Trade Shows are Like First Dates

Are You Nervous?

Trade shows are like first dates, first meetings, or job interviews. Unless you have an ego like Donald Trump, these ”firsts” scare the dickens out of you. They should. No matter how well you prepare, the unknowns trump the knowns by a ratio of about 10,000 to 1. If you’ve ever been on a blind date, or even a first date with someone you’ve just met, you know that a date is about being the person you strive to be, not the person you are.

Of course, not everyone has the gumption, the imagination, or the self-awareness to lift their game to the next level. Some people never grasp that first impressions are lasting impressions. They wear scuffed shoes to the job interview, slouch in the chair, chew gum, or dress inappropriately. They make the decision easy for the interviewer. On that important first date, when every word and every gesture is scrutinized, they monopolize the conversation, talk with their mouth full of food, and tell jokes that would offend Redd Foxx.

I suspect, however, that most of us strive to make a positive first impression. After all, we want to be liked, we want to be respected. In a typical social situation, we engage others in conversation in order to learn about their lives and to share ours.

Looking Good

Then why do so many trade show exhibits stink and so many trade show booth staffers stink even more. For the vast majority of attendees, their first impression of you is based on your display. It’s their first date, your first interview, and the first meeting for both of you. Walk the typical trade show, whether it’s a Chamber of Commerce “Meet and Greet” or your industry’s lollapalooza in Las Vegas, Orlando, or Chicago. About 50 percent of the exhibits are creative, targeted, and well-planned. The booth staff understands their roles and makes every effort to behave like outstanding role models. No inappropriate scratching, no Starbucks coffee cups littering the display, no obsessive Crackberry distractions. They are there to work the show and understand that during show hours they are on stage and every interaction is a performance.

Looking Bad

And then there are the other 50 percent. Let’s start with the booth. My oh my. . . too often it’s bulletin board artwork stuck to a booth built by the Alf and Ralph, the Monroe Brothers on Green Acres. Or if it’s a professionally designed exhibit, it’s long in the tooth, damaged, and the exhibit equivalent of Archie’s jalopy sitting on cinder blocks. Now that may be acceptable at the local hobby fair, but wearing the trade show equivalent of a lime green leisure suit at the Governor’s Ball is tacky (funny but still tacky). It screams, “I just don’t care.” Now you may be comfortable on your first date with a big piece of spinach stuck to your front teeth, but even if your date has matching green dental jewelry, chances are there will not be a second date. Trade shows are expensive, but the actual display is usually the least expensive investment over 2-3 years. So invest wisely.

Behaving Badly

Now the booth staff. This is almost too easy. So rather than riff on the stereotypical cell phone chatting, Motrin popping from a hangover, couldn’t give a rat’s @$$ booth staffers, let’s take the high road. The reason too many exhibits are staffed with the wrong people is simple. They are the wrong people. They don’t have a vested interest in the company’s success, they aren’t knowledgeable, and they aren’t “people” people. Trade shows are not magazine ads or television spots. They are face-to-face sales opportunities. How often have you been to a Chamber of Commerce mixer and the local bank’s display is staffed by a teller? The teller is pleasant and pleasant-looking, but he/she doesn’t know anything about the bank’s loan programs, CD rates, or charitable programs. The teller shouldn’t be there. The local branch manager should be. Pamphlets, key chains, and cleavage are not replacements for one-on-one knowledge.

Ideally, your trade show staffing should have senior management participation. They have the knowledge and the vested interest. Too often, however, they wander the show floor like a band of schoolgirls whispering snide comments about competitors, eating candy, and planning the evening’s activities. Never underestimate the power of a title. And unless your senior management is poison, meeting the CEO or President of a company in their booth can turn “interest” into an “order” almost immediately.

Want to succeed at your next trade show? Treat it like a first date. Look your best and mind your manners. Remember that first impressions are lasting impressions. And no matter how tempting that spinach omelet looks for breakfast, it’s probably a good idea to select the oatmeal instead.

