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Small Business Builder: Trade Show Tips II When you host a trade show or conference display, you're in full public view. From start to finish, from floor to ceiling, everything about your trade-show participation must support the company's other marketing efforts and project a consistent image. Does the public perceive your business as "creative"? Then your presence should ooze creativity. Are you viewed as "stuffy" and you'd rather not be? By all means get hip as part of a concerted company- wide strategy. If your theme is "rodeo chic" and the rest of the company is strutting uptown, the clash of panache can be fatal to your image. Preparation for these events can be daunting, but it is essential. And once you create an all-purpose master plan, you can adapt and personalize it for each event. Strategies for each step in the 12-part trade-show success cycle -- planning, preparing, making advance contact, staffing, setting up, attracting people to your display, making a good impression, entertaining waiting prospects, making friends, making sales, cleaning up, and following up -- could fill a book. Below are suggestions for arranging your display and entertaining visitors, two of the steps, though the word "steps" is a bit misleading. "Ingredients" better describes how preparations and activities mingle and overlap. Thus, "arranging" and "entertaining" can attract visitors, make friends, and even lead to making sales. As you decide how to arrange your space and entertain your guests, consider the three Es: Equilibrium. Everything -- colors, activities, mood, style -- should harmonize with your image. Execution. It might be clever, but can you actually have a live elephant in your booth? Who will sit next to it on the plane? Will there be suitable washrooms -- Men, Women, Pachyderms? Consult the host facility regarding logistics such as electrical outlets, ceiling clearance, setup assistance, noise limitations, and so forth. Exposure. Are you covered if Jumbo steps on someone's Rolex or pet ferret? Read the fine print in your contract, consult a lawyer, do what you must to protect yourself if a visitor falls off a chair or trips on an electrical cord. Fill and Arrange Your Space Whether it's a 2-by-3-foot folding table or a 20-b- -30-foot room, your space should look busy and prosperous -- maybe even a little cluttered, if it's artistic clutter -- but not messy and disorganized. Your area's colors, props, and overall look should be consistent with your business and its image. If you have a lot of space to fill on a teeny budget, use your imagination. Consider bright-hued

Small Business Builder: Trade Show Tips II

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Small Business Builder: Trade Show Tips II

When you host a trade show or conference display, you're in full public view. From start to finish,from floor to ceiling, everything about your trade-show participation must support the company'sother marketing efforts and project a consistent image.

Does the public perceive your business as "creative"? Then your presence should ooze creativity. Areyou viewed as "stuffy" and you'd rather not be? By all means get hip as part of a concerted company-wide strategy. If your theme is "rodeo chic" and the rest of the company is strutting uptown, theclash of panache can be fatal to your image.

Preparation for these events can be daunting, but it is essential. And once you create an all-purposemaster plan, you can adapt and personalize it for each event.

Strategies for each step in the 12-part trade-show success cycle -- planning, preparing, makingadvance contact, staffing, setting up, attracting people to your display, making a good impression,entertaining waiting prospects, making friends, making sales, cleaning up, and following up -- couldfill a book.

Below are suggestions for arranging your display and entertaining visitors, two of the steps, thoughthe word "steps" is a bit misleading. "Ingredients" better describes how preparations and activitiesmingle and overlap. Thus, "arranging" and "entertaining" can attract visitors, make friends, andeven lead to making sales.

As you decide how to arrange your space and entertain your guests, consider the three Es:

Equilibrium. Everything -- colors, activities, mood, style -- should harmonize with your image.

Execution. It might be clever, but can you actually have a live elephant in your booth? Who will sitnext to it on the plane? Will there be suitable washrooms -- Men, Women, Pachyderms? Consult thehost facility regarding logistics such as electrical outlets, ceiling clearance, setup assistance, noiselimitations, and so forth.

Exposure. Are you covered if Jumbo steps onsomeone's Rolex or pet ferret? Read the fine printin your contract, consult a lawyer, do what youmust to protect yourself if a visitor falls off a chairor trips on an electrical cord.

Fill and Arrange Your Space

Whether it's a 2-by-3-foot folding table or a 20-b--30-foot room, your space should look busy and

prosperous -- maybe even a little cluttered, if it's artistic clutter -- but not messy and disorganized.Your area's colors, props, and overall look should be consistent with your business and its image.

If you have a lot of space to fill on a teeny budget, use your imagination. Consider bright-hued

Page 2: Small Business Builder: Trade Show Tips II

balloons or flowers, piñatas hung from a portable garment rod, inexpensively framed or mountedposter art (often found at college bookstores), and discount store drapes.

Whatever you choose should be economical enough for you to buy in quantity: Lots of flowers, lots ofballoons, lots of posters, lots of eye-catching color.

Here are a few off-the-wall suggestions for budget display items to fill your space, raffle off, or both(disallow large items if most attendees are out-of-towners, unless you're prepared to pay forshipping):

A $50 room-size rug and an over-the-hill car, truck, or steel shed visitors can decorate or autograph.

Giant stuffed animals.

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