The W hy Why When & & How How of T r T ade Show Exhibiting Exhibiting

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1 The Why, Why When & How of Trade Show Exhibiting By Francine Brooks

2 Trade Shows Are Vital Business Marketing Tools Trade shows are a unique medium for selling and communicating, offering businesses the opportunity to deliver powerful, dramatic messages to targeted decision makers. 81% of show attendees in 2011 had the power to recommend or make the final purchase decisions. In addition, no other marketing vehicle enables companies to establish and strengthen personal relationships with so many customers and prospects. In 2011, 43% of attendees reported that their purchase intentions were more favorable after visiting companies exhibits on the trade show floor and 55% of attendees had plans of buying within 12 months of attending a trade show.

3 76% of trade show attendees go there with an agenda in mind. 66% rate their booth visits as very or extremely valuable in evaluating or comparing offerings for future purchases. ( Source: Skip Cox, Exhibit Surveys, Inc. )

4 Before You Attend That Trade Show 1. Set Clear Goals For Your Trade Show Participation What do you want to get out of it? Are you focusing on promotion or hoping to launch a new product? Who is your target audience? What is your target return on investment? 2. Do Your Research Choose a trade show that will give you the best return on investment Choose a trade show that best targets your audience

5 Before You Attend That Trade Show (con t) 3. Plan Your Budget and Book Your Space Things to consider when creating your budget: Space rental Exhibit expenses Shipping and Storing Show services Personnel Advertising and Promotion Travel and Entertainment 4. Plan Your Exhibit in Terms of Your Audience 5. Advertise in Advance

6 Selecting Booth Location 1. Be at the center of influence - locate your booth near the center of the hall/event where most visitors path cross more than once. 2. Pick narrow aisles - if there are aisles that are narrower than others, try to locate on them since the visitors will be closer to the exhibits, and easier to engage. 3. Consider who your neighbors are.

7 Selecting Booth Location (con t) 4. Select corner locations - they give you an opportunity for cross aisle engaging, so long as you take the drape in the corner down. 5. Select booth location on the right side of the hall - most people are right brained, and therefore will tour a show from the right...catch them while they are fresh. 6. Avoid end of the isle and entrance/exit locations. 7. Don t choose the booth next to food outlets or conference hall entrances.

8 Exhibit Tips As a general rule, you want at least 60% of the frontage open and at least 60% of the floor space in the exhibit unoccupied. Make sure your display appears welcoming. You want people to feel comfortable approaching and entering your booth. Visitors are more apt to enter a warm, inviting environment.

9 Lure Attendees You want to capture their attention, intrigue them, and make them stop in the midst of a hectic atmosphere - long enough for a member of your team to begin an interaction. Use something or someone to attract attendees and encourage them to stop. The attraction you choose may involve one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. Sight - Visitors recognize your brand or are intrigued enough by what they see in your display to stop. Large screen videos and theatre style presentations are great for capturing the attention of attendees. Sound - Different forms of audio such as music or a presenter s voice can attract visitors.

10 Lure Attendees (con t) Smell - It s the strongest sense for triggering associations and memories. Good smells such as aromatic fragrances or food scents such as cookies or popcorn can reach out to visitors and lure them in from the aisles. Taste - Offer beverages or light refreshments to entice your visitors palettes. It may help lengthen the duration of their visit. If your company is associated with food products, sampling is a great way to build traffic and demonstrate your business. Touch - Entice visitors with a tactile experience. Utilizing ipads or touch screen monitors can provide the opportunity for true hands-on interaction.

11 Analyze Your Graphics Graphics are the workhorse of your display. Graphics attract attention, convey your message and build recognition of your brand. They also offer you the added benefit of being easily exchanged to target different market segments or updated to reflect changes in your business. Together your graphics work as team, complementing each other, and presenting a unified and cohesive message.

12 Analyze Your Graphics (con t) To be one of your most effective communication tools on the show floor, your graphics should be easy-to-read. In general it s easier to read dark text on light background. However, the reverse would apply to backlit graphics. l i h hi i ibl d l ibl It s also important that your graphics are visible and legible from the distance at which they will be seen by visitors.

13 Design Tips for Smaller Exhibits 1.) Break up the back wall with shapes, contours, surface variety, and dramatic lighting, rather than using a straight flat wall. 2.) Create a strong visual impact by using fewer larger graphics. 3.) Use only one message statement. 4.) Display the product or company most recognized by attendees. 5) 5.) Keep the exhibit bright, simple and uncluttered.

