Picking the Right Exhibit

We were recently visited by one of our manufacturer’s reps who stopped by to demo a new product. As is the case with all new products, we immediately begin analyzing the practicality of the product to you, our client base.

After thinking and talking through of all the ways it could benefit our clients, we ended up tipping the scale in favor of our showroom needing to have it as well (assist goes to the manufacturers rep).

Purchasing a new display or exhibit is a big decision, so you might be wondering if we were hasty in making this decision. Well, because we know the questions to ask before the decision is made, our decision was anything but hasty. Unlike our clients who make this decision once every 1-5 years, we work with clients to make this decision multiple times a day, every day.

To help prepare you next time the purchase comes up, I’ll give you some insight on some of the things we worked through before our purchase.

1. Does this exhibit have potential to breakthrough to a majority of our target audience?

There are literally thousands upon thousands of products we could sell. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 in our showroom.

Anything we bring in needs mass appeal to get through to the many different types of industries, companies and clients we service. We thought that this product would be worth showcasing to our clients, as it would be relevant to many of their trade show goals. Make sure when purchasing a new exhibit that it will be something that can gain attention and intrigue from your key prospects and clients.

2. Will it stand the test of time?

For most companies, an exhibit is a big purchase. When evaluating our new exhibit, we realized it had a number of features that could keep it fresh down the road.

It has the ability to adapt to different booth sizes, change shapes, showcase or store products, easily change graphics and include technology.

Since your budget may not allow for a new exhibit every year, consider one that is easily updated and upgraded.

3. What situations will it be used in?

Though this new exhibit will spend 90+% of its time on our showroom floor, there will be occasions that we will use it to exhibit ourselves. We exhibit in everything from hotel hallways to trade show floors, so having something that can be utilized in all situations became a major selling point. Knowing that our clients like renting from our showroom, and also encounter similar changing booth situations was certainly a large consideration as well.

Think about where and how often this exhibit will be used.

PS. If the answer is we’re trying out this size booth for the first time, or we only exhibit a couple of times a year, RENT.

4. Is it in the budget?

This is always a consideration of ours, as well as our clients. Be upfront with your budget, people like myself can always come up with cool ideas with a blank check. Help us help you with a realistic number to hit. Then prioritize the importance of your goals and the questions discussed above, and pick the most accommodating option presented.

5. Don’t go it alone.

We made this decision as a team with a lot of discussion and input.

Take the options that excite you the most to others who will be involved, and even those who aren’t. If most people are as excited as you, chances are, you have a winner. If nothing else, you’ll get more input than you ever wanted, and will be able to ask questions you hadn’t thought of.

Like I said before, the options are seemingly unlimited. Go through these things yourself, with your team and with your exhibit provider.

The result will lead to an exhibit you and your coworkers can stand behind..

literally.

Stop by the show room in a few weeks to see the exhibit I’ve based this post around. We would love to know your thoughts.

3 Phases of Creating Trade Show Success

It is no secret that trade shows are expensive, and use up a lot of time from those involved. There is much to consider leading up to a trade show, and each detail has a dollar amount associated with it. This clashes with many marketing departments who are seemingly understaffed. I mention this issue to illustrate that I understand why many companies are not engaged in one or two of the three important phases of trade shows. That said, marketing departments carry challenging budgets that are heavily scrutinized.  So why not take the extra time and effort to derive the full benefit of a successful trade show program?

The three phases I mentioned previously are the pre-show phase, show-time phase and post-show phase. I’ll touch on what each of these phases entails, and why they are all important.

Pre-Show

The time before the show is about more than sorting the show details, it is prime time to market to show attendees. Some of the pre-show activities that can help lead to success are as follows:

-Develop an email campaign to highlight a show-time promotion.

-Develop a targeted direct mail campaign to engage top clients and prospects.

-Setup meetings and appointments with clients and prospects that will be in attendance.

-For the most important show(s), create a company sponsored event for clients and prospects.

-Develop specific, measurable goals.

The most important part of a trade show is the face time with clients and top prospects. Get them excited about your company and seeing you, prior to the show.

Show-Time

A significant amount of work has been put in to get to this point. Here are a few things that could be beneficial at the show site:

-Discussing goals with booth staff.

-If lead generation is a goal, having a lead retrieval device to capture them.

-Having a theme consistent with your brand, messaging and specific show goals.

-Engaging attendees with relevant promotion.

There are two keys at show-time; creating a positive experience for attendees and making sure each goal is being measured. The first will give you a sense of success at show-time, the second will prove it.

Post-Show

Post-show is all about measurement. What you do with the information you have will determine whether this show was worth it to attend.

-Have a system in place to follow up on leads.

