Why do companies exhibit?

It is surprising the number of people that do not actually consider this. There are numerous reasons for a company to exhibit, so before investing time and money make sure clear objectives are set. The reasons for attending an exhibition will have a dramatic effect on the exhibition stand size, design, layout, position within the hall and final budget.

Reasons may include:-
To sell a product from the stand.
To find distributors or resellers.
To meet new clients.
To meet existing clients.
To make appointments in the future.
To give out samples.
To increase brand awareness.
To find potential investors.
To launch a new product.
To conduct market research.


What are the exhibition objectives?

Having decided on the reasons to exhibit the next step is to set out clear objectives.

They may be:-
To sell 100 products during the show.
To find 100 distributors or resellers.
To make 100 demonstrations.
To present your services to 100 attendees.
To meet 100 new clients.
To meet 100 existing clients.
To make 100 appointments in the future.
To give out 100 samples.
To give out 100 marketing packs.
To get marketing feed back from 100 potential clients.

Exhibition Return on Investment

Planning and attending an exhibition can be a very expensive exercise so accurate calculations must be made before the event to ensure the appropriate return on the investment can be made. If exhibition budget levels are not controlled, costs can spiral and reduce the return on investment (ROI) to zero.

Working with an experienced exhibition management company to develop a comprehensive brief and subsequent design, can help reduce the risks. While dedicated project management, throughout the process, can ensure costs are identified and monitored.


Planning the budget/targets

An exhibition budget plan could look something like this.

Costs
Exhibition space Rs.100000
Exhibition stand Rs.150000
Exhibition graphics Rs.10000
Brochures, handouts and giveaways Rs.10000
Hotels and expenses Rs.5000

Exhibition Targets

A good way of keeping to exhibition budget is to set targets. These could be broken down into the number of sales per day or profit required per day. Whatever the targets set, they must be achievable. Balancing target against plan may necessitate a budget review or even question the decision to exhibit at all

Capturing attention at exhibitions

As with most forms of advertising, exhibition trade stands only provide a few initial seconds to capture attention. They won't read the small print if the headline doesn't grab them! That headline could be written, could be your arrangement of stock, could be your smiling face. If you exhibit, how clear are your messages? How easy is it for your potential clients to recognise they need you NOW? Most people wander around these events with a slightly glazed look, and only engage with a small percentage of stall holders. They are looking for their own key triggers. When you offer yours clearly you will entice far more pre-qualified customers within reach of your engaging talk and delightful experiences.

Am I an expert on this - NO! But I finally got the message this week. I finally understood the one simple principle of successful exhibiting to the general public.

I spent Saturday as an exhibitor at a small Mind, Body, Spirit festival in my suburb of Andheri. Having attended a number of these events in the past without great results I wasn't particularly keen to go. I felt a 'should' with attendant resentment about it - it's local, I should support it; the organisers are nice people,.

Drifting off to sleep the night before I had a moment's clarity - visitors to these events often asked me 'what are you doing here?' and I had an unhelpful tendency to tell them about me! Stupid, or what? This time, instead of telling them the vast range of my therapeutic skills (hypnosis, Reiki, EFT, NLP, Buteyko - you're already nodding off aren't you?) I picked something key to offer then and there.

Yes, a flash of the blindingly obvious. For me, offering a FREE breathing assessment meant that their questions were simple and clear "what do I have to do to be assessed?" or "why should I do this?" Questions I could answer by giving them useful concepts and a practical experience that engaged them on the spot.

Unlike my usual experience of people ignoring me much of the time (but I put up posters about so many things - surely one of them would get their attention?!) at least 90% of the day was spent engaged with potential clients, friends of potential clients, and frequently several members of a family of potential clients all checking out their breathing. Almost all of whom recognised that they needed help - I didn't need to solicit business directly! Hooray!

When you exhibit are you offering something that will attract the right people to you - NOW? Not necessarily offering what you know they need, but something that they might already want. You're the expert on your own business. Remember that potential clients don't yet realise how great their experience of working with you will be and give them a chance to find out!