Article Author:  Mel White, Classic Exhibits – ESP Trade Show Display Partner

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Before Buying Your First Trade Show Exhibit

What You Should Know as a First Time Exhibit Buyer

• Don’t be intimidated by the exhibit buying experience
• Set marketing objectives and strategy which will define your exhibit marketing needs
• Be prepared for sticker shock; exhibits can be expensive
• Where to buy depends on the type of exhibit needed:  portable, modular, hybrid, large custom exhibit
• Plan ahead and you’ll not only save money, you’ll make smarter decisions

Getting Started

You don’t need a marketing degree to be successful at exhibit marketing. Exhibit marketing is certainly not rocket science.  However, it helps to get advice so you make the right decisions.

Buying your first exhibit can raise more questions than answers. There are different types of exhibits and different types of exhibiting. The best fit depends on how you plan to use the exhibit, the image you want to project, and your budget.

Chances are you’ll source your exhibit from a local exhibit company. Exhibit companies have been around for decades and understand exhibits and trade shows. Originally, exhibits were custom-crafted but then exhibit systems evolved as an alternative to the high cost of custom craftsmanship. Now, there are numerous exhibit categories. Exhibit systems which includes portable, modular, and hybrid exhibits are evolving toward custom-crafted exhibits, and custom-crafted exhibits are evolving toward exhibit systems. Both have distinct advantages and exhibit companies work hard to carve out niches along the custom to portable spectrum. The exhibit (or exhibits) that best fits your company’s exhibit marketing strategy will fit somewhere along this spectrum. Consider working with an exhibit consultant whose ultimate goal is to help you maximize your exhibit marketing potential.

Sticker Shock

Exhibit manufacturing is a low volume, highly specialized operation so be prepared for sticker shock.  Many first time buyers are shocked by prices of even a 10 ft. portable exhibit.

Average costs of displays:

• portable displays – $20 to $150 per-square-foot (psf)
• modular displays – $50 to $300 psf
• custom exhibits – $100 to $300 psf

The more customized the exhibit system, the closer the price will be to custom price range.

Where to Buy

Shop around and base your decision on more than just price. Work closely with an exhibit consultant with experience in design, marketing, graphics, and trade show tactics. Their knowledge will help you avoid pitfalls that trap most inexperienced trade show marketers. And expensive pitfalls are many. Working with a knowledgeable trade show consultant will save you money over time.

Most exhibit consultants or distributors work with exhibit system manufacturers. Some distributors are exclusive to a system manufacturer, but most carry multiple exhibit systems. These distributors range from sales-only operations to complex operations that provide value-added services such as design, graphics, rental, and storage. Generally the manufacturer supplies the distributor with exhibit system literature and assists the distributor with design support.

Custom fabricated exhibits are sold direct since custom fabrication houses design and manufacture the exhibit. Value-added services such as graphic design & production, exhibit maintenance, booth storage, and logistics (managing transportation of the booth to and from the exhibit hall and the installation and dismantling at show site) are services commonly offered by custom exhibit fabrication houses.

Exhibits can also be purchased from some graphics companies and some office supply catalogs include very basic exhibits. Usually exhibits from these sources are portable systems in standard “kit” configurations.

Most distributors have websites and many allow you to order exhibits on their website with a credit card. Design and consultation are traditionally free. Lead times for portable/modular/hybrid systems range from a few days to a few weeks, but rarely exceed five weeks unless the project is large and/or complex. Custom exhibit lead times depend on the complexity of the exhibit, time of year, and other jobs already in-house.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead saves you stress and possibly money too. Most importantly, planning ahead helps you avoid making hasty decisions. Some exhibit companies offer a discount for long lead times which allows them to use staff and resources efficiently especially during the main selling season. Planning ahead also provides time to correct errors and make last minute refinements which seem to happen no matter how carefully you plan.

