The best way to attract and mobilize more customers to attend your
trade show is to bring a "show biz" mentality to all your marketing and
at-show strategies. After all, you are in show business. In today's
marketplace, consumers are drawn by glitter and excitement but turned off
by humdrum events. If you put on a dull show you will generate little
interest. Following are seven ways to put more show biz into your
exposition.
Think like Disney. There was never a greater promoter than Walt Disney. Everything he
touched turned exciting, colorful, and was bursting with energy. The
Disney legacy continues as the Disney Corporation dazzles and entertains
millions with its products, parks, and superb customer service.
What does Disney do that every trade show organizer should emulate?
Disney injects a show business mentality into everything it does by
creating an image that makes people smile and lets them know they're in
for a first-class experience. Disney employees undergo rigorous customer
service training and are famous for their courtesy, cheerfulness, and
problem-solving skills.
So when planning your pre-show marketing strategies, remember to think
like Disney. Everything you do to promote and implement your show must be
first-class, creative, and professional. Train your show employees to
provide enthusiastic and helpful customer service. Unpleasant experiences
with trade show employees can ruin the show biz experience you've worked
hard to create.
Make your trade shows interactive. When people manipulate objects they often form an attachment to them.
They get an idea of how the products work and are more excited about the
possibility of buying them. Thus, advise your exhibitors to set up
audio-visual displays that attendees can easily operate -- they will feel
like they are part of the show experience as they connect with your
products.
Put the Internet to work for you. You can interact with potential exhibitors and attendees through the
Internet, both in your pre-show marketing and during the show. Experts
believe that virtually all trade shows will incorporate the Internet into
their marketing strategies in the near future.
At the very least, you should have a professionally designed Web site
that provides information about your show, allowing consumers to easily
find out as much about your event as possible. Today's techno-savvy
consumers are instantly turned off by Web sites that aren't interesting,
easy to access, and informative.
Make your shows unforgettable experiences. "If meetings are really going to change our lives, meeting
professionals need to begin to shape memorable events," said Jim Gilmour,
author of The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre & Every Business is a
Stage. "Successful meetings must create emotionally based experiences for
attendees," Gilmour said. How do you generate such an experience? Again,
think Disney. Capture the imaginations of attendees by providing a wealth
of sights, sounds, aromas, and entertainment, along with a high degree of
interactivity.
Make your trade shows fun. Live entertainment, educational seminars, clowns, puppeteers, and
magicians are just a few of the tools you can use to make your show fun
and informative. Advise your exhibitors not to rely on their products
alone to sell the show biz experience. Booths filled with inanimate
objects are boring and won't capture the attention of your audience.
However, if you support your exhibitors by injecting a little excitement
into the show, you'll have attendees in the palm of your hand.
Provide lots of comfortable space. Make sure you have enough space at your show, both on the exhibition
floor and in the booths, to comfortably accommodate your guests. Don't try
to cram as many booths as possible into the space allotted. A cramped show
environment does not allow attendees free rein to wander comfortably, and
harried, crowded consumers don't make good customers.
Help your exhibitors design their booths so they don't sacrifice
comfort for hardware. Booths that are crowded with display items make it
difficult for consumers to focus their attention on each item. Advise your
exhibitors to set up their booths so that attendees can see everything
clearly in an uncluttered space. Booths should provide good lighting,
easy-to-read signage, and attention-grabbing graphics. Consider publishing
a brief pamphlet of booth design tips and distribute it to exhibitors.
Inject show biz excitement into your advertising and public
relations. Without resorting to hyperbole, your advertising should reflect the
excitement, creativity, and flavor of your event. Observe how the
producers of movies and Broadway musicals advertise their shows and
incorporate as many of those elements as are feasible in your own
advertising. Every ad you place should showcase the opportunities that
your show offers.
Train your most trusted show employees to lead the media to the most
engaging exhibits. Have a staff member on hand at all times who can
articulately tell reporters about your event and what makes it unique.
Remember you are in show biz, and you must create and promote an event
that is as exciting and dramatic as a great movie or play. Your exhibition
space is your stage. In order to generate interest, you must put on a
performance that will keep attendees riveted to your exhibits and eager to
come back for the sequel!
Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach,
Lake Placid, NY, author: "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies," working with
companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching,
consulting and training. Go to
http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart
Tips of the Week.
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