Tonight on the local news, they announced a school district has cancelled all classes for Monday due to a flu epidemic. While this winter hasn’t been nearly as illness-prone as some years, it does draw attention to some important points that most exhibitors overlook.
- Be careful with bins of promotional items — especially candy. It’s never a good idea to let attendees rifle through items because everyone ends up touching more than just the item they select. And forget about bowls of unwrapped candy! Placing previously-handled items in your mouth is just asking for trouble.
A few days ago I came across this blog post by a reporter at Computerworld about his experience at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). My favorite line is, “What I most remember from CES were fairly random things, the kind of interactions that are the result of sheer serendipity.” He goes on to tell several stories about people he met (many of them off the show floor) with fascinating products or experiences to share.
Ever since I wrote my book, Build a Better Trade Show Image — ten years ago — I’ve been trying to convince both show managers and exhibitors that doing shows the same way won’t cut it anymore. If you look at the statistics for many expos (especially association shows), you’ll see the primary demographic is age 40-plus, with many averaging even age 50-plus. But if you want your show to stay alive, you better figure out how to reach the 20- and 30-somethings, and you better do it quick!
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Want Your Trade Show to Stay Relevant? Better Learn to Appeal to GenY!
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Whether or not you’re using Twitter in your trade show marketing strategy, you probably know what it is — a site that allows people to share thoughts in 140 characters or less.
Understanding this principle will also serve you well in your booth. It’s always smart to spend 80 percent of time listening to attendees’ needs, wants and frustrations, with only 20 percent of your time spent talking. But to do that, you need to understand the concept of speaking in sound bites (or tweets).
If you’re planning to go “big” at your next trade show, then be sure that you’re consistent about it.
At a show I attended recently, I noticed some exhibitor inconsistencies. There was one company with a high profile in the industry who was one of the show’s sponsors, yet only had a 10×10′ space. While that alone was surprising, what was more curious was the way the staff treated attendees. There was no greeting, and when an attendee expressed interest in the product, only a short and aloof answer was given. No offer to demonstrate the product, no questions about what the attendee wanted, nothing. Needless to say, attendees weren’t lingering at that booth.
