» Trade Show Marketing

Has the Time Come for a New Trade Show Business Model?

Beate Halligan — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:44:19 +0000

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.

Consumers Growing Importance to Trade Shows

Roger Halligan — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:13:11 +0000

To most trade show organizers the word 'consumers' doesn't belong in the same sentence as 'trade shows'. Since they can't attend the event many organizers view consumers as 'irrelevant' at best and 'irritating time-suckers' at worst. They are the ones who fill up a show's e-mail boxes and leave messages on your phones with questions about products and services that only exhibitors can answer. And while consumers may not be important to you they are of utmost importance to your exhibitors and their retail customers. After all it is the consumers who now own companies' brands.

The good news is that technology has now made it much easier and very cost-effective for you to facilitate a connection between consumers and exhibitors. Even better news is that both show organizers and exhibitors can generate additional value and revenue by facilitating this process - making now the optimal time for show organizers to make a major paradigm shift and begin to embrace consumer involvement.

H+A International has developed the following guidelines and tools that can help you convert consumer interest into valuable benefits for your customers and your shows.

Create A Dedicated Online Consumer Portal - Show organizers have a unique opportunity to provide exhibitors with a valuable service and generate new revenues by connecting consumer inquiries about products and services with the appropriate exhibitors. One of our clients told me they track tens of thousands of visits to their websites and hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from consumers every year. What if each show had a 'Consumer Hotline' portal on their website that would automatically match up a consumer's inquiry with the appropriate exhibitors!
- Exhibitors would love it as they would get new leads they can pass along to their customers (retail supply chain)
- It reinforces their brand and their commitment to being consumer-friendly
- It provides them with additional touch-points to their ultimate customers
- It would eliminate the time-consuming task of answering e-mails and phone calls about non-show issues
- Show organizers can CHARGE EXHIBITORS FOR PARTICIPATING (everyone gets a free listing small charge for bolder listings separate charge for banner ads additional charge for a CRM Store Front). This revenue alone may pay for the upfront IT development costs and after the first year it should be a significant revenue generator
- SPONSORSHIPS CAN BE SOLD - Several trade show suppliers as well as consumer-focused companies are prospective sponsors
Engage Consumers On Social Media - Create "Industry Resource Center" channels on the major social media platforms (Facebook Twitter You Tube etc.) where both consumers exhibitors and their customers can engage on a variety if issues. These social media sites would be promoted on and linked to the show's online portal. Promoted aggressively by the trade media these sites would soon become self-sustaining industry channels with the show's branding throughout.
Create A Virtual Trade Show - Many enlightened show organizers now realize that virtual trade shows can be a great marketing tool and revenue generator — not a threat. Virtual trade shows can be an effective way to provide exhibitors with a year-around online presence for a additional charge to their trade show exhibit costs. It is also possible to offer exhibitors a customer CMR function whereby consumers can click on a link to gain consumer-related information. This function could also link to exhibitors' customers/retailers who may interface directly with the consumer. Of course sponsorships can be sold and organizers can offer previews of your educational program and other show features.
Host A Consumer Show/Event - Most trade show organizers would not consider hosting a consumer event in conjunction with their events due to a variety of logistical issues. The main issue being what to do with the booths of the exhibitors who do not wish to participate. However for many trades shows getting consumers involved in the event may be a smart move. Here are a couple different ways to accomplish that goal:
- Open the last day of the show to the public. Exhibitors always complain that there is no traffic the last day so let them send their sales people home and bring in their local reps or retailers to staff the last day or half day of the show. It would be required and strictly policed that they don't tear down their booths. But despite their complaints most exhibitors would not want to have their booth unstaffed if the other booths are going to be open-for-business. If they bring in some inexpensive premium items product literature and/or product DVDs it would be enough to appease most consumers. It is also a very positive thing to do for their customers (distributors reps etc.) and a good way to get their supply chain involved. It's also an effective way for the show organizer to generate additional revenue - 5000 consumers at $25 per ticket generates another $125000.
- Launch an event in an adjacent hall or ballroom. If a large number of exhibitors simply refuse to participate in a consumer event perhaps the show holds a separate show for those that do want to participate the day after the trade show finishes. You could start modestly with tabletop displays or offer booths in a variety of sizes. Perhaps you also tie-in a well-known speaker and or hold drawings for prizes to attract more consumers. One of our clients recently did this and called it the consumer 'SuperShow'.

