Conquering Trade Show Hell
Posted by: Merritt

 We just returned from a large defense trade show and conference. I’ve run a large government booth at this show for six years now, and I’m always interested to see how the private industry folks show their colors at this event.

Our government client is working with about one-tenth the budget of the private-sector/defense industry exhibitors, so we have to wring every penny’s worth out of value from each display panel. I’ve tended to think in the past that the “big dog” exhibitors must spend weeks preparing their personnel and products for this event – just because they have spent so much money on the structure and graphics.

If you haven’t considered the cost of a large (1500 sq ft or larger) display, consider this:
• You have to pay for the booth space.
• You have to pay to get your booth to the exhibit hall and back from your site.
• You have to pay to get your booth from the exhibit hall loading dock to the show floor and back to the dock.
• You have to pay to get your booth set up and broken down.
• You have to pay travel and per diem expenses for your booth personnel.
• You have to pay for power, Internet and other show services.
Okay, so you get it. This is before any hospitality you plan, if any, including picking up drinks and dinners for potential clients and the like. So yeah, trade shows are expensive.

My point here is that it appears many companies stop at the logistics. They get the structure there, set it up, put people in it, then dust off their hands and say “mission accomplished.”

Case in point: I walked through one mega-display at this show to get ideas for other clients. Looking at the size, number of people, and furnishings, I would say this was at least a $500,000 display. As I walked through, I saw at least 20 men in suits standing about (I have nothing against men in suits; I married one). Not one spoke to me. Many seemed surprised that someone had managed to penetrate their booth perimeter. I expected to hear crickets chirping in the silence that enveloped me.

I’m very familiar with the products and services that this company offers. Yet, in their booth, I couldn’t tell what story they were telling at this show. They had professional graphics, but they didn’t resonate with the viewer. I had to ask myself, why would you spend a half-million dollars and then not proactively engage visitors with your visuals and personnel?
• Have a story to tell.
• Teach the story to your people and have them practice telling it.
• Remember that the program manager is not always the best marketer.
Another company took a much more proactive approach. They had interactive areas, strong graphics, and took time to train up their booth personnel. But this year, the floor layout was such that you could only see their booth from one side. Adjacent booths put up high walls so that much of the proactive company’s visual impact was lost. Most shows require a booth design diagram from large exhibitors; you should be able to request those of your neighbors and plan accordingly.
• Know the neighborhood.
Let me be perfectly candid here and say that I dislike trade shows. They’re stressful and tiring. That’s why it’s so important to me to make trade shows count. This is my internal checklist for a show:
• Who am I trying to reach? Is a display booth the best route to reach them?
Maybe I am trying to reach a select few, and a private hospitality suite will give me the captive audience I seek.
• What story will be compelling to my audience at this show?
Can I make a conference presentation as well? Can I be a technical expert and not just a salesman?
• Do budget limitations significantly impact my ability to tell my story? Can I afford space in a high-traffic area?
Maybe it’s better to just go to the conference as an attendee instead of spending the money for a poor location.
• Who will man the booth?
I need outgoing, engaging people who are conversant on the show topic and my products.
• What will they say?
Each person should have a show “primer” and attend planning meetings well in advance of the show.
• What’s our gimmick?
Handing out cool swag, setting up a bar in the booth, having a really cool interactive toy, etc.
Warning: Shameless sales pitch to follow.

Want to stop pounding your marketing money down a rathole? Bring the Vox|Optima team onboard for your show planning. We’ll create a show plan that includes schedules, personnel training, booth/exhibit design and graphics, logistics and special events that will get you in front of your audience from Day One. Otherwise, you might just have guys in suits avoiding conversations.

Cheers, Merritt