Trade Shows in 2022

Trade Shows in 2022

Business, Trade Show

What will 2022 bring for trade shows? 

Honestly, that is up in the air and changes constantly. With mandates changing on a daily basis, new variants of the sickness that shall not be named, and budgets still being tight, the predictions are all over the place. 

Here are a few of the major things that I do predict.

Businesses will be much more intentional about their trade show spend. 

Unfortunately, this may mean fewer vendors and sponsors at the local and regional shows. That does leave the door open for the local companies, or the companies that have the budget to attend the national shows and the regional ones to grab a larger market share. 

It will also mean more targeted messages and after events. Many companies are limiting the people who will attend the shows as well. I would always be ready to go to a hybrid or totally virtual event until the end of 2022. 

It can not be just about the trade show floor

You need to be exhibiting, speaking, and setting up client and prospect meetings while at trade shows. You also need to use social media and your website to extend the life and reach of your booth. 

Follow up will become more important than ever with smaller numbers of vendors being able to target and personalize messages to their ideal client. 

A table cloth and pop up banner probably won’t cut it. 

As technology advances and it becomes harder to gain peoples attention, booth design must evolve as well. Interactive booths, augmented reality, and immersive experiences – even in a 10 x 10 will become the norm. 

Be flexible

Anyone that tells you that they know 2022 will turn out like x is crazy. The world we live in is very fast paced and can change in the course of two days. Be flexible as you go about planning your 2022 trade shows, know when to roll with the punches and when to pull the plug. 

What are your plans and goals for the 2022 trade show season? I am excited to hear about your plans. 

Top 3 Trade Show Scams

Top 3 Trade Show Scams

Business, Trade Show

Trade Shows are big business and that always brings the scams out. People looking to make a quick buck can ruin your show and have a negative impact on your business cash flow. Here are the top 3 scams you need to watch for. 

1. Housing / Hotels Scams

This is the most common scams that I have seen and have personally had hundreds of calls about “special deals” for hotels at trade shows. They will attempt to scare you by saying that the room blocks are filling up fast and you need to book and pay now. They request full payment (rather than the normal one night) and when you arrive at the hotel you will not have a reservation. These people scrape the companies that are listed as vendors on the show website and you will most likely receive 2 – 4 calls per show. Tell them what they are doing is illegal (they hang up very quickly), track the number, and pass it on to show management. There is not much that they can do but it does help. 

Where do you find the legitimate room blocks for the show? In the Exhibitor Package that is sent to you. This will most likely be an email. You can often find it on the show website, under an Exhibitor tab. Some shows do have a housing authority that they ask you to book through but again, that information will be listed in the Exhibitor packet. 

If you go outside of the show housing authority or with a third party vendor, please make sure it is one that you know and trust. The good part about going through the show housing authority is that they make deals with the hotels that any booking through them cannot be moved to another hotel if the hotel is oversold. They can also act as liaisons between you and the hotels for any issues. 

2. Fake Shows Scams

This is harder to pull off but can be more lucrative for the scammers. They will create a website and information that looks legit and then ask you to come. There may be a “discounted rate” because it is the first year the show is running or they are looking for companies just like yours to be a part of it. Sadly, when you arrive at the venue to set up, there is no show and you are out the money. Always do you research on the show before signing up. I am wary if a show is a first year show, is not on the venue website, and it seems like too good of a deal. 

If anything seems off to you, call the venue to confirm that the show is happening. (Please get the number for the venue from the venue website and not the person trying to sell you on the show.)

3. Outside Vendors Scams

When you are shopping around for show vendors, especially for an out of town show, please do your research. There are plenty of people out there who are willing to take your money and never show up. This can happen for print items, rentals, and even services. 

If someone calls you up offering the deal of a lifetime for the show, be wary. 

One other note on outside vendors, many shows require you to get special permission if the vendors will be on the trade show floor at all. Read through your rules so you know what you can and cannot do. 

