TRADE
SHOW TIPS - CHOOSING THE RIGHT DISPLAY
Once you’ve set your objectives and your trade show calendar for the year, the
next step is to choose a display. The display decision should be based on your
specific show objectives, your budget, and your corporate branding goals and
guidelines. If you’re the marketing director for a big company and want to
position yourself as a leader in your industry, you’ll need a very large space
and a custom or high end modular exhibit. If you’re a startup with a limited
budget, you should consider an inexpensive popup booth or a rental exhibit. Most
companies fall somewhere in-between these two.
Pop-ups
are the most popular booth option for 10 ft. x 10 ft. spaces and for sales events and
conferences. There are a broad range of pop-ups available in the market today
and most are available with podium wraps to convert the carrying case into a
podium. Some of the key factors to look at in selecting a pop-up are durability,
ease of setup, availability, fabric colors, and warranty. If you sometimes
exhibit in smaller spaces you should also consider a convertible booth which can
be easily converted to a smaller size. Be sure to deal with a customer service
oriented dealer who’s been in business for a long time since there’s no
margin for error in getting a booth to your trade show.
Pop-ups can be complemented with shelving, peninsula counters, backlit end-caps,
literature displays, and other accessories which can convert an ordinary pop-up
into a standpoint display!
Panel
Displays are an alternative to pop-ups, and, depending on their quality
and countertop options, can provide a higher end look than a pop-up. Panel
displays generally hold more weight than pop-ups so they can work well if you
have heavier products to display or a number of computer monitors.
`Modular exhibits are higher end exhibits that provide a custom look but
can still be setup in a few hours, shipped in standard rotomolded plastic cases,
and thus have a lower total cost of ownership than custom booths. Modular
exhibits generally use higher end materials including tensile fabric structures,
extruded aluminum frames, high end composites and laminates, and innovative bold
designs. Modular exhibits will hold more weight and can also be used to hold
large plasma screens and LCD panels.
Truss systems.
Truss systems provide a bold, innovative, and unique look to a display. They are
also excellent functional components that can be used to mount lighting,
projectors, and Plasma or LCD panels. The high weight bearing capacity of truss
systems also makes them great for displaying heavier weight products like books,
bowling balls, metals parts, etc. They also have a distinctive theatrical look
that works well with certain target markets. Truss systems are often used in
conjunction with other display structures like pop-ups and panel displays.
Custom Exhibits. Custom exhibits provide the ultimate in branding and
high impact. They are completely custom built so they can be designed to meet
very specific show objectives and may include elements like rotating towers,
theater spaces, conference areas, and numerous product/service display stations.
Given the higher cost of design, construction, shipping, and install and
dismantle (I&D), these exhibits are best suited for companies willing to
spend $40,000 or more for their display. The payoff in a custom exhibit can be
huge since it sets you apart from the competition and creates a locked in memory
of industry leadership.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - TRADE SHOW GRAPHICS
Designing great graphics for your booth is critical to setting yourselves
apart from the competition. Some important tips to keep in mind are as follows:
TRADE
SHOW TIPS - CHOOSING THE RIGHT SHOW
With so many shows and conferences to choose from, exhibitors need to
determine which trade show will best meet their objectives. To choose the trade
shows that best meets your marketing objectives you’ll need to do some
research.
- If it is a new trade show, check with your suppliers, competitors and
customers to see if they are supporting it
- Ask the organizers how many visitors they are expecting, how many are from
your target market, and what mix of job titles and responsibilities are
represented.
- Check out the current list of exhibitors
- Understand your total costs. What are the costs of the booth space and what is
included; booth hardware and lighting, flooring upgrades, lead retrieval
equipment, trash cans, carpet cleaning, etc.
- Examine the show organizes. how long have the organizers been in business,
what other shows do they run, and how long have they been running those shows?
TRADE SHOW TIPS - OBJECTIVES
Written objectives are the foundation for a successful show. Successful
exhibitors set multiple objectives before reserving a booth at a trade show. Use
SMART objectives that are: specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and
time-related.
What do you want to get out of the show or event? Do you expect to sell a
particular amount of inventory at the trade show, or expect to become known to a
certain number of wholesale suppliers? Are you focusing on promotion or hoping
to launch a new product?
