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
The single biggest challenge I have ever encountered with shows (on whatever scale) is how to collect leads and what to do with them after you’ve collected them. The problem seems to start with the simple act of collecting them. There are three steps: 1. Collecting them.2. Processing them.3. Taking action with them. Collecting. Whether
Leads–gathering and otherwise Read More »
The best way to evaluate a potential addition to your show schedule is to actually visit the show. Whether you have to buy an airline ticket and plan a trip or park near your local exhibit hall when the show comes to your town, it will payment immense dividends for you to walk teh floor
Show evaluation: walking a show Read More »
I was reminded of this process and experience recently when a business acquaintance told me he had to make some changes to his program. Whether it’s cost-, geography- or personality-driven, sometimes a change has to be made. Moving your exhibit properties is a big deal–or not Others in the industry have written exhaustively (and well)
Choosing an exhibit house Read More »
It never fails. The client wants to bring all of the brochures and collateral the company has on its shelves to a show. While the printed word in a 2-D form is a great supplement to an effective trade show, it can also be a distraction or a detriment. Three things come to mind when
Using literature effectively at a show Read More »
I admit it, I’m a convert. I always thought you had to own a custom booth to be a big player. But with the pressures of financial performance a daily reality, having a quality image on the show floor has to be rethought. Enter the rental custom booth. There are three reasons I like this
In praise of rental booths Read More »
The show is about to start, so it’s time to gather the staff for a briefing before the attendees flood onto the show floor. At NACStech, we had a staff of about 12 for the 7 workstations. The meeting was led by the two main sales people for the business unit. We took 15 minutes
The Booth Staff Meeting Read More »
I’m at the National Association of Convenience Stores Technical Show (otherwise known as NACStech) this week. The show runs Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. The show participation is down this year (about 100 exhibitors as compared to 125 last year in Nashville) according to
NACStech, the first set up day Read More »
It is always a good thing to show up early to the show floor. You can see if your frieght has arrived, among other things, but basically get the “lay of the land.” Once you get past the usually who-ha of wrist bands and where things are, you get to the booth space to see
Facing the initial set up at a show Read More »