-Have a system in place to measure sales generated from the show.

-Create a survey to measure the memorability of your brand based on trade show experience.

-Generate a thorough, quantitative report of each specific trade show to report to management or keep on file.

I have previously written about trade shows taking time and money. The post-show metrics, evaluations and analysis will determine whether a show deserves either next time around.

These three phases work together, and all are necessary. If you haven’t marketed pre-show, you shouldn’t expect that your target audience will flock to your booth. If the right attendees are flocking to your booth, and there is no show-time measurement or post-show follow up, it could still be a challenge to justify your participation at the show. Make the most of your company’s money and most importantly YOUR time, by working the three phase approach.

Exhibitor 2012

Last week I attended Exhibitor Magazine’s Exhibitor 2012 show in Las Vegas. For those that aren’t familiar, this show consists of two parts: a showcase of products by manufacturers and suppliers to the trade show industry, and educational sessions to aide those with careers centered around trade show and event marketing. I’ll give you some of the key takeaways I had from the sessions that I attended, and then share some trends in the trade show industry.

The Sessions

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m working towards my CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer) certification. So took six courses that were required for this certification while I was at the show. The biggest overall takeaway, which is no surprise, is that measurement and tracking is HUGE for this industry. Read some of the course titles that I took this year (click for more detail):

-Using Target Audience Profiles to Create Memorable Events that Drive Results

-Using Surveys to Measure Your Performance in Trade Shows and Events

-Basic Project Management and Reporting Skills

-The Nuts and Bolts of Budgeting for Results

-Selecting the Right Shows: The Critical Decision

With the large amount of resources companies are dedicating to trade shows, return on investment and return on objectives need to be justified. And though everyone working on these shows feels the pressure to perform, not many take the time to report the outcome of their efforts, good or bad. These courses are great for showing what and how to measure. They also will provide templates to help you get started if you don’t already have your own system. One thing I’ve noticed through observation, is that it does not matter whether the company you work for generates billions of dollars or it is a low revenue start up, every dollar counts and is counted. Those who measure, track and support thoroughly and accurately will shine.

I’m happy to share what I’ve learned or point you in the direction of the experts if you’d like. Of course, the best thing is to start taking these courses (both live and online are offered).

The Trade Show

I noticed a few overlying trends from walking the show this year:

SEG is everywhere – SEG (Silicon-Edge Graphics) are being utilized by just about every exhibit hardware manufacturer. Now pole-pockets and Velcro are being substituted for a strip of silicon stitched around the perimeter of fabric graphics. This silicon edge is pushed into aluminum framing to create a perfectly tensioned fabric graphic. To learn more about SEG and how to use it, please view this PDF  What_Is_SEG.

Lighting is key – LED lights offer clean bright light from small bulbs. This has gotten exhibit manufacturers coming out with many back-lit exhibits, as it is simpler to hide the lights in the extrusion and still get a good throw. When executed properly it does make graphics stand out and exhibits overall more attractive to show attendees.

In addition to back-lighting I also saw traditional down-lighting, up-lighting, side-lighting and color changing lights.

Technology is advancing lead retrieval – The iPad has become commonplace now in exhibits. With that, comes many cool ways to incorporate the iPad within an exhibit, and now, new software to help utilize them at shows. There were a number of suppliers showing how to use an iPad to take badge scanning a step further. Things like, immediately uploading the data into a cloud server, sending an email with relevant attachments and taking notes on that attendee to be able to follow up.

The show and sessions were very informative and I would recommend attending next year if your career has you involved in trade show or event management. If you know you will not be able to attend, talk to your exhibit house. I know that our company utilizes this show to be able to bring back information to our clients on leading edge products, and to pass along the beneficial knowledge we gain from the sessions.

Marketing with Technology

Technology is a huge part of daily life in 2012. Everything seems to be tied into the internet and social media, therefore more and more devices are being produced to make sure that anyone who wants access, can have it 24/7. This technology is rapidly changing as well, with new apps and social media networks coming out daily. Facebook generated $3.7 billion in revenue last year, flaunting 1 billion worldwide users. Its competitors want similar success. All the while, we the people, are gaining some very cool technology that can help, and entertain us.

For instance, I  typically start my day by hopping on my Galaxy Nexus (get one) and checking email. Then I move to the Pulse app to read news from a variety of sources that I’ve chosen. One source that always intrigues me personally is Mashable, because it keeps me up to date on current technology and how it is being used in business today. By 6AM, I’ve downloaded all kinds of information into my brain and gotten up to speed for the day ahead.

