The Exhibitor's Resource – Trade Show Marketing Blog

In previous posts, we’ve discussed print-on-demand trade show literature as a cost-savings and waste reduction strategy, but there is another savings opportunity, the ubiquitous giveaway. Based on the shipping and handling costs associated with giveaways, we have some ideas of how to reduce this line item expense for your next trade show.

Exhibitors should consider bringing just enough promo material that they give it all away by the last day of the trade show. Exhibitors may initially object to this, wishing to avoid being empty-handed, but many reconsider once they see the costs of shipping too much to the show, and develop a strategy to manage promo campaigns more effectively.

One strategy is to have trade show booth staff manage the promo supply during the show, throttling it as necessary to make sure qualified prospects are always offered something, and only extending the offer to other visitors as supplies allow. Along with managing giveaway supply at the show, exhibitors can use projections for show attendance to avoid over or under ordering. Trade show promoters should be able to provide exhibitors trade show attendance estimates based on pre-show registration numbers and historical data on at-show registrations.

To further reduce expenses, exhibitors should consider palletizing large giveaway orders rather than as individual small box shipments via UPS or FedEx. Because loose cartons will need to be palletized anyway for delivery to the show to avoid per-box drayage and handling fees at the show site, palletizing from the manufacturer saves shipping and handling expenses at several points en route to the show.

Because giveaways typically have a custom element such as silk-screening or printing, exhibitors could be surprised by the lead times for production and delivery. For very large orders, there could even be manufacturing lead times or overseas shipment time factors to consider. Rush fees for expedited production and shipping are expenses that can be avoided by starting the planning process early. And early planning affords the time to compare the impact of several giveaway options. Some factors to consider in addition to per-unit cost include

• per unit weight – this will directly impact shipping costs

• giveaway objective – is the promotional item being distributed to promote brand awareness, or to influence the buying decision?

• giveaway life span – will the item be held onto by the recipient, or be trashed before it even makes it back to their office?

Once these factors are considered, quantities are estimated, and shipping logistics are planned, exhibitors will be able to place orders for trade show promotional items confident that they are doing so in a cost-effective and low-impact way.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

In thinking about the December holidays, we at Exhibit Resources can’t help but notice some parallels to our face-to-face marketing world. Sure, the food, the presents, the carols, the candles and the decorations are a part of what make the holidays so special, but some of the underlying magic behind it all might be the connections we make or strengthen with friends and family during this time.

In fact, the holidays are about fellowship, much like trade shows and other marketing events that bring people together. Another word for fellowship is community, and building a community is the most desired result in marketing. A sense of community leads to deep, long‐lasting, relationships with customers.

So when you’re gathering around the dining room table for the holiday feast, celebrating at one more party or finding a place near the fireplace before exchanging gifts, try and imagine how you’d be able to trade stories, share moments, forge bonds, or develop the sense of community without being there, in person. Perhaps there is something in there to consider when planning next year’s marketing strategy.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Corporate Special Events are an increasingly effective way to get face time with your target audience. Special events help your staff and your brand take center stage and capture your audience’s undivided attention. Especially in the cacophony of advertising in email, tweets and other media, event marketing is an effective way to stand out, get your message heard, and be memorable.

Some successful types of corporate events include grand openings, open houses, new product launches, dealer meetings and awards ceremonies, just to name a few. The type of event depends on your objective, but as you start the planning process, be sure to think about what your audience will find to be worthwhile. As hosts, of course you will make every effort to ensure your guests enjoy themselves, but also be sure to build in value so that they benefit from their time investment and leave enriched in some way. Often for B2B events, this means that they learned something. For B2C events, it could be the caché of being the first to learn about a new product, or a special offer for your products or services

Partnering with an exhibit and event design agency will help you pull off your event, both from a logistics and planning perspective, as well as an aesthetic one. Exhibit design and planning firms are seasoned professionals accustomed to the rigors of deadlines and coordinating the services of multiple vendors such as caterers, AV, and entertainment. Organizations that already exhibit at trade shows often combine their existing displays from their trade show marketing program with event-specific graphics, rental staging and special lighting. Additional rental display elements and floral decoration tie it all together. Event marketing firms can help you efficiently use what you already own, and incorporate rental properties into the design.

Offering wonderful hospitality is the foundation to a successful event, but take every opportunity at the event to reinforce your brand and message before, during and after the event. If the event is focused on a product launch, consider putting the product line brand out in front of the corporate one, and promote the event as an exclusive “unveiling” or even a “sneak peek” opportunity. Event-only graphics, giveaways or impressions go a long way towards making it a “moment in time” happening not to be missed. That said, there is every reason to broadcast the event afterwards online, in the media and in promotional materials. Get as much mileage out of the event as you can by distributing photos, video clips and press releases immediately.

Popularity: 5% [?]

As the holiday season got underway last week with Thanksgiving, you might not have been thinking about budgets and business taxes. But the following year-end planning tips for businesses and marketing departments can help you make the most of your year-end financial situation.

