concepts and strategies you can adapt for a smaller event budget. Article.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

What are Green Trade Show Displays Made From?

According to a study by Exhibitor Magazine, 66 percent of exhibitors are turning to “green” display systems because their environmental and social causes in general have increased. It is because of these exhibitors that the trade show industry is starting to turn around and become less known for being the 2nd most wasteful industry.

Not only will you be helping the environment, but green practices will enhance your company’s image. The following materials will be found in most green trade show exhibits.

  • Recycled aluminum will use up to 95 percent less energy than creating brand new aluminum.
  • Wood/plastic composite come in a variety of colors, yet are still made of sawdust and plastic trash.
  • Solvent-based printing has become more eco-friendly, while still giving your graphics a high-quality, stunning look.
  • Graphics made from recycled material are the way to go. You can still get the professional look while becoming less wasteful.
  • LED lighting uses up to 90 percent less energy than the traditional trade show lighting options.
  • Bamboo is rapidly renewable and environmentally safe.
  • A lightweight frame will reduce freight fuel and shipping costs.
  • More.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

How to Use Trade Show Contests to Improve Booth Traffic

Motivating people to visit your trade show booth is essential to your success at the event. Without attendees coming to your exhibit and speaking with your staff, you cannot effectively communicate your marketing message or qualify leads.

The prize you’re offering must excite your customers, prospects, and other attendees. If it fails to stimulate their interest, your trade show contest is unlikely to generate substantial traffic. Ideally, your prize should have a connection to the products your company sells. For example, if you manufacture fuel injection systems for performance vehicles, offer attendees the chance to win a free set of fuel injectors. More.

Monday, July 13, 2009

5 Tips for Sore Feet

Rocker Bottom Soles: Most people have never heard of this before, so visualize the bottom of a rocking chair. It is curved to make the chair rock. Well, some shoes have curved soles that allow your foot to rock gently from the time your heel strikes the ground to the point when the toes push-off. This rocking motion eases a huge amount of pressure off the joints of your toes. Hiking boots often have this feature, but even some sandals can have a rocker bottom sole. This type of shoe is great for anyone with an arthritic toe.

Ice Bottle: This trick is great if you have pain along the underside of the heel. Take one of those small personal water bottles, fill it three-quarters full, and freeze it. You can roll the frozen bottle up and down the sole of your foot against the floor. This technique not only reduces inflammation, but also gives the foot a good stretch. More

Friday, July 10, 2009

Ethics in Social Media: A Glossary

Astroturfing - These are blogs deliberately intended to create content that appears to come from a “grass roots” organization but is actually being produced by a PAC, a PR firm, or some other groups wanting to influence a conversation without admitting their true goals or funding sources. It breaks all three rules, of transparency, truth, and trust. All around bad news.

Blogola – like it’s sister payola, it refers to bloggers receiving products and services in exchange for media coverage. It’s also known as Pay-Per-Post, and traditional “fam trips” for travel bloggers also fall into this category. Well-known and loved blogger Chris Brogan spent far more hours defending his actions than enjoying the $500 shopping trip at K-Mart. He lost some followers too though many said K-Mart was smart to find such a popular person of influence with whom they could spend very little money and gain an incredible amount of publicity.

Brand Jacking – This is when an unauthorized person or persons pose as a someone or something they are not. One of the better known cases was “Janet” who created a Twitter profile for Exxon Mobile. She didn’t last long, as the community questioned her extreme statements and Jeremiah Owyang (a Forrester Analyst) contacted Exxon directly for comment. More.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Tips for Using Digital Signage at Tradeshows

When implemented properly, digital signage works. But when it comes to tradeshows, new challenges arise due to the temporary nature of the installations. Below are several tips to make sure all bases are covered.

Internet connectivity

Anyone who has ever exhibited at a tradeshow knows about the potentially outrageous costs of broadband internet connectivity. However, there are a few ways to sidestep that cost and still get content to screens.

The first method is to take advantage of the 3G networks available through mobile phone carriers. Content can be uploaded, downloaded and distributed through wireless access cards or even by tethering 3G smartphones to laptops.