After years of ignoring consumers perhaps now is the time to start embracing them? Contact me to learn how we can help you accomplish this goal and generate new revenue.

Enough Already!

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:32:41 +0000

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!

Disappearing Industry Icons Are A Sign Of The Times

Roger Halligan — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:33:06 +0000

I think many of us were surprised to learn that nearly two dozen trade publications owned by Reed Business Information were shut down last week. Among the closures were such venerable industry-leading titles as Plant Engineering Professional Builder Trade Show Week Purchasing Consulting Specifying Engineer and Converting. The demise of a trade publication or two is not surprising as more and more people migrate to the Internet for their industry news. But the closing of so many industry icons in one fell swoop underscores just how rapidly and profound the migration from print to digital is occurring. Even the surviving trade magazines have been making this transition over the last several months. It’s much easier and convenient to gain most of the information you need from a vast array of industry resources with a few clicks of the mouse. The other major “take-away” I get from the closing of all these publications is that companies now have ad dollars they should reallocate to social media. As we all know social media is the fastest growing and can be one of the most effective methods of engaging your customers and prospects. Many companies have been hesitant to jump into the social media stratosphere in part due to lack of budgets and/or staff. Now is the time to use those dollars that were allocated to print ads in publications that no longer exist to retain a social media agency and/or hire an internal social media expert. Please give me a call if you would like to discuss (a free consultation) what is involved with launching and/or enhancing your social media program (312.332.4650 ext.22). P.S. A shout out to my trade publication friends: I think select trade publications will continue to thrive (print and digitally) and serve as valuable marketing tools. They are certainly our partners and their value extends to our social media efforts as well.

Maximizing Your Trade Show ROI

Tim Ward — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:32:46 +0000

Since most of us either exhibit at trade shows or assist our clients who exhibit I thought the following article might be of interest. Hopefully the leads you received by participating in trade shows has already turned into millions of dollars of sales? Ideally your products were also heavily touted in the post-show edition of the leading trade magazines? And perhaps your customers and prospects are still Tweeting about your products or watching your show videos on YouTube?

MarComPros Trade Show Video on YouTube

If none of these things are taking place perhaps you aren't doing everything you can to maximize your considerable investment and ROI in trade shows? Here are some proven strategies and techniques we use for our clients that can help you maximize your participation in your next trade show: 1. Taking advantage of all the valuable free tools is key- Most show organizers provide a number of free services that can be very valuable in gaining additional exposure generating new sales leads and/or securing valuable media coverage.

Are you getting your free company and product listings on the show's website
Are your news releases posted on the show's "Media Center" and/or "New Products" website?
Are you using the free show mailing stickers to place on all your mailings?
Do your ads feature your booth number and say "See you at the Show"?
Are you keeping the show's PR staff informed of the new products you'll be showing?
Are you producing and placing press kits in the show's press room?
Are you hosting a press conference at the show?
Are you inviting editors to stop by your booth?
Are you entering your products in show sponsored awards programs?
Are you reaching out to consumer media in the area?

These are all things you can be doing free of charge that have generated a great deal of new business and media coverage for our clients and many other exhibitors. 2. Pre-Show Promotion Is Critical - Some companies are under the mistaken impression that it is the show organizers' job to get prospects to your booth! Their job is to get prospects to the show. Your job is to get them to your booth. When both the show organizer and exhibitors do their jobs - it's a wonderful thing. Here are some ways you can attract your customers and prospects to your booth:

Send a series of email blasts inviting prospects to your booth every other week starting two months in advance. If you have a "show special" pricing offer free gift or other incentive that will entice them to visit all the better.
Send at least one and ideally two direct mail pieces inviting people to drop in.
Run your booth number in ads inviting people to visit you.
Put a show link on the home page of your website and mention any special offers or features they can see at the show.
Make sure your sales force is handing out cards inviting people to your booth.
Gear up your social media machine and start Tweeting and posting messages on Facebook.
Create a special customer/prospect event onsite and aggressively promote it in advance.
Check with the show organizer and see what marketing tools they make available such as mailing lists email blast participation advertising in show materials in print and online VIP invitations etc. Most of these are very reasonably priced.

