Written by Ken Newman on 17 November 2010
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 »
Written by Ken Newman on 05 March 2010
Supercomm is no more. If you’re curious what that means for the trade show industry, be sure to read Part I on this topic. Today’s subject is the Top 5 Ways Show Sponsors Can Host a Successful Trade Show — and not have it become the next Supercomm or Comdex.
1. Treat your trade show like any other business. To succeed, a trade show needs to be well managed and cost effective. When a trade show goes under, the first assumption seems to be “there goes the industry.” That’s simply not the case. Shows die because they’re poorly organized, poorly promoted and poorly attended. Well-run shows are doing just fine.
In fact, some trade shows are exceptionally well organized. The timing is right. They host a two-hour cocktail reception on the first day so attendees can get a feel for everything without having to rush around. Visitors know they still have three more days to explore, so they can enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and socialize with friends and business associates. The trade show days have reasonable hours and there’s an absolute minimum of conflicting events.
It’s all the little things being done well that make for a successful show. The devil’s in the details, and that’s how many trade shows miss the mark. It’s about the quality of the experience for both the attendee and exhibitor.
2. Keep your exhibitors happy! Don’t schedule a rock-star CEO’s keynote during Prime Exhibit Hours. Exhibitors don’t appreciate sitting around in a ghost town — especially when with a little thought (and better timing) that keynote could infuse the trade show hall with more life and energy. In fact, here’s a radical idea: Why not schedule hours when the exhibit hall is open and NOTHING ELSE is going on: No general sessions. No eating sessions. No keynotes. No salsa lessons. Nada!
Thoughtfully limit the number of announcements that come over the exhibit hall’s PA system. Every announcement interrupts presentations and follow-up conversations, and an interruption by its very definition stops progress. Think about that.
While I’m on the subject, don’t schedule a wonderfully catered luxury luncheon somewhere else! Schedule a wonderfully catered luncheon at the venue and keep the leads inside the trade show hall. Exhibitors are paying a substantial sum for their trade show booths. Their investment needs to be worthwhile.
3. Publicize. A trade show is not a single event; it’s a process. You have to advertise and promote the same way you would launch a new product or garner buzz for a new downtown restaurant. Ask yourself, “What more can I do?” Opening night needs to come together and impress, as if there was a critic scribbling on a notepad somewhere in the room who was going to make or break your whole future with that one review. Make sure there’s ample staffing and ample direction. If you have one bad day, that’s a third of the trade show! Three bad days and it’s lights out.
4. Create the proper infrastructure. The hall needs to be set up in a way that’s easy for people to register, get in and get around. Think about the lines. Think about the traffic flow. And think about how much you enjoyed the last time you couldn’t find your car in a parking garage. A LOT of trade show attendees have this experience trying to find booths at some of the bigger shows. At one of the more popular Las Vegas events last year, I saw countless attendees wandering around clutching maps and looking like kids lost at Disneyland.
5. Make sure there is adequate signage. At a recent trade show in San Francisco, many exhibitors complained that traffic seemed to be a lot lighter even though attendance was actually up. Why? Turns out that a good number of attendees had no idea there were exhibits on the other side of the Hall! This could’ve easily been avoided by using little colored footprint decals on the floor leading the attendees to and from both sides of the event. When in doubt, add more signage, more guides and more information kiosks.
When attendees and exhibitors alike have an easy and enjoyable experience, they’ll come back. Overlook the little things, and you might be the next news headline.
Next week, we’ll return to the usual Q&A format, so click the big “?” in the blog banner and submit your itching trade show question or concern. This blog is for you, and your topic might just be the subject of the next post.
Tags: booth traffic, happy exhibitors, publicity, signage, trade show opportunities
Posted in Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | 4 Comments »