The other option is to not connect your screens to the Internet, but play previously downloaded and stored content from media players, PCs or even USB drives. Most digital signage software can play multiple channels of content over several screens as long as the appropriate number of media players is present. More.
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Building The Perfect Tradeshow Display: Design And Planning

Planning and Budgeting

It is best to plan early. Assign one person to be in charge of timetables and scheduling. Assign another person to draw up the budget and to define the marketing goals. This person will have to account for the cost of renting or buying a booth, the cost of accessories such as literature racks, as well as travel expenses. Travel expenses will vary depending upon the location and duration of your stay. If you decide to rent, you should expect to budget:

• 25% on Renting Your Booth Space

• 20% on Design and Graphics

• 15% on Electrical, Cleaning, and Drayage

• 10% on Shipping Materials to and from the Trade Show

• 10% on Press Kits and Preshow Promotions

• 20% on Staffing, Travel, and other Miscellaneous Expenses
More.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

5 simple rules to prepare for a virtual exhibition

1. Maximize exposure. Placement is key to driving booth traffic, even in a virtual world. Marketers should count the number of mouse clicks it takes for attendees to access their booth. Prime locations translate into fewer clicks.

2. Customize the booth. Virtual platforms allow marketers to create an individual booth experience, from color schemes and virtual plants to a recommended 20-to-30-second welcome video.

3. Build compelling content. Exhibitors can provide existing white papers and other collateral, as well as link attendees to existing Web content, but a customized landing page that mentions the event can be most effective.
More.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Labor Rates Up

This year, despite an economic downturn, the 29th annual Tradeshow Week Survey of U.S. Labor Rates has revealed that average national rates in a variety of skill segments are up, compared with last year. The good news, though, is that they’re not up by much: many rates rose less than 4 percent.

In addition, many cost increases from last year to this year were smaller than those seen from 2007 to 2008, when several skill segments saw rises of more than 15 percent.

The survey indicates the U.S. average hourly cost of a decorator-general laborer working during regular hours increased 1.7 percent, from $77.15 last year to $78.49 this year. Overtime rates rose 1.6 percent, from $119.86 last year to $121.84 this year, and Sunday rates rose 1.5 percent, from $139.72 last year to $141.83 this year.

Larger increases were seen in the area of drayage this year, where the U.S. average hourly rate for drayage-general labor increased 3.8 percent, from $75.33 last year to $78.22. Overtime rates rose considerably higher, with a 5.4-percent increase, from $113.28 to $119.36, and Sunday rates climbed even higher still, with a 6.7-percent increase, from $134.39 to $143.42. More.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

7 Quick Tips to Trade Show Booth Selection

What You Should Know about Trade Show Booth Selection

  • Trade show exhibit booth space is assigned based on booth size and show seniority
  • Location is only one factor in selecting an ideal exhibit booth space
  • Keep some distance between you and your competitors
  • Restrictions on height can vary by show and by country

In general, trade show exhibit booth spaces are assigned based on an exhibitor’s past participation in the show (seniority). Exhibitors who attended in the past are contacted first and allowed to select their space. New exhibitors are contacted later.

You can usually draw a triangle from the entrance of the show hall and determine where the highest demand spaces will be. There are other show hall spaces with good visibility and high traffic potential that are less obvious than the ones in this triangle. For new exhibitors with a sharp eye, prime spaces may be available later in the selection process. It is not uncommon for exhibitors to cancel their reservation on a booth space, sometimes months and even weeks before the show. The show organizers will be happy to move you into this more favorable location if they know you are willing to move. More.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Trade Show Auctions Off Space on EBay

With a trade show that has long been sold out, one event producer decided to auction off the last spot for charity–on eBay. Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing, or ECRM, which runs the School and Office Supplies show, held an online auction on eBay from June 1 - June 8. Bidding started at $16,950, the cost of space at the event. At the end of the week, the auction yielded a high bid of $21,000 by Executive Machines, a company that manufactures office equipment products. The beneficiary was an organization called The Kids in Need Foundation. More.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Suitcasing

Suitcasing is the act of soliciting business in the aisles during the exhibition or in other public spaces, including another company's booth or a hotel lobby. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has created the Suitcasing Tool Kit for Event Organizers. The Tool Kit is designed to help event organizers handle situations of suitcasing abuse and/or allegations that may arise at a show in a timely, efficient and discreet manner. More.