You can have more than one goal, of course, but the point is that you need to be
clear about what your participation in the trade show is going to achieve.
Next, determine which visitors/buyers will help you to achieve your objectives
and talk to trade show organizers to find the right show.
Written objectives will help you decide on the right size booth and the number
of booth staff required. For example, if your objective is to obtain 200
top-quality leads, how many visitors would you have to meet to find the right
potential buyers of your product. If one out of every four visitors, was a
potential buyer, then your booth should be big enough to accommodate 800
visitors during the trade show.
Objectives will also help you determine the right pre-show promotions to build
qualified traffic to your booth, plus the right products and display to appeal
to your target market.
If you don't have the budget for a big booth, with lots of staff, then reduce
your objectives accordingly and consider a more affordable alternative like a pop-up
display that still gives you a presence at the show. Written objectives
allow you to determine the cost-effectiveness of exhibiting compared with other
marketing medias.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - INTEGRATED MARKETING
Very few companies understand how events fit into their overall corporate
sales and marketing objectives, which is why ad hoc decisions are taken to
participate in a trade show. Most exhibitors have never even considered
exhibiting as a way to effectively achieve annual marketing objectives.
Exhibitions and events can involve all of the 4 P's of the marketing mix;
product, price, place and promotion. The direct communications that take place
at an trade show are the most valuable tool in relationship marketing.
Successful exhibiting incorporates other marketing communication elements like
print, advertising, direct mail, PR, corporate communications and the Internet.
When used together, the combined efforts of all marketing tools produce better
results than when they’re used individually.
When trade shows are integrated into the annual marketing mix, far better
results are achieved.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - CHOOSING THE RIGHT SPACE
If you have formulated trade show objectives, then you will have already
established what products you will be promoting at the show, how many visitors
you expect at your booth and the staffing required. Next, consider seating,
hospitality, demonstration, office, storage areas and in-booth promotions. Allow
floor area for everything, which will drive your booth size requirement.
Visitors enter an exhibition and turn right, because we drive on the right.
Therefore, if you want visitors to see your display first, then the right-hand
side of the exhibition is best. Corner booths and those fronting major features
like the entrance and restaurant, are the most visible.
Your total exhibit budget forms the basis of the decision to exhibit. The show
organizers will allow you to place a hold on the selected booth, that places
neither party under any legal obligation. Once the hold is placed on a booth,
then the other associated costs can be calculated, allowing you to judge the
expected expenditure against the expected results.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - PRE-SHOW PROMOTIONS
Research reveals that exhibitors who undertake pre-show promotions, to build
quality visitors to their booth, improve results by 300%. Study your written
trade show objectives and determine who you would like to visit your booth, then
aim all pre-show promotions at them. Numerous promotional media options are
available, depending on your objectives and budget:
INVITATIONS - the organizers will supply you with complimentary
invitations to the trade show. It is recommended that these accompany your
pre-show mailers.
FEATURE/SHOW SUPPLEMENT - many organizers arrange a show supplement in
the National press and this is a good place to advertise or place editorial, as
it reaches the widest audience.
COMPETITIONS - launch a competition where buyers have to visit your
booth, to enter.
FREE SERVICE - offer a free service to all show visitors, which the
organizers would be only too happy to promote, as it adds value to an trade show
visit.
INTERNET - most organizers have a web-site for their trade shows and if
it includes an exhibitor listing, is a great way to build visitors to your
company home page.
DIRECT MAIL - Include a show special offer, a buy-one-get-one-free offer
or a giveaway that they can collect from your booth. The quality of the
data-base is the most important factor in gaining the best response from direct
mail.
All pre-show promotions should create a benefit for the prospect, whether or not
they visit the trade show. Remember to include a complimentary invitation to the
trade show.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - IN-BOOTH PROMOTIONS
The most successful trade show booths include
demonstrations. Every product or service can be demonstrated. Buyers visit trade
shows to see products in action, which they can't get from advertisements and
other one-dimensional media.
