EXPO TIPS
Your first question should be: 'Why are we going?' At the end of the day, what would "success" actually look like? What things would have had to happen that would make you think this event was a good one?
Experience has shown that there are four areas that serve as the cornerstones for nearly all show objectives - and, for that matter, all marketing ventures. These are typically tightened down with measures and assigned strategies that enable reaching them.
The four:
1. Increasing sales and reinforcing market share
2. Increasing share of customers and getting current customers to buy more
3. Introducing new products
4. Positioning or repositioning your organization, its brand and products
Exhibiting is strategic, not just logistic Most exhibit professionals are known as logistics experts who ensure that exhibit properties get to the show on time, take care of making hotel and airline reservations and order show services within the deadline period.
Candidly speaking, too many exhibiting companies fail to do their homework about shows. They fail to set objectives, fail to measure results and fail to follow up on leads.
Too many exhibitors go to shows for vague reasons such as showing support for an industry or an association and no other expectations. Or they go because their competition is going which, by the way, can be measured but most don't do so. They go because they have always gone and again have no expectations other than wanting traffic in the booth as a measure of "being seen."
In fact, less than half of the companies who exhibit actually set out formalized measurable goals, so like the old adage says, if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.
In most cases, there is a major communications disconnect between what senior management expects and what the exhibit manager thinks they want to hear. Nine times out of ten, this disconnect is due to senior management's failure to communicate what results are expected if budgets are to remain intact.
Trade show tips: Ideas to enhance your exhibiting experience
Our ultimate goal at Skyline is to ensure your successful exhibit experience. No detail is too small.
Our "trade show tips" is just one more tool we offer you. This section offers a library of ideas and techniques to help you increase your exhibiting ROI. Use these tips to outsmart your competition - instead of outspending them.
A special thank you to Exhibitor magazine and Marketech, who supplied many of these valuable tools.
Show Selection
With over 13,000 trade shows, conferences, expositions, private and business-to-business events in North America, featuring 1.5 million exhibiting companies vying for the attention of over 100 million attendees, it can be daunting to select where your efforts are best spent. However, there is a method to help you find the best opportunities to market your organization at trade shows. Use these Show Selection tips and worksheets to find the needle in the haystack.
Space Selection
The average trade show has over 400 exhibitors, so how do you choose the best booth space for you? Most shows give space-picking priority to the exhibitors who have been with them the longest. Yet some studies have found that where you are in the show hall has no effect on the amount of audience you receive to your booth. For every veteran exhibitor that requires a space in the center of the action, or at the front entrance to the hall, or near their biggest competitor, there are veteran exhibitors who flee from the same locations. All the same, the size of your booth space is a very important decision, where you must weigh the need to stand out from your competitors with a large booth, and yet having enough budget to exhibit at all the worthwhile shows for your company.
Budgeting: Planning saves you time and money
We understand that exhibiting can be complex. A large part of that challenge is identifying how much to budget for related services. Here are a few tools to help you create accurate budgets:
Exhibit Design
Why does exhibit design matter? Because a well-designed exhibit is so effective at cutting through the trade show clutter and getting your message to your target audience. The average trade show attendee will spend 7 to 8 hours on the floor over a period of 2 to 3 days visiting an average of 25-31 exhibits. This leaves 5 to 15 minutes per visit. This gives you only 5 to 15 minutes to make a lasting impression that will give you an edge over the competition. Fortunately, design is not a completely hidden mystery, only accessible to those who sport a goatee and a black turtleneck sweater, but is actually a process that you can learn about from the tips and worksheets we've provided here.
Trade Show Promotions -- Pre-Show and At-Show
Trade show promotions are the secret weapon of the veteran trade show manager. That's because, when done right, trade show promotions work so well. Consider these two items: 1. The average trade show has over 400 exhibitors, where the average attendee will visit about 21 exhibits, and that average attendee walks into the show with a list of 75% of the exhibits he/she wants to see. That means you have to get on their dance card before the show. 2. You can boost your trade show lead counts by 33% with trade show promotions - even thought they require a much smaller percentage of your budget. So, trade show promotions are money well spent. Pre-show promotions are the things you do before the show to make attendees want to visit your booth. At-show promotions are the activities and trade show giveaway items you do during the show to bring in more attendees into your exhibit. If you want to learn more than what's in these tips, contact Skyline and ask for your free copy of our 75-page book, Creating Effective Trade Show Promotions.
