Want Better Trade Show Results This Year? Improvise.

When the fiery John Tortorella was head coach of the Tampa Bay Lighting, he had a motto emblazoned for his team to live by: “Safe is Death.” They won the Stanley Cup in 2004 living by those words. And in many respects, the same holds true with trade shows—especially when you’ve gotten familiar and comfortable with your “teammates.”

Be careful that you’re not on autopilot with trade show planning, presentations, marketing and booth design. If you’re just going through the motions and making the safe choices you know will get through the approval process, the specter of “trade show death” is already hovering. I mean, if you’re bored, don’t you think that’s reflected in your trade show presence? Don’t you think attendees can pick up on that tedium and strut right on by? Ennui isn’t exactly a trade show aphrodisiac.

How about this time, you start over. From scratch. I’m talking 4-5 months before the show, get those marketing directors, department managers and corporate personnel in a room around a table and find a completely different, utterly fantastic way to deliver your message and present your brand. Yes, easier said than done. But here’s your roadmap …

A New Trade Show Approach is Only an Improvisation Away

Imagine you’re sitting at that meeting table. Some people you know well. Some faces are relatively new. Some extroverts are champing at the bit to share their ideas, and some others are looking for a potted plant to hide behind. But you’ve got to come up with something all together. The biggest danger to the best ideas is the issue of intimidation. Group leaders (either by personality or rank) will always let you know what they think. But oftentimes the best ideas are in the heads of those who are too shy to share or those who no longer speak up because they’ve been burned in the past when they’ve tried. It’s essential you tap the brainpower of the entire team, and improv is a tremendous way to do so.

Try this exercise I learned from improv guru William Hall: One person shares an idea, and the next person MUST say, “Yes, and …” (no matter how outrageous or objectionable the prior statement). See where it goes. Keep playing for 10 minutes or however much longer it takes to get fully around the table. Make sure someone (in addition to playing along) scribes the key concepts on a whiteboard. People will say some crazy things, but there’s always a genius idea in there somewhere from which an entire trade show presence can launch. And don’t be surprised if that idea emerges from a really quiet person finally emboldened by the notion that every idea has equal validity!

Now, the biggest buzzkill to this lovefest is when the manager with true approval power isn’t involved in the exercise and subsequently shoots it down. So plan ahead, and make sure all the key decision-makers are in the room and participating. If you’re a part of the solution in real-time, it’s transformative and melts the hearts of even the most rigid mangers.

This exercise can work to develop all the elements of a trade show—from the theme to the message to the giveaways to the booth layout and flow. But make sure that when the meeting wraps, you’ve developed a rock-solid 30-second elevator pitch of what you want to communicate to your trade show audience. From that, it’s easier to craft a catchphrase, billboard tagline and anything else.

Get out of that rut! This is your clarion call for more creativity, more fun, better ideas and better results! Because as Coach Torts would say, “Safe is Death.”

Tags: big ideas, cohesion, improvisation, results, William Hall
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | No Comments »

Are You Being ‘Kid Friendly’ at your trade shows?

Many trade shows don’t allow children. But if you happen to be working one that does, you simply cannot afford to ignore that fact. When children are attendees too, all the rules change for the better. It’s easier to grab a group’s attention. It’s easier to start a conversation. And it’s easier to advance that conversation into rewarding territory. Now, your immediate reaction may be, “Hey, you can’t take advantage of the children!” I wouldn’t dream of it. No, my intention is to always captivate the children: Get them excited. Get them having fun. Get them paying attention. Because you know what? The parents will (and often must) follow.

Here’s an easy example: Try a magic trick at a trade show for a small group of adults. If it’s the right trick with some sort of natural segue to your product or technology, it may very well be a helpful mechanism to drive further discussion. But try that same magic trick for the kids, and woah! Now we’re on to something! Before you know it the kids are out of their minds with excitement. Next thing you know, you’re performing for a captive audience of 40—kids and adults—who have gathered around. It’s a simple mantra: Once you have the kids, you have the parents. And once you have the parents, you have everyone.

