4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business – Mini Course

4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business – Mini Course

Business, Non-Profit, Trade Show

I am very excited to announce the launch of 4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business.

This free mini course walks you through the four steps in selecting the best shows for your specific audience and budget, while producing the best return on your investment. 

Sign Up Here

This course will help you get clear on your goals for your event participation, teach you what type of research is most helpful in meeting those goals and provide resources on finding the shows that will add value to your business.

The Hidden Costs of Trade Shows

The Hidden Costs of Trade Shows

Business, Trade Show

When setting up my trade show budgets I attempt to input estimates for every place that money will be spent but there are always hidden costs. After budgeting for hundreds of trade shows here are the things that people often forget to add into their budget.

Food for You and Booth Staff

You will want to have a good breakfast and lunch for a one day show. You need the energy that comes with having a good meal – it helps. Don’t forget about drinks and snacks as well. I estimate $50 a person per day for just breakfast and lunch or $100 – 150 a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many shows now have water bottle refill stations. Buying branded reusable water bottles can save money on water and promote your company. Most convention centers are charging $4 for a bottle of water. That can easily add up and all these little things can really add to the hidden costs. Learn other ways to keep your Booth Staff Happy.

Travel Costs

Gas, mileage rates, and parking are the biggest culprits of this. Even as an exhibitor or booth staff, you are often required to pay for parking near the show. I offer to pay mileage for anyone who is staffing a booth. You need to understand how people are arriving at the show and what their costs will be.

Think also about hotels and airfare for shows that are out of town. The extra fees and taxes on hotels can add up along with baggage fees. The last thought on out of town travel fees it transportation to and from the show. Staying within walking distance of the show can save you a ton of money. If that is not possible, using the plans for Uber or Lyft can bring some discounts.  Estimating $800 – $1,000 for travel costs per person is a good basis.

Invoice Errors

Check your invoices for accuracy. Trade shows are big and errors do happen. It is much easier to correct them at the show than after. Labor is often the biggest item to look at. Make sure that if your ordered people for certain times but they were late and ended up on over time – that you don’t pay that. It is not your fault that they were not on time.

Shipping

When you travel to shows and plan to ship items either to your hotel room or the trade show floor, sit down and crunch the numbers on what is the best way to go. The first item you need to know about is what the rules are for bringing items onto the trade show floor. (See three rules that can derails your booth set up.) If you can bring items onto the show floor and don’t have to ship them all in, then an overweight or oversized bag fee may be cheaper than shipping and drayage (the cost to move your items from storage to the booth and back to storage).

If that is not an option, then make sure that every item you are shipping is worth its weight.

I suggest digital literature whenever possible because that is one of the most expensive items to ship and it is the one most likely to end up staying at the hotel. Also, consider the size of your giveaways and always make sure that they can make it through airport security if you are doing an out of town event.

Bonus: Other Booths

I enjoy trade shows and craft fairs because there is so much to see. I almost always come home with something from another vendor. Having that in your budget is helpful. You can also use this purchase as a way to start a conversation with another vendor that you are interested in doing business with.

One way to encompass all the hidden costs or items you may have forgotten to budget for is to add 20% to your total budget. I put all of my costs into a spreadsheet and then have a line item that adds 20% to the initial total. That final total is my budget. If I do not spend the 20%, great! That money is shifted to the next trade show or project.

Perfecting your Event Press Release

Perfecting your Event Press Release

Business, Events, Trade Show

Press releases (also know as, press statement, news release or media release) are a great tool to increase awareness of your event and your brand. Writing a release can seem daunting. I remember writing my first few and agonizing over the wording and formatting.

Your release has the two goals of grabbing attention and giving information in a clear and concise way. This is not a time to over exagerate or use flowery language. You want people to know about and attend your event and to trust you for future events.  

Here are the simple steps that I follow for writing an event press release.

Parts of a Press Release

  • Headline
    • This is one sentence that you use to grab your readers attention. This will also be the subject line of the emails that you send out.
  • Dateline
  • Lead Paragraph
    • What is the event and why does the press care. You need to give them a reason to attend.
  • Body
    • This is one or two paragraphs that go into greater detail. Who will be attending, why you are hosting the event etc.
  • Company Information
    • This is a generic about us paragraph that your company will use on press releases.
  • Contact Person
    • Provide who the press should reach out to for more information.
  • Ending
    • It is standard practice that you end the press release with “ ### “. The three pound signs let your reader know that the release is finished.

Perfecting the Release

The format of the press release is very formulaic. Use the formula. This allows the press to see what you are about very quickly. So how to you stand out?

Here are some tips.

  • Give them a good story (but keep it true).
  • Use the third person, active voice.
  • Keep it to one page 300- 500 words.
  • Don’t make them hunt down vital facts.

The last point is my biggest tip. Some people will tell you to not give everything away – I say the opposite. Give the press everything. Let them know about the amazing event that you are hosting. One caveat to this; if you have a surprise guest, do not put that in the press release. If it is in the release the press can let the public know the details.

Submitting Your Master Piece 

Most newspapers and TV stations have an email address or a portal for submissions. You do not want to add your press release as an attachment (in fact don’t add any attachments). The release is the body of your email.

