Trade Shows: Can Money Really Buy It All?
November 19, 2008
By Dennis Nixon
Definitely not. A great trade show requires more than just throwing money at a project manager and hoping you get something that sticks. Many companies find that because of mismanagement, and a failure to plan, trade show events can quickly turn from a profitable experience to a more painful one.
Luckily, getting things in order for the next big show is not nearly as difficult as it may sometimes seem.
Gauge Your ROI. The first—and usually the hardest step—is to make your display a priority. If you're going to spend any money at all, put energy into making sure you get a nice return on your investment, or you'll wind up wasting time and energy. Once you've set time apart to get this done, you've come a great deal closer to completion.
• Pick your team. Every show team is different, so there aren't really a set number of people who should be involved, or even have completely specific job responsibilities. What you do need to be able to do is find people who:
1. Are motivated and dedicated: People who won't spas out and who don’t have other obligations which may interfere.
2. Know your company: Every person on your team should be working together to most effectively communicate your brand to prospects. Close knowledge of your company, its values, strengths, and weaknesses are essential.
3. Are organized: Keeping track of everyone's responsibilities and all factors to be taken into consideration is valuable.
4. Know how to design: Someone who knows how use of visual techniques and concepts can accentuate important information, and guide your prospects appropriately through your display.
5. Are good "people persons": You'll need front end people for show time who can effectively engage your sales prospects.
• Brainstorm with an agenda. Despite what you may hear, creating a winning trade show presence goes beyond grabbing people's attention. You need to have a display that supports your message and is consistent with your corporate personality. Pick out a few key truths that you want to be at the forefront of your game plan. Example: We have been awarded the "best in customer service" by so and so every year for the last 12 years. If commitment to customer service is your strong point, make it the focal point of your display. Sell what you're best at doing, explain what you're best at doing and do what you're best at doing.
• Design a "real" concept. Ideas from the outfield are generally unpredictable. Instead of trying to come up with an abstract design concept that will wow, just focus on being solid and professional. When you think you have an idea that might work, discuss it critically among your team. Try to find weaknesses in each others' approaches so that together you can come up with the best possible idea.
• Delegate responsibility. When you have a concept for your trade show, delegate responsibility to your team members and give them the tools they need to complete their tasks. You may need to appropriate funds for subprojects, so make sure your team members have resources available. You may also need to schedule future meetings or send frequent related e-mail threads to keep everybody interested and on the same page. Giving responsibility to others and staying organized while following through on your requests is essential to being an effective team leader. It will keep your team conscious of the fact that the project is important, and that the ball can’t be dropped by them.
• Stay organized and keep everyone involved. Since you've already planned your attack and sent out the troops, I just want to emphasize how important organization and group involvement is. The project where no one is really interested except a few guys is not the one you want to be a part of. Talk about decisions that are made, but be attentive to when communication becomes redundant and a decision must be made. With proper planning and investment of human, monetary, and strategic resources, your next trade show will be a huge hit.
Dennis Nixon can be contacted at www.smashhitdisplays.com.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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