It’s the fundamental difference between trying to get the rapt attention of a businessperson fast-walking down the aisle staring at their Blackberry and getting the attention of a wide-eyed youngster in a stroller who can’t believe you just pulled ten thumb drives out of your left ear.

There’s a Child in Us All

Unless you’re in a specialized niche, the vast majority of your trade shows will likely NOT be kid-friendly. In those instances, they key is to find that inner child in the adults surrounding you. Your booth presence needs to feel kinetic— movement, sound, bright, visually appealing colors and a centerpiece that deserves and demands attention.  And yes, that could even be a professional trade show presenter.

It’s going to take a lot to stop that Blackberry power-walker in their tracks. But we can all be distracted. Think of all those YouTube videos with a gazillion views. You think all those views happened after work hours and on weekends? No, my friend. Someone who was working productively got an email and got distracted. And then that person stayed because the content was compelling. A trade show booth has strong similarities. When looking for the inner child in adult trade show attendees, think Walt Disney. Think about not just creating a booth, but creating an attraction! What is the thing that will make the little kid in you put your hand on the stroller and say, “Daddy! Stop here!” When you’ve found that, you’ve found the heart of your trade show presence.

P.S.: When my son was in a stroller, he never ONCE asked me to take him to “PowerPoint World.”

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

Tags: Booth design, crowd gathering, human behavior, inner child, kids
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations, Trade shows & social media | No Comments »

10 Ways to Radically Transform Booth Staff Effectiveness (Part I)

So they’re in your booth … now what?

So much money and time and creativity is spent getting trade show attendees into a booth. Yet a shockingly large percentage of those same exhibitors fail to put equal thought and resources behind what staff should do when people get there. It’s enough of a problem that there are expert consultants to fix it. My friend and colleague Andy Saks, Chief Sparkler at the presentation design and delivery agency Spark Presentations, is one of the finest. I sat down with Andy to discuss his booth staff performance training program, “Booth Brush-Up: How to Stand Out, Sell More, and Have Fun on the Show Floor.” From our conversation came the Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Booth Staff Effectiveness, and I’m thrilled he ok’d publishing it for all of our benefit:

1. Tell Your Staff “WIIFM”: The most effective way to motivate your staff to adopt new behaviors that improve your booth is to answer the key question they’re silently asking: “What’s in it for me?” So start your training by teasing the instant, tangible benefits they’ll personally enjoy by following your suggestions. For example: “Show of hands: Who here would like your time in the booth to go by faster? Who wants to have more fun along the way? Who’d like to get better leads by talking less? Who’d like the chance to dramatically improve their prospects at this company in just a few days? Well, listen up folks, because if you follow a few simple suggestions, you’ll enjoy all those benefits.” Now that they like where you’re going, they’ll march eagerly in formation behind you.

2. Attract them with body language: This goes beyond basics like don’t talk on your phone” and “don’t stare at the floor.” It’s about understanding the dollar value of every single customer that walks (or doesn’t walk) into that booth and how your body language will impact that customer’s decision to approach you. What are you communicating with your facial expression, your posture, your location in the booth? How will that stranger perceive you from 30 feet away … and up close? Any customer could be a lifetime customer. Any account could be a multimillion-dollar account. You’ll never know if your body language deflects the attendee before he or she steps into your booth.

3. Shift your focus: Trade shows are about the prospects; not the products. This is your opportunity to learn about your prospects and leads to decide if it’s a good match for you and for them. It’s always about the customer—and how your products may help that customer get where they want to go. So where do they want to go? It’s much more useful to spend your time asking questions of a prospect and finding out about their challenges, needs and budget than to talk about your technology (which may not be a good fit). It shows you care more about your prospect than pitching your product. That generates trust, so it’s useful in both directions.

