Look In The Mirror: Is Your Trade Show Exhibit Inviting?
Your answers to these 11 questions will greatly improve your exhibit’s appearance and functionality
While walking a large trade show recently, I couldn’t help but notice that many exhibitors did not look their best. Why? Most exhibit managers are orchestrating all the details of the trade show and are preoccupied, making sure everything goes “without a hitch.” This is fully acceptable – after all, it’s a critical aspect of their job.
All I ask is that you do this at your next show: Immediately before the show starts, walk out in front of your booth and examine it with a critical eye. Look at yourself in the mirror, so to speak! You wouldn’t leave your home in the morning without looking your best so why start any trade show looking below-average?
Ask yourself these 11 questions about your trade show exhibit:
Upon immediate impression, is the exhibit attractive?
On a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being the most eye-catching exhibit at the show, how would I rate the exhibit?
Is the marketing message concise and is it cohesive with the company’s branding campaign?
At first glance, would I want to walk into the exhibit space? Why or why not?
Can attendees move freely within the exhibit space, or does it feel too cluttered?
Can the amount of items in the exhibit space be streamlined while maintaining space for essential items?
Can products be shown digitally as opposed to shipping actual samples to show?
How can technology be integrated into the exhibit effectively, supporting the goal of attracting and informing attendees?
What is the exhibit’s “coolness score” on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the coolest exhibit at the show?
If the exhibit is not a 10, what can you do to get to 10?
What ideas can be gathered from the booth staff regarding improvements to the exhibit?
Answer these 11 critical questions about how the exhibit really looks and functions and you will better tailor the exhibit’s marketing message to the branding campaign, make the exhibit more inviting to attendees and improve the overall trade show effectiveness!
Thanks to Chris Potelicki for helping out with this blog article!
Warning: these statistics are not real. They were not researched by a team of academics, presented in peer-reviewed articles, nor compiled from industry surveys. Instead, these trade show statistics were created in the deep recesses of my tainted imagination, which has long been held in thrall of the trade show world.
And yet, there is more than just a shadow of truth in these fictional face-to-face facts. Read on for the unexpected insights from these counterfeit exhibition statistics:
82% of U.S. booth staffers only speak one language
14% of booth staffers are wearing the wrong shoe size
11% of all booth staffers are in the bathroom at any time during show hours
7% of all trade show booth graphics are illegible
12% of all exhibits have a typo in their graphics
54% of exhibitors have not set a measurable goal
42% of exhibitors did not invite anyone to meet them at their booth
57% of exhibits are designed from the exhibitor’s perspective, rather than the attendee’s perspective
While 100% of exhibitors consider visuals, only 30% consider sounds, 25% consider touch, 12% consider smell, and 6% consider taste
10% of exhibit graphics portray products no longer sold by the exhibitor
24% of exhibitors rely on collecting attendees’ business cards, rather than using badge scanners or lead cards
41% of exhibitors do not have a formalized lead follow up plan
15% of booth staffers were hired by their company within only the past month
78% of trade show attendees subconsciously decide whether they will buy from an exhibitor within the first 10 seconds of entering their displays
55% of booth staffers truly listen before responding to attendees
2% of trade show attendees actually read every exhibit graphic in the hall
16% of exhibitors have the wrong size staples for their staplers
23% of exhibitors lose all their pens to attendees before the show ends
5% of trade show exhibitors and attendees meet their future spouse at a trade show
Do any of these statistics seem eerily true to you? Do they jibe with your own experience? Please let us know in the comments box below. Or, get creative and share some made-up trade show statistics of your own! And remember, “98% of all statistics are made up”!
If a picture tells a thousand words, then with 30 frames a second, a 1-minute YouTube video can tell 108,000 words!
No wonder marketers have harnessed the power of video to entice people to visit their trade show booths.