Trade shows are expensive but you need to be wary of people offering you ways to cut costs and corners. Do you research before signing any contracts and be wary of the people who require full payment upfront that are not a part of the show itself. 

Looking to save some money on your shows? Check out this blog post. 

 

3 Places to Find at a Trade Show

3 Places to Find at a Trade Show

by | May 23, 2023 | ,

Going to a trade show can be chaotic. Going in with a plan helps to ease the chaos and allow you to focus on why you are there. There are many different parts to your plan but this blog post focuses on the 3 places that I look for at each show; the exhibitor office, the building facilities, and the exhibitor lounge.

Staying Safe at Out of Town Trade Shows

Staying Safe at Out of Town Trade Shows

by | Jan 24, 2023 | ,

I have been blessed to travel a lot and to travel for work to different trade shows across the country. It is fun and exciting but it can also be tiring and even scary. I am often traveling by myself and have learned the following tips to keep me safe.

5 Things Your Trade Show Staff Should Know Before the Show

5 Things Your Trade Show Staff Should Know Before the Show

Business, Trade Show

Staffing a booth is hard. There are long hours and hard concrete to stand on but there are ways to help your staff make the best of the show and ensure you reach your goals.  You need to ensure your booth staffers know these 5 things.  

What are the goals of the show? What should staff be focusing on? 

When your staff knows the reasons they are there and the show goals, they can really help to push the show in the right direction. This is especially true if your company has many product/ service lines and the show is only focusing on one of them. The staffers know to focus on that item while also having the other lines in their head if show attendees ask for them. 

Your staffers should also have realistic goals. You want quality leads and sales, not pushy people who are scanning anyone who walks by to hit a quota. 

Where and when is the show?

    • You should also include
      • Where is parking
      • Is there a fee to park?
      • Where is the booth
      • What times they need to be at the booth. 
        • I often will overlap the shifts by 15 minutes because people rarely factor in time for parking (and the lines to park) plus walking to the booth. 

What is the booth layout?

You want your staff to know where they can find items and what they can bring into the booth. I normally ban backpacks and refuse to hold the large “trick or treat” bags that people gain as they walk around the show. My booths and designed in a specific way and it does not include storage. If you do have storage in your booth you need to make sure who has the keys and let people know what they can bring in. 

What should they wear?

If you have branded gear, I am a fan of wearing that. If not, set a dress code that your company is comfortable with. You can also have some fun with it. I have seen everything from prom dresses to hula skirts to lime green suit jackets. Whatever your choose, make sure you are not asking people to buy clothes outside of the normal office wear. 

They will hear “No” a lot

This is the hardest one for those on the sales team. They can normally call maybe 100 people in a day or see maybe 20 if they are really hustling. At trade shows, you will hear no 200 – 500 times a day. You want to ensure that the booth draws people in and then the booth staff can qualify if people need what you are selling so that they can move to the next person if not. 

3 Places to Find at a Trade Show

3 Places to Find at a Trade Show

by | May 23, 2023 | ,

Going to a trade show can be chaotic. Going in with a plan helps to ease the chaos and allow you to focus on why you are there. There are many different parts to your plan but this blog post focuses on the 3 places that I look for at each show; the exhibitor office, the building facilities, and the exhibitor lounge.

Staying Safe at Out of Town Trade Shows

Staying Safe at Out of Town Trade Shows

by | Jan 24, 2023 | ,

I have been blessed to travel a lot and to travel for work to different trade shows across the country. It is fun and exciting but it can also be tiring and even scary. I am often traveling by myself and have learned the following tips to keep me safe.

5 Things You Need for a Great Corporate Tailgate

5 Things You Need for a Great Corporate Tailgate

Business, Events

College football is starting back up and that will hopefully include tailgates and fans in stadiums. A tailgate makes a great corporate event if done the right way. It offers you a chance to wine and dine customers outside of the normal “business” confines. People let down their guard and can be more open at a tailgate than a dinner or educational event. 

You need 5 things for a great tailgate and then are in order of importance. 

