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EAC
Exhibitor Appointed Contractor
You may choose to use an outside contractor for your I&D services - if you do so, you must file the form provided in the exhibitor service manual or send a letter to show management. Be certain you meet the deadline. In turn the independent I&D company you choose must send proof of insurance to the show. Once this is handled you can move ahead.
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 The key to picking the right independent Installation and Dismantle house is to find the company that will provide the most personalized service possible. There is a “sense of reliability” that develops when you work with the same people over the years. One point person at the I&D office and one lead person on the show floor, year in and year out takes 90% of the worry out of the client’s hands.
Exhibitors believe that independent I&D companies make their living from offering customized service and building good business relationships. This can become questionable in the minds of exhibitors when working with general service contractors as they are so busy and working with so many exhibitors at the same time on the show floor. Can they offer the same level of service or show the same level of concern? Do they personally know your exhibit? Do they have enough time to give you on the harried show floor?
Thus exhibitors turn to the independents – however, sometimes with hesitancies. Here are a few questions to ask to feel more secure in working with a private I&D company. Length of time in business? References? Services your company provides – beyond I&D?
Do you have all the appropriate insurance coverages and can I have copies of all forms sent to the show?
Can you be contacted after hours in the event of an emergency?
What do you charge for your services?
What are your payment terms?
Does your business have a code of conduct both on and off the show floor?
Call Gary Bast at Absolute I & D, Las Vegas - for a quote - 866-685-8950.
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Why Are They Passing Us
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Spice it Up!
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Is your exhibit as boring as a regular martini? You do not have to chuck the whole kit and kaboodle. Take some pictures of your exhibit and the one two aisles over that you really like and email them to your exhibit house. Chances are they can help you – and if they cannot – then pull out the yellow pages or hit the internet and find someone who can. Selling your old exhibit is beyond costly – think driving off the new car lot and trying to sell the car back in three days. New back-lighted graphics, 3D signage, additions of lighted structures, or changing the laminate colors with MBA vinyl – are just a few ideas to stretch your staying power. Don’t just sit there – make a call.
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120 million people attend 10,000 tradeshows in the USA and spend $90 billion dollars – how many in-office sales calls would it take to acheive that? Certainly your sales force will spend more than three days getting to those numbers. You will reach six to seven times as many prospects at a tradeshow than you would acquire through any other type of marketing, except field sales which are still a distant second.
Tradeshows will generate more sales for your company than marketing using advertising, mailing, or cold calling. Ninety percent of companies questioned ranked exhibitions as the absolute most useful source of procurement information; they can analyze and assess opposing products in one location. Research provided by CEIR, Center of Exhibition Research, suggests that trade show exhibits influence purchases six times more than any other media and are recalled longer than print ads. It costs 45% less to sell your products at a trade show than through sales calls.
There is no question that exhibiting at a
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trade show costs a chunk of money whether you are a small company in a 10’ x 10’ space or a major player in a huge exhibit space. Everything is relative, and if you send 2 people or 200 people they better be your best, your brightest, and relate the right message to every client and prospect on the show floor. Think about ROI – your return on investment. Whittle your show list down to the most important shows that you must attend. Use a clear cut criteria – and budget, budget, budget. Don’t make sole decisions – decision making works much better with a number of viewpoints brought to the table – then designate one or two final decision makers. Never be afraid to ask for “the deal.” It is the new byword of society today – and everyone wants their share.
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Follow-Up or Die ...
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As competition grows more fierce, and trust us – it will, your momentum can become a lethal weapon. Your lack of speed can be fatal in the selling process. How fast you respond to trade show leads will be the measure of your success. If you’re not following up within 2 days - your competitor has beaten you to the punch. There are companies that were emailing quotes, confirmations and copies of orders directly from their exhibit booth to the office of the prospect or customer.
You must identify your follow up program before the show. Make sure that the information you gather matches the information needed for effective follow-up. Then, meet immediately after the show and review and organize every lead by interest level. Draft a nice short, creative, not over-the-top- follow-up letter and email, mail or call every contact within two days. This is not the time to be overly creative – establish your own lines and use the two or three that work.
Now concentrate on completing that step only. Salespeople tend to overrun the situation and put on too much pressure, or send too much, too quickly. This makes the prospect nervous and defensive. Just keep them interested. After the trade show is over, it’s a race to the sale. Stay focused on the win.
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