A Strategic Approach to Trade Show Staffing
Imagine you have invited friends and neighbours to an open house at your home. The coffee is ready, the snacks prepared and the house is spotless. Nothing is left to chance....well almost nothing. The outstanding issue is who in your family should greet your... Learn More
Approach Your Show Selection Strategically
Imagine you took a bite of a sour apple. Based on that one experience would you say, “I’m never eating apples again?” The same holds true of exhibitors at trade shows who try it once and say, “This is not for me.” The trick is to pick the fruit that... Learn More
Approaching Prospects on the Show Floor
Most of us are comfortable handling customers in normal selling situations: in a client’s office or in our own showroom. Exhibiting places you in a rather different situation. You are standing at an exhibit with dozens, maybe hundreds or even thousands of... Learn More
Demonstrating Intangibles
In an environment where competition for visitors’ attention is at its highest and yet their attention span is at its lowest, using demonstrations is a great technique to help you get traffic to your booth. Allowing attendees to experience your products... Learn More
Find Your Exhibit Zone
Athletes call it the “zone.” Actors refer to the “moment.” For others it’s “living in the here and now.” These expressions refer to your entire focus being on the job at hand. Show exhibitors experience these phenomena when the show is busy. All outside... Learn More
Finding your ROSI (Return on Show Investment)
Recently an exhibitor told me that he would be happy with his show investment if he recouped his expenses. Why would anyone undertake an activity that cost time and money with the hope of breaking even? Exhibitors are often short sighted. They measure... Learn More
Five Myths about Exhibitor Education
Exhibitor training... why bother? The Centre for Exhibition Industry Research reports that those exhibitors who understand the unique selling environment on the show floor and develop skills to achieve their objectives are the most successful. When asked,... Learn More
Planning for Follow Up: Ahead of Time
I was at a trade show and met an interesting exhibitor. I was excited about his product which had an application in my business so I asked him to send me more information. Four months later he called. So, I asked, "Why did it take you so long to get... Learn More
Four Stages of Boothmanship
Trade shows are a great way to gather new business leads. Research reports all lead to the same conclusion - shows can be a powerful way to find new leads while maintaining contact with existing customers. However, many disillusioned boothers work a booth... Learn More
Increase Your Booth’s Drawing Power with Signage
As the lyrics to the song go, “Signs, signs everywhere there’s signs.” From dawn to dusk we are instructed on how we can live our lives by signs: on the highways, in our cars, the parking lots, billboards, the convenience store, in restaurants...everywhere... Learn More
Lead Retrieval Systems for Information Gathering at a Show
The real benefit of doing a trade show is not in the compliments you receive for your great looking booth or the good times your staff had while out of town on a company credit card. The real rewards are tied into the information you bring back that will bring... Learn More
Make Your Booth Presentations Effective
A common trap that booth staff makes is giving booth visitors too much information. They are already overloaded with information and don’t want more. Your presentation should be long enough to whet the visitors’ appetite and to achieve your exhibiting objective... Learn More
Seven Cost-Saving Tips for Your Next Show
As an exhibit manager, you have a fiscal responsibility to allocate your resources properly and report results accurately to management. Without money nothing will happen. W. Somerset Maugham wrote “Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make... Learn More
Techniques for Professionally Disengaging
Imagine this: You have just had an engaging conversation with a visitor. You approached, gathered important information about the visitor’s business needs, felt some rapport, provided crucial information that he or she responded positively to, and received... Learn More
The Ten Questions You Should Ask Before Attending Any Trade Show
Shows are often misunderstood and their benefits sometimes seem obscure. But, if the statistics are correct, more companies can credit their success to participating in shows than any other marketing tool. Before you take the plunge here are ten basic questions... Learn More
Ten Tips for a Successful Show
1. Focused objectives Don't fall victim to the common show fallacy that your booth can be everything to everyone. It all starts with having a focused objective - the one or two results that will justify your show participation. 2. Choose the right show Every... Learn More
Test Your Trade Show Effectiveness
Many exhibitors simply throw up their hands and say “I’m not writing orders and therefore there is no real way to know if the show worked.” Other’s rely on anecdotal comments from their staff who say, “Our visitors seemed happy.” Imagine evaluating the... Learn More
The Pre-Show Briefing
Do pre-show briefings really matter? The Centre for Exhibition Industry Research reports a 68% increase in converting visitors to qualified leads when a company takes the time to train its staff. So, the answer to the question is yes. If adding a bit... Learn More
In-Booth Education a Great Tool to Attract Visitors’ Attention
Visitors attend shows for a variety of reasons. One of the strongest is for education. Exhibitions are an ideal way for them to learn about new products and services, see new applications, or find out about new technologies and methods of increasing their... Learn More
The Role of In-Booth Entertainment
In-booth entertainment is an opportunity to communicate a message in an informal, relaxed and fun atmosphere. It is an effective tool to use to attract attention to your display because in most cases you are making an emotional appeal to gain your audience’s... Learn More
The Secrets of Being in the Right Show the First Time
The latest statistics counted 13,185 shows in North America with 2,091 of these in Canada. That’s a colossal number of shows. Ten to fifteen years ago you would be hard pressed to find one third that number. Growth is a sure sign of a healthy industry... Learn More
The Truth about Competitive Intelligence
Take this short quiz 1) Competitive Intelligence is all about spying. Yes / No 2) A Competitive Intelligence strategy is only for large companies Yes / No 3) You need a Competitive Intelligence Strategy when your business is in crisis Yes / No 4)... Learn More
The Truth about Promotional Products
Tote bags, pens, mouse pads, lanyards, CD’s, note pads, candy, gizmo’s for your computer, stress balls, luggage tags, buttons, pins, card holders, golf tees, sweat bands, mugs… don’t you just love it? Lots of people do. Ask visitors why then attend certain... Learn More
The Power of a Lead Card
One of your best show investments is the use of a lead card. Call it whatever you want; a client information sheet, a customer inquiry form or a lead card, it’s all the same thing. A simple, organized way of recording all the information you gather on the... Learn More
Trade Show Success Starts with Focused Objectives
Does this sound familiar? “We’re here because we’re here, because we’re here, because we’re here.” It’s not just the jingle we all sang when the big yellow bus pulled into the camp parking lot. It has also become the theme song for 80 percent of all exhibitors... Learn More
The Exhibitor’s Tool-Box
How do you translate a request for double-sided carpet tape into Japanese, or shipping labels into Swahili? An interesting question when you are exhibiting internationally. You have packed everything you need for the show: the booth, signs, your collateral... Learn More
The Role of In-Booth education
Visitors attend shows for a variety of reasons. One of the strongest is for education. Exhibitions are an ideal way for them to learn about new products and services, see new applications, or find out about new technologies and methods of increasing their... Learn More