1. Good Food

Food is crucial for any event in my opinion but tailgates revolve around food. Your best bet is to find a local restaurant and have them cater it for you. If you have more than 50 people, ask them to come out to set up the food and keep it refilled. You do not want to have to be pulling food out of your vehicle all night – or have to find a place for the leftovers at the end of the night. 

When picking the caterer you should consider the following:

  • What is their reputation in the community?
  • Is their food portable? (Pasta does not work well at tailgates)
  • Do you want a full meal or just appetizers?
    • Some of my most successful tailgate caterers just had heavy apps that people could walk around with and enjoy.
  • What is your budget?
  • Do you have any customers or close business connections that cater?
    • I am a big believer that you should use your own customers to do business whenever you feel comfortable and it is in your budget. This builds greater loyalty from your customers and potential customers know that they have a better chance of getting your business. 

2. Drinks

Tailgates are often synonymous with beer but you should also consider bringing in wine and potentially mixed drinks. You also should always have water available. (I get the small water bottles because people will often drink half a bottle and then forget where they put it.)

When you are deciding what drinks to bring in you need to think about these things:

  • Are you going to card? 
    • I strongly suggest that you do if you have alcoholic drinks at your event. Even if you have a closed tailgate, carding people and wrist banding them keeps you out of the liability. 
  • Have a bartender. 
    • This can be some of your staff or someone you hire, but having the drinks behind a gate keeper helps to keep people from getting out of control. 

3. Tailgate Space

You need to have enough space that all the people you invited can fit comfortably inside your space, along with your food, bar, tables and chairs, and a tent. You can often rent a space for one game or you can purchase the space for a full season.

Know the rules of your space. Read the contract that you sign and the back of the parking pass you are given. 

  • Can you bring in glass bottles or kegs?
  • What kind of tent stakes are allowed?
  • What type of bbq’s can you bring in?

You do not want to have a major part of your event shut down because you did not know the rules. 

4. Event Staff

A good tailgate requires that you have people to help you. You need people to:

  • Mingle with the guests
  • ID the guests
  • Pick up after the guests
  • Serve food
  • Serve drinks
  • Set up and tear down

You can hire people or assign people from your team or do a mixture of both. I prefer the last option as it allows your team to really mingle with the guests which is why you are hosting the tailgate in the first place. 

5. Rentals and Decorations

You will need tables and chairs for you and your guests to sit at. I would suggest a mixture of banquet height tables and cocktail height tables. I like the look of fabric table coverings with a centerpiece on the bigger tables as it keeps the space from looking cheap.

You also need to think about:

  • Do you need shade or rain cover for the space?
  • Do you need to bring in a generator for anything?
  • What happens to the trash? Do you need to pack it out or are their trash bins for your area?
  • Who is bringing in the ice chests or buckets to keep the drinks cold?
  • Do you need cups for any of the drinks?
  • Do you need a bottle/ wine opener?
  • Who is bringing in the ice for the drinks?

If you have any questions about how to host a corporate tailgate, please reach out to me and I am happy to answer your questions. 

Best of luck to you and your team this season!

Bonus: Think about who you can partner with to do a better tailgate and get a better audience.

Picking the Right Time for Your Event

Picking the Right Time for Your Event

Business, Events, Holiday, Non-Profit, Trade Show

The complaint that I hear from the sales people that I work with most often is that the events are never at the right time. I will tell you now, there is no perfect time for an event. Early in the year people worry about taxes and saving money. Spring brings on Graduations and other end of school year items along with a wanderlust for people to travel. Summer is a time for vacations and family. Fall is filled with football, back to school, and shortened days. Year end brings the Holidays – the worst time to hold a non-holiday event.

With all these obstacles, how do you choose when to host your event? Here are the questions that I ask to determine the optimal date and time.

Who is your audience?

Are you looking to reach business owners or stay at home moms with elementary age children? Narrow down who your perfect attendee is and then learn when they have the time. A business owner often likes lunch events or afternoon events ending at 6 pm. This allows them to still be a part of the family time. A mom, you may need to host an event around 9 pm or during school hours.