3. Onsite Promotion Gives You The Edge - You've already made your investment and you are at the show. Now what can you do to ensure that you get valuable one-on-one time with your key customers and prospects? Here are just a few ideas:

Ideally you have a great booth that was designed to effectively communicate your image and attract new business. More realistically you have the same booth as the last couple years and it is getting a little tired. There are some inexpensive techniques you can use to punch up your both and attract prospects such as helium balloons flowers clever and desirable give-a-ways in-booth talent etc.
Create a contest or promotion and promote it aggressively before the show.
Invest in the sales lead machine from the show organizer to track your leads.
If the show organizer offers it participate in booth sales training present at the New Technology Theater etc.
Tweet and post on Facebook throughout the show inviting people to stop by your exhibit space.
Take advantage of show sponsorships - signage badge holders bus signs tote bags ads in the directory or Show Daily newspaper etc.
Host a special event such as a themed-party or group event at a local attraction (not a hospitality room at a local hotel).
Video tape your booth activities and interview your customers about interesting topics (you can buy a Flip Video camera for less than $200).
Hold a press conference to introduce your new product.

4. Post Show Follow Up Keeps Your Company Top of Mind - If you have done all or even some of the activities listed previously you will automatically have a wealth of new business leads. However you should still do the following:

Send everyone an email AND a letter thanking them for coming by your booth.
Post your video on You Tube and your website and send an email blast with a link to the video to your database and broadcast on your social media networks.
Monitor the trade media and as articles appear send them in an email to prospects
Begin planning for next year!

Some of these tips may seem pretty basic but by creating a trade show strategy and following an integrated show promotion plan you can generate tremendous ROI. If you are too busy to do this give us a call. Your return on investment could easily cover our fee many times over. We handle the marketing communications for several leading manufacturers in multiple industries as well as many show organizers. To learn more about our capabilities we invite you to check out our video on our website.

Why should young professionals matter to trade show organizers?

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:39:32 +0000

Lately I’ve been reading a lot about “generational marketing” for trade shows and for good reason. Being a young professional myself I may be a little biased but think about it: young professionals are tomorrow’s decision-makers. Also even if this group is not made up of key buyers or upper-level management they are influentials at their companies. It only makes sense to start cultivating a relationship now that will continue to grow into the future. One webinar in particular given by the International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing made some interesting observations on how this important audience can be reached. The webinar entitled “Do Young Professionals Think Your Event Stinks?” pointed out that many young professionals don’t truly see the value of trade shows. Most are told by their boss that they NEED to attend particular trade shows but they don’t necessarily WANT to be there. Keeping in mind that nearly 50% of young professionals attend more than one trade show organizers need to define the value of attending their show. Here are some tips on how to do that:

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

Another important element for organizers to remember is that your exhibitors are also representing your show and its value and while you might see the importance in marketing to young professionals your exhibitors might not. In fact many younger trade show attendees often report being ignored by exhibitors because of their age. “I waited for 10 minutes to talk to a Canon rep while other reps stood around and talked to themselves. I felt like an outcast” said Jeff 24 a recent show attendee and owner of a print shop with 17 employees. Include some tips on the importance of generational marketing in your communications to exhibitors to further ensure that young professionals see the value of attending your show. Remember – young professionals are the future of the companies you serve today. It is less costly to get them to come to your Show now and keep them coming later. Start cementing these relationships to ensure the future of your own show!

Could These Win Virtual Oscars?

Tim Ward — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:14:38 +0000

In the original 'Chinese proverb' the quotation “A Picture's Meaning Can Express Ten Thousand Words” has over the years been wrongly translated into “A Picture Is Worth One Thousand Words.” Regardless of the exact quote the fact remains an image can do much that words cannot especially video images.

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.

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:

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.
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.
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.

Signs Of A Recovering Economy!

Roger Halligan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:30:13 +0000

I just returned from two very successful expositions last week that were held on opposite coasts for completely different audiences. The 2010 AHR Expo (world's largest heating and air conditioning event) was held January 25-27 in Orlando Florida and attracted more than 45000 HVAC professionals. At the same time the CHA Craft & Hobby Trade Show (largest craft & hobby show in North America) was held in Anaheim California and attracted close to 10000 crafting professionals. Although the participants and products on display couldn't be more different the events shared one thing in common - they attracted more attendees and exhibitors then they had anticipated. Given the current economy both the show organizers and the exhibitors expected attendance to be significantly down from previous years. They also expected fewer "power" buyers from around the country and the world due to many companies' restrictive travel policies. Fortunately these fears were unfounded as thousands of qualified buyers from around the world filled the aisles and booths at all three shows. I believe there were four major factors for this better-than-expected turn out:

Pent-up demand for new products is building
Buyers were interested in the many "green"/sustainable products that were being shown
There is a sense that the economy is finally starting to improve.
Show management had the foresight to continue their marketing communication campaigns uninterrupted while many other events cut back on marketing.

