Trade Show InsightsNews, tips & tools to expand your knowledge of exhibiting

Trade shows and conferences have always been about making connections. And while that hasn’t changed, many of the tools available have.

Social media is now a major player in creating connections before, during and after the event, which also extends those connections. Echelon Design created an infographic on “Social Media in the New Event World,” showing how organizations are using these tools. (Click on the image to view a full-size infographic.)

In virtually every industry there are a wealth of opportunities for continuing education – in fact, it’s a primary focus of any association conference. Yet the CEIR report “How the Exhibit Dollar is Spent” states that only 1 percent of an average trade show budget is spent on educating exhibitors, even though a different CEIR study states that trained exhibitors are 68 percent more effective.

So why all the disconnect over education?

In this free webinar hosted by TSNN on April 17 at 1 PM (Eastern Time), show organizers and exhibitors will learn:

Photo: BizArt

Back in 1936, when Dale Carnegie published his famous How to Win Friends and Influence People, he shared a list of six ways to make people like you:

1. Be genuinely interested in them.
2. Smile.
3. Remember the importance of a person’s name.
4. Be a good listener.
5. Talk about the other person’s interests.
6. Make the other person feel important.

For trade show exhibitors looking to improve their results, the best place to start may be by educating their exhibit staff. However, education is often the last thing on an exhibit manager’s list, or budget.

A recent survey by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) found that education receives a mere 1 percent of exhibit budgets, and another study indicates that 31 percent of exhibitors provide no type of pre-show training for their team at all.

This was the week my husband and I had planned to be moving into our new home. But unfortunately, things began to unravel a few weeks ago and the sale was ultimately cancelled. If you’ve never been through something like this (and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone), let me tell you it sparks a whole variety of emotions.

So we decided it would be a nice diversion to do something light-hearted and counteract the heaviness we’re feeling … Announcing the “We’re Not Moving” (Yet) Sale! These one-time-only specials are being offered only until February 14:

• Exhibit Basics Starter Kit