This highly technological society has certainly had an influence on businesses and their marketing as well. Our company has seen an increase in demand for iPad and tablet ready exhibits/displays. This coming after everyone wanted to integrate LCD screens over the past couple of years. Using technology offers companies an easy way to engage and relate with their audience.

Take a trade show exhibit as an example. A company will spend weeks, and sometimes much more, building an interactive campaign to engage their clientele using technology such as interactive websites, social media and email campaigns leading up to their trade show or trade shows. At the trade show, technology is used to broadcast live, via streaming video and social media updates; helping those who cannot attend, or are not at the booth at that specific moment. In the booth, there are monitors with videos, product demos and/or messaging. There are also touch screen tablets to engage the attendee. Sometimes these tablets also serve as a guestbook or lead retrieval system. Booth attendees are using technology too, snapping pictures, making videos and tweeting what they like and dislike.

My clients have been coming to me asking for ideas on how they could add technology, and sharing with me how they are already using it. We’re printing graphics for our clients more and more with social media icons on them. Technology has become an integral part of modern marketing. It continues to be exciting for me to keep up with and be a part of.

In 2012 the question is not how are you going to utilize technology in your company’s marketing, but how have you been using it and what are you going to do to build upon that usage. We’d love to know what cool things your company is doing with technology; so tweet us or let us know on Facebook.

Resolve to Lessen the Load

Happy New Year!

The first two weeks of 2012 are in the books, so I ask, where are you with your new year’s resolutions? Did you have any work related resolutions?

I’ve noticed more and more that those in marketing roles tend to work long hours and wear an unbelievable number of hats within their organizations. Was one of your resolutions to lessen your workload this year? Maybe there are some relatively easy ways to do this that you’re not taking advantage of.

For instance, our company recognized that our contacts at different organizations could greatly benefit from an expanded product offering. So last year we began to focus on the additional services and segments we could provide to our clients, to be their sole source for face-to-face marketing needs. Our clients have been very receptive.

Clients that were previously coming to us solely for providing trade show exhibits are now utilizing us for handling the ordering of services and logistics for trade shows. Some others are utilizing us for different segments, like retail environments, outdoor events and office decor.

The point is, we’re offering a number of additional products and services to help alleviate stress for our clients. I’m sure other companies are doing this as well for their industries. Discuss some of the challenges you’re having, or things that are time-consuming for you, with your vendors. You may be surprised how much of your workload could be delegated.

Now of course these additional offerings will typically come with an additional expense, but your time has a value too. If we can handle the equivalent of one day’s work for you, I’m sure it would assist you in becoming more productive in other, probably more important, areas of your position.

Everyday I challenge myself to provide the best customer service possible to my clients, and become a trusted partner of theirs. I see this as one of the main purposes in my role as an “account manager.” In dealing with suppliers myself, I’ve found that some others feel the same way I do about their position. Through these dealings,I’ve identified my trusted partners and discovered areas where they can help me be more effective and efficient based on the products and services they provide.

Take the time now to determine who your trusted partners are, and explore their capabilities and product offering. By doing this, you could effectively save time for years to come.

The Resurgence of the American Spirit

Recently in the office we had a conversation surrounding the economy, and how things seem like they might possibly be turning around. One reason we came up with for WHY it could be turning around was something said in jest, but might hold some truth. Are Americans just sick and tired of being frugal, saving money and fearing tomorrow?

Here in the U S of A we have a worldwide reputation for loving life in excess. The past couple of years of everyone trying to live like they’re college freshman again just doesn’t fit our style. With many companies engaging consumers early and often for Black Friday, the pot boiled over and we showed our true colors again. From a recent article on WSJ.com, “According to the National Retail Federation, a record 226 million shoppers hit the stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, with the average shopper spending 9.3% more to about $400 and pushing the total spending to a record $52.4 billion. ” Even the following Monday was strong, as seen in this Washington Post article, “Online sales rose 22 percent to $1.25 billion on “Cyber Monday,” when retailers ramp up online promotions, according to research firm comScore Inc. That makes it the biggest online shopping day ever, the research firm said. A year ago, “Cyber Monday” sales topped $1 billion for the first time.”

Americans love having the newest, coolest products and services (see items like iPhone 4s sales)!

Those in B2B companies that do not feel this represents them, read this. Trade shows are very important for B2B companies, and despite positive ROI, we acknowledge that trade shows do have a heavy cost associated with them. Here is the kicker, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research just came out with a press release showing that the trade show industry has improved for five consecutive quarters, and continues to outperform real GDP. Maybe those same consumers that are spending at home, are bringing that great American (spending) spirit to work.

What does this all mean? Well, its time to rev up the marketing effort. If people want to buy, be the one showing them something they can buy. Its as good of a time to get back into it as it has been in years.