4. Stop showing off: Often when booth staff do demos, they’re very eager to show off their product and own level of knowledge of that product. The result is a dense, technical monologue. It’s almost certain that the person you’re talking to doesn’t know as much about the product and might not be as familiar with industry terms, so it’s very easy to talk over that person’s head by accident. They won’t tell you they don’t understand because it’s embarrassing to them. But inside they’re either panicking or mulling an exit strategy. Use the simplest language possible. Define terms and ask what needs to be defined. What do the letters in that acronym stand for? Care about making sure that person is “with you.” If they’re not with you, the conversation isn’t going anywhere.

5. Walk your staff up the “Benefit Ladder”: Customers buy benefits; not features. They’re in it for themselves. So the job of booth staff is to find the best and biggest benefits—life-changing benefits—and express them clearly and thoughtfully. They need to easily walk the attendee up that “Benefit Ladder.”

If your product has a feature that will save a customer time, that’s not the ultimate benefit, is it? What’s the benefit of saving time? More time for other projects. What the benefit of that? Getting more projects done quicker. And then? They’ll get noticed by their boss. Which results in what? They get a job promotion, leading to more money. Ultimately the top rung of this particular ladder is: “Better quality of life, overall satisfaction, more time with the family … happiness!” It’s not what this product will do for them tomorrow; it’s about what it means “in the big picture.” And in order for the prospect to really “get” that larger benefit, your booth staff must first understand the benefit of describing things in this way.

Next week, we’ll present the rest of our Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Booth Staff Effectiveness. Until then, I leave you with this quote from Andy:

“The single most important element of any trade show booth is its people. Not the company name. Not the product. Not the signs. It’s the human beings. For any trade show presenter, it’s heartbreaking to make all that effort to bring in a large crowd, only to have them vanish moments later. It’s like running the ball 98 yards down the field and then sitting down to have a sandwich. Run those other 2 yards and spike the ball.” —Andy Saks, Spark Presentations

Tags: big benefits, body language, Booth staff, booth traffic, performance training
Posted in Booth staff, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations, Trade shows & social media | No Comments »

What the Royal Wedding Can Teach You About Trade Shows

Tags: anticipation, booth buzz, crowd gathering, preparation, storytelling
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations, Trade shows & social media | 1 Comment »

Tear Down Your Trade Show Booth

We all want a better trade show booth. We all want to be the hit of the show—the booth that has otherworldly magnetic pull and Gorilla Glue on the carpet keeping those attendees stuck in your space. And we all wish there was an easy way to make that happen.

Well, in some ways, there is!  Although it might mean having to be a bit brutal with your booth.

The trade show floor gives you the best possible opportunity to see what works and what you can change. It’s a virtual Petri dish of booth experiments taking place—and someone has just discovered that trade show booth breakthrough. You just have to step far enough out of your own booth to find out what it is. That’s the beauty of it: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; you just have to cruise the floor and see if there’s a better one out there.

Here’s what to do at your next trade show:

1) Get away from your booth. Literally back yourself against a wall if you have to, but get far enough away to be able to objectively observe attendees interacting with (or walking away from) your booth space. I know you spent a fortune on that booth or at least put a lot of love into it. But for a moment, disconnect yourself from your own brand. Imagine you’re just a random person walking the floor. Look at your booth. Do you have a clear idea what these guys do? Would you want to go in there? What are the people around you doing? Why?

2) Now walk around. But walk around differently than ever before: You’re not cruising for clients and prospects; you’re just an attendee strolling the grounds. Again, look objectively. Which booth looks most inviting? Where do you want to go? What’s pulling you? Is it interesting or entertaining? Is it a catchy message or flashy graphics? Is it a magician submerged in a water tank? What is grabbing you?

3) Keep walking. You’ll likely blow past lots of small booths with dispirited folks staring at their smartphones. No problem. Channel your inner tradeshow attendee.  Imagine you’re on a quest for the ultimate giveaway. But, in this case, the “giveaway” you’re looking for may be the one brilliant idea that will make your next booth better.

4) Return to your booth, reflecting on your experience. On the way back, pay special attention to traffic flow and location. Now, granted, you may not have your choice of the prime real estate at the show, but you should still do some reconnaissance. Does the booth by the main entrance get the most traffic, or do people blow right past it to get deeper into the hall? Check out the booths near the bathrooms or Food Court. How are they doing? Is it worth considering positioning yourself next to some of the biggest players at the show? Or just to get as close to the Starbucks as you can??

