Over the weekend just past, I had the opportunity to visit the King Tut traveling exhibit here in Dallas. It was a great sensory experience and really brought the artifacts and story to life. Keep that in mind when you design or lay out your trade show exhibit. The Dallas Museum of Art transformed itself […]
Using space to tell your story Read More »
In conversation with a client yesterday, the topic of how to allocate marketing budget within business units (and to specific shows) came up. How do you divvy up the marketing pie across markets so that you exhibit at the most effective shows? My client is a savvy guy and is really taking a hard look
Assessing your trade show program Read More »
Having a “draw” at your exhibit is an important part of the lead-gathering process. Whether it’s a serious presentation or a live-action dance team or entertainer, it’s all about the lead–and the attention on the show floor. The Buzz. At the recent NACS show in Chicago, having a celebrity or key figure seemed to be
Booth attractions: Using celebrities…in whatever form Read More »
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 »