1. Get a Marketing Budget Update from Accounting: As part of your year-end strategy, you should have a good idea of your company’s financial picture and how that relates to your marketing effort. Now is a good time to sit down with the CFO for year-end advice, particularly regarding any remaining monies allocated for marketing activities that will expire at the end of the year.

2. Pay Expenses Now: Pay for things your business or marketing department will need in the near future to possibly maximize the deductions for this year. If you can justify the need for new equipment or other items in the first quarter of next year, buy them now. Some possibilities include:

• Trade Show Displays and Equipment: If you will be purchasing a new trade show display, consider doing that now. Check with your accounting department to make sure that doing this now will reduce your tax burden and fits with your company structure and circumstances. Your new trade show display may have to be officially received or even physically be at your facility by the end of the year, so build that into your timeline. The sooner you get the ball rolling, the more likely your exhibit agency will be able to design, produce and deliver your new trade show display in time.

• Literature & Giveaways: Stock up on trade show related collateral such as brochures and giveaway items.

• Recurring Billing: If you can, try to pay recurring bills such as trade show display storage fees, software license agreements, publication subscriptions, and organization memberships in advance before the end of the year.

• Other Items: Try to pre-pay travel expenses, repairs to equipment, or maintenance costs that you know will occur early in the new year.

3. Postpone Income if Necessary: Coordinate with your sales department to delay the collection of payments until the first part of January instead of the end of December if this reduces your tax bill. Cash that remains on the books at the end of the year may be taxable for that year. Keep in mind that different strategies apply to your particular situation (profit/loss position, company structure, etc.), but it could make sense to get the cash on hand as close to zero as possible at the end of the year.

4. Check Inventory: If you have product that was used at a trade show and is now considered “refurbished” inventory or has otherwise experienced a drop in value, be sure to find out if your accounting methods allow deductions for this. And consider offering remaining inventory at special terms during any December trade shows or special events to further reduce your inventory tax obligation.

As mentioned above, the strategy for applying these tips will depend on the individual business circumstances and accounting methods. Be sure to review your company’s strategy with your accounting department, CFO, or professional tax accounting professional. But if you plan carefully, any taxes you save can be put towards face-to-face marketing initiatives for next year.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Trade show exhibitors often struggle with what information and images include on their trade show display graphics. Many offer a wide range of products and services, and may feel frustrated when trying to distill their pitch down to a “billboard” message. But we have a workaround for this problem that seems to be working for our clients. We suggest that exhibitors create alternate sets of trade show display graphics for secondary markets or additional product lines. With a larger inventory of graphics, exhibitors can deliver the best message to the audience attending a particular trade show. Sometimes the re-skin is comprehensive, and the entire look of the trade show display is changed with the switch-out of graphics, but the change can be more subtle by only changing out market-specific panels and leaving the overall branding the same.

And the alternate graphics can go beyond just changing the look or message from show to show. Marketers interested in comparing one look or offer to another can do this type of A/B testing by using one set of graphics on one day of the show, and another set on another day. This type of testing works best when there is fairly consistent trade show floor traffic on the days that the display graphics are being tested, but can give feedback about what message or offer draws the most visitors to your trade show booth space.

As you begin your next trade show graphics project, keep in mind the benefits to creating multiple sets of graphics for different audiences and different marketing messages. It will help you improve your trade show marketing effort at a relatively low cost.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Just after the fall busy season is a great time to look back at your 2009 Exhibiting successes and to consider your 2010 schedule. What shows were your best performers? Where could you expand your company’s presence to get more out of your event marketing effort? One strategy employed by some of our clients is to seek out shows in vertical markets outside of their primary industry in order to access to new business.

Take a look at your top 5-10 clients. What trade shows are they exhibiting at? Would it make sense for your company to have a presence at their industry shows? Would this give you an opportunity to get in front of similar companies who have similar needs for your products and services? Often, exhibitors become so focused on their own industry that they miss opportunities in other vertical markets. But having a presence at shows in industries that your company supports or works with gives you the opportunity to stand out in a less saturated field. It may even be worth investigating exhibiting at a show that your competitors’ top clients exhibit at.

Have you already been applying this strategy with success? Great! Perhaps there are still some niche vertical markets that are still untapped. Seek out regional shows or new shows that shift the focus slightly towards your best target audience. Test out these additional shows with a portable inline trade show display with graphics tailored to the attendees at that show.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Exhibiting at trade shows is a vital part of the marketing mix, but the effort can represent a significant investment.  Trade show participation has been shown to be a cost-effective way to generate leads and close new business, according to the findings of CEIR, The Center for Exhibition Industry Research, as explained in their report The Cost Effectiveness of Exhibition Participation. The data from that report and others show that the typical cost of generating a sale from exhibiting at a trade show is just over $2,000, as compared to over the $3,000 average for all methods. Still, trade show professionals are looking to make the most of their event marketing budget, thereby lowering the total expense for each new lead or sale. One way to do this is to use modern online marketing techniques to squeeze more juice out of your next appearance on the expo floor.

