"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and
be nothing." |
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Elbert Hubbard
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Designing
Graphics:
Using Bullet Points
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Exhibit
graphics are one of the main elements in drawing show
attendees to your booth. Your graphic text should be
brief and succinct. Tell what your company does and
invite the potential client to step inside. You should
never need more than six bullet points to accomplish
that. Attendees do not have all day to read innumberable
bullet points - the more type you have the less likely
that they will even start to read your text. Keep it
simple. Limit your text. Use upper and lower case type.
Don’t layer type over a too-busy background. Use
language for the layman. Always keep your goal in mind
- getting show attendees to stop, receive your message,
and step inside for more information.
Event Planning:
Choosing the Menu
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Planning
a sensational event can be time consuming and one false
move can spell disaster. A tradeshow “after party”
can reap rewards tenfold for your company, or be remembered
as that “wasted evening” by your guests.
Once you determine your company objectives - lead gathering,
company branding, product introduction - your guest
list will be established. Think
about the audience - pizza and beer may not make the
right impression on gastroenterologists. Consider the
level of sophistication, ethnic distinctions and age
group tastes. Avoid highallergy foods - certain seafood
and nuts come to mind. Include something for vegetarians
- this is a growing group and cannot be ignored. Always
negotiate - both the menu and the price. Do not let
the facility dictate to you. Take a taste test. You
do not want surprises, or incensed upper management
on the night of the party.
Planning an event is more than planning a good party.
An event planner can be counted on for contract negotiations,
selecting the most appropriate venues, working within
a budget and understanding any legal consequences. Contact
Jan Koren at jkoren@AbsoluteExhibits.com
with any questions you might have in regard to outsourcing
your event planning.
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Exhibiting
at trade shows should be an integral part of any serious
marketing effort. However, there is a bewildering assortment
of trade shows in an amazingly wide variety of locations
– over 10,000 in the United States annually. The
biggest challenge is identifying the right trade show
for your company based on both your budget and objectives.
Start
your search by looking for trade shows that fit your
product or service. You can find these out by logging
on to the
Trade Show News Network and searching
the
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show directory by industry. Another
resource for pertinent shows is your industry’s
trade association, since industry groups sponsor many
shows and conventions. Contact the show organizer of
shows that have caught your interest and have them send
you a copy of the show’s exhibitor list and, if
possible, a visitors list. If this last item is not
available, they should be able to at least provide you
with visitor statistics and demographics. Analyze these
materials. Were your competitors there? Your customers?
Maybe someone known to you was there. Contact them and
get their comments. Try to get as much detail as possible
regarding the visitor profile. Attendance figures alone
are not enough. One way that shows build their attendance
numbers is to allow student-attendees on the last day.
Ask if this is a show policy so that you can analyze
the data correctly. |
Armed with this information you should now be able to
determine which shows are relevant. The key to finding
the best shows lies in finding the shows that attract
the most decision makers for your industry. Most importantly,
during these hard economic times, ask for the same pertinent
data from the previous year. Where is this show going
in regard to relevancy to its exhibitors and attendees.
Don’t just choose by the numbers. Big trade show
crowds can actually be a waste of time if
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they
don’t include people who are buyers or prospective
customers for your product or service.
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Speak to your customers to discover the trade shows
that they go to, since shows that meet their needs will
likely be attended by other prospects. Consider speaking
with your competitors to find out what shows they’ve
found most useful. Of course if you have time, the best
way to evaluate a show is to take a first-hand look.
Before you contract with a show, go to the show as an
attendee. Is the show active and exciting? Are the people
walking the show floor potential customers? Who are
the other exhibitors and where would your product/service
fit in the mix? Talk to people and keep your eyes open.
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Once you’ve got a list of show possibilities,
ask these questions to determine if the show is the
right one for your purposes. Is it big enough to draw
a cross-section of prospects and vendors — but
not so large that you’ll be competing against
the giants in your industry? Is it in the right place,
geographically, to attract your customers
— whether they are local, regional, national,
or global? Is it scheduled at a time when you can service
the new business you’ll attract and follow up
on leads? Are the show’s promoters reliable and
does the management have a proven track record of success?
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Additionally, you must consider whether your product
or service should be presented at horizontal or vertical
market shows - or both. Horizontal shows are shows with
vendors who are selling a broader variety of products
or services, and attendees that usually come from a
single market segment and are looking for either very
specific products or services, or a broader variety.
Vertical shows are more narrowly focused to just one
type of product and market. The advantage of vertical
shows is that the attendees are all from a very specific
market, and your objectives for the show can be more
focused. The disadvantage is that your product or service
must fall exactly within the focus for the show, or
you won’t get the results you want.
Finally, it is imperative to check how the show is being
promoted and what is the strategy for getting people
to the exhibit hall. If it’s a new show, there
has to be very good promotion to get the traffic you
need to make it worthwhile. Make certain that the exhibition
schedule allows for plenty of time around onsite seminars
and classes so attendees can attend those and visit
your booth. Don’t wait until the last minute.
Popular shows fill fast. If you wait too long, you could
find yourself on a waiting list. The earlier you sign
up for a show, the more choices you’ll have regarding
finding a good location for your booth.
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