Let’s look at 10 examples of good pre-show, at-show, and post-show promotions posted on YouTube. We’ll see what they include in their videos to drive more booth traffic, and finish with some suggestions on other ways you can drive more viewers to your trade show promotional videos.
PRE-SHOW PROMO VIDEOS
These 5 videos were posted before the show date to show people why they should visit the exhibitor’s booth. You can click on the video pictures to launch the videos.
Ingersoll Rand Pre-Show Promo for PowerGen Show 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• The video looks extremely high-end to match their brand. Ingersoll Rand may have created it just for this show, but more likely (and inexpensively) they repurposed an existing video and just tacked on a few seconds at the end about visiting them at the show.
• Ingersoll Rand didn’t even put their name in the video title (“Visit Booth 2231 at Power-Gen International Show”); they instead started with their booth number and included the name of the show. The goal was to show up in the search results when attendees search on the show name.
Martin Racing Performance Pre-Show Promo for SEMA Show 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• Martin Racing Performance takes advantage of the super-low entry-level cost of video to quickly create a personable invitation: this was done right after set up in the booth.
• They show you what their booth looks like and where it is in the show hall so you will recognize it – and show you the cool bike that will be in their booth.
• They tell you what new and popular products they are launching at the show.
• The title repeats SEMA twice for better search engine results.
Flomo USA Pre-Show Promo for ASD Merchandise Show 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• To play off their company name FLOMO, they have two characters, Flo and Mo, who speak to the camera. They are probably employees of the company. They have a friendly, playful manner that is genuine and welcoming.
• Flo and Mo decorate their outfits with the kind of stuff you’ll be able to buy from them at the show, for the Mother’s Day, Graduation, and Back to School retail events.
• Flo and Mo tell you all the great things you can only get by visiting them in their booth: See lots of new products, get free pizza, free gifts, price drops, free iPod Touch giveaways, secret deals and promotions…they pile on reason after reason to visit their trade show exhibit.
• They include their company name and the show name in the video title, and end the video by telling you what booth they will be in at the show, and when and where the show is located.
• This video has been seen over 1,300 times. You know that helped them get more booth traffic!
• Flomo has done other, similar pre-show promotions.
Aerielle Technologies Pre-Show Promo for CES 2011
WHAT I LIKE:
• Very visual, creative, and to the point to tell the story of their product.
• Began the name of the video “CES 2011” which probably helped in search results, as the video has been viewed over 20,000 times!
• Finished video with “come visit us at booth 15116.”
Working Girls Design Pre-Show Promo for International Licensing Show 2011
WHAT I LIKE:
• Very inexpensive way to create a video. Uses a program that takes still images and creates a video by panning out or to the side. Music added to give more of a video feel.
• Shows their greeting card products that can be licensed for other uses.
• Name of show, booth number, company, and their artists in the title for better search results
AT-SHOW PROMO VIDEOS
These 2 videos were posted during the show to give attendees more incentive to visit the exhibitor’s booth. You can click on the video pictures to launch the videos. Some may have been posted after the event; in any case they are also valuable after the show because they capture the energy, excitement, and products shown at the show.
HP At-Show Promo at IPEX 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• IPEX is a 7 day show, once every 3 years. HP had 17 at-show videos, some posted by Day 1.
• Several of these HP IPEX videos (such as this one) look like a news show as one HP employee interviews another, who is a VP, about what is going on at the show.
• Large HP exhibit is their backdrop. The exhibit is filled with people and bustling energy.
• Company name, show name, and main industry keywords in the video title good for search results
• These videos work well both as at-show promos (come see us, we are worth it) and post-show promos (contact us, we have great new stuff we introduced at the show).
Océ At-Show Promo at IPEX 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• Not to be outdone by HP, Océ had 47 videos associated with IPEX 2010. They had interviews with key execs, overviews of their booth, even of their booth’s “chill and chat” area.
• This video is an interview with a client who just signed a deal with Océ about why he bought, and the client gives three good reasons – essentially selling for the exhibitor!