If you're interested in a FREE breathing assessment of your own, phone or email me and I will either arrange for a personal assessment session or send you a comprehensive self-assessment process.

Are You Outstanding At Exhibitions

Why do we go to exhibitions is a question that can be asked by visitors and stand holders alike. In fact the answers from both sides are not as clear as they should be and indeed after the visit or taking up of a stand, the question could be why did I go?

Apart from the time and expense involved the visitor should have started out knowing what the objectives of the visit are e.g. to catch up on the latest trends or technology, to see an intended purchase before buying, to attend a talk or workshop or just to network and meet people in the trade.

From the other side of the fence the stand holder should be asking themselves some pretty important questions not only regarding there own reasons for going but how to attract the vast potential market to their stand.

Some of the answers I have come across just by asking stand holders why they were at the exhibition would make you cringe. "We thought we would give it a try." "This is a big and well known exhibition and we thought this is the place to be seen." These are just two of many which showed no real thought had been given to why the company was there.

The sort of questions that should have been asked before even booking a stand are What are the aims or goals of going to the exhibition that will benefit us? How are we going to attract people to our stand? What are we offering at this exhibition,? How are we going to provide information - brochures, talks, video presentations etc, how are we going to attract people to the stand? How many people are going to man the stand? How much can we afford to spend on this exhibition? Is it worth spending so much? Are there better ways we can spend our money on to get the same or better returns?

So you have decided to go ahead and book your stand and you turn up and decorate it as well as you can with your posters, video monitor, brochures, pop up displays,
chairs and tables, balloons and maybe even a potted plant or two.

If you are not laying on drinks or coffee for visiting guests I would strongly suggest you take some bottled water with you as you can become quite dehydrated.

You are now set up and then the announcement comes the doors are open to visitors. Then what?

Gradually the wave of visitors filtrate towards you and the pantomime begins with the inexperienced stand holder.

With an inane smile you say "hello, can I "swipe" you" and before they can utter a word you have grabbed their lapel and swiped a badge. Well that is one name for the file. That assault done the victim is released to fly on or browse your stand or worse still others.

There are usually two methods of "getting" people - the person on the stand approaches the person and deals with them themselves. The second method is the pass-on method. You get the front liners of your stand to get the person to come onto the stand and after a few preliminaries you introduce the visitor to the "expert" who knows all about the person's problem.

One aspect that many exhibitors overlook is that besides getting names and addresses, exhibitions are an ideal information gathering place.

Time and time again I have seen exhibitors lose opportunities to get information. Remember information is money why waste this opportunity.

We have all seen it and done it as a visitor. We wander casually pass the stand holder, in many cases because we have no interest in what they are doing or perhaps out of courtesy smile and decline the leaflet or brochure thrust in our faces.

Although these visitors have no interest in your product or service, how much better is it to ask them if they could spare a few minutes to find out about their problem areas and perhaps ways in which you could help them.

I should point out at this stage to anyone who mans an exhibition stand that once you set foot on your stand it does not suddenly become an island surrounded by hungry sharks. Get off that stand and get to your visitors. You are not marooned on an island.

If you are manning a stand there are certain no,no's One of the worst is talking on a mobile whilst "on duty." This is particularly bad if the stand is manned by only one or two people. I have personally hung around one stand for 15 minutes just to see how long the one man stand exhibitor would stay on line. I noticed many people just give up and walk away and who could blame them?

If you are going to use the mobile use it away from the site or at the very least be out of sight.

Another no, no is going into long conversations with fellow stand holders. Remember you are trying to make your stand worth the money so go and talk to the visitors not your mates.

When it time for tea break, lunch break etc then try and have your drink and food off the stand. Go into the exhibitor area or the many café's around.

Generally visitors to exhibitions expect to pick up freebies and a lot of thought has to be given to this aspect if it is to be worthwhile.

