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How To Plan Your Own Trade Show or Exhibition
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Business New Haven
11/12/2001
By: Susan Cornell
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With more than 9,000 held each year, trade shows and exhibitions are big business in North America. Staged to describe services or display wares or products, they can be major moneymakers for their sponsoring organizations.
An exhibition generally describes a show that is held in conjunction with another event or meeting, such as a convention. A trade show is held for its own sake. The term exposition is used for both.
Trade shows and exhibitions are typically staged to introduce a product or service to a large number of potential customers at the same time and location. Trade shows can be national, regional, statewide or local. Generally, a ten foot-by-ten foot booth at a national show will cost between $2,500 and $3,000 (and up) per day, while the same booth at a statewide or local show will range between $300 and $1,000 daily.
Regardless of whether you are hosting a trade show or an exhibition, management can be complicated. Staging exhibitions and trade shows is a for-profit business. And because exhibitors pay for the privilege of showing their services or goods, they expect excellent show management and publicity. Managing such events requires people with attention to detail and organization skills. Engineering, negotiating and design skills are also key.
Trade shows and exhibitions come in two flavors: open to the general public through advertising, and open to trade accounts by invitation only.
Substantial investment in advertising and ticket distribution is required in promoting an event open to the general public, regardless of whether admission is free. In this case, it would be wise to enlist the services of a professional trade-show planner. Typically such planners work on a percentage basis.
Because trade show and exhibition management is complex, we'll limit our discussion to small to medium-sized exhibitors in a local or statewide market. The typical number of exhibitors will run from as few as ten to as many as 150. Most trade shows of this size are developed by manufacturers, distributors, retailers and trade associations. In most cases, the sponsoring company or association can organize and run a show of this magnitude with its own staff and the staff of the event facility.
For example, ABC Foods, a statewide food distributor supplying institutions, restaurants and schools, wants to promote the products it distributes to existing and potential customers.
ABC Foods selects an event venue and arranges to have the necessary number of booths available for use by its suppliers. ABC invites and charges each supplier an amount necessary per booth to cover the costs of the show. ABC invites its customers and potential customers to attend the function free of charge. In many cases, door prizes, drawings, food, beverages and entertainment are provided throughout the day; this keeps attendees at the show and gives ABC Foods a chance to thank its customers for their business.
Education seminars and demonstrations can also be provided throughout the day.
In many cases a trade show planner is unnecessary for this type of show; all arrangements can be handled adequately by the sponsoring company and the event facility.
A checklist is an useful way to plan a trade show or exhibition. The facilities and services needed are:
- A centrally located special event facility.
- Convenient, safe and affordable parking close to the facility.
- The exhibit space has sufficient function rooms and "breakout" space.
- Convenient access for exhibitors to unload and move their equipment to their booths. A well-thought-out agenda should be developed for setup and breakdown by exhibitors.
- Adequate electrical service is available.
- Tables, chairs, signage, pipe and drapes are available.
- Contractors including carpenters and electricians are available if needed.
- Adequate security is provided.
- Lighting and ventilation are adequate.
- Food and beverage service should be available at multiple locations throughout the facility.
Imagine a first-rate venue, one which not only can host your trade show or exhibition according to plan, but one which provides all you need to run an outstanding event. Here are some of the features your dream facility might offer:
- Recreation that gives your audience a reason to stay longer;
- Musical entertainment;
- The option to work with any creative theme such as country & western, a Hawaiian luau, a Caribbean party or the Roaring '20s;
- Fine food and beverages and even all-you-can-eat buffets;
- Convenient and accessible free parking;
- Theater- or classroom-style seating;
- Audio-visual equipment, PA systems, podiums and microphones available and ready;
- Electrical outlets located ten feet apart on separate circuits in all buildings;
- Accommodations for 120 or more ten-by-ten booths indoors, and more than 300,000 square feet of outdoor exhibit space;
- Pipe and drape service, as well as any other decoration exhibitors may desire;
- Services such as set-up, design and promotion; and
- A perfectly landscaped facility that shows off specialized decorations to best effect.
By carefully selecting the specialists who provide service and expertise and a facility that provides options, organization and experience, you are in a position to develop a top-notch trade show or exhibition.
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