Skyline Metro Chicago will be holding a free Seminar on Successful Trade Show Marketing Strategies.  Learn how to generate sales and profits through various proven strategies.  Receive free valuable workbooks and learn learn learn!

What - Free Informative Seminar on Successful Trade Show Marketing Strategies presented by Skyline Metro Chicago
Where - Skyline Metro Chicago, 2142 West Walnut Street, Chicago, IL 60612
When - December 9, 2008 (1st session 9:30-11:30; 2nd session 1:30-3:30)
Cost - Free, this will be the best 2 hour investment of your time if you or plan to exhibit at trade shows

SPEAKER BIO INFORMATION

JERRY E. GERSON

Jerry Gerson is based in

San Antonio, Texas, where he specializes as an exhibit marketing trainer and consultant with Marketech, Inc., a 23 year old exhibit and event marketing firm.  Jerry works with a broad range of clients, nationally and internationally and brings over 30 years of experience to workshops by combining his practical knowledge and skills from his executive level sales, marketing and management positions in broadcast, cable television, and healthcare software industries.  Jerry is one of the highest rated faculty instructors at Exhibitor Show and TSEA’s Trade Show About Trade Shows and has been a contributing writer for Exhibitor Magazine. He brings education, excitement and humor to all his workshops.

Discussion topics include the following:

Trade Shows and Events - Your Strategic Choice

• Powerful statistics that help justify your trade show program
• The surprising size and strength of the trade show industry
• Trends driving change in the trade show industry

Setting Measurable Objectives:

• The four core trade show objectives and reasons for exhibiting
• How to create more effective objectives
• How to calculate 5 popular measures of success

Selecting Shows and Spaces that Work

• Understanding show choices — horizontal, vertical, regional, national
• Best sources for finding new shows
• Booth spaces to seek and to avoid

Exhibit Design — Selective Attraction

• Designing your exhibit for maximum impact and functionality
• How your objectives dictate your exhibit shape
• See examples of good and bad exhibit design — and find out why they succeed or fail

Promoting Your Participation - Before / At / After

• Why promotions are essential to greater success
• 3 elements of a successful pre-show promotion
• The rule of at-show and post-show promotions

Staffing the Show

• How to select booth staffers who will get more leads and better represent your company
• The 6-step process to successful booth staffing
• How to take leads field sales reps will follow up

You will also see many examples of successful exhibit solutions in a variety of sizes - from portable displays to massive islands — as well as effective trade show graphics that target specific audiences. Attend this seminar and make your trade show profits soar!

Who Will Profit From Attending:

• Marketing, Sales & Advertising Managers
• Directors & Vice Presidents
• Presidents, Owners & CEOs who want more from their trade show investment
• Innovative Trade Show Managers
• Ad Agency Designers, Principals, Creative & Production Managers with clients that exhibit

If you have any questions, please e-mail: info@skylinemc.com
Below are the links to the registration information:

1. 9:30-11:30AM session - http://www.skyline.com/Seminars/2729/
2. 1:30-3:30PM session - http://www.skyline.com/Seminars/2730/

Hope to see you on December 9!

Share this:

Trade show halls are incredibly dusty places. No matter how well you clean your graphics during set-up, the carpet layers will come in the night before the show and stir up enough dust that your graphics are covered the morning the show starts. We’ve discovered that a Swiffer (a product from Proctor & Gamble) is wonderful to have around the booth for cleaning just about anything. It’s works especially well for graphics, particularly the ones up high that you would never be able to reach. If you buy two or three Swiffers, you can link the handle pieces together for a nice, long extension handle. When you’re done, it breaks down into small pieces and can be hidden away till the next morning. Swiffers can be found at just about any grocery or drugstore. A starter pack with the swivel sweeper head, handle pieces, and 8 refill cloths costs about $15.

Thanks to Exhibitor magazine for the info!

Share this:

 

The key to great exhibiting is marketing. But marketing is a very inexact science that leaves room for a multitude of errors to occur. The following are 10 of the most common marketing mistakes that exhibitors often make. Learn to avoid them and you will increase your chances for a successful trade show.

1. Have A Proper Trade Show Marketing Plan
Having both strategic exhibit marketing and tactical plan of action is a critical starting point. In order to make trade shows a powerful dimension your company’s overall marketing operation; there must be total alignment between the strategic marketing and your exhibit marketing plan. Trade shows should not be a stand-alone venture. Know and understand exactly what you wish to achieve - increasing market share with existing users; introducing new products/services into existing markets or into new markets; or introducing new products/services into new markets. This is the nucleus on which to build.