5) Review this checklist, circling anything that really leapt out at you during your journey:

•  Visual appeal (circle all that apply): The booth was eye catching. The lighting was visually stimulating. The activity drew me in. The live presentation was captivating.

•  Flow: It was as if I accidentally strolled right into the booth and stayed there … or once I was in, something about the booth kept me there.

•  Personnel: The booth staff members were engaging, smiling at me from afar, were interested in what I was saying and asked interesting, open-ended questions that kept me talking and learning.

•  Location: I ended up in the booth because of what it was near. What was it near?

•  Clarity & power of messaging/signage: The message made me stop in my tracks. It was as effective and memorable as a great highway billboard.

Go through this exercise.  Pay attention.  And you just might walk away with something that will make your next trade show the best one you’ve ever done.

I’m going to end this post with asking something of you: Post comments with your booth observations here. What did you see that worked? What can you change next time? What have you changed already that made a difference?

It could be after trying this exercise or just based on past experience. My goal is to compile a list of your responses and post it for everyone’s benefit. With your help, we’ll create a magical list of specific ways to improve your next booth.

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

Tags: booth buzz, Booth design, Booth staff, booth traffic, trade show opportunities
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | 5 Comments »

How a Bunch of Has-been’s Took Over Sundance (Part II)

This is Part II of a guest post by “Nominated” director/writer Dan Pavlik. If you haven’t read Part I, click here.

Soon after, I was in a shuttle with an Australian reporter whose wife had a documentary in the festival. We struck up a conversation, and when I mentioned Nominated, he said, “Man, I’ve heard a lot about that.”

It was definitely the soft sell. We weren’t shoving swag or DVDs in people’s faces. It was a grassroots effort where the attendees became the advocates of our concept. And as the festival went on, the time we had to put into “selling” was reduced every day. It began to feed on itself, so after four or five days, our people were getting recognized for wearing the “Has-Been” logo and people were stopping us and asking if we had any more of those “Has-Been” t-shirts.

We felt our way through it as we learned the ins and outs of Park City, but it was definitely working. The “Has-Been” logo didn’t even have the name of our movie on it, but proved to be a successful icebreaker. And once in conversation, people would ask us, “What’s that about?” We just led with a provoking question rather than pushing our film. Ken said he felt absolutely fearless going up to anyone. And it was because he wasn’t desperately trying to sell; he was hanging out and having a good time. We talked to Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Greg Kinnear, Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Cheryl Hines, Julia Ormond, Andie MacDowell, Elijah Wood, Ed Helms and James Franco, and at least half walked away with “Has-Been” buttons pinned to them.

Coldest Rock Band Session Ever

I did a corporate event a week and a half before Sundance. At that event, we played Rock Band. It was a fun sendoff for the group, and those people had a blast. So, we decided: That’s what we’ll do. We’ll set up Rock Band and invite people to play and never even mention the movie. We found a spot outside in the 14-degree temperatures, did our best to look like we belonged there and set up a 9-foot screen projecting the hit rhythm video game.

Two things happened:

(1)  We got tons of foot traffic, and we’d just give people buttons and t-shirts as they left. We had this incredible stream of people coming to play and have fun—and we weren’t selling anything at all.

(2)  As they left, they were going out into the city telling people about what was going on. So, as the night went on we continued to get more and more people, who in turn became our button- and shirt-wearing marketing team throughout the grounds.

We were able to make our audience active participants as well as the entertainment itself! And because we were asking nothing of them, there was no resistance. It just worked.

Dan Pavlik is the director/writer of Nominated, which also co-stars Ken Newman of “Hey Newman” fame. For more information about the film and director, click here.

Tags: booth traffic, crowd gathering, Nominated, Rock Band, swag
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | 1 Comment »

Sundance Film Festival: A Trade Show in the Snow

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United States. But looked at another way, it’s one really big, really prestigious trade show laid out across a small ski city. Everyone is selling something. Every exhibitor has a dedicated space to present and promote what they’re selling. And there’s the widest possible range of presentations of those goods—from full sets and hired talent to over-eager personnel with little business savvy and no social skills.