There was a definite sense of optimism throughout the show floors. And as we all know an optimistic outlook is one of the first steps to an economic recovery. What are you seeing/hearing out there?

Location, Location, Location

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:03:41 +0000

Here in Chicago trade shows have been a hot topic of conversation as of late. In an effort to save money more and more trade show managers are moving their shows from high-cost cities like Chicago to lower-cost cities like Orlando or Las Vegas. Michael Hart editor of Tradeshow Week discussed this recently on his blog “Behind the Story.” He notes “this is not the first or the last time exhibitors have had complaints about invoices from their service contractors…nor is it the first or last time a show manager has tried or will try to patiently explain the concept of drayage to a first-time exhibitor. But it is the first time in a while that a city with all that Chicago has to offer the tradeshow industry has not been able to deal with the objections and has lost shows that would have translated into $100 million-plus of economic activity.” He goes on to explain the importance of these relocations for the entire industry explaining “certainly it is bad news for Chicago… but it is also bad for other buildings and destinations that have similarly high costs (or at least costs that are difficult for exhibitors to understand).” Adding to the story is Mayor Daley’s recent claim that it is not only the responsibility of the venues to try to cut costs to keep shows in Chicago – he says show management needs to make an effort to reduce expenses as well. Having several clients in the trade show business we’ve seen first-hand how the economy has taken a toll on the entire industry. Show managers are making efforts across the board to reduce costs while still putting on the highest quality Show possible. Shifting printed items to digital-only and putting certain programs on hold until more funds are available are just some of the examples of ways show organizers are working to curb their spending so they don’t have to exponentially mark up the cost of exhibiting or attending. It is difficult to imagine how else show managers will be able to cut costs and still provide the same level of quality to their various audiences. However it is difficult to argue that Chicago is not one of the greatest venues for a successful trade show (especially being Chicago residents ourselves). Great public transportation two large airports countless hotels and first-class trade show sites make for an ideal venue. And certainly Chicago is not the only city that comes with a heftier price tag but also better amenities. So is the higher cost worth it? What do you think? Is it the job of the show organizer to reduce costs in other areas in order to keep their show in a more expensive location? If you are a trade show regular do you think it is worth it to spend more money on a Show that is in a top-tier venue?

You Can’t Shake Hands In Cyberspace

Roger Halligan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:49:29 +0000

Most marketing pros are painfully aware of the beating that trade shows have taken as a result of the recessionary economy over the last several months. Even the strongest events have experienced declines in the number of exhibitors and attendees as many companies cut back on travel and trade show-related budgets. And as a result of this decline some naysayers are once again asserting the demise of trade shows and pointing to the Internet as the savior of all our meeting-related needs. Despite the fact that many of these naysayers are purveyors of online meeting technologies I agree that webinars Webex and other online tools can be very valuable meeting solutions. However they will never replace the need to feel and touch a product or experience firsthand how it can meet your specific needs. Equally important a trade show is the only place where you can visit with several suppliers in a few hours time and compare their products side-by-side. It would cost buyers thousands of dollars and many hours to visit these various suppliers at their locations to see the equipment in operation. We do several trade shows a year for both our corporate and trade show management clients and many companies constantly tell us trade shows are their best marketing tool for generating new business. While it is true that most companies nowadays have a major web presence and conduct meetings via the web the smart ones don't eliminate the best trade shows from their marketing mix when times get tough. The Wall Street Journal and several other respected media have recently run articles about the importance of participating in trade shows during a recession. In fact an article with the same title as this blog recently appeared in the November IAEE Executive Briefing. Perhaps the best reason I have ever heard for participating in trades shows came from an attendee with a Fortune 500 company who told me "When I'm making a large purchase that has major implications for my company I want to look my business partner in the eye when I shake their hand to close the deal." As we all know you can't shake hands in cyberspace.