The value of pre-show promotions is to build qualified traffic to your booth
rather than just hoping that good prospects will happen to walk by. Giveaways in
the booth are also useful since they create a lasting impression.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - EFFECTIVE BOOTHS
The booth is a tool to draw trade show attendees to your booth, project and
reinforce your corporate branding, and help your sales staff sell.
Various display options are available which include renting
a booth, buying a booth or display system, or customizing the shell scheme
provided by the trade show organizers. If you exhibit even once a year, it might
be worthwhile to purchase a display system which is portable, re-configurable,
and which can be put-up and taken-down by your own staff.
Every display should have good graphics which clearly state who you are, what
you do and key product selling points, and clear concise benefit statements.
Keep wording to a minimum as visitors will walk past your booth in seven seconds
and in that time should know who you are, what you are selling and what the
product can do for them.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - EXHIBITOR INFORMATION MANUALS
All professional trade show organizers supply exhibitors with an Information
Manual, which contains all necessary information for successful exhibiting. This
is the document that very few exhibitors read! Information Manuals should be
read from cover-to-cover as they contain:
Service order forms - which either have discounts for early submission or
penalties for late orders. Note that some trade shows have compulsory
contractors for supplying services.
Advertising opportunities - in trade show catalogues or show dailies and
supplements which would receive much wider circulation and attention, then
individual advertisements.
Free editorial in the trade show catalogue - is offered by many show organizers.
Trade show catalogues are kept for a long time, after a show, as they serve as a
valuable source of reference This can generate sales and leads for exhibitors
long after the trade show has closed.
Free signage - if included as part of your booth rental, the organizers need to
know what company/brand or product name you require on the provided signage.
Tickets, passes and badges - are normally linked to security procedures so you
must be aware of the rules and how many you are entitled to. Check how many
invitation tickets you will receive, to accompany your pre-show promotions. If
more are required, then contact the organizers.
Rules and regulations - absolutely vital to know and may include height
restrictions, signage requirements, and other vital information.
Trade show participation is a unique marketing opportunity that involves a great
deal more than the physical trade show booth.
Shipping information – the shipping details vary by show and are critically
important for a smooth event. Depending on how early you send your booth and
materials you may need to ship to a special designated “early shipment”
address instead of the standard exhibition hall address.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - BOOTH MANAGERS
Successful exhibitors appoint a booth manager who has prior trade show
experience, management support, and the necessary authority to work with all
departments in your company regarding the show strategy, staffing, promotions,
and procedures.
Booth Managers should be involved in your trade show participation from the
formulation of written objectives, right through to the processing of leads,
after the show.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - LEAD MANAGEMENT
Your pre-show and on-show promotions and display are all aimed at generating the
greatest number of quality leads but without a plan for managing, processing and
converting those leads to orders, the benefits of the trade show would be
wasted.
Ideally, the manager’s responsibility should be extended to monitoring lead
processing since casual handling of show leads is the most common reason for
poor results from trade shows.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - BOOTH STAFF
Booth staff are a vital ingredient to a successful event. If you think of the
venue as the theatre, the show as the play, the display as the performance space
and scenery, then your booth staff are the actors - and we all know how bad
actors can ruin a good play! Therefore, careful staff selection is vital for
successful booths.
The sheer volume of visitors at trade shows, makes staff rotation important.
Booth staff should not work longer than 4 hours before having, at least a one
hour break. Uniforms for booth staff are professional and identify them as
company representatives who are willing to meet and assist show visitors.
It is important for booth staff to share your commitment for maximum results.
The best way is to create a contest or financial motivation scheme that rewards
the number of leads gained or orders placed. A good incentive scheme can improve
performance by 200 - 300%
All information for booth staff, like hours to be worked, uniform to be worn,
financial motivation, lead management procedures should be put in writing, to
avoid any misunderstandings.
TRADE SHOW TIPS - THE SHOW
The decision to participate in a trade show should always be based on the
numbers; what it's going to cost against the benefits you expect to receive.
Once you have formulated your trade show budget, stick to it ruthlessly and do
not be panicked into last-minute additions. Successful trade show participation
takes time, so start early and return all forms to the organizers, by due date.
Before the trade show opens, prepare your first direct-mail piece for new
prospects, to be posted immediately after the show.
The real work starts once the trade show has closed, as you start processing the
leads gained.