Trade Show Tips – Displays

When you are exhibiting at a trade show you have a very small window of opportunity to attract potential prospects. You have just a matter of seconds as a person passes by your display to catch their attention and draw them in. Before you can engage a person into conversation and see if they will be a qualified lead you have to get their attention. This is why your display design is so important.

Your exhibit display has to be designed to showcase your products, communicate your company’s message and entice your target audience to investigate further. An exhibit display that is attractive, uncluttered and incorporates motion and creative lighting will help you to stand out more than the other displays.

A person who is visiting a trade show is bombarded with noise, light and a variety of stimuli. To actually stand out at a show you should follow the adage, less is more. If your exhibit is not cluttered and clean looking visitors will see this as a welcome site among the surrounding chaos.

You should try to keep your booth tidy and organized. Keep literature and marketing materials in attractive displays or neatly in your exhibit area. It is also a good idea to have only active staff members in the booth. You should ask employees if they are not working not to linger at your exhibit so your space looks more open and inviting.

Your trade show booth should be attractive and appealing on several levels. If you can reach your target audience with sight and sound you will make a greater impact on them. You do this by having displays the have an impact and are lighted for effect. You can also have music to appeal to them and draw them into your area.

There are many things that can be done to make your trade show exhibit stand out from the rest. If you have a tidy and organized booth that has appealing displays visitors will be attracted to you exhibit.

Display Area Tips

Everyone knows that when you’re exhibiting at a trade show it is all about, location, location, location! Every trade show has spaces that are better located than others. Good locations for trade show booths include the spaces that are close to refreshment stands and ones located near entrances and exits.

There are several obvious things you can do to cut the cost of renting exhibit space, such as sharing space or opting for a smaller area. There are other things that you can do to maximize the impact your display has on visitors and allow you to save money at the same time.

Sometimes if you think outside the box, you can make more of an impact for less money. You might consider having several smaller booths that are strategically placed throughout the trade show floor instead of one large centrally located one. The trade show management might make a deal with you for several smaller spaces because they have a harder time renting out these spaces.

Keep in mind that it is the goal of the trade show management to book every space at every show. They are willing to negotiate with the exhibitors so the entire trade show floor is full of exhibits. You can sometimes make a deal or get a reduced rate for space that is not the traditional size or shape. You can use this to your advantage and design your exhibit to stand out from the rest and to have more of an impact on potential prospects.

If you have a flexible design layout for your exhibit you will be able to use this to your advantage. You will be able to set-up a dramatic trade show booth no matter what size the space is. You will be able to have an effect display plus save on the cost of the exhibit space.

Capitalize on Your Time

Making the most of the time you have at the event requires a proactive approach and a great deal of preparation – and excellent execution.

As soon as you are proceeding with attendance at an event you should be checking contacts against the exhibitor and attendee listings the event management ought to be providing – make sure you get these lists and the updates and check for your clients, prospects and classify those you are targeting.

At the show, make sure you are qualifying attendees from the get-go!

Dividing your attendees into A’s – those with a desire to do business, place an order or write a check – they get special treatment and your time; B’s – they may need a follow-up because they cannot make a commitment there and then and require you to convert them – follow-up professionally and be prompt, there is business in this group, and finally; C’s – maybe they are interested and maybe not; if you get the feeling they are going to be dropping your brochure in the trash 5 minutes after leaving the event, get rid of them!

How the event is staged will also affect how you use your time. Make use of down-time so you schedule meetings with those people you want to be talking to – use break-out sessions to your maximum advantage to make contacts with your targets that are more than simply an exchange of business cards – make these meetings well in advance of attending and that means getting on the telephone with your prospects before the show.

Use the 3-Day Rule when you are following up.

Most business is concluded after the event and not in the show arena – you must follow-up when you say you are going to and that means being prompt. Never leave prospects for more than 3 days after the show to contact them with whatever follow-up action is required. Attendees will have been contacted by other exhibitors and may have concluded the business or made a decision to place the order with your competition; very often, attendees make the buying decision and place the order with the first exhibitor who places the sales call.

Hybrid Trade Show Displays

When you have a restricted budget and restricted space you have to look at how much bang for your buck you can extract from the resources available.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention so exercise your mind and imagination because if you have a space of any dimension, a hybrid design will be able to use it to the best effect per dollar you spend.

Hybrid trade show displays provide great eye-catching displays because they utilize space in such a different way than what the eye is accustomed to. Curved panels forming a backdrop provide the illusion of greater depth; minimalism provides the feeling of space when in fact you are not occupying much of an area – even better, a hybrid display is easily the best option when you are using an odd shaped space!

The bulk of the cost of a trade show is in the rental of the space – the capital cost of the booth itself is actually spread out over time as you attend show after show and in fact is a minor part of the operating overhead. Using a hybrid display you can take advantage of the offcuts of trade show space – in fact, while most exhibitors are looking to avoid these misshapes you can actually monopolize them and drive down the cost of attending the trade show.