These freebies can range from a bowl of sweets, key rings, pens, stress balls, cameras etc. The idea, is of course, to attract people to your stand but you can't be everywhere at once manning a stand and so you are going to get a lot of "snatchers," who dive in grab a sweet, pen or whatever and disappear into the crowd. O.K. you have lost a possible customer but how much better if you have your name and contact details on the freebie and the longer you can get that "snatcher" to keep your freebie the better. So look for freebies which are likely to stay with a person for a time like a mouse mat, perhaps a small cute looking toy cat with a scarf with your firms name and telephone number on it, maybe even the products that are produced, a ruler or a digital plastic clock.

There are plenty of firms who advertise their freebie wares so it is worth getting a catalogue or two. You might even find it worth going to the Incentive Fairs held in Birmingham.

Gimmicks to attract people to stands are not new and it might be found useful to attract people to your stand using them.

These take many forms from attractive promo girls, people dressed up in costumes, to people going round the exhibition handing out invitations to parties, dinners and the like, to draws with entry via the posting of ones business cards.

One attraction to stands which is quite new is to have a complementary therapist on the stand.

This attraction has quite a few benefits. Firstly people can get a refreshing treatment. Secondly it is in full sight of the visitors and people stop to watch and also wait a turn. This gives the salesmen ample time to get round those waiting and onlooking to give their sales pitch or gather further information.

Thirdly your own stall people can benefit from treatment to keep them refreshed. It gives a much better impression to visitors if they see bright looking exhibitors instead of wilting flowers.

Finally the announcement comes that the exhibition is now closed.

Is that the end until the next time? It is, if you are an inexperienced exhibiter, however, the more experienced exhibiters will make out an exhibition report with full details. This will include the cost of the stand, the accommodation, and all other expenses.

There will be full details of the exhibition stand, contacts at the exhibition hall, notes on whether the aims and objectives were met, the results of follow ups, any press write-ups, a full list of what had been taken along and what should be taken along the next time if the exhibition was found to be successful.

There should be a written write up on the whole experience noting good and bad points.

It is only then that one can put the project to bed knowing that you have a reliable reference for the next exhibition.

Exhibition Key Concepts

An exhibition may be broadly defined as a trade fair where various companies can showcase and demonstrate their newly launched and existing products in order to highlight their positive features to prospective customers. In an age where how well a product is marketed and campaigned about largely determines its commercial success, exhibitions are some of the major ways manufacturers and dealers can extensively market about their newly launched products. Unlike retail shops where products can be demonstrated only to a limited number of customers and prospective clients, since in an exhibition people from different regions all around a center come to view the products the number of visitors checking a company's products is significantly higher.

In today's corporate world of cut-throat competition, having a cutting edge over competitors within the same field is one of the most important tasks for a company to achieve. In an exhibition since numerous companies come together in order to market their products, designing and presenting resources and products in a unique, individual way in order to attract the attention of prospective clients is one of the major jobs before a company. Apart from manufacturing products marked with their own unique selling points (USP), they have to be presented at a trade fair in a manner most likely to catch the consumer's eyes. For this reason, right from the basic structure of their exhibition stands to the smallest details of the interiors a company has to establish its stand in a unique way. While some companies assign their own creative departments to look into these designing matters, others often hire professional architects and interior designers for setting up their exhibition stands.

Interior designers dealing with setting up of exhibition stands usually operate in a series of successive steps. Once the basic design of an exhibition stand is decided upon, the infrastructure is set up in such a way that basic features like electric and water lines as well as safety measures and emergency exits are securely implemented. Workers then construct the outer structure out of the desired materials. Keeping the presentation factor in mind features like layout, shape, form and overall appearance are given primary importance while designing and setting up an exhibition stand. In order to attract the potential clientele some companies ask their architects and interior designers to implement various graphics and audio-visual features in their exhibition stands, others use various lighting schemes in order to create the desired atmosphere and interior environment. Companies may also opt for making proper arrangements for their customers to sit and relax and also arrange for various hot and cold beverages to be offered to their visiting clientele.