Booth Staff Training
90% of the positive feelings visitors have are due to the staff. Think about it, these are the people that are responsible for drawing in your customers, effectively engaging them and creating leads. Because of this, it is important that you select the most effective staffers that your company has to offer. If they are sales people, you have to train them to adapt their selling style to the trade show floor. If they are not salespeople, guess what - they can still do extremely well, given the proper preparation. The following worksheets can help you to pick the most qualified staffers, and give you great ideas on how to effectively manage the visitors to your exhibit.
Lead Management
Almost 80% of leads generated are never followed, according to the Center For Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). Rather than sending your hard-fought trade show leads into the abyss, strive to be part of the elite 20% that actually follow up on their leads! We've heard horror stories of exhibits pulled out of storage to prepare for a show - only to find the leads from the previous show still packed with the exhibit. What a tragedy! Remember, trade shows are very effective tools to create qualified leads. They could also be an effective media to create sales - but only if the leads are followed up appropriately.
Measuring Results
Once you return from a trade show it is important to measure the success of the trade show. This information can be used to report to management the effectiveness of the show and to improve exhibit performance for future shows. Success can be measured by the return on objectives set, and also by the return on investment. The following worksheets can help you to evaluate your company's performance at all your trade shows.
FREE: 4 White Papers on Exhibition Outlook & Trends Understand and adapt to changes in these 4 key industries
To help exhibitors better understand the market forces and significant trends affecting their trade show program, Skyline commissioned Tradeshow Week to write 4 White Papers that cover key industries.
These 16-page White Papers provide insight for each industry on the primary challenges facing these exhibitors, and the key themes for success in their changing trade show environment.
Click on the links below to get the White Paper covering your industry.
Successful Exhibiting Strategies In Uncertain Times
This new 16-page White Paper gives you a fresh perspective on how you can go beyond just surviving to thrive in these challenging economic times. The answer to surviving this potential downturn is not to avoid exhibiting altogether, but instead to exhibit smarter.
Green Exhibiting: "An Inconvenient Booth"
This 12-page White Paper was produced by the Exhibitor Publishing Group, and sponsored in part by Skyline Exhibits. It’s based on survey responses from almost 500 exhibitors and over 100 exhibit industry suppliers. See how your peers and vendors perceive the obstacles and advantages of Green exhibiting.
The Trend to Custom Modular Exhibits
This White Paper provides strong evidence that there is a continuing shift towards custom modular exhibits, because custom modular exhibits help lower operating costs and provide greater flexibility.
Logistics
When you are managing your company's trade show program, you're faced with an endless array of details and deadlines. If you're blessed by the organization gene, welcome to the show, your DNA is well suited to this industry. If you're not, then invest the time to improve your organization and project management skills -- it's an investment that will pay off in less hassles and problems in the long run. Whatever you do, start by getting out the Exhibitor Manual you received and reading it. Find out if the show has any specific restrictions, and find the deadlines for ordering things like show space, electrical, labor, cleaning, internet, and more. Get your orders in early enough to get the discount -- that's some of the easiest money you'll save for your show budget, and you get the added benefit of being prepared for the show!
Trade Show News and Trends
The trade show industry is one of constant evolution. Exhibitors, show owners, and suppliers face new challenges and opportunities. Look here for news and trends about the overall direction of trade shows and events
Value of Trade Shows
There are many reasons why companies benefit from exhibiting at trade shows. Trade shows are the only marketing medium where people actually pay to come see you. Trade shows are face to face, so you can build relationships and interact with propects at a level impossible to achieve with print and electronic mediums. And trade shows are a fantastic place to generate qualified leads. Many of our clients ask for help justifying the value of trade shows to their upper management. The topics below give you ample reasons to show their value -- and perhaps some additional ideas on why to exhibit in the first place.
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