Welcome to the Spring 2010 issue of PRactically Speaking.
We're talking trade shows, the National Retail Federation Convention
& Expo and more.
Thanks for reading. ;)
Exhibiting At a Trade Show? What You Need to Know
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A
trade show can be a goldmine or a ghost house. If you're planning to
exhibit
at a show and make a good showing, make the most of it by
planning, thinking, creating and "working it" aggressively. A great
trade show means you "work it" hard--before, during and after the
event.
5 "Gotta Knows" Before You Exhibit
- Research. Before you commit to a show, know its history of success (attendance).
- Relevance. Make sure the show is marketing to the right audience--your prospects and customers.
- Expense. Know you'll be spending bucks.
Exhibiting isn't cheap. You'll be charged for everything, from wattage
and wastebaskets to carpet, foam pads, trash cans, drayage. And more.
- Engage. Decide and commit, then map out your plan, personnel, strategy, theme and approach. If you don't have time, bring in an expert to help.
- Pad Up. Beware
of no-pad zones in your booth. Don't cheap out on carpeting and foam
padding. Do both. Without them, your feet and legs will hurt for days
and weeks. This decision determines whether your show team will
love
you. Or not.
Get Ready To Exhibit
Show Attendees.
Whether attendees are clients or walk-bys, make sure you do your
pre-show invitations to both, have a master schedule for at-booth
briefings, and are prepared to showcase your company, cause, products
and services.
This means you may have give-aways and leave-behinds,
from business cards
and marketing hand-outs to logo'd toys, USB drives,
word magnets and more. These often fit a theme or message, and are most
effective when part of a
strategic show plan.
Your Show Team.
Make sure you have defined roles for your booth personnel.
Lay down the
law among your team to minimize in-booth socializing, chatter
and idle
activities. The most important aspect of your show? Make sure you're
being active listeners who are friendly, genuine and relational with
guests.
Lead Generation. Capture
leads and guests who visit your booth. Make sure
you have a process for
capturing information, remembering "who's who" and
quickly following up
after the show. Remember, cost per hour is huge at a show. Build your
team, build your presence. And build your leads!
Need help with lead generation? We have a great resource.
Your Booth. Typically,
booth sizes start at 10x10. If you expect more than two people in your
booth at once, size it up to at least 10x20, and configure the
booth
with a table and a couple of chairs.
Location Matters Most. When
signing up for a show, make sure you're not
stuck in a no-traffic zone
near the loading dock. View the exhibit floor map, find where your
competitors are, and seek locations that are high-traffic areas,
such
as near food vendors, bathrooms and the show entryway.
Layout Matters. Create
and manage a comprehensive booth list of everything
you need at the
booth-prior to the show. List everything, from chairs and booth
lightbulbs to wastebaskets, extension cords, business cards, even a first-aid
kit for "boo-boos."
Sex Up Your Signage. Signage and graphics at your booth require sizzle,
pizzazz, color and all the appeal you can muster. Need a supplier? E-mail us.
Master Your Message.
Deliver a message that is clear, concise and consistent. Make sure The
Message resonates in everything, from your Elevator Speech
to Signage
to your marketing materials.
Brand It. Make
sure your company name and/or logo are prominent, front
and center.
Show your professionalism by showcasing your quality and
philosophy.Have fun, provide interactive games and promotions--perhaps
even gimmicks, but avoid the standard "booth babes" and other cheap
tactics.
Enjoy the Experience.
Show your fun side, have fun, make it fun. Help your
team have fun.
Being real at your show will shine through to your team,
customers and
prospects.
The Best & Worst of NRF's 99th Annual Convention & Expo, Jan. 11-12
Did you attend? Tell us YOUR Best and Worst,click here
THE BEST
- Maple Lake press and analyst introductions. What a privilege to serve
Maple Lake Ltd.,
and to introduce CEO Stuart Aldridge to RIS News' Joe Skorupa, Apparel
Magazine's Susan Nichols, Integrated Solutions for Retailers' Matt
Pillar, among others.
- RetailROI was a huge success. Greg Buzek said RetailROI raised more
than $100,000 for orphans, thanks to retailers and suppliers worldwide.
Read one editor's blog about RetailROI.
- Attendance.
The floor was packed with people, a lot of energy and enthusiasm. My
client, Maple Lake Ltd., was virtually mobbed by prospects and
customers for two days. A great mob, that is.
- The Ace Hotel. Wow! If you are EVER in New York and have one trendy
bone in your body, stay at The Ace Hotel. Incredible place and people.
The restaurant food is a bit funky for me but I'm not exactly trendy.
Or hip.
- Meeting Customers & Colleagues. What
a joy to be at the NRF show
to see friends, colleagues and customers.
It's always fun to hear how
they're doing. From PCMS' Beth Howard and
KSS Retail's Lyle Walker to
Mike Burns/MB&A, Jeff Green/MB&A, Wes Bates at
Fujitsu and Danny
at KWI, it was a great time. Hey, I even bumped into Dean Frew of
Xterprise on the airplane. Of course, he was in first class ... I wasn't.
- New York weather was fantastic, crisp and chilly, but not wet
or miserable.
- No-Show Wireless. No wireless on the show floor, unless you paid
$1,000 or more, according to
one source I talked with on the show floor. Shameful.
- News Nonsense. Why do huge, publicly held companies feel compelled to distribute five,
six--yes, even 10 news releases--within a two-day period? Maybe it's to
justify the marketing/PR team's existence? I don't know,
but it's not
only stupid, it's costly.
- Coat Check-In. The
at-convention coat-check line extended down
hallways that ran a city
block or more. Glad I threw my coat behind
the booth. Uh, kind of.
- No-Coat Conundrum.
On the first day of the show, I could not get behind the booth to get
my coat. I attempted to walk back to the hotel without it. I wimped
out. About 4 blocks of razor-sharp windgusts, I hailed
a cabbie
Bbbrrrrrr.
- Absent Personnel. There
was one booth at the show that I had targeted
as a key PR prospect. The
vendor had a 10x10 booth space and
nice-looking booth. No one was ever
there. Nada. I walked by at least 12 times in two days and never saw a
living soul there. What a waste.
- Missing Colleagues. Bummer I didn't get to see longtime colleagues such
as Michael Garry/Supermarket News and Deena Amato-McCoy of
Chain Store Age.
Practical Stuff - Back up your data. When it really matters,
use Carbonite,www.carbonite.com
- Your Case Studies, Marketing Brochure, Your Web Site. It's
2010 and your marketing materials--and Web site--are so 2000-ish.
Revamp, re-do and shine 'em up. You need quality experts in writing,
project management, Web dev and design? Click here
- Taxes & The IRS. When the IRS is hassling you, where do you go? Learn more about The Schlichting Group.
- E-Recycling. It's critical to your business' corporate responsibility initiatives. Get plugged in with Techway Services.
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