Uncategorized
You just had a great trade show. Traffic was awesome. Attendees were in your target market. Your giveaway bowl had to be emptied 3 times. Now, all you want to do is kick back with your favorite drink and watch the latest episodes of TV that you have been missing in preparation for the show.
But….
The show is not over, now is the post-show marketing and follow up. You get to take all of those leads, all of the business cards and the handwritten notes and decipher them to pull out every ounce of information possible to put into your CRM and email list.
Your leads are useless until you follow up on them.
Multiple studies have shown that the sooner you follow up after a trade show, the greater your response rate will be and leads gathered at a trade show have a greater response rate than other leads
Do not fall into the trap so many people do and just toss the leads or leave them to collect dust in a corner of your bottom drawer. Spend the night and day after a show entering as much information into a spreadsheet or your CRM.
I seperate my leads into 3 – 4 categories. I then have an email ready for each category and send that email out as soon as I have input the information. Then I move to the next category.
My categories follow these guidelines. You will find what works best for you.
- Solid prospects, people I spoke with and notated on their lead cards that I need to follow up.
- Prospects, these are people that gave me a name, phone number, and email address.
- Leads, these are the people that gave me a name and email address.
- Trick or Treaters, these are the people that scrawled a name and phone number just hoping to win what I was giving away.
Then use that information to send out an email. Have a picture of your booth (this reminds people who you are) and thank them for stopping by. I then pick one of the following:
- Offer a limited time discount on products or services
- Hold another giveaway for those people who follow you on social media
- Let people know what other events you will be at
Don’t let those leads go to waste. Follow up and expand your business.
Trade Show
There are three reasons to exhibit at a trade show. Sell your product or service, gain leads for your business and to gain brand awareness. All other reasons fall under this. I want to walk through these reasons in detail and show how to make them work for you.
Sell
Selling at trade shows works if you fall in one of the below categories
- You have small items that people can impulse buy such as soaps, pillows, jewelry, clothes, etc.
- You are at a show where your specific products or services are needed such as wedding shows or home and garden shows
- You can give large discounts on big-ticket items or sell the “floor models”
elling at trade shows can be a hard prospect. Make sure the attendees match your target audience and that you have multiple ways to accept payment. Wifi or cellular does not always work.
Gain Leads
Leads are the main reason that service providers or large ticket item sellers go to a trade show. Leads can be gained in the form of business cards, badge scans, or written leads cards. One of the best ways to gather leads is to give something away in return. You can create a large basket to give away or have small items that people receive if they give you the proper information.
Brand Awareness
Getting your name out into the world is important for your business. Trade shows give you the opportunity to be in front of hundreds if not thousands of people in one day. Create an eye-catching booth and work on gathering leads and/or social media followers to extend your brand awareness past the show.
I would suggest picking two reasons to be at a show. Doing all three can become hectic in a 10 x 10 or 10 x 20 booth.
If you are going to sell your items, have a show special running. You can also gain brand awareness with a promotion where if they like your social media pages, they receive an extra amount off or a free product sample.
If you are going to gain leads, focus on your great giveaway (that still ties into your company’s voice and values). Do an added social media give away to encourage people to like and follow your pages.
A reason not to exhibit at a trade show is “Because my competitors are there.” Trade shows are too expensive for you to be there solely because someone else is. That will make for a miserable show. If you feel that you must attend, focus on one of the three reasons above and build your booth and show experience around that.
Business, Events, Non-Profit, Uncategorized
Site Visits are when you look over a venue before you sign a contract to host your event at that location.
Why do the site visit?
- You can see the venue in person. We have all booked the hotel that has beautiful pictures and arrived to find that they used clever camera angles and outdated photos. Seeing the venue in person can make all the difference.
- You get a better feel of the space. You see if there is enough room to have your event, look at the parking your guests will be using, see any obstacles, and observe the on-site staff at work. You are also able to observe the flow of the space and how people will move around.
- Peace of Mind. As an event planner, this is huge for me, knowing what I am walking into makes all the difference. If I know the venue, I am calmer and able to cut the items I pack by about half. If I do not know the venue, I have a whole box of contingencies that I bring along from pens, zip ties, duct tape, and extra decorations.
When to do the site visit?
- Do a ton of research before you consider doing site visits. You will want to read reviews and read venue websites for restrictions such as required vendors or hard cut off times.
- Narrow your list to your top three venues and contact them. Ask them to send over pricing, rules, and venue layouts. Ask them for a list of past customers that will speak with you about their experience.
- If you feel comfortable with the venue, schedule a site visit before you sign a contract.
What to look for during the site visit?
- Does anything odd stand out?
- If they provide tables and chairs, are they sturdy? If they already have a table set up – ask for them to pull out one more just to ensure.
- Do you still like the venue?
- Do you like the on-site team?
For most small businesses, you will be hosting events within your driving distance. I consider driving distance 2 hours. If this is the case, always do the site visit. If you are hosting an event out of town and have the funds to visit, always do the site visit.
If you cannot make the visit but are still set on having your event at the venue I would suggest the following;
- Do you know someone in the area of the venue that can visit it for you?
- Will the venue manager do a video call and walk you through the space?
- Does the venue have stellar online reviews?
Site visits can be the difference between a perfect event and a catastrophe. Do them whenever possible.
A quick side note, speak with your accounting professional on how business travel can affect your taxes. Some travel is tax deductible but please confirm with your accounting professional before assuming this. Each state and industry have their own regulations to follow.
Uncategorized
Security is both important and expensive for your events. Here are the top 5 reasons to hire event security.
1.They can help keep uninvited guests out.
When you are hosting an exclusive event, you want to keep to your VIP Guestlist. I will often have my own staff checking people into the event with security standing behind them or just outside the entrance doors. This will deter 99% of people and allow them to be on hand for the 1%.
2. They keep people who have drank too much under control.
If there is going to be heavy drinking at an event and it is over 50 people, I often hire security. It puts someone on site to break up any issues. I also give security the go-ahead to quietly remove most guests if they are getting out of control. I will work with them to point out my main stakeholders or provide them with pictures, so they know who I need to speak with and who they have authority over.
3. They can help escort guests to their cars.
Not all venues have great, well-lit parking. If you have single women or elderly guests, having someone to act as an escort is a huge perk. It protects your guest and puts a cherry on top of a great evening.
4. They help protect the property.
They can make sure that the amazing decorations you rented are not walking away. I was at a Greek themed party where the beautiful statues that were the centerpieces started to walk away. Security was alerted and retrieved most of them. The event hosts would have been on the hook for thousands of dollars had they not stepped in.
5. The venue you are renting requires them
This why most people hire event security and most venues will require security if you are also serving alcohol or are over a certain number of people.
Tips from an Event Security Guard
- If you have security and a coat/ purse check area it is worth it to hire a dedicated coat check person.
- Treat your event security like event staff. Don’t forget to schedule their breaks, make sure they eat etc.
- If you have a guest list and want security to help check people in – either hire more people or accept the long wait lines.
Trade Show
Your trade show giveaways should have a purpose and a strategy behind them. Walk through the 5 W’s to ensure that your giveaway will have the greatest impact.
I know the last W is why but how does have a W in it. But seriously, take a moment to think about your giveaways and think about avoiding the trick-r-treating crowd. The people that walk around shoveling all of the free items into their bag – or wagon. I will often put out candy to please this crowd and leave the other giveaways in a closet or under a table for my target attendees.
Your giveaways are a part of your booth and you whole booth should revolve around the strategy and your show goals.
