Why worry about a booth?

Seen at the IWCE trade show in Las Vegas: the booth-less booth?

With all of this talk about saving money yet still have a strong marketing presence, here's an idea that seems to have resurfaced.

Motorola apparently just rolled in their 48-foot (or longer) tractor-trailer rig, dropped down the sides (and opened the doors) in their booth space at this show. this does the following:

• Saves on additional freight. After all, the truck is the freight.
• Saves on drayage. Well, I haven't seen the bill; wonder how GES charged for this?
• Minimizes labor. Hire a spotter and some guys to roll out carpet.
• While you do have the tremendous up-front cost to design and build out the trailer itself, this is just one more stop on its tour.

It's not entirely true that there wasn't a set of booth properties in the space. On the other side of this photo were some kiosks and banners. However, the bulk of the exhibit was this trailer.

TTSG

Lights

They can be a troublesome thing, but they add so much to an exhibit: lights.

An exhibit actually looks drab without a wash of lights. But this short entry is about something we all need to have: basic repair skills.

When I got to the part of the AWMA booth assembly for Retalix that involved installing the lights, I found myself having to make sure they all worked. Some of the lights came out of the box and had to be assembled so that they worked.

Wires had to make contact. Contacts had to be in place. Lamps couldn't be broken. And the "twist-ons" had to twist on the contact bar so that they came on.

These seem like little things, but in my case, it meant the difference between having 6 lamps instead of 12.

TTSG

Collaboration pays off

Collaboration between your vendors--exhibit company and creative (ad) agency pays off with a consistent and dominant brand.

At the recent Australian Air show (March 10-15, 2009), Aviall again demonstrated the leadership of having their exhibit partners collaborate with their agency.

The booth was a shell scheme designed and outfitted by 2Heads of the UK and Dubai; the graphic design was directed by Zachry Associates of North Texas, USA.

In the concept you can see how the graphic look of the booth mimics and carries over the branding from other other media.

There is more to this story: the booth won "Best of Show" at the air show. Photos will show up in this space as soon as they are available.

for more examples of Aviall's brand and other media treatments, go to www.aviall.com or www.zachryinc.com.

TTSG

Ship dates

Don't forget that the beauty of trade shows is that they happen on a fixed date.

That means you need to honor and obey the Ship Date.

This is the day that all of your stuff--exhibit, collateral, giveaways and all other things that are destined for the show floor will be shipped out to the show site. A few things to remember about this shipment:

• Try and make it one shipment: it will save money since you will only have one shipment going to the site (easier to track), thereby reducing drayage and handling costs.
• It will all arrive at one time.
• Only one carrier to worry about.
• Make sure it arrives at the time designated (either to advance warehouse or your targeted date on the show floor).

Make sure that you don't forget anything.

TTSG

The Golf Show

I walked the North Texas Golf Show on Saturday. While this isn't IBS or CES, it is an example of trade show marketing in action. In addition to the few random observations I'll record here, I couldn't resist relating my friend Melinda's question when I mentioned I'd be walking the show:

"What does one do at a Golf Show? Watch the exhibits quietly and then clap politely for the vendors?"

Well, maybe, MG, but it was a lot of people gathered in one place to talk face to face about something they all had in common. The definition of trade show marketing.

At any rate, I was there because my friend from the NDCC, Kimberly Van Buren of Synthetic Grass Pros, was exhibiting. Kimberly was doing all of the things that exhibitors of whatever size at whatever show, do and doing it right. She was gathering leads in a systematic way, she had and was taking advantage of a prime spot, her exhibit featured her product and services (but not in an overbearing way), and she had a consistent and memorable brand presentation.

Gathering leads. SGP was either collecting business cards or having contacts fill out a small card with their basic contact info. Kim and her staff were making notes as they collected leads (on the backs of cards) and qualifying and segregating leads as the day progressed. At the end of the show Kim and her team will go over all of the leads, add them to the data base and follow up accordingly.

Prime spot. They had a corner booth and engaged clients both in the aisle and in the booth.

Product was shown on the floor of the booth space (it is fake grass, after all) and in a passive video featured in the backwall of the exhibit. Visitors were offered brochures and giveways during or after an engagement conversation.

By clothing the staff in matching logo-bearing shirts and complimentary slacks and featuring the logo and brand colors prominently on the booth, in the video and on the literature, the SGP brand was visible and memorable.

Simple rules followed and the basic goal was met: qualified leads and a reasonable ROI.

TTSG

Sharpening the pencil

At this point in our business history, we are really all being asked to do more with less. We have to know when to draw the line, but it all about saving and not spending to excess in these tight time.

I had a client ask me, for example, if I had to charge for the middle day of a three-day show on-site because the $600 was valuable to them. When I explained to them that that was cheaper than sending me home from Vegas for one day, the got that being cheap is not the same as being cost effective or efficient.

However, most requests are reasonable. If you can save a few hundred pounds to reduce the CWT of material handling and freight, that translates to hundreds of dollars. Be sure to make the mke-buy on rentals versus shipping/drayage on everything from chairs and tables to carpet. Depending on the location, it might be worth a few hundred bucks.

Keep in mind, too, if your exhibit house is amenable to it, that a firm-fixed price for a show (or series of shows) will not only save you money, it will make your budget predictable. However, don't get greedy: your exhibit company has earned the right to make a profit over the life of your show program. If they go under on a few shows and over on others, that means they are really breaking even. Don't expect FFPs and actuals in the same show year--it really isn't fair to the supplier.

TTSG

Vegas

Why is it that most shows, large or small, are being held in Las Vegas these days?

I'll be off to Vegas in a couple of weeks for the AWMA--a wholesaler's show--at the Las Vegas Hilton. Right after that show the next week is GlobalShop and the Exhibitor's Show. Earlier this year, Home Builder's (IBS), Surfaces, National Grocers and the huge CES show all opened and called Vegas home for a few days. Some are there every year, others rotate in annually or every two years, but always seem to make it to Sin City.

Why is this? Well, accessibility of one: direct flights from just about anywhere. Cabs are plentiful as are rental cars and free parking.

Weather, particularly in January--where would you rather be in the Dead of Winter--heating the floor so tape will stick in Chicago or in a place where you might just go to the pool when your shift is finished?

Labor? Well, there are labor limits, but the pool is large and well trained.

Entertainment? Absolutely! Gaming, music, shows, natural wonders all close by.

Food? Lots to choose from and in a broad area.

Whatever the reason, commerce is alive and well in Vegas. Chances are you have at least one show there this year.

TTSG