• This also becomes a great post-show video testimonial.
POST-SHOW PROMO VIDEOS
These 3 post-show promotional videos take video shot in the booth during the show to help capture the excitement and news shared, and then package it as a powerful marketing tool after the show.
Matrix Fitness Post-Show Promotion after IHRSA 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• Very professionally done video that captures the energy and excitement of their booth on the show floor.
• Several new products launched at the show are profiled in the video, by showing the product in action, talking with people from Matrix, and with users who are giddy about the new exercise machines.
• Matrix uses Skyline exhibits in their booth (it’s the backdrop during the LIVESTRONG segment)!
Electric Violin Shop Post-Show Promotion after the 2009 North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference
WHAT I LIKE:
• Show people having fun with their product, letting their booth attendees do the demo.
• Tagged the products on the video so you know what products visitors were playing.
• Three violinists jamming on Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.”
Ashbury Precision Ordnance (APO)Post-Show Promotion after SHOT Show 2010
WHAT I LIKE:
• Show and name lots and lots of their products, both pictured in the booth and still photos
• “Shot Show Recap 2010” good for search rankings…they’ve had over 2,500 views
Best Practices For Your Next Trade Show Promotional Video
After reviewing these and other videos, here are 8 best practices for video trade show promotions:
1. Match the video’s level of professionalism to the brand – from casual to corporate
2. For pre-show promotions, upload the video ahead of the show to you can promote it in several ways
3. Quickly create and upload an at-show video for energetic at-show promotions
4. Post-show videos portray the new products, news, and excitement that was in your booth
5. Include the show’s name, your company name, and booth number in the title for SEO purposes
6. Show your new products you will introduce at the show
7. Show the benefits of partnering with you
8. Entice visitors with at-show gifts, giveaways, contests, discounts, and prizes
Getting More Viewers…and thus Booth Visitors
Many who post a video on YouTube hope that it will go viral: viewers like it so much they tell their friends, who tell their friends, who tell their friends, until a firestorm of viewers bring down the computer servers. Yet that outcome is extremely unlikely.
So if your video is not going viral on its own, how can you drive more traffic to it, and thus more traffic to your trade show booth? By:
• Emailing video links to pre-registered attendees to your shows
• Embedding the video into pages on your website, facebook page, or blogs
• Make video keyword-rich for Google or YouTube searches
• Printing shortened video links or QR codes for the video in ads or letters aimed at potential show attendees
Have you used YouTube to promote your trade show exhibit? Tell us what you did and how it worked in the comments box below.
Learning about social media like YouTube is one way exhibit marketers like you have changed their jobs. Learn more by getting your own copy of The Evolving Role Of Exhibit Marketers, the new 36-page White Paper from Skyline Exhibits and Tradeshow Week Magazine. Get your free copy by clicking here now
December 28, 2010 | Reggie Lyons | Skyline Trade Show Tips
You’ve got a tremendous investment, not only in money, but also time and hopefully training in marketing your business at trade shows. Don’t get in the way of your own success!
Here are the 10 mistakes I see exhibitors make again and again:
1) Underselling your company with bad graphics: All too often I’ve seen companies represent themselves at trade shows with a patchwork of a “display.” I’ve seen vinyl banners wrapped around foam board, dented or dinged up displays, and a variety of hodgepodge displays. Represent your company in the best light possible. A less-than-professional appearance does not give your prospect confidence in you or your products and services. This type of display will send prospects running to the competition.
2) Putting way too much text on your display: You’ve got literally seconds to get someone’s attention as they stroll around the show floor. No one will stop to read a lot of text. Please understand that you cannot tell your entire company story on your tradeshow display.
3) Not promoting your presence at trade shows: So you’ve got a great looking booth and you all ready to go. So where is everyone? Why don’t you have any traffic coming into your booth? What have you done to promote your presence at the show? Let your clients and prospects know about your trade show appearances by using an e-newsletter and social media. Plan the launch of a new product/service around a show to create a buzz. Send invites directly to those prospects that you may not have connected with in the past.