I know the economy is not where it once was, and that we still have a long way to go, but as I sit here about to open a package of something I ordered on Black Friday, I’m more hopeful than ever.

4 Things Marketers can Learn from Sporting Events

I was recently at a college football game and it got me thinking about all of the marketing that goes on at sporting events. Sporting events generate billions of dollars of revenue annually in our country, as well as in many others. And even though most major sporting events can be followed on television and the internet, tens of thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands, of people pile into venues to watch just one of these events. The high number of attendees leads to a high level of marketing interest. There are many reasons that sporting events are so popular, but what can we as marketers learn from them to help make us more successful?

1. Create a memorable experience.

This is THE appeal. People want to do things that are unique and exciting that they can’t do all the time. It breaks up the daily grind. Marketing, these days, is breaking through the clutter. Whether it is commercials, the internet or live events; status quo will not win. For instance, many people attending trade shows and events are in the “daily grind” mode; therefore,  do something that will engage them and help them escape…then they will not forget. Ask someone why they root for their favorite team and often they will give you a fond memory. Every game they watch reminds them of that and perpetuates the experience. If a brand becomes memorable for the right reasons and is aligned with the brand position; brand loyalty begins and the audience will not stray.

2. Sponsorship is an easy way to gain brand impressions.

EVERYTHING at sporting events is sponsored. There are sponsors on the tickets, the scoreboard, the cups, the programs and just about anything else that allows sponsorship. To easily generate some brand awareness for your company, consider sponsorship. There are many opportunities for sponsorship out there; outdoor events, trade shows, philanthropies, etc. The beauty of this is that a company will get brand impressions at the event and, typically,  the audience members return home with something branded (make sure it’s something memorable).

3. Create a “logo zone”.

When going to a sporting event, there is typically a radius surrounding the event (the size of which directly correlates with the size of the event) in which a team’s logo and colors are everywhere. Front yards, car decals, street signs, tailgates, and clothes are just a few things that may be seen in the “logo zone.” This builds people’s anticipation and excitement for the event itself. It can be achieved in the trade show or event world by utilizing things like billboards, taxis, airport signage and different opportunities throughout the main event hotel. A company can own share of mind even before attendees arrive at the event!

4. Highlight success.

People like winners. I remember in college when our basketball team made a Final Four run. We went from the beginning of the season, being able to easily get great seats, to having to camp out for tickets during the NCAA tournament. All over sports venues you see banners and trophies of past success. A client/customer base will have take pride in being aligned with a successful organization, and they will want to see them succeed. Seeing a company’s accolades can also make new clients/customers more comfortable with a brand.

Sporting events and the interaction they have with their audience draw parallels with the marketing efforts of many companies. Next time you attend a sporting event think about what you like best about being there in that moment and how you can translate that to your organization.

The Advantage of the Economy

I recently tweeted a statistic from an article that cited a few interesting tidbits. It was geared towards increasing optimism towards marketing utilizing social media, but the source documents used offer much more information than that. I’ll share with you some of the things I found intriguing and how this can potentially benefit both you and your organization.

Let’s start with this survey of CEO’s and their top issues with marketers. The #3 issue is:

When asked to increase their Marketing ROI, they tend to understand it as cost cutting through better economies of scale or negotiations with their third-party partners and agencies, instead of top-line growth generation: more revenue, more sales, more prospects, more buyers (73%)

Now from the “2011 B2B Marketing Mix Survey” a couple of more statistics:

-45% of companies do not have a formal marketing plan

-68% of companies spend 5% or less of their revenue on marketing

-Only 40% expect their marketing budget to increase in 2012

-Trade shows and events are second only to referrals for generating sales leads

As part of my job, I get to attend different trade shows and events, which allows for me to see trends first hand. Beyond the numbers previously mentioned, here are some things I’ve noticed in the field recently:

-Many companies seem to be going through the motions; using basic, easy displays, minimal staff, and irrelevant giveaways

-Other companies are benefiting from making the decision to stand out using engaging interactives, unique displays and strategic promotions

I recognize that the past few years have shell shocked many companies and organizations, and almost every penny is being scrutinized (especially those for marketing). That being said, it looks like there is an enormous opportunity to take advantage of this situation. Marketing effectively when others are hesitant to, makes it much easier to break through to the target audience.

As you plan for next year, be sure to consider how to capitalize on this opportunity. Develop a plan that the CEO can get behind, explaining how the top-line revenue will grow. Focus on the ROI. When directly placed amongst the competition (trade shows, events, social media), do something that will engage the target audience. If most companies stay reluctant to do these things; there will be other companies that will now, and will ultimately improve their market position . Why not become that company?