14 Design Tips for Smaller Exhibits (con t) 6.) Use only one counter, and keep its size and bulk to a minimum. 7) 7.) Use a lightweight system instead of a custom or home made display. 8.) Do not rely on hall lighting your booth might be lost in the shadows. 9.) Avoid tables across the front of your booth it is a nonverbal closed door and sends the wrong message. 10 ) Make sure your graphics state your primary benefits and offers clearly and 10.) Make sure your graphics state your primary benefits and offers, clearly and concisely.

15 Color Me Sold Color is one of the most powerful subconscious influencers on our mood. Here s what each color says to a visitor to your booth. Red - connotes love, warmth excitement, passion Blue - conjures up thoughts of power, professionalism, trustworthiness t thi and calm Green - means money, life and nature Orange - suggests creativity, fun, youth and affordability Purple - stands for luxury, royalty, fantasy and dreams

16 Build a Better Booth 1.) Presentation - Include your company logo, arrange product groups logically, be genuinely welcoming. Have comfortable, attractive flooring. 2.) Sensory Outreach - Put your merchandise where people can touch it, hold it, make a real sensory connection. Don t forget the QR tags! 3.) Free Food - Nothing says I love you, like something sweet - a small piece of chocolate, a hard candy, anything that will entice hungry show attendees to reach in for a quick nutrition boost. 4.) Scents and Sensibility - Smell is perhaps our most subtle sense. Anything with a hint of vanilla is likely to draw visitors in. 5.) Sounds Good - Add a little background music to your booth to fill the dead air before enough people have gathered there to give your space some life.

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25 Pre-Show Marketing Recent research has shown that 83% of the most successful companies (in terms of business generated and leads collected) at a range of exhibitions used pre-show marketing. To maximize your trade show results, tailor your message to the concerns, needs and interests of your prospects. Studies show that pre-show promotions can boost your lead counts by 33%. 1.) Personal Invitation, including free tickets or registration to the show 2.) Direct Mail (It still works!) Colorful and unusually shaped postcards Message in unique packages 3.) Promotional Items Send out a 2 part promotional item: Part 1 will go directly to the attendee, Part 2 will be present at your booth

26 Pre-Show Marketing (con t) 3.) Website Advertising/Social Networking Sites Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are popular outlets for pre-show marketing and allow you easier access to a large audience. 4)S 4.) Send out a Press Release 5.) Marketing TIPS: Use a qualified and highly targeted mailing list. Ask show organizers for a list of exhibitors. Utilize Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to offer exclusive promotions to your followers and generate a buzz on your upcoming events. Use show logos or decals on all correspondence. Advertise in the show directory - it is a targeted ed promotion. o o Take advantage of free show tickets to promote targeted attendance.

27 Show Personnel 90% of the positive feelings visitors have are due to the staff. Beyond your exhibit, your advertising, your pre-show promotion, it s the people in your show that sell the company and your products or services, and make or break your future relationships with attendees, prospects, and customers. Show personnel need to: Give booth visitors their full attention Listen attentively and listen actively Use clarifying questions Follow with confirming questions

28 On the Show Floor Your team s real skill is put to the test once they are on the show floor. This is where they can either make or break any future business relationship. Their verbal and non-verbal messages are constantly evaluated, either consciously or subconsciously. According to research conducted by Allen Konopacki (Incomm Research), 56% of a visitor s s impression is determined in the first three to four seconds.

29 On the Show Floor (con t) Dress: It s important that your people look presentable. Establishing a dress code is entirely up to each organization. Some booths carry a theme that is depicted in a uniform such as specially designed T-shirts, tuxedos or national costume. Make sure none of your booth staff have exposed tattoos or body piercings. To avoid any of your representatives showing up to a show in attire that may embarrass the organization, determine an acceptable clothing list beforehand. Personal hygiene is also extremely important. Encourage your staff to use mouthwash h and breath mints regularly. l

30 On the Show Floor (con t) Like Actors on a Stage From the moment a show opens to the time it closes, your staff s s position in the booth is like that of actors on a stage. The visitors, like an audience, have come to see a performance. Their expectations are high because they have invested precious time in attending. Visitors no longer wander aimlessly in exhibit halls - 76% of show Visitors no longer wander aimlessly in exhibit halls - 76% of show visitors arrive with an agenda. According to the Trade Show Bureau, at least 50% of trade show visitors are there to see new products, services and technical developments.

