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There’s No Business Like It
The critical keys to
trade-show success
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Business New Haven
8/21/2000
By: Priscilla Searles
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Trade shows have become a key vehicle for companies to show off their product lines and to network with other potential clients, vendors and even competitors. Over the last decade they have grown in popularity, covering everything from computer technology to the arts. But many shows fail, leaving sponsors and participants wondering what went wrong.
But there are simple steps to increase your odds of succeeding. “Start by doing the research,” says Susan Reuter, president of Reuter Exposition Services, an independent trade show producer in Branford.
“I've had this business for six years but have been in the industry for 15 years,” says Reuter. ”The preparation work is critical; do your research. What is the mission of the show, the mission of the sponsoring association or publication? Why are they doing this show? What are they trying to achieve?
“Trade shows help participants expand their knowledge, bring a unified group together so they can see the latest technology, interact with people in the industry, share information and network, sometimes with people from all over the world. But to make it work, asserts Reuter, “You have to start planning well in advance of the show - at least a year.”
Some shows are produced by independent producers; others are done by an association with assistance from a trade-show producer; still others represent a partnership between and among several associations or with a media outlet.
According to Reuter, financial considerations have to be confronted from the beginning. Trade shows can be expensive to produce, especially if they are done right. The financial burden could be on the management of the sponsoring organization or, in the case of independent shows, on the shoulders of the producer.
But no one wants to spend thousands of dollars on a trade show that falls on its face.
“You have to establish the purpose of the show, its mission and the market you are aiming at,” Reuter explains. “Sometimes the goals of an organization aren't attainable and need to be reevaluated several times before developing a practical mission that is achievable.
“Make your goals realistic,” she adds. “That's one of the things that makes a show work.
“You now have to project how many exhibitors you are going to have, and for most first-time shows it's wise to start out conservatively, “ Reuter says.
She adds that the right location is key. It must be easy to get to, accessible to attendees. Will it accommodate the number of exhibitor booths you need, is there a convenient area for loading and unloading displays? Is there parking for exhibitors as well as attendees? Are there bathroom facilities, proper electrical for those exhibitors who need power, good lighting, will the location pass the local fire codes or are you in danger of putting more people in one room than the codes permit? Are there conference or meeting rooms for seminars or special presentations and will they hold the equipment needed for presentations such as large screens, computers and other technical equipment?”
There are many aspects of a trade show that need to be dealt with early in the game. According to Reuter, a great deal of effort and research has to be done to line up the people who provide the event's infrastructure.
“Sub-contractors have to be hired, security, perhaps a registration company for badging,” says Reuter. Other considerations include food for exhibitors and food for attendees. “We have to bid out the general contractor job to get the best value for our money, get what we want. Contractors have to be given a profile of the show in order to know what they are dealing with,” she says.
One of the most common factors contributing to trade-show failure is lack of promotion. Reuter says that event organizers shouldn't rely on mail alone to promote a show. A promotion plan has to be designed.
Reuter suggests beginning a promotion campaign early with a save-the-date reminder.
“You have to address how to best capitalize on your opportunities, find a cost-effective way to promote the event,” she says. “Start with the mailing list. One advantage of trade shows produced in partnership with an association and a publication and a trade show company, for example, is having a reference list for both exhibitors and attendees.
“If a show sponsor has advertisers,” she says, “then go to them, but [also] go beyond that list, to other publications and other resources that have a mailing list that addresses your market.
A strong believer in sending out three to five announcements about a show, Reuter believes that many forms of communication must be used for success: invitations, fax, e-mail - everything that's available.
“The objective of the event for the industry producing it is to get its message across, which means, the bigger response, the better,” says Reuter. “You have to be fully represented and go beyond the basics to make it a success.
“The press is important - both the trade press and consumer press. You have to have good alliances with newspapers as well as trade publications, and sometimes it requires a public-relations agency to bring a lot of press to the show.
“Know how to best capitalize on your opportunities,” says Reuter. “I'm working on a show for people in the dance industry in New York City in November of [2001] and have already sent out a press release. I want it on people's calendars, get people thinking about it, people in the industry talking about it.”
Bill DeRosa, assistant vice president of Corporate Display Specialties in Bridgeport, says that exhibitors often fail to create the most effective display for what their needs are. “For example,” say DeRosa, exhibitors might bring a pop-up display and try to show off their products on it, and it doesn't work because pop-ups are graphic displays.”
Not staffing the booth with effective salespeople is another mistake that DeRosa sees often at trade shows. “Often salespeople don't have the right training, no pre-show training,” says DeRosa. “You have to tell the salespeople why they are at the show. For example, if there is a new product or service, they need to be able to explain the product. Why are they there, how are they different from other similar products at the show, why is their product better?”
One of the things that DeRosa says most turns attendees off is to see the exhibitors' representatives sitting around in the booth talking to each other or - worse - eating rather than maintaining eye contact with passers-by, interacting with the attendees.
“One of the biggest mistakes exhibitors make,” says DeRosa, “is failure to get the proper information from interested customers and following up. You have to keep good information, know who the people are and what they are interested in so you can properly follow up, and without waiting too long. You have to get the proper information so you can address it properly after show.”
Corporate Display Specialties rents and sells modular and custom displays, setting up and breaking down exhibits at show sites. It also provides full graphic services, including photo graphics, signage and banners. “Because we are working with the trade shows and the exhibitors, we probably get more feedback from exhibitors than anyone else involved in the show - and often we already know why they have failed, “ says DeRosa. “We want the trade shows to succeed, so we run trade-show training seminars, pointing out the things that create problems and the things that work for the exhibitors.”
Dan Karp, president of Daniels Productions in West Hartford, believes there are two elements that lead to a success show.
“There are two trade-show 'customers': the attendees that come to the show, and the exhibitors,” says Karp. “You can't satisfy one without the other. If you have exhibitors and no attendees, the exhibitors won't come back; and if you have attendees and not enough exhibitors, the attendees won't come back.
“We want the attendees and exhibitors to come back year after year, lots of attendees and exhibitors who have a good experience,” Karp adds.
In business for more than 20 years, Karp has produced everything from an international trade show for engineers and plants managers to business shows, computer shows and consumer shows, covering diversified subjects.
“Each type of show requires different kinds of marketing strategy,” says Karp. “Marketing - any time you produce an event or trade show, do advertising and promotion. If you want attendees and exhibitors, you must have a large budget for promotion and adverting.”
Karp points out that if no one knows about the show, then no one is going to come.
“You have to have clear message of what you are offering and spend money to get the message out,” Karp says. “And the planning stage should start at least a year in advance, so as soon as one show is done we're already working on it again for the following year. We need feedback from exhibitors and attendees, so we do surveys. For example: What would the attendees like to see more of, what didn't they like?”
But the first step is the conceptualization process - a definition of what the concept is. Who are going to be your exhibitors? Develop a profile of attendees: What's the central theme, why would attendees come to the show, how do you reach them, what dates are good, what facilities are available?
All these questions must be evaluated before you call potential exhibitors. If you don't, your event is doomed to failure. You start with a feasible concept and one which you've investigated the real potential for attendees before you begin to sell space to exhibitors.
According to Karp, the accessibility of the trade-show location and its size are key.
“If people are inconvenienced by going out of their way to attend a show, they want to see large numbers of exhibitors,” says Karp. “If they have a bad experience, they're not going to want to do it again.”
Stressing the size of the location, Karp asserts that many shows fail because the facility isn't large enough to accommodate enough exhibitors. After all, that's what people really come to a trade show for. BNH
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