Exhibiting Overview Top Tips and Best Practices Candy Adams, The Booth Mom

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2 Exhibiting Overview Top Tips and Best Practices Candy Adams, The Booth Mom CTSM CEM CMP CMM

3 A successful exhibit starts with a strategic plan Exhibitors who fail to plan are planning to fail. Paraphrased from Ben Franklin

4 Write your exhibit s success story The WHO? The WHY? The HOW? The HOW MUCH? The WHEN? The WHERE?

5 The WHO? : Your Stakeholders To paraphrase: It takes a village to raise a successful exhibit! Assemble your Trade Show Exhibit Support Team What support will you need from each group?

6 Who s on your Internal Support Team? Executive/management team for high-level strategy Marketing and Sales Departments Product Marketing Corporate Communications Engineering Exhibit Staff

7 The Most Critical Link to Success: Your Exhibit Staff To attendees, the most memorable part of your exhibit is your staff. Don t skip their rehearsal! Show and exhibit orientation - What do they need to know to make them productive? Product and sales training - Boothmanship (at-show communication and etiquette) - Don t skip the role playing: greeting/engaging/qualifying/ demonstrating/recording/dismissing

8 Staff Logistics Housing Travel Logo d attire Exhibitor badges Scheduling of booth duty, competitive reconnaissance, seminar attendance, booth captain, etc. Post-show survey (qualitative input) What info do you need from them and what do they need from you?

9 Who s on your External Support Team? Marketing Agencies or Freelance Professionals Exhibit House Shipping ICA (Show Management) LVCC (Venue) Show Contractors / Subcontractors / EACs

10 External Support Team: Communication is Critical Share your Vision with your partners: Strategic Tactical Financial Outcomes/Results Your partners aren t mind readers; COMMUNICATE!!

11 The WHY? : Exhibit Marketing Strategy Why is your company exhibiting? Generate Qualified Leads to Convert to Future Sales Increase Product Awareness Enhance Company Brand Interact with Prospects and Customers Educate Attendees Create/Strengthen Relationships/Partnerships Press/Media Coverage

12 Formulate Show Goals and Objectives Set realistic written measurable goals and objectives Profile your perfect prospect (target audience) Decide what you ll showcase Determine your key message(s)

13 Lead Gathering: The #1 Reason Exhibitors Exhibit The top reason companies exhibit is to increase sales. After the show s over, what s left? QUALIFIED LEADS

14 Ask whomever will be following up on leads what qualifying information would help them most Contact info: Name / Title / Company Name / Address / Phone / Address Product Interest: Product name or model # Application: What will they use product for? Role in Purchase: Influencer / Recommender / Decision-Maker Budgeted: Yes/No; Amount $ Timeframe to Buy: 0-30 Days / Days / 3-6 mo. / 6 mo.+ Current Vendor: Who is current vendor? Follow-up type/time: What type of follow-up and when?

15 The HOW? : The Devil is in the 1,000 Details! Implementing the Tactics It s estimated that there are 1,000 decisions that go into planning every trade show exhibit You have to understand your exhibit strategy before you can implement the tactics to support it!

Basic show info, hyperlinks and timelines Strategy and tactics Staff info Internal and external

16 Planning the Show: Fill in the Blanks You need a Show Plan that summarizes the critical information for YOUR exhibit and marketing plan to communicate to your team. Basic show info, hyperlinks and timelines Strategy and tactics Staff info Internal and external deadlines An Excel template will be sent to Boot Camp attendees and uploaded to the Exhibitor Resource web site at a later date.

17 Start at the Beginning: The Exhibitor Kit Information from: Show Management General Contractor Exclusive Contractors Official Subcontractors Convention Venue

18 What s in the Exhibitor Services Manual? CRITICAL information: General show info Move-in, show hours, move-out schedules Order forms for products and services Rules and regulations Deadlines

19 Designing your Exhibit: Form Follows Function What needs to be in your booth space to support your strategic goals? Equipment Demonstrations Meeting space Group presentations (Theater) Hospitality Literature

20 Plan your Functional Booth Layout What exhibit properties will it take to support your goals and objectives? How much room will you dedicate to product and marketing collateral? What graphics and messages are required? How many staff and how much room for them? Industry rule-of-thumb: 1 staff for every 50 sq. ft. of open space

Exhibit Graphics: A Magnet for your Target Audience What s your key message you want attendees to take away and remember? What problem does your product/service solve?

