Too often trade shows become an “us vs. them” conflict between show managers and exhibitors. But the truth is that each would not succeed without the other and with a bit of collaboration, both parties can experience much greater success.
So why is there so much fingerpointing? Often it comes down to a lack of communication. Exhibitors may complain that they don’t feel appreciated by show management, or perhaps never even hear from them after the contract has been signed.
Show managers on the other hand commonly feel frustrated because exhibitors don’t pay attention to details regarding the show and then blame show management for added costs or other consequences.
And some of the stress stems from one side feeling like the other is stuck in outdated practices that inhibit the effectiveness of the show.
What can be done about all these conflicting perspectives? It starts with one thing that’s so basic, yet few shows are doing it – create an Exhibitor Advisory Committee/Council (or whatever you want to call it). Often shows resist the idea because they fear it will become a source of endless complaining, but that’s not the purpose. An EAC is the place where ideas are welcomed, then sifted to find the gems (like panning for gold). Let ideas flow freely, then create a mindmap to find common threads and determine which ones hold the most potential for improving the show, whether related to logistics, cost, overall experience, or something else.
Likewise, when show managers have ideas this provides a great forum to share them and get feedback. Why not put it out there and fine-tune the idea before rolling it out, only to discover exhibitor resistance or a huge cost that could have been minimized?
But don’t expect this process to be all rainbows and unicorns! An EAC can also be a platform for challenging the status quo and turning long-held traditions on their head. Why is a certain aspect of the show (such as priority points or sponsorships) always handled in a particular way? And why can’t they be tweaked … or completely reinvented, if there are other ways that make sense?
It’s often said that the trade show industry is very slow to change, and if that continues to hold true, it could become a dinosaur in danger of extinction. But by opening up the channels of communication between show management and exhibitors, there’s no reason why we can’t make major strides forward as an industry while reinventing trade shows for the future.
What are you doing to promote collaboration between show management and exhibitors? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
Want more tips on how exhibitors and show managers can work together for greater success? We’ll be exploring this topic further in April’s Strategy of the Month calls in the Exhibit Marketers Café.
© 2015 Marlys K. Arnold (from the March 2015 TradeShowTips Online. To receive tips like this in your inbox every month, please take a moment to fill out this request.)
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Hello Marlys,
Having been in the trade show display business for over 20 years, I am now working with clients on improving the other aspects of their trade show marketing program. As you know, pre-show promotion is something we know works wonders when done right, to target prospects and get them to talk to you. However, it seems that the show organizers don’t provide the pre show registered attendee list to the exhibitors, which makes contacting and inviting those people a hugely more difficult task. Or the show management will SELL the list to the exhibitor, or the list, but not the email addresses, or the email addresses but not the names,… I’ve heard all sorts of strange scenarios, all of which are counter-productive to both exhibitors and attendees. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Jane
You’re right, Jane … pre-show promotion is definitely key to success. However, the idea of making the attendee list available to exhibitors has gotten much trickier with all the anti-spam and privacy laws out there. We actually did a podcast on this topic earlier this year (Permission-Based Marketing for Trade Shows: Are You Legal?), and it turns out there are some definite lines that shows shouldn’t cross when it comes to e-mail addresses. But there are alternatives which still allow exhibitors to do pre-show e-mails without having access to the actual list of addresses. (It’s explained more thoroughly in the podcast.)
All that to say that having access to the attendee list should never be an exhibitor’s only method of promotion. There are other avenues for inviting people to come, including tapping your own list and teaming up with non-competing exhibitors to promote each other. For a few more ideas, check out this post: “Are You Making These Promotions Mistakes?”
Thanks for your comment and I wish you all the best!