“Walking a show” means just that: you are going to visit a trade show to learn more about it before you choose to exhibit. The idea is that if you get a feel for it by being there you will more than likely understand and make a better judgment of its value to your company […]
Managing a trade show program of more than one show require broader thinking. Because you are using properties in multiple locations (and for possible different mixes of products and services), you really need to look at cost beyond the cost of each show. In fact, combining costs across your spectrum of shows allows for economies
Total Cost of Program Read More »
I know I dwell on this, but let’s talk about leads. Gathering leads is one of the primary reasons we are at shows–we are there to itneract with suspects, prospects and clients and maybe find a few new ones in the process. So, let’s talk about one way to classify leads. Whether you are collecting
From time to time there are small, detail items that help save us time, money, effort or all three. One of those small things we should sweat is staging freight. If you arrive at show site before your work starts and before your freight is unloaded, you have a great opportunity to stage your crates
The small stuff: staging freight Read More »
It happens. The trade show supplier you worked with for so long has changed–maybe they have new owners or a new account executive. Perhaps their pricing policies have changed or they don’t understand your new business strategy. Whatever the reason, you’ve chosen to move on. As with any relationship, a business divorce doesn’t have to
Saying goodbye–leaving a vendor relationship Read More »
Where do you keep your exhibit when it isn’t being used? Have you budgeted for the cost to store and handle your booth between shows? Most of us overlook this less-than-trivial expense when planning our total cost of program budget. No matter the size of your booth (or booths) you need to consider where it’s
Let’s talk about trade shows live and in person. Remember, this medium is all about face-to-face interaction, so I’m going to practice what I preach. I’m on the program at the AAF (American Advertising Federation) District 10 Summer Leadership Conference this fall. The event runs September 18-20, 2008, in Abilene, Texas. In the two sessions
Live and in person Read More »
Over the past few weeks I’ve been in several situations that all lend themselves to human interaction. And while they are very divergent activities (a wedding, a fishing trip and a meeting with my management), several themes rang true. These same themes lend themselves to face-to-face marketing and trade shows. Patience. Persistence. Passion. A wedding
Patience, Persistence and Passion Read More »
Drayage….even if you haven’t heard the word before, it seems a bit ominous by it’s sound. Drayage, or material handling, is the cost the general contractor of a trade show charges exhibitors to move goods from the dock to the exhibit space on the show floor. Charged by the hundred weight (CWT), it is a
It’s up for discussion: how much should you pay (or be charged) to have someone as an on-site supervisor for a trade show? This might be a specialized situation, but what I’m talking about is those cases where a company or program doesn’t have a dedicated trade show manager or has a show conflict where