Sound familiar?

Yes, Sundance is all about promoting and selling movies, but it’s also a microcosm for many of the things we regularly discuss on this trade show blog. This past month, I had the pleasure of attending Sundance along with director/writer Dan Pavlik, and a condo-full of fellow cast and crew members.  We were there to promote our film, “Nominated.”

No, this post isn’t about boosting awareness for the movie; it’s about the adventure we had there … and how it relates to trade show success anywhere.  (But, if you really want to see our movie, we’re not about to stop you.)

Let me start by admitting something:  We weren’t invited. That’s right. Our film didn’t actually make it into Sundance.  But we showed up anyway.  We didn’t go to Park City, Utah, to “sell” our movie. We went there to enjoy ourselves—to have as much fun as we could squeeze into seven days. And, oh yes, to make a few contacts.

That was the best decision we could have made. And a big reason we were so successful.

Let me ask you something: Do you go to a cocktail party and immediately start handing out business cards to anyone with a pulse?  Do you get on Twitter and immediately start hawking your “How to Get Five Million Followers Fast” webinar?

Not if you’re smart, you don’t.

You also don’t stand at the corner of your trade show booth, run up to every attendee you see and scream, “Get in here and BUY MY STUFF!”

In the same vein, you don’t go to Sundance and try to force your DVD down producers’ throats or project your film on a snow bank. Yes it’s been done, and generally, it won’t get you any love.

But what you CAN do is be the life of the party and create such a fun and memorable scene for everyone around you that they flock to your side and eventually ask—on their own—“What brings you here?” That’s what we all did … and did … and did. We used trade show tricks and magic. We used humor and intrigue. We even used Rock Band. And when the festival ended, those producers had our DVDs and business cards. Those celebrities were wearing our buttons. Those attendees knew our film’s name and assumed we had a featured spot in the festival. It was a rousing success—all because we figured out a way to make people come to us.

I’m going to let Dan tell you the story in his own words (complete with a little name-dropping) on this blog later in the week. In the meantime, think about other social situations you’ve been in that might provide a good lesson on “how to behave” at trade shows.

—Ken Newman

Tags: human behavior, Nominated, Rock Band, Sundance Film Festival, trade shows
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations, Trade shows & social media | 3 Comments »

Make Your Trade Show Booth Successful & Sustainable

In Part I of a new “green” series, Newman interviews Interpretive Exhibits’ Tim Patterson, a social media whiz and expert in sustainable booth building.

In the vast majority of the posts on this blog, you pose a question and I do my best to give a coherent answer. This week, I’ve decided to switch it up by asking the questions of friend and colleague Tim Patterson — better known by many as the Trade Show Guy. Tim is Interpretive Exhibits’ VP of Sales and Marketing, which means he knows how to build a better booth.

Newman: How do you bring sustainability into your trade show presence while still being successful?

Patterson: When people come to us and want sustainability, we can offer them anything and everything that’s out there. The main question that really gets answered before anyone moves ahead is: “What does it cost?” We did a booth for a company in Eugene that was very green-conscious, and they wanted to use wheat board and a whole host of other sustainable materials. But for them, the cost was more than their budget could handle. So, we went back to other good, largely sustainable materials. It was just not quite what they originally envisioned. A lot of the times, the choice comes down to cost vs. budget — as well as new booth vs. refurbished.

Newman: I have also heard you talk in the past about utilizing found objects and materials. Could you go into that more?

Patterson: A year and a half ago I was at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. It’s an amazing show packed with outdoor retailers of all kinds. Because of the relatively low cost of booths at this particular show, you see very large and highly creative booth design. These booths incorporated the outdoors and outdoor lifestyle in a very effective way. Some booths used tree limbs, bike frames, and all sorts of fascinating stuff to create a visually interesting backdrop.  And, of course, it was all recycled.

