If the ups and downs in the trade show industry over the last two years are any indication then the answer is probably: yes. Just think of how Chicago’s trade show scene is changing because of Labor Law reform and concerted efforts to streamline costs and create new efficiencies.

But this alone does not yet make for a new trade show business model. All the parties in this industry have a stake and huge opportunity for fu ture success – from organizers GSCs EACs labor and cities/facilities to exhibitors and attendees. So what is some of the out-of-the-box thinking that might change the paradigms of this industry and add renewed value to trade shows? A critical start will be an increased commitment to building sustainable partnerships among the various stakeholders and improved communications thus increasing show value for all involved. Only then we’ll be ready to:

• Evolve shows into the key marketing vehicle for exhibitors
• Explore viability of ‘Hosted Buyer’ programs
• Expand shows beyond their traditional buying channels (end users/consumers)
• Leverage exhibitors’ brand identities to engage end users/consumers
• Internationalize shows to capture a greater share of non-US buyers (buying shows)
• Implement the ‘greening’ of tradeshows
• Adopt technology to achieve greater data standardization
• Standardize union jurisdictional rules across the US

“What will it take to create a new and better trade show business model?” will be the topic at IAEE’s Tuesday (7/13) morning Senior Executives Roundtable that takes place during TS2 (TSEA) in Boston. If you are not a member of either associations send me a mail at bhalligan@h-a-intl. and I’ll send you more information after the meeting.

I’d like to suggest another ‘slow movement’ - slow marketing communications!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that we slow down our break-neck speed of implementing various MarCom activities. If something has to be Tweeted now it has to be Tweeted now. If an editor needs some information ASAP for a story that is on deadline he/she needs it ASAP. Or if your boss needs a report by the end of the day well you know.

What I’m talking about is ‘slow planning”. It seems that MarCom professionals are in such a rush to implement various tactics that sometimes not a lot of thought or strategy goes into the action. Your favorite magazine rep calls and is ecstatic to let you know you can get the back cover at a 50% discount with some free banner ads thrown in for good measure. Too good of a deal to pass up. Right? Not necessarily.

The best example of this “rushing into action” syndrome is social media. Some companies don‘t want to be left at the social media starting gate so they ‘empower’ someone usually at a junior level to put together a Twitter or Facebook page. Often times very little strategic long-term thinking goes into the initial effort. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a question of “does this need to be Tweeted now?” Perhaps it should be a question of “should it even be Tweeted?”

What I’m suggesting is that we apply the ‘slow movement’ to strategic MARCOM planning. Let’s be a bit more thoughtful and deliberate in thinking about what the bottom line goals and objectives are and what’s the most effective way to achieve them. Then we can go about accomplishing them in break-neck speed.

The sudden roar and cheer from local revelers at a pub a block away could be heard from my 12th floor office. The sound of U-S-A U-S-A rushed through my mind and suddenly it hit me. I have the fever. With the USA Soccer team perhaps three minutes from elimination Landon Donovan (undoubtedly now the greatest US-born soccer player) scored advancing the United States to the second round at the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Algeria. It was just the fifth shutout in World Cup play for the United States and the first time since 1930 that it won its Group.

I admit I am a baseball hot dog apple pie and Chevrolet kinda guy. Growing up I never played soccer. In fact it was not part of my high school athletic department until several years after I had departed. Yes that dates me a bit but the point is I’ve had to learn about the sport from a fan perspective not a player’s point-of-view. And in the years since 1994 when the United States hosted the World Cup and Brazil beat Italy in the final match a lot of Americans including myself have been learning the game.

While the average American may not know a free kick from a penalty-kick nor a yellow card from an off sides trap soccer has finally managed to make it into the collective mainstream of 21st century America. This is due in part because of a successful soccer league in the MLS some extremely savvy marketing expansion of television betting the internet and good old American word-of-mouth.

As the world's most widely viewed sporting event (over 715 million people watched the final match of the 2006 World Cup held in Germany) the World Cup is the quintessential marketer’s dream. Some of the astronomical business figures include:

• $1.6 Billion - the revenue of FIFA in 2009 - topping the one billion mark due to the successful staging of the tournament in Africa for the first time in its history.
• $305 million - the amount top sponsors such as Hyundai Sony Adidas Coca-Cola Emirates and VISA are paying to be 'FIFA Partners' - including worldwide rights to two World Cups over seven years ($40 million per year).
• $649 million by Television rights in 2009 $550 million in 2008 further revenue from marketing rights contributed $277 million and $253 million respectively.
• Over $2 Billion in bets will be placed worldwide (legal and not legal) by fans.
• $103 million - the amount beer can maker Rexam is investing in Brazil this year raising output in South America 11 per cent.