4) Not training your booth staff and discussing proper expectations: So your booth staffers are sitting down instead of engaging with prospects. Are they more concerned with playing games, texting, or chatting away while prospects stroll right by your booth? Make sure you set the proper expectations before the show. Don’t make the assumption that because you have professional sales people they will understand the nuances of how to work in a trade show environment. Staff your booth with people who are as good or better than you!
5) Not listening to your prospects needs: Don’t be so excited to get your message across and sell your product that you miss out on important info about your clients needs. Also, be sure to be aware of body language and pick up any visual cues that may help you understand your clients’ needs even better. Take advantage of everything that a face-to-face interaction has to offer.
6) Depending on a fishbowl to bring in qualified leads: Lose the fishbowl! Is this type of giveaway really giving you the qualified leads you are seeking? Be an expert provider of solutions and you don’t necessarily need a generic giveaway contest to drive traffic to your booth.
7) Hauling too much literature to your booth: Most of the literature handed out at trade shows doesn’t make it past the garbage can in your prospects’ hotel room. Instead, write “Show Sample” on a copy of your literature to display at the show, and then get your prospect’s contact info to email or mail the info to them after the show. It will also save you the expense of shipping your heavy literature around. This gives you a great call to action to follow up with your prospect after the show. Explore technology to get information in your prospects hands. QR codes and mobile marketing platforms are great ways to do this.
8) Not planning for trade show success: We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan! In talking to clients who haven’t seen the results they were expecting, this is something that is very prevalent. If you don’t have a good plan in place you won’t be able to show an ROI to justify future shows and all you’ve really done is waste a lot of time and money. Discuss timelines with your trade show marketing consultant, get feedback from industry peers, do your homework.
9) Not informing your exhibit service partner: Make sure that the service/I&D crews handling the logistics of your booth understand what’s going on with your booth. Get them a lists of shows for the year so that your booth gets from one show to the next, deciding which shows you have time to ship to the advanced warehouse and which events you may have to ship direct to the show. Discuss any unique items such as products in the booth, monitors, height limitations, etc.
10) Not following up on leads: Though is seems like a no-brainer, you need to make sure that your leads are called on in a timely fashion. Discuss next steps, quoting, future meetings, and provide any additional information they need. It’s time to deliver on the promises and the expectations that you have set at the show.
Mistakes of course are common and learning from them is the key. What mistakes have you made as an exhibitor or have you seen that can help your peers? Share with us in the comment box below.
Hidden rules govern almost every area of our lives. They guide our behavior and expectations, yet are rarely written down for us in neat little books.
For example, there’s the 5 Second Rule: When a piece of food falls on the floor, you can eat it if you pick it up within five seconds. There’s the High Heel Rule: if a woman is taller than her date, she is less likely to wear high heels. And there’s the Full Moon Rule: On days with a full moon, there are more crimes committed and babies born.
Uncover the 18 Hidden Rules of Trade Shows
Trade shows also are governed by similarly hidden, yet immutable rules. You may have already run up against them without realizing it, or discovered them through arduous experience. Since forewarned is forearmed, here are 18 hidden rules of trade shows:
The more words you put on your trade show display, the fewer times they will be read.
The larger the crowd of people already in your booth, the more other people will want to visit your booth.
The person who complains the most about the value of trade shows is usually the one who knows (and tries) the least.
The more fun trade show attendees have in your booth during the show, the more serious business you will do after the show.
The effort each booth staffer puts forth increases as the distance between them and their boss decreases.
Your best booth staffers are usually the ones who talk the least and listen the most.
The longer a booth staffer stretches out their break, the fewer leads they will take when they are actually staffing the booth.
The colors of your trade show display will likely be determined by: 1. your brand colors, or 2. the latest design trends or 3. your company president’s spouse.