In order to make construction and other arrangement-making processes an easier job, many companies today like to buy ready-made exhibition set-up schemes directly from service providers. From carpets and walls to lightings and power points most of these packages include a large number of features. Although these packages make construction and set up of exhibition stands an overall easier job, since they are available ready-made at the market they can be accessed by a large number of companies at the same time. This not only loses the individual touch from a company's exhibition stand get-up but also by making it no different from numerous others around, it loses the power of attracting prospective customers.

With the current trends where individuality matters most and caters best, the best bet for a company wanting to make its mark would be to employ professional designers for designing the structure and get-up of its exhibition stand. Most exhibition contractors, today, operate via small teams of interior designers who, once a project is explained to them, step by step implement all the details until the exact requirement is met. A company should first analyze its own unique motives and goals and based on these fundamental factors should design a plan with the help of exhibition contractors and designers. The basic layout of the whole project should be designed in such a way that the company's individual goals are well met and simultaneously products are presented in a way best suiting the customers' requirements. Whereas, some companies opt for building double-storey stand structures for better overall view, others prefer to keep theirs single storey.

As in other business dealings, in designing, structuring and carrying out an exhibition also the company should focus on simultaneously satisfying their customers and maximizing their financial profits and goodwill. Keeping all these factors in mind, deals should be settled with exhibition contractors for designing a company's exhibition stands.

Once the specific requirements of a company are given, most exhibition contractors today, implement their programs by means of a large number of equipments and facilities. From designing the primary layout drawings and digitally preparing 3D CAD visualizations in full colors to detailing all the lighting, graphics and finishing touches exhibition contractors go about implementing their works in a series of meticulous steps. From constructing stands out of quality materials licensed by local regulations to installing fully functioning electric, telephone, internet, fax, water and waste lines, all necessary works are performed by exhibition contractors by their extremely efficient installation teams.

Exhibition Contractors Behind Companies Wealth

Think of exhibition contractors and what comes to mind? A completely boring job, done by boring people in a boring environment? Well, think again. The job of an exhibition contractor is one that is ever evolving. Every day is filled with diverse challenges to overcome.

It's never about creating one type of display that can be used in all applications. Every single item on the market will find a niche at one exhibition or trade fair or another. Every single contributor to these exhibitions wants their goods displayed to the optimum. Everybody wants their product to look better than their competitors.

With the right display created by an exhibition contractor this could mean the difference between sales that take the company towards their first million or, at the other end of the scale, actually causing a loss of profits.

Attend any show or trade fair and which stands are you attracted to mostly; the ones that are well laid out and well lit, the ones where you can see exactly what's on offer in a smart surrounding that is not over fussy or bland.

There are so many different types of shows that need to be catered for and this is why the job of the exhibition contractor is an ever changing one.

Currently on display in Australia is the home made armour that reportedly belonged to Ned Kelly, notorious outlaw of the last century. This would require a whole different kind of support system compared to an exhibition of bones, such as the one taking place in the UK currently.

An exhibition contractor could have great fun organising stands that would effectively display the wares of wedding designers. It surely can't be that difficult to make all that lace, taffeta and silk look attractive!

But maybe an exhibition displaying the latest health and safety devices would be a more challenging quest. These need to be much more functional and less fussy and thus require a completely different mindset.

A show to sell garden equipment would need a much more diverse approach than one that was displaying Ferraris or Volkswagens. Ok, so cars don't need to go on a stand the same way that a hobby crafts would but they still need backing and information points that need effective thinking and planning.

When you think of the typical exhibition, it's easy to reach straight for the Ideal Home show. Exhibits of home wares and innovations abound and soft lighting and comfortable surroundings mean the visitor can easily see themselves at home surrounded by these objects.

However, what about a show for the medical professions? New technologies in dentistry tools or surgical equipment may be of no interest to us but to someone else, these things are their livelihood.