And why not spend money on the World Cup since investments can pay back big for sponsors. Leading up to the 2006 World Cup Adidas reported a 37 percent increase in first-quarter sales and reported sales of $1.5 billion during the month-long tournament.

This year’s Cup is also the most digital as audiences will be able to watch every game except the 10 broadcast on ABC streaming live online at espn3.com (as long as they connect with Verizon Comcast AT&T or one of the more than 140 service providers listed). They can watch 25 World Cup games on 3D TV through ESPN’s new 3D channel. They can catch all 64 matches on the go with FLO TV which allows viewers to watch every World Cup game live on a mobile TV device. Even Hollywood has gotten into the game with planting the seed of the "New Soccer Revolution" with Invictus that starred Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon albeit it was rugby. You cannot help but note the timing and locale of it being in South Africa. Apple jumped on the soccer gravy train with its "ESPN FIFA World Cup" application that enables iPhone users to keep track of their teams. Even search engine Yahoo! has a soccer toolbar add-on.

And while America may never reach the fervor or passionate following of the Dutch Orange Brazilian Selecao or even the Italian Azzurri a new generation of soccer fans have been given the gift of now being the part of something truly special.

With the recent additions our everyday water-cooler vernacular such as the ear-splitting vuvuzela horns the much-maligned Jabulani soccer ball the more maligned and English goalie Robert Green along with new villain Mali FIFA referee Koman Coulibaly whose phantom call took away a potential game-winning goal from the US you cannot help but wonder if he and Jim Joyce are distant cousins.

Despite all of that with the growing fervor of soccer (futbol for those outside the US) the term "US soccer fan" will no longer be an oxymoron but a newly accepted part of the American mainstream. Now if I can find a #10 Landon Donovan jersey I’ll be ready for the knockout round!

Much of Chicago is going crazy these days with Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Fever! People who normally would have no interest in hockey are wearing Blackhawks jerseys and hats on Michigan Avenue the city’s famous statues are draped in Blackhawks paraphernalia games all season long have been sold out and you can’t turn on your TV or pick up a newspaper without being inundated with Stanley Cup coverage.

While Stanley Cup hysteria may not be unusual in Canada and some select U.S. cities it is very unusual to see this level of excitement in Chicago for a hockey team. Sports hysteria of this degree is normally reserved for the Chicago Bears Bulls White Sox or Cubs. Whether you are a hockey fan or not how this unlikely “Hawks Hysteria” took over Chicago is a very interesting marketing case history that offers several valuable lessons for MarCom professionals.

Since the mid-1960s the Blackhawks have had trouble filling even half of the stadium seats for most of their games. Even though the team went to the Stanley Cup finals in the early 1970s and 1990s interest in hockey and the Blackhawks had steadily declined to the point that it was a distant afterthought to all but the most die-hard hockey fans. In 2004 ESPN named the Blackhawks “the worst franchise in professional sports” and there were rumors circulating that the team might not survive.

However the perfect storm for the Blackhawks occurred in 2008 when new management came in and placed a premium on marketing. The new owner Rocky Wirtz made a commitment to revive the franchise and to acquire the best talent he could find both on and off the ice. One of his key moves was hiring John McDonough President of the Chicago Cubs to become President of the Blackhawks. McDonough had a reputation for being an innovative and aggressive marketer that could take a team that hasn’t been to the World Series in over 100 years and sell out every game. Here are some of the classic marketing strategies that McDonough and the Management Team implemented to build the Blackhawks into the highly successful sports franchise they are today:

• Partnership Marketing - McDonough used his links with the large Cubs fan base and formed partnerships with the White Sox and other Chicago sports teams to begin promoting hockey through events like “shoot the puck” at their home games . Through a series of innovative cross promotions with several Chicago teams and corporations the Blackhawks focused on selling hockey to people who are already avid sports fans.
   
• Savvy Media Partnerships - The Team worked out an innovative arrangement with Comcast Sportsnet Chicago and WGN TV Chicago to broadcast the Hawks games and to do on-air promos throughout the year. They also increased their newspaper and radio ad budgets with bold compelling ads featuring some of the young new stars to communicate that they were once again competitive.
   