Sources:

http://socialmediab2b.com/2011/09/b2b-social-media-marketing-statistics/

http://www.fournaisegroup.com/Marketers-Lack-Credibility.asp?_fwaHound=13303826_12185_13303826_0_0_0_0

http://www.sagefrog.com/pdf/2011_B2B_Marketing_Mix_Survey_Results.pdf

The Importance of Numbers in Marketing

Many marketers lack that passion for numbers that our counterparts in accounting and finance have, though it seems that some of the most successful in marketing certainly do not.

As we have discussed in the past, marketing has become a convoluted road map with many different roads to travel. Utilizing numbers and some form of metrics measurement can help you define the best route with the roads given. Any spending can be justified by a solid return on investment. So it is very important that if you do not already have a result for ROI on a given project (from past projects of a similar nature, etc.); that you at least have a way to measure your return on any current or future projects.

Sometimes these concepts get lost in emotion and fear. Many of us have had a conversation similar to this:

Boss: “Revenue seems to be going down therefore costs need to be cut. Marketing person, do we really need to be doing A, B and C?”

Marketing person: “Well there’s no way we can get rid of C, but B can probably go.”

The correct response should be, “Well if we look at the return on investment for all three of these options, you will see that they each derive more than $4 revenue per every $1 spent. I feel that cutting any of these would be a mistake.”

Now, some of you have yet to face a situation like this, and some of you play BOTH of these roles. Regardless, knowing where your marketing efforts stand from a numbers perspective is very important. In dealing with my clients about their trade show or event projects, some cannot get beyond the cost, which admittedly can be high. Others though, know the exact value of trade shows and events in relation to their overall marketing budget and know that every dollar spent is well worth it.

A common objection to the numbers conversation is, “We are not directly selling anything, we are just looking to generate awareness, and that cannot be measured.” This is not true! I recognize that many organizations are not marketing a tangible product, but instead communicating a message or initiative. Fear not, this can be measured.

For instance, if one of my clients is now making a conscious effort to go green and wants to make this known to their audience during their upcoming trade shows. I would work with them to develop 1) a trade show display with the appropriate messaging applied, 2) a promotion relative to this messaging and exhibit and 3)a post-show survey to the trade show attendees to find out if they recall this client’s trade show booth and if they recall their new green messaging. The results of this will give my client numerical data to work with. “The trade show cost us $100,000. Of the shows 10,000 attendees, 5,500 came to our booth; 75% remembered our campaign of which 80% remembered our new message verbatim.” Their cost per fully recounted impression is just over $30. They can now compare this to the other programs and media in their marketing plan and determine its effectiveness.

In closing, the best way to justify anything in the sometimes abstract world of marketing is to find a way to measure it numerically. The numbers will help you to better plan for future marketing efforts and justify any dollars already spent. This will require more time, thought and effort for those of you that are not doing this, but again, what is the ROI?

To learn more, join me in taking the many CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer) sessions offered on this topic (http://www.exhibitoronline.com/ctsm/index.asp) and stay tuned to our other social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) where I often post links on this and other relevant subjects.

I’m going to need a marketing map app.

Modern day marketing  plans if viewed from above would look like the street map of a highly-populated city. Here is your organization at point A, trying to get to point B, which set of directions is going to best get you there?

Lets start by breaking down the different options involved here as simply as possible:

• Interstates: These are your traditional advertising mediums if you’re B2C; print, television and web. If you’re B2B it is print, web and trade shows. Pros: You can definitely go faster here, straight-shot, well traveled. Cons: tolls can add up, greater damage from collision.

• Side streets: This is the realm of social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, WordPress, Tumblr and on and on and on and on!) Pros:  avoid tolls, great for traveling locally. Cons: many different routes, traffic

• Back-roads and alleys: This is your guerrilla marketing. Pros: shortcuts, seeing new things. Cons: can be dangerous.

Some people take the approach of all side streets and back roads, hoping their underground image can blow up into success. Others, disregard the other routes and stick solely to interstates.

Here are my thoughts. Without interstates, you’ll need to be a great navigator. And even if you are, what will happen when you don’t want to drive? With only interstates, you can become too relaxed. Also, is you’re destination going to be on the interstate? Only if you view your target audience as the rest stop.

This is about as over-simplified as it gets, but I will tell you that the best directions you receive will be the perfect combination of these different options. Unfortunately that fancy app. that gives you the perfect directions, hasn’t arrived, and you’ll still have to map it out yourself. Take comfort in the fact that you are not the only one driving down some of these roads for the first time. Just make sure you keep your vehicle healthy and don’t break down on the side of the road.