2. Have A Well-Defined Promotional Plan
A significant part of your marketing includes promotion - pre-show, at-show and post-show. Most exhibitors fail to have a plan that encompasses all three areas. Budget is naturally going to play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible. Developing a meaningful theme or message that ties into your strategic marketing plan will then help to guide promotional decisions. Know whom you want to target and then consider having different promotional programs aimed at the different groups you are interested in attracting. Include direct mail, broadcast faxes, advertising, PR, sponsorship, and the Internet as possible ways to reach your target audience.

3. Use Direct Mail Effectively
Direct mail is still one of the most popular promotional vehicles exhibitors use. From postcards to multi-piece mailings, attendees are deluged with invitations to visit booths. Many of the mailings come from show management’s lists and as a result, everyone gets everything. To target the people you want visit your booth, use your own list of customers and prospects–it’s the best one available. Design a piece that is totally benefit-oriented and makes an impact. Mail three pieces at regular intervals prior to the trade show, starting about four weeks out, to help ensure your invitation is seen. Wherever possible, use first-class mail. There’s nothing worse than a mailing that arrives after the trade show is over.

4. Give Visitors An Incentive To Visit Your Booth
Whatever promotional vehicles you use, make sure that you give visitors a reason to come and visit you. With a hall overflowing with fascinating products/services, combined with time constraints, people need an incentive to come and visit your booth. First and foremost their primary interest is in “what’s new!” They are eager to learn about the latest technologies, new applications, or anything that will help save them time and/or money. Even if you don’t have a new product/service to introduce, think about a new angle to promote your offerings.

5. Have Giveaways That Work
Tied into giving visitors an incentive to visit your booth is the opportunity to offer a premium item that will entice them. Your giveaway items should be designed to increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition of your company. Developing a dynamite giveaway takes thought and creativity. Consider what your target audience wants, what will help them do their job better; what they can’t get elsewhere, what is product/service related and educational. Think about having different gifts for different types of visitors. Use your website to make an offer for visitors to collect important information, such as an executive report, when they visit your booth. Giveaways should be used as a reward or token of appreciation for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest, or as a thank-you for qualifying information about specific needs etc.

6. Use Press Relations Effectively
Public relations is one of the most cost-effective and successful methods for generating large volumes of direct inquiries and sales. Before the show ask show management for a comprehensive media list, and find out which publications are planning a special trade show edition. Send out newsworthy press releases focusing on what’s new about your product/service, or highlighting a new application or market venture. Compile press kits for the press office that include information about industry trends, statistics, new technology or production information. Also include good product photos and key company contacts. Have staff members at the booth who are specifically assigned to interact with the media7. Differentiate Your Products/Services
Too many exhibitors are happy to use the “me too” marketing approach. Examine their marketing plans and there’s an underlying sameness about them. With shows that attract hundreds of exhibitors, there are very few that seem to “stand out from the crowd.” Since memorability is an integral part of a visitors’ show experience, you should be looking at what makes you different and why a prospect should buy from you. This is of particular concern with generic products in your industry. Every aspect of your exhibit marketing plan, including your promotions, your booth and your people should be aimed at making an impact and creating curiosity.

8. Use The Booth As An Effective Marketing Tool
On the trade show floor your exhibit makes a strong statement about who your company is, what you do and how you do it. The purpose of your exhibit is to attract visitors so that you can achieve your marketing objectives. In addition to it being an open, welcoming and friendly space, there needs to be a focal point and a strong key message that communicates a significant benefit to your prospect. Opt for large graphics rather than reams of copy. Pictures paint a thousand words while very few exhibitors will take the time to read. Your presentations or demonstrations are a critical part of your exhibit marketing. Create an experience that allows visitors use as many of their senses as possible. This will help to enhance memorability.

9. Realize That Your People Are Your Marketing Team
Your people are your ambassadors. They represent everything your company stands for, so choose them well. Brief them beforehand and make sure that they know: why you are exhibiting; what you are exhibiting and what you expect from them. Trade show training is essential for a unified and professional image. Make sure that they sell instead of tell; don’t try to do too much; understand visitor needs; don’t spend too much time; and know how to close the interaction with a commitment to follow-up.Avoid overcrowding the booth with company representatives. Have strict rules regarding employees visiting the trade show and insist staffers not scheduled for booth duty stay away until their assigned time. Assign specific tasks for company executives working the trade show.

10. Follow-Up Promptly
The key to your trade show success is wrapped up in the lead-management process. The best time to plan for follow-up is before the trade show. Trade show leads often take second place to other management activities that occur after being out of the office for several days. The longer leads are left unattended, the colder and more mediocre they become. It is to your advantage to develop an organized, systematic approach to follow-up. Establish a lead handling system, set time lines for follow-up, use a computerized database for tracking, make sales representatives accountable for leads given to them, and then measure your results. 

Thanks to Susan Friedmann for the info!

Share this:

Here are some exhibit quick fixes from the folks at Exhibitor Magazine.

Has your exhibit been around the block a few times? Here are some quick and easy fixes to help make it look new again.