Define an Exhibit Marketing Strategy

Your exhibit marketing strategy should include your purpose, goals, and final objective. Draft this before you are influenced by budget parameters. Your exhibit strategy should be consistent with your general marketing strategy. Creating an exhibit marketing strategy may reveal what type of exhibit or exhibits are best suited for your company. If your company plans to attend numerous shows back-to-back using a 10 x 10 space, you may want to evaluate portable or modular exhibits. If your company does a number of smaller inline booths along with a few major shows, then you’ll want to consider portable/modular or hybrid exhibits. When the strategy is to make a huge impact at a major industry show, you’ll want to evaluate modular, hybrid, and custom exhibits.

Put it in Writing

Once you’ve determined the exhibit, accessory, or service, request a quote from a professional exhibit consultant.  In the case of an exhibit, you might work through several designs modifications and quotes until the exhibit suits you perfectly. This process is generally free. When you’re ready to buy, insist that everything is in writing. Never depend on a conversation. Most sellers know this and will provide you with a detailed written quote.

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Source:  Mel White, Classic Exhibits Inc.

Motivating Trade Show Booth Staff

The Hawthorne Effect

Cookies? Coffee? Free lunch? How to keep your booth staff in the booth and effective is an age old question.

Companies today still follow lessons learned from a study done some 80 years ago dubbed the “Hawthorne effect”. The experiment found that performance improves when people perceive they are receiving special consideration.

Turn consideration of your booth staff into productivity with treats and perhaps modest but special “thank-you” awards of $10 or $20 gift cards. And be sure to let them know you recognize their toil by thanking them for their hard work and support. It works!

More trade show tips:  www.espexhibits.com

Trade Show Exhibit Booth Design

How much space do people need?

Most of us are uncomfortable in narrow aisles – especially when there isn’t enough space to pass someone without brushing them. We don’t like being squeezed tight when perusing a booth. When designing your booth, leave enough room between display elements so visitors can maneuver in your booth space untouched. And instruct your staff to avoid blocking the narrow spots.

Find more tips at www.espexhibits.com

How to be a Trade Show Tightwad

With tight budgets in an uncertain economy, exhibit managers must find ways to minimize costs. Below are a few tips drawn from an article published in 2003 that still apply.

1. Negotiate Booth Space Discounts

Bypass the salesperson and call the show manager directly. Show management would rather make less money on an occupied booth space than no money on an empty booth space.

2. Trade Your Stuff

Is your product or service something that show management or exhibitors can use during the show? Can your CEO give a speech? Trade for free booth space.

3. Partner-Up

Get a partner to pay for the booth space in exchange for doing all the show preparation.

4. Staff Your Booth with Local Drama Students

Students can quickly learn enough about the product to pull attendees into your both and turn them over to an experienced sales person. This saves employee travel expenses or the cost of high-priced actors.

5. Record all Vendor Mistakes

Don’t request a fix, negotiate a discount instead.

6. Never use the Official Show Freight Carrier

At the very least, get quotes and compare to other carriers. If your booth can be shipped FedEx or UPS, do it. And send it to your hotel rather than to show site. Wheeling your display into the show hall yourself will save drayage charges.

7. Hurry Up and Wait Until the Last Minute

For shows you know you want to attend, start negotiating early for discounts on booth space to give show management time to consider your offer. Follow-up periodically. As the show gets closer, show management will be more interested in filling empty booth spaces (see no. 1).

By Sandy Flom/CEO, Extraordinary Show Productions Ltd. (ESP)

Find more trade show tips at www.espexhibits.com

Source: Secrets of a Trade Show Tightwad by Whitney Archibald, Exhibitor Magazine, September 2003

Graphics Made Simple

As an exhibit manager, you are expected to know everything about everything – including graphic production – when it comes to managing your trade show program.  Graphics used to be my least favorite topic simply because I didn’t know a PMS from a CMYK.  While I still defer to experts when it gets too deep, just knowing the basics gives me comfort.  Hopefully it will do the same for you.