If you are going to be submitting more than once a year, create a list of the TV, Newspaper, and Radio stations in your area and where you need to submit you information. This will keep your submission release down significantly.

I submit my press release twice. Two weeks ahead of the event and then the day before. This gives the press time to put your event on their calendar and then reminds them.

A last note, be ready for the press to not show up. Most of the events a small business will host will fall below the murder and meyham that makes up most of the news. Plan for them to be there but don’t hold up your agenda if they don’t show.

Taking a Break From Your Side Hustle

Taking a Break From Your Side Hustle

Business, Holiday

Having a side hustle is very common now. I know dozens of people that are working their 40 hours a week job and then they go home to work on their side job. It is a lot to do and while it is fairly easy to take a break from a “normal” job – what about taking a break from your side hustle? How do you take a break when you are the person that does everything?

It is possible and it is needed. Taking time off allows you to recharge and come back refreshed. The plan for taking time off is also a great way to plan for emergencies. Here is how to take the time you need. 

Plan it out. 

Personally, each “work” day I want to take off, I start planning that many weeks out. So, if i am taking 4 work days off, you plan 4 weeks out. I had planned to take a 3 week international trip that would have been happening now but due to travel restrictions and the COVID-19 crisis the trip was canceled. I had been planning content and other items at least two months in advance with my customers having known for a year. 

Front Load All Work

Have all social media, blog posts & other work done and scheduled out. There are dozens of scheduling apps you can use. I like to schedule things at least a month in advance during normal times. I will also schedule at least two weeks after vacation. This allows me to come back, breath and then dive back into everything. 

Have a Backup Person

If you are wanting to completely disconnect and not check anything while on vacation – something I highly recommend for at least 3-4 days a year – but are worried about what you will miss you can  hire someone to help you. Virtual Assistants (VA’s) are a great hire for this. You can give them a playbook and your emergency contact if things spiral too out of control. They can watch your emails and social media for you. Hiring a VA for the duration of your vacation allows you to relax and be in the moment. Your traveling companions will thank you. 

You need to take time to disconnect. The break will help you recharge and come back to attack your business with renewed enthusiasm. Where is your next vacation?

How to Celebrate Cultural Holidays at Your Business

How to Celebrate Cultural Holidays at Your Business

Business, Events, Holiday

Hosting events outside of your cultural norm can be difficult. If you do it wrong, people will drag you through social media and scream about cultural appropriation. But as the world becomes evermore multi-cultural, hosting cultural events is a great way to get your business name into new communities and expand your own horizons. 

So how do you host these events? Here are my tips.

Find a cultural expert

Find someone in the cultural community that you are wanting to host and bring them in as a co-host or sponsor. Run your ideas and planning strategy by them. Ask them for food and decoration recommendations. And listen to them. They are your life line, don’t throw it away. 

Be Genuine

People see right through a marketing or sales gimmick. Do not throw these events just to get some quick sales. You need to be ready to start and create lasting relationships with the people you are inviting. This is a long term play, not a short term gain. 

Share the Experience

Do not invite just one subset of people. Include your entire customer list if possible in these events. Help promote the community you are trying to reach to your current customers. Ask your expert to provide some educational materials or speakers for those who do not know what the Holiday is all about. 

These events are a great way to expand your network and your brands reach but they need to be done correctly. Do not pander, do not host these events just to make a quick buck. Host these events to learn and build lasting relationships for your business. 

Questions to Ask of your Cultural Expert

  1. What dates should we plan around or avoid?
  2. What colors should be used and avoided in the invite and decorations?
  3. What images should be used in the printed materials?
  4. What kind of decorations should we have?
  5. Who should we use for catering?
  6. Should we make this family friendly or a business mixer?
  7. Who else should we partner with?
World Class Service at Your Events

World Class Service at Your Events

Business, Events, Non-Profit

I have been very lucky in the last six months to enjoy some amazing experiences. It wasn’t the entertainment or the food that made them amazing. It was the service. It was how all the guests were made to feel special and the consistency of that feeling.

You can give your event or trade show attendees the same feeling as an all inclusive resort with these tips.

Ask for and use your attendee names.

People love to hear their name. You can give your event a high end feel with this simple thing. Have your servers ask for people’s names and then write them down. Each time they go to ask if they would like another drink or something else they can glance at the diagram to remember the names. Trade shows you can use people’s name badges as triggers. Personalization will make you and your event stand out. 

Eliminate the wait where ever possible.

People do not want to wait in long lines for registration or any other part of your event. Streamline your registration process with technology. Get  your guests into the event they are there to enjoy as soon as you can. The bar is the one exception to this but anything more than a 7-10 minute wait is too long.

Be consistent.

You need to put thought into every aspect that your attendees will come in contact with. From the entrance to the exit, have a consistent feel and service. One wrong move at the end of an event can leave attendees with a bad taste in their mouth and an overall bad impressions.

One glaring example I find at events is that the main ballroom is beautifully decorated and the bathrooms are a mess. A simple flower arrangement and some additional lighting can make a huge difference is almost every room. 

Remember that service is not what you do for a person but how you make them feel. Great customer service is focused on making your attendees feel like they are the most important people in the room.