Marine science may well be an interesting exhibition to see, and display, but the exhibition contractors may have a more difficult time making the dive show look interesting. It's all very well having colossal pictures of brightly coloured fish but what do you do with the stall that is trying to sell the wetsuits, the buoyancy control devices or the weights?

Not much thought is given over to the displays when visitors attend these shows but exhibition contractors and participants know it makes the difference between success and failure.

Exhibition Stand Management

The research is done. The exhibition has been chosen. The objectives are clear and stand management becomes top priority. A great deal of time and effort has been spent in getting this far, but the readiness of the staff manning the stand and their level of training, can make or break the event. They need to know:-

* What is expected of them, what are their daily targets?
* How the stand ‘works’ and what areas of it, they will be covering
* How are enquires taken, what information to collect and what to do with it.
* Who is responsible for the marketing collateral?
* What VIP visitors to look out for.

Do not neglect this area, it is the single most important part of exhibiting.

Pre exhibition Marketing

Don’t just rely on the organisers to attract visitors.

* be proactive with pre show mailers, advertising, promotions and give aways.
* take advantage of any press release opportunities offered by the show or relevant trade publications.
* consider sponsoring the event or putting advertising material in and around the venue.
* try adding an events section on your website, giving details of the show with stand number and news of what visitors can expect to see.

If the budget can stretch to accommodate these types of activities and their effectiveness can be measured, then pre exhibition marketing can go along way to ensuring you have a successful event.
Managing the leads


Please remember one of the main purposes of exhibiting at any exhibition is to obtain leads. These should be collected efficiently either by using a simple enquiry pad, or an electronic bar coder. Whatever method is chosen, ensure all the details regarding the client’s interests, are captured.

This information will allow a personalised letter to be sent, after the show, reiterating what was discussed, and maximising the contact made.

Designing effective trade show exhibits

Want to position yourself in the foremost part of the visitor's mind so that they see no suitable substitute for you?

The focus of the design is the customer, not you. Capture their attention.

• Understand the exhibit's function
• Attract attention
• Prioritize impressions
• Establish a mood
• Inform or pre-qualify prospects
• Provoke useful questions
• Create lasting impressions
• Use the exhibit as a communication tool
• What does it communicate in three seconds?
• Visualize - What kind of image do you want to convey?
• Define - What are you trying to accomplish?
• Identity - Which exhibit sizes are right for you?
• Optimize - How can you stretch your budget?
• Graphics - The magnet that attracts visitors to your exhibit. Who are you?
• What is your offer?
• What is your product?

7 Big Hairy Exhibit Design Questions

In designing an exhibit that fits your needs, you have to ask a lot of questions. Here are 7 essential questions – and why they matter.

1. What kind of image do you want to convey?
Your exhibit conveys your company’s personality - worthwhile because it creates an emotional reaction with your customers, and people buy for emotional reasons. The shapes, materials, surface treatments, colors, images, and even typography you choose help convey your company image. A company that wants a high-tech, innovative look will end up with a completely different exhibit than one that seeks a professional, established image.

2. What are you trying to accomplish?
Believe it or not, your objectives can dictate the actual shape of your exhibit. If you want to generate a lot of leads, you need an open, inviting space that allows easy entry for attendees and open sightlines for booth staffers. On the other hand, if you’re looking to build relationships with a select number of key individuals, then you need an exhibit with conference rooms where you can spend quality time closing sales. Two different objectives, two radically different exhibit designs. Exhibitors that want to build their image tend to go for bigger graphic images and larger architectural elements to create a bigger impression.

3. What booth sizes are right for you?
Many companies use several booth sizes - island exhibits for their national shows, and then inline exhibits for their regional or vertical market shows. With foresight and planning, exhibitors can design one large exhibit that can be reconfigured for their smaller booth spaces. Not only do they save money by not having to purchase multiple exhibit properties, but they also present a more consistent look at all their shows.

4. How can you stretch your exhibiting budget?
Everyone wants the Taj Mahal. Yet everyone must come up with a justifiable budget. Balancing those needs is the goal of every exhibit designer. Skyline uses its compact, lightweight exhibit materials to deliver an effective exhibit that still saves clients thousands of dollars in operating costs compared to traditional custom exhibits. For some exhibitors who need to preserve capital or only exhibit in a big space once a year, rental exhibits help maximize the budget. And reconfigurable components let exhibitors create many exhibits from one.

5. What matters to your target audience?
Answer this question, then make sure that’s what you’re showing on your exhibit. You’ll get to what matters by determining the benefits your clients are seeking and then what your key advantages are. It can take a lot of discussion to arrive at this, starting with what your products are, moving to their features, then the benefits of these features, until you distill the message down to the key benefits that drive your buyers’ purchasing decisions.

6. What message do you want your visitors to get in the first three seconds? And what do you want them to remember after visiting your booth?
Do you want them to remember your new products? Your competitive advantage? Or your company’s brand image? Keep it simple. Designers who are used to creating brochures or ads have a tendency to overload exhibit graphics with way too much information to be effective in a trade show exhibit. Think billboard, not bulletin board. It’s better to go for impact -- less is definitely more in trade show exhibit copy.

7. What functional needs do you have?
In creating an exhibit, you’re also creating a temporary workspace for your booth staffers. What are their needs? You may need to create areas for demos, presentations, conferences, and storage. And still balance that with your need to create an accessible exhibit with graphic messages.

Space Selection

The average trade show has over 400 exhibitors, so how do you choose the best booth space for you? Most shows give space-picking priority to the exhibitors who have been with them the longest. Yet some studies have found that where you are in the show hall has no effect on the amount of audience you receive to your booth. For every veteran exhibitor that requires a space in the center of the action, or at the front entrance to the hall, or near their biggest competitor, there are veteran exhibitors who flee from the same locations. All the same, the size of your booth space is a very important decision, where you must weigh the need to stand out from your competitors with a large booth, and yet having enough budget to exhibit at all the worthwhile shows for your company.

On trade show selection

Evaluating your show schedule for next year? There are many strategies for doing this.

Perhaps the least complicated is simply picking up the phone and calling your top 10 clients and asking which shows they will attend.

Other strategies:

Involve key stakeholders, such as product marketing and sales, in the decision. The information and feedback you get will be invaluable in not only selecting the show, but also in developing your show sales process. It will also guarantee that everyone is on the same page.

If 80 percent of those attending a particular show don’t match your target audience, give it a “B” status and go to “A” shows first. Never attend a show that has less than 20 percent of your target audience unless you are attending a vertical market.

When deciding between an industry and vertical show keep these four thoughts in mind:

Vertical shows, while smaller, are purer in target audience, providing more return for the dollar.
Are you satisfying one marketing effort or several?
Will your competitors be there?
What markets do you already own versus those you do not own?

Your long-term goal should be a balance of general, national and vertical shows.

Choosing the right show

With more than 9,000 trade shows, choosing the right one can be a daunting task.

Yet there are many sources that can provide the information you need to choose the shows that will be most productive for your company, and yield the greatest return on your exhibit investment.

A key source for the answers is the show management itself. But you can also get valuable input from exhibitors, attendees, industry associations, publications, and suppliers, such as installation and dismantle companies or service contractors.

Before talking with any of those sources, clarify your exhibit goals. Once you have your own objective in focus, you're ready to find out if a given show will help you meet that objective. One of the first questions you should ask: Who attended the show in the past?

Show brochures generally trumpet the number of attendees at the previous show. But what does that number represent? It's more important to know who is attending, than how many. Ask for the attendee profile. The demographic data a show manager provides can help you evaluate both the audience and the show manager's research

Comprehensive data is gathered by computerized registration systems used at many trade shows today. Those systems record attendee's company name, size, and location; the individual's job title, buying authority, purchase intentions, budget, and timeframe. Look for the facts behind the generalities.

Then again, if you want to keep it simple, ask 10 customers which shows they go to. If you hear the same show name repeated again and again, you know where to go!

Measurement-Driven Show Selection

We attend 40 shows last year, but three different types: large industry shows, medium b-to-b customer shows and smaller consumer shows. We finally realized that we needed to group similar shows together and compare leads and results within each of the same group.

We gather cost per contact and then work the show(s) the following year to get the costs down and lead counts up on under-performing shows. If we can't bring an under-performing show into parity with those in the same group we re-evaluate our purpose for attending, our costs, who is attending and what our activities might be. If a show routinely falls at the high cost/low lead end of the range of the group it might be eliminated and/or replaced with a bigger presence at those shows that do deliver results for us.

This approach also provides us with "ammunition" to use with event staff to negotiate better costs and better locations to drive our cost per lead to a desirable level. We now have quantifiable information that gives us leverage with show management.

How Do You Select The Right Shows?

To start, select the shows you want to exhibit at only after you have set your trade show objectives. Then dig in to do some serious background research. The best bet is to look at the trade shows in your industry and carefully weigh the options. Talk to your employees -- what shows have worked in the past? Where do sales people see the customer’s needs leaning? Look at whose going to be there. Talk to your current and prospective customers -- is this a show they will be attending? And even if you are comparing trade shows with a wide variety of audience sizes and interests, you can use the Show Selection Worksheet in this section to estimate what number of attendees would be your organization’s potential audience. Finally, after you have compiled all the information, weigh your options carefully and select the shows that will suit your needs best.

'ROI' not to be confused with 'ROO'

Many in the industry confuse and interchangeably use return on investment (ROI) and return on objectives (ROO). ROI is a quantification of the financial return on our exhibiting investment compared to sales that are generated from the event. ROO is an analysis of the return that is generated from objectives where sales are not immediately closed, such as demonstrations, live presentations, customer meetings and hospitalities. We can measure both objective and subjective show objectives, but we cannot generate ROI without sales from the event. According to CEIR, 86 percent of exhibitors exhibit to generate new leads for sales so let's look at measuring those results:

1. After generating qualified leads insert them in your contact management program's database.

2. Categorize leads” "A"-Hot, "B" - Near Term, "C" - Longer Term, maybe only information request.

3. Define the "good" leads and their sales potential with management to translate the leads portion of the equation as a base in forecasting potential sales resulting from the show.

4. Create a closed loop system for lead management and activity reports from the field.

5. Create a report that tracks the leads for the first 90 and 180 days after the show closes.

6. Use the experience of the last show as the benchmark for future events.

How do exhibitors measure trade show results?

Sales from leads: 63%
ROI: 33%
Literature distributed: 16%
Sales leads: 60%
Number of inquiries: 40%
Don't measure: 2%
Number of contacts: 43%
Outside research: 4%

Benefit from a Mid-Year Reality Check

Doing a mid-year assessment of your trade show marketing program can pay big dividends. Among the benefits are:

1. You can determine which elements are getting the job done, and which ones need help. For example, if you find that your exhibit was not pulling in the expected share of traffic from a show, it may be that you need to look at what is being used for pre-show and at-show promotions. On the other hand, if your exhibit is bringing in plenty of visitors, but the lead counts are falling short, you may need to concentrate on staffing and presentation issues.

2. See how well your measurement systems are doing to deliver useful information. If you are using measurements that are appropriate to your goals and objectives, the information in your show reports should be clear and easy to read. On the contrary, if the information does not seem to apply to what you need for assessment and decision making, then you may need to look at what information you are gathering and its relevance to guiding your management efforts.

3. Apply performance related adjustments to the second half of the year to increase the efficiency in your year-end outcome. Take what has been learned from the first half and alter your game plan to do better.

4. Look ahead to 2009 budgeting issues, using the freshest data available. It will give you a much stronger base to build your program for next year.

Like the major-league sports, use the mid-year slowdown as your own “all-star break” to adjust strategy, do some coaching and plan ahead for the remainder of the season. It could be your year for the championship trophy.

