Fall is tradeshow season, or “tradeshow hell” as one of our clients put it. It’s a time when communications, marketing and sales converge in one location. PR professionals are working to line up on-site media interviews and place speakers, marketing folks are figuring out how to get people who want more than a free tchotchke to stop by the booth and sales people are feverishly calling on prospects to schedule meetings.
For those who have been, tradeshows are feasts for the senses. Think, Barnum & Bailey for seniors. Rows of color, people in uniform, video, audio, food, drink. It’s overwhelming to say the least. And, for marketing, sales and communications people, clutter doesn’t even begin to describe it.
To help ye pimps of information, here are a few tried and true tips for getting through this fall’s tradeshow season. We’ll call it KemperLesnik’s Top Five Tips for Tradeshow Survival, 2006:
1. Reach out before the show.
I heard an NPR story this morning about the hundreds of college brochures high school juniors receive this time of year. One student said, “At first, I felt special. But after a few weeks, I stopped looking at them.” This is exactly the case with tradeshows. The closer it gets, the more clutter on your desk, in your briefcase and, most frustratingly – in your head. This holds true for the PR person calling the media, the marketer executing a pre-show mailer campaign and the sales person seeking to line up meetings.
Get on it EARLY, and be creative in your outreach. Be the first to ask, and you’ll have a much better chance of making it in the end.
2. Don’t try to do too much.
On a conference call the other day, a client of ours listed a number of activities he had planned for an upcoming show: One for building the brand; one for driving booth traffic; and, one for building a database. Whew. Talk about over-communication. Although during the planning phase it doesn’t seem like it will be that difficult to pull off, but successful execution of many programs for one event is tough. You’re competing with every other company for the attention of a limited audience. Don’t add your own company to the list.
Keep it simple. Create one macro goal for the event and focus everyone’s attention on it. At the end of the day, attendees should be able to tell you what that one goal was. Be consistent and clear, and get everyone on board. You’ll be much more successful.
3. Find a balance between on- and off-site activities.
Every tradeshow is different. For some, those offsite meetings and events are even more important than what goes on at the show. And, for others, if it doesn’t happen within the confines of the conference center, it doesn’t happen. Figure out which it is and create your strategy to optimize the situation.
For those with primo off-site opportunities, book your activities and hospitality events well in advance to ensure you get the best locations and times. And, start talking about what you’ve got planned early to build excitement and get on attendees’ calendars before competitors are given the chance.
For inclusive shows, work with show organizers to book meeting room space. Get your speakers on the docket (early). And, take some time to digest the overall agenda, so you have a better idea of context and timing.
And for all shows, know what other exhibitors are planning. I’d hate to be the PR person who books a press conference that conflicts with an exhibitor-sponsored speech by Kofi Annan.
4. Take it all in.
If you’re planning this thing, don’t forget to stop and look around at everything happening in your midst. Pay special attention to those companies that just get it. How do they do it? You’ll find a ton of good ideas just waiting for you to steal, tweak and make your own.
Of course, look at you company’s effort from the outside and identify those areas that worked, those that didn’t and those you’ll improve upon next time. If possible, informally survey colleagues, attendees and clients. Constructive, third-party criticism can be very helpful.
Take a step back and examine the show itself. Look at the format and how it worked for you. Identify opportunities and take notice of threats.
Most importantly, be sure to record your thoughts immediately and share them with everyone involved. And, don’t forget to apply your learnings to your next endeavor.
5. For crying out loud, follow up!
This one always amazes me. Marketing folks work their tails off to generate sales leads. “Register,” “Drop your business card in the fish bowl,” “May I scan your badge?” All for naught when salespeople fail to follow up. If sales generation is the end game, then track your leads from start to finish. This is a must.
As an example, KemperLesnik created a spreadsheet of the sales leads generated at one show, distributed them to each appropriate salesperson and hounded those people for months to close the loop on each prospect. We provided this report to the marketing head, who turned it around to his boss as a demonstration of the team’s ROI. Talk about building a business case. This effort in year one led us to create a more targeted and effective marketing/communications campaign in year two and to secure additional funds.
If needed, provide your salespeople with incentive to get on the ball. If you don’t give them a push and no measurable results are achieved at the show, you’ll inevitably lose your budget. At that point, you can just sit back and wait for the irony to set in – ‘cause you know your sales people will be the first to complain about the lack of support.
So there you have it: KemperLesnik’s Top Five Tips for Tradeshow Survival, 2006. It’s a daunting season, we know, but we’re here to help you make the most of it.