31 Engage, Qualify, & Communicate Never engage with, Can I help you? The answer is almost always, No, thanks, I m just looking. Engage strangers; your friends you can talk to anytime. Speak up it shows confidence. Speak slowly and clearly. A prospect s attention span is normally 30 seconds you cannot afford to ramble. Good eye contact projects interest and sincerity. Never sit in your booth, unless with a prospect. Never smoke, eat or drink in the booth.

32 How to Disengage Use these helpful suggestions to disengage a conversation: I m glad we had this opportunity to talk today I ve taken enough of your time today Based on the information shared today, we can t help you, but here s our website if you need us in the future. Thanks for dropping by At the end of the conversation give the person a handshake or hand them a brochure or an inexpensive gift.

33 What Works & What Does NOT Work Be selective in handing out literature. Wear your badge on the right hand side, to be visible to prospects when shaking hands. Leaning on an exhibit communicates boredom and a generally poor attitude. Wear comfortable shoes. Never leave the booth unattended. A neat booth sends a strong message about your organization. Avoid giving away food or drink - it messes up your booth and has little memorable qualities - unless your exhibiting at a food show.

34 Basics/Booth Rules The Basics: Arrive early each day Build a rapport with neighboring booths Network make friends Sell to other exhibitors Take photos of your booth & staff for your show file Protect your valuables Start a log of activities, events and observations Have fun

35 Booth Rules Staff with knowledgeable, motivated employees Understand & work towards your preset goals Pay attention, focus Take breaks when needed but not in the booth Do not chit chat with each other in the booth

36 Trade Show Bargain: Save 45% $308 - Average cost to contact a prospect in the field. $212 - Average cost to contact a prospect who visited your trade show booth - about 45 percent less than field sales. ( Source: Skip Cox, Exhibit Surveys, Inc. )

37 How To Generate Leads 1. Whatever you are promoting in your booth needs to be obvious to a passerby in 6 seconds or less. 2. Identify and qualify the prospect. Do you know the company they work for? 3. Gain an understanding of the prospect'ss needs. You are selling solutions, not pieces of metal, plastic, and paper. Before you propose a solution, you must know the prospect's problems. 4 Fi t th d i i ki Wh d it b i d ith 4. Figure out the decision-making process. Where does it begin, and with whom? Who are the people involved?

38 How To Generate Leads (con t) 5. Gauge attitude and commitment level: Is this prospect just killing time? Can you make an appointment? Can you send information? 6. Ask for a business card early in the conversation. Feel free to make notes on it. Prospects are not put off by note taking on the back of a card.

39 Hand-Outs, Giveaways and Drawings Hand out inexpensive literature tell qualified leads that you will mail/ them detailed information. If you hold a drawing make it easy to enter, accept business cards, entry forms or lead forms. Place entry box in prominent location. Award your product or an industry related prize. Make giveaway something that will be used often and has high visibility.

40 How to Handle Brochures 1. "Table Top" brochures can cause hit and run behavior. 2. Definitely distribute, but with discretion. 3. Use brochures as disengagement tools. 4. Frequent follow-up with brochures can boost sales. 5. Customizing the brochure and follow-up.

41 How to Handle Brochures (con t) 6. Keep brochures near the back of your display to draw-in attendees. 7. Bring enough material to distribute to 5% of your projected booth visitors. This strategy will: 1. Save you on shipping costs. 2. Reduce your overall waste factor. 3 All b i h d i f i f d h 3. Allow you to obtain the names and contact information of attendees that requested information.

42 Effective Follow Up Immediately: * Trade show is fresh in their mind. * Jump on the competition. * Fill their immediate need. or Five to Seven Days: * Prospects have had a chance to clear their desk after being away for the Trade Show. * Prospects have had time to review information brought back from the Trade Show.

43 Set Realistic Goals... Set SMART goals for your trade show and follow up What do you want to get out of it? Are you focusing on promotion or hoping to launch a new product? Who is your target audience? What is your target return on investment? e t? (close ratio / revenue acquisition linked to show Can you add PR / Hospitality / Client appreciation to the event?

44 5 Trade Show Tips from the Pros Trade show consultants routinely find that marketers are stymied when it comes to preparing for a trade show. Here s what they recommend to make the most of your trade show investment: 1. Pick the show that best aligns with your marketing strategy. 2. Plan marketing strategies for pre-show, show and post-show. 3. Reach out to every visitor to your booth post-show via or phone. 4. Analyze which strategies worked and which didn t. 5. Calculate your ROI on the event once the sales cycle has closed. ( h hi i illi ( Source: The Secret to Achieving Brilliant Returns at Your Next Event, Joyce McKee, LetsTalkTradeShows.com )