• Aggressive PR Campaign - A strategic PR campaign built around the young new stars and how “fan-friendly” the team was becoming soon begin appearing on a regulars basis in all the Chicago area media. Small news stories about the Blackhawks that used to appear infrequently in the back of the sports sections were growing into major page-one feature stories. TV and radio sports announcers began covering the games and reporting on the rejuvenated team.
   
• Community Outreach - Beyond the partnership marketing efforts mentioned above) the Hawks also brought back some of the Hall of Fame players from their last Stanley Cup Championship Team of 1961 as Team Ambassadors. Bobby Hull Stan Mikita and others began making appearances at various community and charitable events around the city. This brought some older fans back attracted some new young fans and generated a wealth of media coverage every time they appeared.
   
• Social Media - Tapping into the new media and the young players who love to Twitter the Hawks regularly keep their fans updated on current events via Twitter Facebook and You Tube.
   
• Direct Marketing - Although I’m not on their mailing list I understand that the Blackhawks have a very effective direct mail campaign to current season ticket holders former and prospective fans that includes special offers three-dimensional mailers and both an electronic and printed newsletter.

Whether you are a sports fan or not the lesson to be learned here is that it is possible to revive your products and perhaps your entire organization by following the same six marketing communication strategies used by the Chicago Blackhawks - hopefully the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions.
 

Is your lack of an integrated social media campaign beginning to impact your company's financial performance? We recently addressed the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE) N.Y. Chapter about this topic and came away with some interesting observations:

• Since many of your key target audiences are already engaging on social media platforms (we can show you an easy way to identify them) you are missing an excellent opportunity to communicate with them an sell them your products and services. Moreover your competitors may already be doing this and stealing your sales.

• Most social media programs are NOT part of an strategic integrated plan. Most social media efforts started out by assigning a junior person to blog Tweet and engage groups via Facebook and LinkedIn. As a result many companies don't feel their social media efforts are as successful as they could be.

• It is almost unanimously agreed that ideally a social media program should begin with a strategic marketing communications plan

• If you don't have a social media program in place or if you need to integrate and enhance your current effort you need to get started now. Every day you wait is costing your company money.

You can view our presentation on Slideshare here

When News is Not Newsworthy

In preparing a byline feature story recently I found myself scouring the web for new and noteworthy innovations. What I found was a tremendous amount of recycled repackaged promotional messaging – which begs the question – when is news newsworthy?

With the sad realization that basic PR tenets have appeared to escape even some of the most high profile companies today I offer a few suggestions to avoid putting out less than useful information for those that may want to promote your company:

Don’t Fudge the Figures.

While trying to keep your company top-of-mind among journalists and editors is an admirable goal be careful you’re not top-of-mind for all the wrong reasons. A news release or feature story that deals with figures such as sales or attendance at an event being “up” begs the question “compared to what?” Any editor worth their salt is going to ask that question – and not having solid backup for the claim when pressed for specifics compromises your credibility.

Don’t Practice Blatant Repackaging.

As the saying goes you can put lipstick on a pig – but it’s still a pig. One release about your company’s new product launch is really enough. Writing three incarnations of the same new product release with slightly different slants for the same target media group is overkill. (e.g. three releases about the same sports bottle product launch: one written for cyclists in mind another for camping enthusiasts and yet another for urban commuters - all offered up for the same media). Practicing blatant recycling (and posting all three releases to your company’s online newsroom) can be really effective at stunting media's further site navigation for source material. In contrast three separate releases distributed discreetly to three different targeted media segments is fine.

Don’t Use Releases for Promotional Offers.

News releases are really not the place for purely promotional offers such as buy-one-get-one limited time offers. These messages have their own place and are better suited to Twitter a 'special offers' tab on your website and e-blasts to your target audiences. Editors and journalists are more pressed for time than ever with the downsizing of the publishing industry – and generally don’t have the wherewithal (or patience) to sift through promotional messages dressed as news releases. Let's remember that they are called news releases for a reason and need to contain some worthwhile news not hype.

Meet Your Quota Without Compromising Your Reputation.

Instead – why not dig deeper for developments within your industry in order to stay top-of-mind with the media? Identify the appropriate person at your organization to weigh in on a particular industry issue and actively promote that person to media as a resource for editorial development. Whether consumer advocacy industry preservation or the advancement of a philanthropic cause your company supports – all will serve you better than “news” that isn’t newsworthy. Meeting news release quotas without the goods to back each release up isn’t doing your company any favors.