Promote your event on your website and in online advertising
For quite some time, Exhibitors have been sending out pre-show mailers to show attendees, their customers and their prospects, often with an incentive to visit their booth space during the show. Exhibitors can translate this to the web by promoting their presence on their website and in online marketing campaigns. Add the trade shows you will be exhibiting at to your company’s online events calendar, or create a new section for a running list of upcoming events. Be sure to let potential expo visitors know what booth space you are in and when in-booth demos or product launches will happen.
Think about how to write about events you plan to exhibit at in this section since useful and interesting and content will both entice your visitors to attend the show and and seek out your display. Good content that includes the keywords of your industry, your product or your company will help people find your site. You may also consider an online advertising campaign to promote your appearance at the show. Similar to pre-show mailers that often include an incentive to visit the booth such as a drawing for a prize, online ads are good place to entice your target audience with some sort of “at show” offer. Remember, even if they are already planning to attend the show, you want to get on the “dance card” of your most important targets.

Tweet, Blog, and update other social media content from the show floor

• connect with show attendees using twitter, facebook, linked in and other social media
• add show photos to your flickr account or your website, and don’t forget to tag
• search for other blogs or forums about the show or your industry and post comments about your presence
• tweet news from your booth space as it happens
• publish blog posts each night to recap the days happenings

Popularity: 7% [?]

When experienced trade show coordinators hear the words “Custom Trade Show Display,” they may think of the heavy wood construction of traditional trade show display designs. Similarly, when they hear the phrase “Portable Display” they no doubt think of the convenient, but generic looking curved pop-up trade show display that has become a staple on the show floor. Although each of those still has its place in the broad trade show marketing world, there are exciting new alternatives that are combining the benefits of each type of display into new options for exhibitors.

Case in point: the Custom Portable trade show display. “But wait,” you may say “how can a display be custom AND portable?” Great question. It starts with the foundation – a new innovation from Nomadic Displays. The foundation platform is what elevates a basic pop-up display into a custom solution and supports the shelving, monitor mounts, demo stations and other accessories that give exhibitors the custom functionality they need. Custom portable trade show displays are easy to reconfigure from show to show and allow for a custom-tailored style depending on the audience and the floor space. They pack down small, avoiding the need to ship in crates, and require no tools or a simple allen key for setup. They provide the same wonderful graphic impact of pop-up back walls plus the scalability of a custom modular hybrid display.

Check out what you can do with a portable display, customized by Exhibit Resources:

Popularity: 15% [?]

Rental trade show programs are an increasingly popular way exhibitors are participating in trade shows. But how does an exhibitor evaluate and select a trade show display rental provider? Here are some questions a trade show coordinator should consider when deciding on a rental trade show display agency:

Does the exhibit house have sufficient experience with custom rental projects?
Trade show display rental agencies with longevity are a better bet for reliability and satisfaction than a startup. The ability to demonstrate past successful rental projects should be a prerequisite for any exhibit house you are considering renting from. A trade show design agency should be able to provide a portfolio of past client projects, including photos from the show and summaries of how the rental program met budget constraints.

Is a standard rental package a good fit for my program?
You may consider renting from a selection of standard kits or packages, plus a short list of options. It’s becoming the norm that these standard trade show display rental solutions can meet exhibitors’ needs well, even without much customization, thereby reducing overall cost. There may be a range of display rental packages pegged to a tiered pricing structure, each level offering a little more in terms of design features, included services, and level of support.

What if more flexibility is required?
Although there are increasingly more sophisticated standardized rental packages available and more options to choose from, in order to allow further flexibility, you may decide that a trade show rental house that can also deliver custom components to pair with the standard kits is the way to go. This is where a creative rental trade show display house can really make the difference by figuring out how to maximize the use of standard components and saving cost there, but spending any extra budget on just the right custom elements to deliver a unique look.

Will you have adequate support on the trade show floor?
Trade show exhibitors should remember Murphy’s Law when selecting a display rental partner. The range of services that a trade show display rental company offers to its clients is an important factor to weigh when deciding on a rental display solution. Should something go wrong, can your rental provider promptly correct the problem by making immediate arrangements for repairs or replacements? What is their contingency plan and how do they manage the process of implementing Plan B? Will they be on-site to take care of your needs?

Popularity: 12% [?]

Making all of the arrangements to exhibit at a trade show can seem a daunting task. However, having the right information and resources at hand can be a tremendous help in planning.

But where does one begin? We recommend that trade show coordinators start with the Show FAQ often available on the show’s website. This is a quick overview of the who, what, when and where of the trade show.

Once the basics are reviewed, the official exhibitor service manual for the trade show is the next go-to document for exhibitors and their exhibit management firm.  The exhibitor service manual is a comprehensive guide to all of the details of the trade show. Show floor rules and hall regulations, exhibitor service forms, designated contractor contacts and forms, and shipping information are included in the Exhibitor Service Manual. Be sure to make note of all deadlines outlined in the manual, and go over corresponding timelines with your exhibit house.

Becoming familiar with the show details as outlined in the service manual will save you time and money, and help you avoid trade show logistics related headaches. Because trade show agencies like Exhibit Resources work with exhibit service manuals and the service contractors involved on a regular basis, they can help exhibitors make all arrangements quickly and accurately.

Popularity: 8% [?]