Keen Shoes had an amazing booth that was almost entirely made out of recycled materials. I got a tour of their corporate headquarters a couple of months ago and virtually everything in there is repurposed and reused. Even their gathering place for lunches and client meetings utilizes a row of bleachers that was saved from an old high school that was being torn down. They had old car seats on pallets with wheels on them, and they’d take these contraptions to trade shows and use them. So, they didn’t have to spend money on a brand-new booth and they successfully repurposed things that would otherwise be thrown away. They’re very environmentally conscious, and their headquarters speaks to that attitude of reduce, reuse, and recycle.

One of the biggest things a company can do is have that attitude: What can we do, starting from scratch? How can we utilize what’s out there to not have to spend money on a new booth? But it’s not only attitude; it takes a company that’s willing to shift from ideas to action—and spend some money. You have to look around and find things. You have to pay people to design and cut and build. But if your materials are reused or rescued, not only does it save money; it presents a great image to your audience. And the people at Keen obviously know their audience really, really well.

Newman: If you have a company — perhaps in the tech field — that is going to be totally new to this attitude and this green trade show approach, what would you say to them about going down this road?

Patterson: What it really boils down to is the image of the company. If you have a really high-tech company, does it fit for you to have a booth that’s made of a lot of repurposed wood from an old barn, for instance? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on what your company is promoting. If you have software that fits in that market — if there’s a relationship between the technology and sustainability — then that might be appropriate.

It can be done, but it really has to be driven by what management wants, and then that has to filter down the management chain and compose a viable approach. Once those decisions have been made on how to approach the objectives, then you start talking to trade show companies that can execute that vision in a realistic manner: Do those designs, help source the materials. Obviously, it’s a collaborative effort. The client may bring materials or even have a designer on hand, but they might not have the skill to actually build something in their trade show space.

Newman: My natural next question is: If you have a company that’s tech-based that has determined that what might work for Keen isn’t going to work for them, what else can be done on the sustainability front? But let’s hold off and pick this back up in Part II.

In Parts II and III, we’ll discuss green trade show booth materials, sustainable packaging and graphic production and green face-to-face meetings (a fascinating topic that deserves more attention). You can learn much more from Tim Patterson in his two new e-books: “Twittering Your Way to Tradeshow Success” and “101 Rules of Tradeshow Marketing,” which are both available at http://tradeshowguyblog.com.

Tags: Booth design, going green, recycling, sustainability, trade show trends
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Going green at trade shows, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade shows & social media | 1 Comment »

Common Courtesy is King at Trade Shows

No trade show booth is an island.  You will always have neighbors, and they will be on every side of you.  And your relationship with those neighbors can make or break your trade show experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a 70×70 and they’re in a 10×10, they can still be a valuable ally or a mortal three-day enemy.

We’ve all seen or experienced booths playing “can you top this” with the volume knobs on their PA system. We’ve all seen or experienced presentations ruined by pyrotechnics, blaring rock and roll, or screams of “HEY !!  WHO WANTS TO WIN AN iPAD??”

If you do a trade show, it’s either happened to you or it will happen to you.  But whether you wage all-out war or have a peaceful and mutually beneficial negotiation is YOUR choice.

Waging Trade Show War

The situation: Day One of the Trade Show.  Your neighbor’s first presentation of the morning is deafening. The sales reps in your booth can’t have a conversation.  Something has to be done or it’s going to be a long three days.

Your response: Those jerks are too damn loud. I’m going straight to Show Management. They’ll come over with one of those dB meters and get those clowns to TURN IT DOWN.  If they don’t, I’ll just turn mine UP !

Their response: Oh yeah!? Well, TWO can play at that game. I’m going to keep my dBs right at the legal limit all day long. We’re going to do four … no SIX, 10 minute presentations an hour.  Yeah,  That’ll show ‘em.  Maybe throw in a little feedback to REALLY make their day.  By the end of this show, they’ll wish they never messed with me.

