I was fortunate last evening to sit on the plane next to a meeting planner/trade show manager. Jen is the event marketing specialist for a California-based software provider. She was headed to Orlando for Educause. It was a brief conversation, but reminded me of some things that experienced event people have in their “collections.” Things […]
Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails….chances are somebody has made them into a foam stress item at one point in the trade show world. In an effort to reach out to trade show and event attendees, many exhibiting companies are resorting to the old squeeze play. OK, so I’ve overdone the analogies. The truth
Squeezing a memory out of a show Read More »
Every once in a while you see a small exhibitor with a fresh idea of how to gather a crowd and get attention. At NACS this year, I met the guys from PestWest Environmental. While they only had a 10×10 booth, they were close to the front of the hall. The company’s roots are in
Sir, your fly is, er, down Read More »
With apologies to Bill Engvall and The Five Man Electrical Band, this entry is all about signs–the hanging variety used at trade shows. The NACS show was a great example of companies using hanging structures as a part of their dimensional marketing strategy. Many use them as signposts so that visitors looking for them can
Sign, sign everywhere a sign Read More »
The just-completed NACS show was a great exercise in being prepared and having measurable results at the end of it. My client, Retalix, did all of the things you need to do to make sure that the staff is prepared and knows what’s going on before, during and at the conclusion of a show. One
The Effective Booth Captain Read More »
I had dinner with a colleague from the industry last evening. We traded stories and leads and finally got to philosophy. After several minutes of spirited discussion, we both concluded one thing: It’s not about the booth. While this seems an overstatement of the obvious, too many exhibitors and suppliers view the trade show experience
It’s not about the booth Read More »
The last day of set up is always a day of punch lists and tending to do the last-minute details. Before you can leave the booth that one last time before the show opens, did you: Put out the pen holders and other office supplies? Label the last crates as “Empty”? Cut the poly off
The Finishing Touches Read More »
They look so great and graceful (well, mostly) hanging in the air over the show floor. But somebody had to get hanging signs up there. Usually, it’s up to you to get the job done. Hanging your completed sign has a few steps: Put in the order for the riggers well in advance of the
Laying carpet and pad may seem like a simple thing, but executed accurately, it can save you time and money, make your staff comfortable and improve the appearance of your booth immensely. At this show we did several things: Notched the pad for the cables so that the carpet on top laid flat Measured from
Carpet installation Read More »
If you can get to show site early, one of the best uses of your time is to work with the electricians on the installation of your power in your booth. At NACS in Chicago, I had a great experience with the electricians and telecom guys. They followed direction well, made solid suggestions and worked
Guiding electrical installation Read More »