Hybrid displays are also very easy to assemble and disassemble and the designs usually are lightweight in construction. You will also be very surprised at the amount of space and shipping weight that these displays take up – most of these displays are in fact made up of empty space which is created by the design. I also find hybrid displays useful when we are looking to scale up or down – they are eminently flexible so we can add to them when we need “more” or take up the smallest booth space without detracting too much from our overall impact on the trade show floor.

Economic Road Blocks Causing Trade Show Cancellations

I keep picking up stories of trade shows being canceled because of the “current economic conditions” and frankly, while this is causing severe pain for everyone involved it is really something to be viewed as a set of incredible opportunities.

Weaker companies will always go to the wall and especially in trying economic times such as these but, for the savvy businessman recessions provide fantastic opportunities to seize more market share and emerge larger and more profitable when recovery starts.

Weak trade shows are shutting their doors which is making the decision for which ones you should be spending your budget on that much easier – only the good shows are surviving, the ones where business is done and the exhibitors are making sales. Carefully selecting those shows which provide a strong track record and a history of high business levels will ensure you get the best ROI from your investment attending them.

Before you commit to exhibiting at a trade show make sure the management have provided you with the demographics and statistics from their previous shows plus who has already signed up for attending the proposed venue and not just the exhibitors but the attendees as well. The big corporates have already been pulling out of so many shows this year but when you do see them, you can take this as a fairly good sign that the show is worthwhile but you also have to temper this with big companies hitting the road because if they don’t, it looks really bad for their reputation.

There is still a lot of business out there; you are just going to have work a little harder and smarter for it but blaming everything on the economy is a bad move!

As sales and marketing people, we must constantly question ourselves and the tactics we are using to bring home business and successful sales people are the ones who have moved on from blaming someone or something else to, “I did not make that sale – what did I do wrong and how will I make sure I don’t do it again next time!”

It’s not always the economy!

Wheelchair Access

I was meandering around PMA 2009 earlier this month while in Las Vegas and was surprised to run into a whole bunch of people in wheelchairs; I have several clients and contacts I have made over the years who use a wheelchair and it was only when confronted by 20 or so attendees at once that it really hit me what was going on.

I got on the phone with John Turnton who is a good friend of mine from way back when and as he says, “You see a wheelchair but I live in it.” Out of this conversation came some of the following advice for those of you who will inevitably meet up with those less physically able than us less disabled.

“I know I’m in a wheelchair stupid!”

John’s number one bugbear is people staring or stating the obvious – he’s in a wheelchair, he doesn’t need some schmuck being cute about it but there are also some other habits the less disabled have – talking loudly as if John has a problem with his ears instead of his nerves not working with his legs.

Don’t stare – don’t talk loudly – don’t ask stupid questions!

Wheelchair Access

Modern day wheelchairs are fast, small and mobile – someone in a wheelchair can get from A-to-B faster than someone on two legs so watch out for them!

So saying there are some things that are hard to navigate, stairs being one though they are not the barrier they used to be but still difficult while narrow confined spaces are not welcoming for someone in a wheelchair either.

Maintain Eye Contact

When you are with a wheelchair-bound prospect don’t hunker down or hang over them – pull up a chair and sit maintaining eye-level contact with them.
Another thing to bear in mind is that some people may have a guide with them, and this applies to others as well such as the vision impaired; now while you should acknowledge the guide as a courtesy it is impolite not to address the person with your questions or responses (it is a common mistake to direct all the questions and answers to the guide instead who in fact, are not the ones making the decision or have the money to buy).

“When your eye-level is maximum 3ft you won’t watch a demo at 4ft!”

Finally, one of John’s penetrating remarks, he isn’t going to check out a demo taking place a foot or more above his head – I’m 6 ft in my socks but I am not going to look at a demonstration that is taking place a foot higher than my eye-level so why should someone who’s eye-level is 3 ft above the deck look at yours if it situated too high?

Web Based Interactivity: The Chicago Auto Show

the Chicago Auto Show was launched on February 13th and runs to the 22nd but aside from the usual array of glittering automobiles complete with supermodel babes and more glitter than you can shake a stick at there is also something far more fundamental going on – the internet really is making its’ presence felt at this show.

The Chicago Auto Show is offering entry to the show for a mere $10 for a grown-up kid and $5 for a real one but they are also delivering the ability to gain access to the show via the internet. Video webcasting has been introduced along with a range of show webcams so you can get the show experience without having to freeze yourself in the Windy City.

Webcams and web based video technology gives exhibitors the ability to bring a TV studio and crew to cover their activities at the show and extend their reach to a worldwide audience who can enjoy the performance whenever they feel like it; in real-time as it happens or stored for future viewing when more convenient.

Using trade shows has always been about making business and customer connections using your physical presence and the power of face-to-face communication; now the internet is empowering exhibitors with the ability to really extend that reach beyond the trade show venue.

So far we have not tried our own webcasting technology at a live show but we already do provide product training and demonstrations through our web site and as part of our training and marketing strategies. The logistics do not seem difficult just how to manage the webcast so it is meaningful and receives the attention you want it to get.

It’s good to see the Chicago Auto Show taking a lead in this because it gives smaller operators a chance to learn from their experience and this is definitely the way the future of trade shows is going to go : virtual trade show displays.

Initial Trade Show Numbers are Way Down!

The initial burst of frenetic activity in 2009 has now finally given way to action after so much preparation and we are off to San Diego for our first event of the year. After Christmas and New Year holidays coupled with the general high energy levels required to kick start the new year I am looking forward to getting away from the base and enjoying the trade show event.

For me this is one of the high points of the year because it really starts the marketing season as far as my own diary is concerned and selling feels like it has started for real.  The trade press is full of stories of this company going under or that company gone into Chapter 11 bankruptcy and I note that this applies equally abroad as at home but I am sticking to what has worked in the past and I have no doubt will work in the future and more importantly, right now – increasing my efforts in times of recession puts us into a far better position when recession ends and the recovery arrives.

In the interim, I am enjoying the fruits of recession – our pre-event marketing and communications have already generated several good inquiries and sales meetings to take place at the event next week including a major prospect who a competitor has been supplying for the last five years or so; now they are looking at us and guess why – our competition is doing the same old thing everyone else is doing and cutting back to save cost and leaving their customers high and dry for me.

Recessions are great if you are prepared to go the extra mile and increase your effort levels because everyone else is leaving the playing field precisely because they think that they are saving money – they are not – what they are doing is cutting back on profits!

Trade show numbers may be way down in terms of exhibitors and trade show displays,  but attendees do not have the same obstacles to overcome if they wish to attend – it’s as simple as this – the zebras are still flocking around but there are not so many lions hunting them.

Trade Show Fallout

As I’m writing this (on the 15th December) I have just finished reading a press release which dropped through into my email inbox from an industry bulletin I subscribe.

Here it is:

MGM Mirage Sells Treasure Island
MGM Mirage sold Treasure Island Las Vegas to Ruffin Acquisition, owned by Phil Ruffin, for $775 million. Treasure Island completed a renovation in August and has 18,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, as well as 2,885 rooms and suites.

Now if MGM is suffering and selling out a major new trade show venue like this then I guess we all know what state the economy has sunk to!

Again and again, I am going to keep banging on about how this is a time of opportunity – everyone is suffering or claims to be, and yet I still keep getting the same old objections from prospects and customers when I call, “Can’t talk just now, we’re too busy!”.

Right now is a busy time and not just because of the holidays – it is busy because so many companies are involved in their year end activities which also means finalizing orders for the new year and the next business cycle. It is also busy simply because there is a lot of business still going on out there!

If anything, I am finding it easier to negotiate my rates for attending trade shows and the logistics behind it; everything is cheaper now for me than it was a year ago and so much so, I am upgrading much of my trade show display.

My supplier has already come in with several quotes for a new modular display to work alongside the one I use now – “NO!”, I’m not replacing the existing one, I’m doubling up my marketing team and we intend hitting more shows in 2009 than this year.

More than this, the accessories I wanted but couldn’t shoot for last year are being included for both the displays; I have not increased my budget, I’m just finding lighting, trade displays and flooring far, far cheaper than I had originally banked on when I sat down 9 months ago and agreed the spend.

If there is trade show fallout it is simply to my favor and yours; be aggressive in your negotiating as this is a buyer’s market, if you have the drive and determination to go for market share in 2009 and get yourself in a great business position for the recovery, then you are going to be getting some fantastic deals on space, logistics and the kit to make an extraordinary impression.

Trade Show Timing

The year is winding down but for many, this is the most profitable time of the year as sales go through the roof and particularly for retailers, Mr & Mrs Consumer seriously start to max out their credit cards on purchases for the season with the post-Thanksgiving sales and again after the Christmas holidays as stock gets cleared.

Retailers know the cyclic nature of their trade, and successful ones understand every nuance of consumer buying trends like the back of their hands.

The same principles apply when you act as a consumer and buy trade show display space – you must learn and understand the buying habits and trends of the attendees who are visiting trade shows so you can tap into the corporate and personal check books that are available.

Part of your due diligence when it comes to selecting a trade show is to avoid calendar clashes with holidays, religious festivals, the BIG GAME!, and in fact, anything that will detract from people attending a trade show you will be at or deter them from placing an order with you.

Look for what the industry or market ordering cycle is for your target market and maximize your trade show exhibiting when your potential customers are most likely to place orders; this will increase your exposure to the maximum number of selling opportunities with prospects who are more likely to be in a buying frame of mind.

You can research who will be attending by looking at the demographics and attendance history of prior events as well. Trade show managers are only too eager to part with big name and general attendance information to help prospective exhibitors and armed with this information you can start making realistic and reasonable assumptions as to who is likely to be attending at the next event prior to you booking yourself into it.

Just consider what the attendance is going to be like at a trade show when the Superbowl is on in January 2009 and ask yourself whether you really should be booking in for an event the same weekend?

Are you really going to be selling Christmas cards at Easter?

It’s not rocket science just common sense like so many other things, however you need to get your calendar out and plot out when you should be exhibiting and when you should be back at base and servicing your existing customer base.