Have an opinion on this topic to share? Leave a comment – we’d love to hear it!

• Focus on non-tradeshow portions of your show such as education entertainment and networking
• Let them know what’s going on via a pre-show or onsite “First-Timers Orientation”
• Ensure your website is up-to-par

Speaking of videos the real Oscars will be handed out in a few days (Hurt Locker is my selection for Best Picture) here are a couple videos that attracted millions of viewers and created a viral buzz for their companies and if virtual Oscars were given out they may have won.

1. Will it Blend?
2. It’s money isn’t it?

With over 25 billion videos watched each and every month web video offers an important opportunity for businesses to connect with a wider audience and at relatively inexpensive format. Here are three reasons why business should use video on their website and in electronic marketing:

1. Videos make the content more believable since the viewer can see it in action.  This can be a new product or technical training. Through using video on your website and in electronic marketing you can demonstrate the before and after effects of your product and services and feature testimonials from your customers. This all helps lend credibility to your business which could increase your sales.
2. Video is more precise than text. Why describe something to visitors when you can show them? Videos explain or present information and products more effectively than plain text or still pictures and graphics. Visitors will be appreciative that you chose to take the more direct approach which makes them all the more likely to become engaged and take action.
3. Video can also grab the viewer’s attention. In an electronic world filled with text and pictures marketing new things a well-constructed video really stands out to consumers. It tempts them to take action on your words and it helps you build a relationship with them by adding a personal touch to your campaign

Here is a recent example of a client turning to video to share attendee and exhibitor testimonials to expand their marketing and communication efforts Trade Show Video.

So videos can make complicated and boring material an entertaining multimedia experience.  Videos can also promote shared viral marketing.  And making a video is more than just filming information.  Add a touch of humor something unique or just plain amazing as it can help create a viral hit that spreads like wildfire.  Do you remember this virtual Oscar classic Spraying Fountain?  Plus a lot of search engines push multimedia rich websites to the top of their rankings.

In the end adding videos has become an industry standard and rejecting it means throwing away potential sales opportunities.

• Social Media Rules - As if we needed another reminder of how prevalent and relevant social media is just look at all the Olympians that were Tweeting - several right before they performed. Many of the big stars like Lindsey Vonn Shuan White and Apolo Ohno use social media as a key strategic tool in their very successful multi-million dollar marketing machines. Everybody is doing it and if your company isn’t it will be left behind at the starting gate.
• It’s The Story That Sells - Oh sure we all like to see the figure skaters do their thrilling triple toe loops and salchows (whatever those are) but after  all the competition is finished what are you going to remember most? It’s the personal stories of the performers.  Just think of the Canadian skater who competed after her mother unexpectedly died two days before.  Millions of people around the world watched with lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes as she gutted-out an incredible performance. Are your products telling an interesting story or just one of the many also-ran performers.
• Ultimately - You’ve Got To Perform - Lindsey Vonn came into the Olympics as the “Golden Girl” even before she won her gold medal. Even if she would not have won a medal she would still make millions in endorsements and speaking engagements - for a while. Within a few months her shining star would quickly fade and she would eventually become another ex-Olympic skier. However by winning the gold medal she not only ensured her place in history she added millions of dollars in endorsements and speaking engagements. As professional marketers we can drive sales by strategically and creatively promoting all the wonderful features and benefits of a product. However if the product isn’t as good as we said it was it ultimately it will fade away or fail. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that superior marketing will keep an inferior product alive forever.
• Break Away From The Pack - Strategically - Watching Apolo Ohno break away from the pack at the very last moment to win a medal proves that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. If you watched the Olympics for any length of time you undoubtedly saw several commercials from General Electric that very effectively promoted a variety of their products in a very personal story-telling manner. They could have easily spent their ad dollars as many other Fortune 500 companies did by buying a couple commercials during the Super Bowl. Instead they probably got a great deal from a traumatized NBC to run several ads many times during the 10 day Olympics and received a much greater ROI. Great strategy smart thinking.

• Don’t Over Promise - It’s great to be confident and to build a multi million dollar campaign around a catchy theme like the Canadian’s “Own The Podium”. However with condolences to my Canadian friends you’ve got to be able to deliver on your promises or you’ll look rather silly. The Canadian team did very well this year (especially in the gold medal standings) but they set the bar a little too high and bragged too much (sounds like the Americans eh?). How often have you designed campaigns that over promise?