1. Brush on nail polish to hide scratches on hard materials.
2. Smooth bubbling or peeling laminate with a Chamois cloth.
3. Use caulk to fill in gouges on hard surfaces.
4. Apply automotive paint to disguise large chips or cracks on most hard surfaces.
5. Fill in dents in laminates with Bondo.
6. Sharpen up dog-eared graphics by using a utility knife to eliminate unruly corners.
7. Fasten duct tape to the backside of tearing carpet.
8. Remove stains from your booth staffers’ uniforms and your carpet with K2r spray-on stain remover.
9. Cover minor blemishes on hard surfaces with a matching felt-tip marker.
10. Use felt pads to prevent furniture from marking floors and to level banner stands, reception desks, and more.

Share this:

Here are a few budget-conscious tips to consider while designing your exhibit:

- Plan your entire annual show schedule at one time (or even better your schedule for the next 3 years). This includes planning all of your potential booth sizes and trying to design these with the greatest number of common parts.

- If you exhibit at many shows, it is usually more cost-effective for you to buy your exhibit. However, if you exhibit at one show that is much bigger than the rest, it makes more sense to rent the additional parts to fill out your space for that one show.

- Make sure you put aside 1-3% of your budget to track what is and isn’t working. This way you can trim the fat for the next show or next year and focus on what is making you money.

- You can have an attractive, functional, lightweight modular exhibit (even for islands) that could save you up to 50% on your shipping and drayage costs. Those savings can be kept or spent in more productive areas such as graphics, promotions, staffing or ROI measurement.

If you notice, the biggest commonality when it comes to frugal exhibiting is planning. The earlier and more detailed the plan, the less room for costly mistakes.

Share this:

Ah, the tabletop. The underdog of the trade show circuit. Although many may think that the smaller the exhibit, the less ROI, they are mistaken. Your tabletop display can be just as effective as an exhibit 10 times its size - if you know the right way to work it. Following are the Top Ten Tips for Tabletops (say that 5 times fast) from the January issue of Exhibitor Magazine.

1. Select one main image—Make sure your graphics convey who you are and what you at a glance. A bigger, simpler image is better. Stay away from busy designs.

2. Limit your text, aim high—Keep your text from about 6-10 words in length and place it in the top 2 feet of your display.

3. Select proper fonts—Skip the artsy fonts, make sure your font color is easy to read on the background, and make the font big enough. Basically make it legible.

4. Try different positions—Consider moving your tabletop from the back of your space up to the forefront. Bring it closer to your prospective customers.

5. Cut the clutter—It’s already a small space, don’t make it worse by including things you don’t need. Take out chairs, desks, and other furniture.

6. Light it up—If you want people to see your display, you must light it. It’s recommended to use two 100 or 200-watt bulbs, or use a tabletop with a bubble, backlit panel.

7. Train your staff—Since you have such a small space, your staff is really where most of your focus should go. Make sure they are well-versed in your company’s mission as well as all things trade show. The best number of staffers is two, but not in the booth at the same time.

8. Promote—Just because you have a smaller display doesn’t mean you should cut out your pre-, at-, and post-show promotions. You need to let people know who you are and where you’ll be.

9. Create an illusion—Get a table skirt that is the same color as the majority of your display. This gives the illusion of having a full-height 10×10 exhibit.

10. Consider add-ons—While you should always try to keep it simple, there are a few add-ons that may be useful. Think about getting a header, a portable DVD player for presentations, or small uncluttered product shelves.

Just because you have a smaller space doesn’t mean you can’t compete with the big dogs.

Share this:

It’s a brand new year. A fresh slate, a new beginning. By this time you probably have a pretty clear idea of your goals for this year and you have a budget and strategy for carrying your business to the next level. But have you thought about your exhibiting for this upcoming year?

I know what many of you are thinking. Budgets may be tighter this year and you don’t have the money to redo your entire exhibit. But a little change goes a long way and it doesn’t have to break the bank. The easiest way to revamp your exhibit is to update your graphics. Here are some signs that you should consider changing your graphics:

- Your company logo, branding, or brand positioning has changed. This is a must. While making such a sweeping change within your company you may have overlooked your exhibit. Make sure that your message is the same across all of your

- You use the same graphics at each show. This may not be as pressing as the first example, but it still bears consideration. If you exhibit at more than one show, chances are there are differences in the demographics of the attendees. You want to make sure that your graphics are targeting the right groups.

- You’ve had the same graphics for a few years. If people have seen the same thing at the same shows for the past few years, chances are they are just going to walk right by you. Go for something different and eye-catching to grab those attendees right into your space.

New graphics can change the entire look and feel of your exhibit and they will help you realize your goals for this new year without exploding your budget. You’ll be on the road to better, more profitable exhibiting in 2008.

Share this: