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Trade Show Floor GPS? What is next?

How useful would an app you can download for your smartphone be -- that allows you to find exhibitors, products, and download the show schedule on demand? With functionality before and after each show, users can even register for the next show using the Follow Me app from Core-Apps. Click smartphone for tradeshows for more info. At the annual MeetingTechOnline (MTO Summit) is the single source of technology and innovation for the Meetings Industry.

Is it time to FLIP your Face-to-Face Marketing Strategy?

Many marketers spend countless hours brainstorming to discover the next creative idea for a trade show, event, or environment to surprise and intrigue an attendee / potential customer -- so they stop, look and listen to the message the marketer has attempted to convey.

Click on this video to see how well a Gap store used creative "out of the box" marketing to attract the attention of passerbys while promoting their new loyalty program - effectively named "Sprize". Only time will tell how well flipping a store upside down worked in successfully marketing their new program, but if I would have been walking down the street and saw cars, people and plants upside down on the street, as well as mannequins hanging from the ceiling, I know that I would have wanted to know what was going on. Gap successfully demonstrated a "wow" factor in this marketing strategy!

The question is, would you stop at this Gap store to find out why everything is upside-down?

Would you have told friends and family about what you saw?

If you answered these questions affirmatively, then Gap was successful!

--Valerie http://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriehurst

Ready to Take your Trade Show Exhibit "On The Road"?

Mobile trade show exhibiting is an option that allows a company to converse with clients at their facilities. One of our own clients, Hendrickson USA LLC is featured in this recent article in Exhibitor Magazine. This is one very effective method of showcasing products or services without competing with neighboring trade show booths in a convention center, and focuses their attention on your offerings while a mobile exhibit is parked at a customer's facility.

Top 5 Ways to Motivate Trade Show Booth Staffers

1. Have a series of Pre Show Meetings -- before travel, the day before the trade show, and before the show opens. Oftentimes not all booth staffers will be in attendance for every meeting, so have 2-3 short meetings to ensure that all staffers know the goals. A debriefing meeting at the end of each day to discuss how the day went will help regroup staffers for the next day.

2. Ensure that the booth staffers chosen to work the show have the knowledge required to discuss your product or service with a prospect or a current client. Make sure they know what an important role they are playing when working the booth.

3. If possible include booth staffers in the decision of booth attire required at the show. Professionalism, comfort and confidence will ensure better productivity on the show floor.

4. Decide upon two engaging questions to ask show trade show attendees. Upon answering the question, the booth staffer will know if the attendee would be considered a qualified lead or not. Practicing these questions will give them confidence.

5. Hold a contest for booth staffers to scan in qualified leads. At the end of each day, announce the winner, and reward them with late report to booth duty the next day by an hour or so, or give gift cards. Recognizing their efforts will go a long way!

--Valerie http://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriehurst

3 Steps to Draw Attendees to Meetings & Trade Shows

One of the continuing challenges that exhibitors have are not necessarily getting attendees to the booth, but rather the associations drawing attendance at meetings and trade shows. Here is a link to 3 steps as to what conference planners should do to make meetings more interesting, resulting in better attendance, and ultimately more leads for exhibitors!

Top 5 Items that a Great Set of Trade Show Exhibit Set-Up Instructions should Include

1. Overview – Usually a front page “roadmap” showing multiple views of the booth space and it properties i.e. floorplan, elevation, and perspective. Also should include a drawing schedule and some type of indicator(s) of booth location and orientation.
   
2. Shiplist – Not many display companies include this integral part to the overall scope of the project. The shiplist is a master document that includes all properties shipping to the show listing sizes, weights and contents. This one page can save possibly hours on the show floor once your crates/skids start making their way to your booth. Keep in mind your I&D contractor may have never worked on this booth before, but with a helpful shiplist, itemizing properties will allow him to locate the crate containing what he needs to get the job started and continue in an organized manner – thus saving you time and money by not wasting time looking through crates.
   
3. Utility Layout – This page is a clear picture of utility requirements that may be needed to bring your booth to life (electrical, internet, etc...). They may also include telephone, compressed air, and water. Accurate dimensions and valid descriptions of what the requirements are at that location are detailed in this layout. It can also be very helpful to include a legend or key as an indication to what and how many utilities are needed to complete the installation.
   
4. Hanging Signs/Structures – A large majority of exhibits today utilize some type of hanging sign and or structure. Since the installation of these properties is now handled almost solely by the riggers employed by the hall, it is usually a good idea to give them a clear indication of what and how you plan to hang these items from the ceiling. A floor plan and elevation with clear notes indicating structure assembly and any special hardware that may be needed is included. Let them know whether a sign is rotating or not, as this could incur costly labor later if not done right the first time.
   
5. Assembly of Properties – Probably the most important page of all--without it, you have no booth–right? Always include numbered layouts of wall panels and other significant properties. It is a simple step, but often is overlooked. As the detailer, you typically already know how something goes together, but out there on the show floor it’s just a bunch of wood and laminates. In addition to numbering properties, it is also helpful to label them in exploded views including any specialty hardware or tools. Include graphics info in the assemblies indicating locations and orientations as this information is available. Having the assembly detailed will save time and confusion during the set-up, and ensure properties are returned to proper locations during dismantle.
   
   Though there are many more aspects to a fully successful exhibit installation, a complete and thorough set of assembly instructions are essential to helping your booth become a success. The items mentioned above are certainly not all you need to create an effective set of prints, as each and every booth is different from the next one. They are however, key elements that should always be included when preparing set-up drawings. Not only do these items help you complete the install, they also can help with the bottom line – the dollar sign. Your marketing department will thank you!

---Sam, Project Coordinator http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sam-dresner/10/b76/827