Know Your Suppliers
Make sure your graphic designers are capable.  Review samples of their work from concept to end product.  Evaluate quality and compare to your need.  Is the work relevant to the scope of your project in terms of graphic size, materials, and level of difficulty?

Resolution = Dots per Inch (dpi)
To assure quality images, hire a professional photographer or purchase images from a photo company or web site.  Images simply copied from a website are rarely good enough for exhibit graphics.  Usually at 72 dpi or less, copied website images lose resolution when enlarged which translates to poor quality.

Your images should be 100 dpi or more at final size.  That means an image at 300 dpi can be blown up to three times its size (to 100 dpi at final size) before losing quality.

The Color Challenge
Maintaining consistent color is challenging.  Printing the same graphic from the same artwork on the same printer on different days can result in a difference in color.  Also, different digital printers print colors differently.

To prevent color differences, many graphics including logos use the universally recognized Pantone Matching System (PMS).  Traditional ink printers use the exact PMS color ink to print colors.  Digital printers however use CMYK – a 4-color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) printing process.  Digital printers can be calibrated to achieve PMS colors.  Providing a printed sample of the color you want matched is very helpful but a printed proof is the best way for you to confirm that the color will be accurate.

The finish (glossy or matte) of a printed graphic can make the color look bright or dull.  If color matching is critical, request a printed proof – preferably a finished printed proof.

Formats and File Types
You don’t need to be an expert on formats and file types.  Your printer should provide guidelines specific to their production capabilities and your graphic artist should follow those guidelines.

In general, the most commonly accepted files for PCs or Macs are those created using Adobe software including Illustrator, PhotoShop, & InDesign.  Files created in Quark Xpress, Macromedia Freehand, and Corel Draw are also accepted by some printers.

Vector Art
Vector art often referred to as being “outlined” consists of lines and curves that are mathematically defined.  Vector art is ideal for type and drawn shapes because they can be enlarged to any size while maintaining crisp outlines and details without sacrificing quality.

Raster Art
Raster images consist of colored squares called pixels.  Digital photos are made up of pixels.  Printing a low resolution file at a size larger than its resolution results in pixelation which translates to reduced quality.

TIFF or JPG?
Graphics can be printed from either a TIFF or a JPG.  TIFF files are large uncompressed files that produce excellent quality.  JPG files are compressed and although quality is usually not as good, they can be used for printing if resolution is high enough.

Linked Images or Embedded Images
Linked images are files that are “placed” or “imported” into your document.  Printers prefer linked files because they can verify resolution and color information and edit or adjust during the printing process for optimal output.

Embedded images are files that are placed into your document and then “locked” or embedded so that the document is self-contained.  Embedded files cannot be edited or checked for resolution or color.  This means the overall quality of the graphic cannot be determined until it’s actually printed at full size.

Files That Won’t Work
Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher documents cannot be used to print large format graphics.

Submitting Artwork
Simple files with just a logo for example are usually small enough to email. Production files of good quality are frequently too large for email and must be submitted on a CD or DVD or zipped and uploaded to an FTP site.  Printers typically have an FTP site with easy upload instructions however we often download artwork from a client’s FTP site or a third party site such as yousendit.

Sandy Flom | CEO, ESP Exhibits | sandy@espexhibits.com

Primary Source:  “Graphics Made Simple” by Susan Bendily/Freeman

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Trade Shows Work!

Trade shows and events still represent the best and most meaningful way to connect with key customers.

According to Exhibit Surveys, Inc., “Exhibitions and events accelerate the sales process faster than any other media or form of direct marketing.”  A bold claim that is measurable and provable.

While costs keep rising, trade shows continue to attract qualified buyers and influence their purchasing decisions.

Approximately 81% on average of trade show attendees are in a position to recommend or make final purchasing decisions.

This statistic known as Net Buying Influence (NBI) has remained constant since 1998.