The length of time to design your exhibit expands exponentially with the number of decision makers involved.
The greater the distance a visitor has traveled to attend a trade show, the higher the level of hospitality you should provide.
Carpet belongs on the floor of your trade show booth, not on the display backwall.
The better-looking the booth staffer’s shoes, the more likely the staffer will complain about sore feet.
The more years you exhibit at the same show, the more you will have repeat customers visit you in your booth.
The more the trade show leads holder looks like a trash can, the more likely your booth captain will end up screaming.
The bigger the main visual image on your trade show exhibit, the clearer people will understand your message.
The older your trade show display, the less innovative your booth visitors will perceive your company.
The more aisle space bordering your booth, the more opportunities your staffers have to engage with attendees.
The faster you follow up your trade show leads, the greater the sales you will generate from that show.
Now that these hidden rules have been revealed to you, may you enter your next show hall with the open eyes of a seasoned exhibitor. And if you’ve discovered your own hidden rules of trade shows, please, please, please share them with us in the comment box below. There’s no rule against it!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
“Put That Coffee Down!” – 5 Ways To Fire Up Your Booth Staff
“Coffee’s for closers only.” If you’ve seen the movie Glengarry Glenn Ross, you certainly remember a foul-mouthed Alec Baldwin who plays Blake in the film, barking at Shelley, portrayed by Jack Lemmon. Blake is a tough talking sales leader brought in to motivate the group to close sales, who goes on to announce that for this month’s sales contest 1st prize is a Cadillac Eldorado, 2nd prize is a set of steak knives, and 3rd prize is you’re fired!
Blake’s technique probably a bit extreme and definitely inflammatory for the trade show floor but how do you convey your expectations and motivate your booth staff?
Set Expectations. Meet with your staff prior to your trade show and clearly define their roles. Make sure they understand the investment your company has made in participating in the show including the expense of travel & lodging involved. Discuss your expectations in terms of gaining new leads and closing sales. Get everyone on the same page for a rating system for your leads to help everyone understand where the leads are in the pipeline. Set goals with your staff and get their commitment to reach these goals. Cover housekeeping rules such as being on time, on your feet, not eating in the booth, and the use of personal mobile phones in the booth. If mobile marketing is part of your show promotions this may be acceptable but obviously this is not the time for personal business. It is an exciting and fun time but it’s definitely not a vacation!
Role Play. Role play with your team techniques for engaging prospects on the show floor. Use role play to not only discuss how you will handle your qualified leads, but also how you will move those along who are not a good fit. Make the role play fun and lighthearted to relax anyone’s inhibitions about being on the spot in front of their peers. It’s always better to get those fumbles out in front of your peers and discuss how to answer those objections than to be in an odd situation in front of a prospect. This is great for teambuilding and getting everyone on the same page.
Prizes. Create a sales contest for closed sales or leads gained. Ok, maybe not a Cadillac or set of steak knives but something that will get your reps attention and keep them focused on your goals for the show. It could be a gift card to a nice restaurant or retailer, a paid day off, or maybe a round of golf! You can have a winner for each day and/or an overall winner for the entire show. Creating competition amongst your staff to drive results is an excellent way to motivate the team.
Tell Who Gets The Leads. Address the distribution of leads after the show. Make sure you are up front with your crew about how leads will be allocated. Whether it’s based on their performance at the show or some other metrics make sure everyone is clear so there is no dissension amongst the ranks.
Demonstrate Accountability. Check with your team on how your new prospects are moving through the pipeline. Don’t micromanage but let them know that you’re there to lend your expertise to help move them from prospect to client!
What are some of the techniques you’ve used to get the most out of your trade show booth staff? Share your comments on booth staffing in the comments area below.
Learn more ways to motivate your booth staffers to higher performance. Click here to get your free copy of the 48-page Booth Staffing Guidebook, filled with useful articles, checklists, and worksheets.