Design Your Exhibit With Your Target Audience in Mind

Below is a list of questions you can ask yourself and others in your organization as you evaluate the design of your next exhibit. These questions focus attention on the visitors to your booth – which is why you exhibit at shows!

• Is your organization name professionally presented and located at the highest possible point in your exhibit?
• Are your graphics easily read from 10-20 feet away?
• Is the exhibit theme easily read and presented with memorability in mind?
• Is the key point in your graphics prominently positioned?
• Are your tables the right height for the planned activities?
• Are the video screens/monitors large enough and at the right height for easy viewing?
• Is the demonstration area large enough for planned activities?
• Is the lighting adequate for easy viewing of the exhibit?
• Is there adequate storage space to eliminate a cluttered exhibit?
• Are the photographs and backlit transparencies easily read from 10-20 feet away?
• Is there adequate table space for lead-generating activities?
• Do the colors attract the eye? Are they pleasing to the senses?
• Are they memorable?

A lot of your success depends on YOU

There are a lot of variables that drive success in the trade show and event industry, and one of them is YOU.

Maintain peak physical and mental condition

Be conditioned physically so you can withstand the rigors of 10-12 hour days, exhibit set-up and tear down, and the "work all day, fly all night" schedules. Have the mental agility to bob and weave with the variety you face day-in and day-out.

Master the skills of the profession

Be a student of exhibiting. To be in control of our exhibit and event programs, you need to master skills such as planning, budgeting, marketing, project management, elements of design, and logistics. You need to be a life-long learner.

Be tough on yourself

That doesn't mean work your self into a stressed-out condition that leads to burnout. It means setting goals, identifying what is working and creating plans for growth and professional expansion.

Work hard and smart

To achieve top performance you cannot just work hard. You also need to work smart so you have time and energy left to live the remainder of your life.

Maintain a positive attitude

To maintain balance and achieve the performance you desire, you need a positive attitude. We're not talking about "looking at the world through rose colored glasses." We are talking about glasses being half full and not half empty. We are talking about strategic thinking that allows you to work out issues logically and rationally, not emotionally.

Your first question should be: 'Why are we going?'

At the end of the day, what would “success” actually look like? What things would have had to happen that would make you think this event was a good one?

Experience has shown that there are four areas that serve as the cornerstones for nearly all show objectives - and, for that matter, all marketing ventures. These are typically tightened down with measures and assigned strategies that enable reaching them.

The four:

1. Increasing sales and reinforcing market share

2. Increasing share of customers and getting current customers to buy more

3. Introducing new products

4. Positioning or repositioning your organization, its brand and products

Exhibiting is strategic, not just logistic

Most exhibit professionals are known as logistics experts who ensure that exhibit properties get to the show on time, take care of making hotel and airline reservations and order show services within the deadline period.
Candidly speaking, too many exhibiting companies fail to do their homework about shows. They fail to set objectives, fail to measure results and fail to follow up on leads.
Too many exhibitors go to shows for vague reasons such as showing support for an industry or an association and no other expectations. Or they go because their competition is going which, by the way, can be measured but most don’t do so. They go because they have always gone and again have no expectations other than wanting traffic in the booth as a measure of “being seen.”
In fact, less than half of the companies who exhibit actually set out formalized measurable goals, so like the old adage says, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.
In most cases, there is a major communications disconnect between what senior management expects and what the exhibit manager thinks they want to hear. Nine times out of ten, this disconnect is due to senior management’s failure to communicate what results are expected if budgets are to remain intact.

Services we Offer

We provide a range of services that include:
Exhibit / Stall Fabrication Website Development Customized Exhibit/ Stall Design Architectural Designs / Perspective / Walkthroughs Tradeshows Concerts Red Carpet Events Public Relation Retail Showrooms Night Clubs Sets / Stages Fashion Shows Convention Booth Design Award Shows Promotional Launches Multimedia Presentation Outdoor Advertising