Additional results of Exhibitor Surveys’ April 2009 report:

• 52% of attendees planned to buy within 12 months of a show (this figure has remained consistent over the past seven years ranging from 52 to 55%)
• Exhibitors spent $165 on average per attendee who entered their exhibit (the average cost of a sales call industry wide is $300)
• Exhibitors spent an average of $271 per attendee with whom a face-to-face conversation took place in their exhibit
• Attendees spent an average of 8.1 hours per show visiting exhibits

During slow economies, companies cut costs by sending fewer staff to trade shows.  Trade shows in all sectors saw fewer attendees per square foot in 2008 from the previous year.  What most exhibitors don’t realize however, is the staff they do send are the decision makers.  Therefore fewer bodies on the show floor doesn’t mean the show is less successful.  In fact you’re likely to spend most of your time talking to the right people – the decision makers – rather than those who are simply curious or looking for free pens or chocolate.

Accelerate your sales path.  Invest in trade shows.
Sources:  Exhibitor Magazine, Exhibit Surveys, Inc.

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Renting Trade Show Exhibit Displays

In times of tight budgets and an uncertain economy, a rented trade show display makes sense by saving you money while still providing the image you need.

Benefits of renting a trade show exhibit display:

• Lower upfront cost helps you achieve trade show marketing goals when you don’t have the budget to buy what you need
• Meets one-time or limited use requirements such as overlapping or back-to-back trade shows, uncommon booth space sizes, exhibiting at a show you don’t often go to, or your existing display isn’t quite right for a particular trade show
• No long term storage, maintenance, or inventory management costs
• Test trade shows for a new trade show marketing program to establish the number of shows where you’ll exhibit and which provide the best ROI
• Helps determine the size of booth you need and if a particular booth layout will be effective for presenting your company and demonstrating your products or services
• Minimize or negate shipping costs by renting locally

Disadvantages of renting a trade show exhibit display

• The cost of a rented trade show display cannot be depreciated
• May not be available when needed without reserving well in advance (rental displays are usually on a first-come-first-serve basis)
• Graphics may not be reusable – particularly if produced to fit specific rental display components
• Challenge to maintain a consistent look from show to show unless you have a contract to rent the same display repeatedly

A good rental trade show display does not look like it is rented. There are many methods and materials to customize rental booth properties to present your company’s best side on the trade show floor. It simply takes a bit of creativity and an open mind.

See more trade show tips and sign up for our newsletter at www.espexhibits.com.

Burst Stretch Fabric Rental Display

Alumalite Rental Display 20ft wide

Trade Show Reform in Chicago

Reforms passed earlier this month by the Illinois General Assembly are great news for exhibitors and long overdue.  Pressure for change by those affected in the convention and trade show industry forced these reforms into reality. 

Fewer rules, less hassle, increased flexibility, expanded rights and lower costs for exhibitors.  Sounds great to me!

Highlights for exhibitors include:

• Although five unions remain at McCormick Place, new labor work rules reduce crew sizes, require less overtime pay and eliminate hassles for exhibitors.  A standard crew size is now just two people and stewards will be working; individual workers can be requested by name.
• Straight-time shifts can be any eight consecutive hours between 6 AM and 10 PM Monday through Friday.  That means big savings on booth setup labor costs since overtime rates won’t necessarily kick-in at 4:30 PM.  Saturday and graveyard shifts are time-and-a-half while Sundays and holidays are double time.  Labor charges are based on a half-hour minimum.
• Exhibitor rights now allow exhibitor staff to do much of the light work on their booth during setup and take down regardless of booth size.  The only requirement here is that exhibitor employees need to have been employed full-time by the exhibiting company for at least six months.
• Although McCormick Place will continue to offer food service, exhibitors will be allowed to bring food in for personal consumption. 

Less stress in managing logistics for your trade show booth leaves more time for focusing on other aspects of your trade show marketing program.  And perhaps makes exhibiting in Chicago a pleasant rather than dreaded experience.  Have a great show!

See more trade show tips and/or sign up for our newsletter at www.espexhibits.com.