Staffing: when is too many too much?

A colleague related to me the other day about a show experience she had with her company and booth staffing.

At a recent trade show, her company sent a contingent of 17 to staff the booth and work the show. Glad to see they want to participate and be a part of the experience. However, there was a fundamental problem:

My friend's company had a 10 x 20 booth space.

And it gets worse: they were sharing it with another division from the corporation who sent a group of three to man staff their "half" of the booth.

If I do the math right, that's at least five times the number of people needed for this space.

While there are rules of thumb on how to staff a space (usually 2 to 3 people per 100 square feet), you really can go overboard. But 20 for 200 square feet? Let's get real.

As always, consider the value and usefulness of all who attend a show for your company.

TTSG