21 Exhibit Graphics: A Magnet for your Target Audience What s your key message you want attendees to take away and remember? What problem does your product/service solve? What differentiates you from your competitors? From what distance will your graphics be read? Can attendees easily read and understand your key message(s) in 3.5 seconds?

22 Promotion x 3: Hit em, Hit em, Hit em Again! How will you promote your company and products to your target audience? Before the show During the show After the show

23 Who s in your Target Audience and What s Your (Different) Message to Each of Them? Suspects: show attendees that you don t know and who don t know your company or product/service Prospects: show attendees that you are aware of but haven t sold your product to yet Customers/Clients: show attendees who know of your product/service but may need updated on your latest offerings Influencers: show attendees who aren t actually your target prospects, but have influence over those who are

24 What solution do you have for your target audience? But are you using the right bait?

25 HOW MUCH? will it all cost? Budget for: Booth Space Exhibit Properties Shipping On-Site Show Services Promotion Lead Retrieval and Follow-up Staffing Expenses + 10% for Unknowns and Opportunities A generic Excel budget template will be sent to Boot Camp attendees and uploaded to the Exhibitor Resource web site at a later date.

26 The WHEN? : Your Planning Timeline It s never too soon to start the conversation on strategic show goals and objectives! For a sample planning checklist template in Excel format in a logical, chronological order that you can add your dates and who owns each responsibility will be sent to Boot Camp attendees and uploaded to the Exhibitor Resource web site at a later date.

27 What Types of Show Services Will You Need? Exhibit Purchase/Rental Audio Visual Graphics and Signage Shipping Material Handling (Drayage) Utilities (i.e. Electrical Power) Communications (i.e. Wired Internet/Wireless) Carpet/Pad Rigging of hanging signs Installation & Dismantle Labor Equipment/Product Placement (Spotting) Furniture/Accessory Rental Cleaning/Porter Service Floral & Plants Badge Scanner (Lead Retrieval) Catering & Hospitality Temporary Staff Photography

28 How to Order Show Services Determine must-have items and if you ll buy or rent them Compile your deadline list of when orders have to be placed to get maximum discounts Decide if you re going to fill out forms online or on paper and fax / scan to vendors Start completing forms as you determine your needs - Contact the vendors if you have questions Submit forms with payments before deadline dates Confirm all orders have been received; keep copies

Plan your Exhibit Set-up and Dismantle Schedules Do a mental walk-through of everything that will have to be done to prepare for the show and when it has to be done.

29 Plan your Exhibit Set-up and Dismantle Schedules Do a mental walk-through of everything that will have to be done to prepare for the show and when it has to be done. Include dates and times in your Show Plan to share with your stakeholders. Calculate estimated times including deadlines to order services and when you need them to be provided based on your pre-show and onsite schedules. Pad them! (Murphy s Law)

30 The Where? : Know Your Venue and Union Rules Different Cities = Different Unions, Jurisdictions and Rates Use the information in your Exhibitor Services Manual to determine what you, as an exhibitor, can and can t do In Las Vegas, full-time employees of the exhibiting company can set up their own exhibit, use hand tools, freight, hand carry freight, open/place/repair products Know what hours are straight time vs. overtime and plan to maximize straight-time set-up and dismantle hours

Get to Show Site Early Build in extra travel time and time to get to know the venue and area around it Find the exhibitor service desk area and introduce yourself Verify your onsite orders and times

31 Get to Show Site Early Build in extra travel time and time to get to know the venue and area around it Find the exhibitor service desk area and introduce yourself Verify your onsite orders and times Measure to see that your electrical power (and any other undercarpet cables) are laid in the right position within your booth Be at your booth space when your freight arrives to count and inspect it; report any damage or shortages Get to know the neighborhood around your hotel for restaurants/drug stores/hardware/office supply stores

32 Still confused? More Resources THE ONLY STUPID QUESTION IS THE ONE YOU DIDN T ASK!! Exhibitor Services Manual (Exhibitor Kit) Show Web Site ( Show Management and their Education Programs General Service Contractor (Freeman) / Subcontractors Exhibit House ExhibitorOnline.com Articles ExhibitorOnline.com Glossary

33 More questions about exhibiting? Just ask the The Booth Mom! Ask here and now Contact me later by at: Put me on speed-dial for later: Check out lots of Exhibiting 101 articles at:

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