Conclusion: OK, this is obviously a lose-lose approach.  Not unlike making the decision to call the police instead of just asking your neighbor not to play their new Metallica box set at 2 in the morning. Use this “call the cops” approach at a trade show and the three days will be hell for both of you.

Peaceful Trade Show Negotiation

The situation: You’re at the Convention Center on the set-in day.  You’re rehearsing.  Running through your presentation.  Checking your sound system.  The guy at the next booth is doing the same.  And he’s got MUCH bigger speakers than you do.  So in the “volume knob wars,” you’re gonna go down.  What do you do?

Your response: Hey!  How’s it going?  Looks like we’re both going to be doing live shows here.  What kind of presentation are you doing? (Really listen.) Well, I’d like to introduce myself to see if we can coordinate our schedules so we’re not fighting each other for three days.  Are you presenting on the hour and the half hour?  Great.  What if I go at 15 and 45?  Just know that when I do have my presentations, there may be pretty big crowds and it might get kind of loud.  But, just know that if it DOES get too loud, you can give me a signal and I’ll turn it down.

In fact, since it looks like we’re not competitors, how about if I mention you guys at the end of the presentation and see if I can send some of that traffic your way?

Their response: Hmm.  Nice guy.  I should try to stay on schedule and make sure my volume doesn’t go to “11.”  I wonder, if I send some of my crowds to their booth, if I can score one of those cool blinky balls they’re giving away … or two …

Conclusion: Compromise. Wage Peace. Establish a relationship. I guarantee you, you’ll have a better show.  You’ll have more fun.  And you might just pick up some more business.

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

Tags: Booth staff, booth traffic, happy exhibitors, live presentations, negotiation
Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | 2 Comments »

Sex Sells … or Does it?

Hey Newman, I attended my first major trade show recently, and I have to say, it wasn’t exactly a “family-friendly” event.  Do these shows always have so much skin on display?” –Bob in New York

The year is 1985:  I’m presenting at one of my first trade shows: Comdex.  Strolling around the Sands Convention Center, I see more women falling out of their clothes than I’d seen at Caesar’s Palace the night before. I turn a corner and actually see one booth offering lap dances with women cooing high-tech features of products to highly “attentive” attendees.

But, of course, that was then and this is NOW, right?  We’ve progressed WAY beyond that kind of thing. (Insert ironic smirk, here.)

Several months ago, I attended a very large and respected annual event in Las Vegas. There were “stewardesses” in micro-miniskirts and skin-tight Spandex everywhere I looked. Attendees were getting whiplash walking from one booth to the next — and senior executives of some of the same companies exhibiting the questionable practices, were taking offense. (Senior executives of both sexes, mind you.) It became such a cause for concern that I understand Show Management will now be enforcing a booth staff dress code for future events.

This conduct is precisely why it can be so difficult to articulate the value of a legitimate, professional crowd gatherer to an exhibitor; they’re lumped in with all the rest of this “eye candy.”

As I have written about before, qualified, savvy crowd gatherers can be a huge help on the trade show floor. But these women and men are doing much more than selling sex and taking photos with attendees; they’re delivering a pitch, stratifying prospects and bringing target attendees to the booth staff capable of following up. It’s important, meaningful work.

All this sex appeal raises a very important question: What do these companies think they’re getting for their money? Sure, attendees are stopping by the booth for a “closer look,” but who are these people and what are they looking at? Sex sells … but what does it sell? What’s the takeaway? When calls are later made to follow up on these leads, the people picking up the phone aren’t real prospects. They just wanted a photo between two bikini-clad models. A guy in a suit might be less attractive, but he’s attracting serious prospects. And by that, I mean “serious” in demeanor and interest in your product.

Companies need to keep in mind that when they run their trade show presence like the Vegas strip, they don’t get the benefit of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” These attendees have smartphones with 5 megapixel cameras and 1080p video. Now it’s more like  “What happens in your booth is on YouTube in 30 seconds.” And if what’s happening there is not consistent with your company image, or potentially offensive, THAT can be some risky business.

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Tags: booth assistants, booth buzz, booth traffic, crowd gathering, trade show trends
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