What else is happening at that time?

When you have narrowed down a date and time, look at what else is happening in that community. If you are looking to attract football fans, you don’t want to host an event during Monday Night Football – unless you are showing the game. Is there a big concert going on? A big television event? A political event? Know what your target audience would attend other than your event.

How far out do you need to plan the event?

Remember that people will need a few weeks to put an event on their calendar. I prefer to give attendees at least 3 weeks before the RSVP deadline and do at least 4 weeks of marketing. If you are planning a large fundraising gala, add in time to gather sponsors etc. Understand what your timeline is and what is the level of commitment from your target attendee? Are they traveling out of town? Do they need to get baby/pet sitters? Do you have a dress code that will require time to adhere to? The larger the level of commitment, the more notice you need to give attendees.

Lay this information out on a calendar and then pick the date and time that overlaps with the least amount of other events. Remember, no time is perfect but there is an optimal time.

You can also do some market research and host events at different times throughout the day and year to see what brings in the most interest. The biggest thing is to know your perfect attendee profile. This will allow you to answer when is the best time for your event.

One more tip – I would not rule out breakfast events – if they come with a good breakfast (not runny eggs and/or small, stale pastries.) Breakfast can actually be a less expensive meal to cater than lunch or dinner and allowing people to start early in the morning and then head on with their day can bring in a great crowd.

Managing Trade Show Leads in 4 Steps

Managing Trade Show Leads in 4 Steps

Business, Trade Show

Leads collected at trade shows are some of the best you can get. Managing those leads can be complicated but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing the plan before you go to the show allows you to close those deals and keep your business growing.

Collect Your Leads as Efficiently as Possible

If the show has a lead retrieval system, take a good hard look at the cost. Being able to scan a badge and get a name, company, phone number, and email from someone is worth it. The $500 – $900 you will spend to get leads will balance out the time you will spend inputting business cards or even the lost opportunities because you didn’t get someones contact information. Many businesses are not printing business cards anymore, how will you collect someones information if that is the case?

It can be a larger expense but the time it will save when inputting your leads will make it worth it. I have spend 8-24 hours sorting and typing in information from business cards.

If you have to go the business card route due to the show not having lead retrieval here some tips to streamline.

Gather your team and split the work up. You need to have all the information in a useable format within 72 hours after a trade show. The more people you have on this project the better.

Now, before I hand out the lead cards, I will separate them depending on the information that I received. Group 1 is full information, name, title, business, phone, and email. The physical address is a bonus for me. Group 2 is name, phone, and email. Group 3 is name and email. Group 4 is for those that only gave me a name and a phone number. These groups go onto a different sheet of my Excel file. If I know someone is interested in what I am selling, I will place a star on their lead card. This serves as my reminder to follow up with them first. These leads are marked in a color.

You will create a system for grouping your leads and what is most important for your business.

Learn tips on how to bring traffic to your booth.

Input Leads into Your CRM

However you track your leads, input these new ones into it. If you do not have a CRM system, look into HubSpot. They have a very robust system that is free. This allows you to track when and where you received leads, when they turn into customers, and the value of those customers. This information allows you see what your cost of acquisition is and how much you can spend and still make money.

Send a Thank You Email

Every email that you have collected may not be a warm lead now, but can turn into one later. Sending out an email to them within 72 hours of the trade show ends helps to keep your company top of mind. You then have a collection of emails to send newsletters and promotions. Do not over do the number of emails you send out and always comply with the laws of your area for unsubscribes.

Follow Up

Those leads that you marked as urgent should be contacted within 72 hours. I would suggest the phone for this follow up. Email can be used but anyone who has been to a trade show knows that they will return home to an inbox overflowing with “Thank You” and “Follow Up” emails. If the lead urgent, pick up the phone. You can follow up with an email after your phone call but

Trade shows are only as effective as your follow up. Ensure your company has a great ROI on its trade shows so you can grow.