Tag Archives: Tradeshows & Events

Event Tips – The Smell of Attendee Dissatisfaction

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Woman sneezing amongst flowersOne of my social media guru friends, Brian Tomkins (@BrianTomkins on Twitter), invited me to attend the Make An Impact Live! in Chicago. This event focused on strategies for both personal, business, and health success. Thought it sounded interesting and signed up.

So I get my confirmation in my email as would be expected. But what I didn’t expect was to see this…

Also, due to respect for participants with allergies, we request that you not wear any fragrances such as perfume, cologne, or after-shave.

SWAG How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business by Heidi ThorneWow, that’s a new one! But it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. While I love the smell of perfumes and such, I cannot wear the majority of them because they give me quite a sinus headache even though I don’t have allergies per se. Can’t imagine what a person who does have allergies experiences when having to be stuck in a conference room for several hours.

What other non-obvious things could be affecting your attendees’ experience… but that are not usually identified in surveys? What event tips could you use–such as the perfume advice in this confirmation email–to lessen the effects? Think about it and share with us in comments.

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Are Tradeshows a Dumb Investment?

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Executive DunceAlways like to look at articles that talk about ways to save money, especially for small businesses like mine. So when top blogger Liz Strauss tweeted a link to an article on Forbes.com titled, The 10 Dumbest Things Businesses Buy, I was intrigued. But I wasn’t prepared for one of the dumbest things mentioned: tradeshows.

What? Tradeshows a dumb “thing” to buy? As a promotional products marketing advisor who makes a living from events and tradeshow activity, you can imagine I was a little put off by it. But I realize that I have a personal bias and stake in the argument. So to be fair I read on to find out what the rationale was. And I wasn’t prepared for the following commentary either.

The owner of a children’s clothing company was quoted as saying that tradeshows cost way more money than they bring in. But the kicker was when the article stated that the owner “still goes to shows but she doesn’t rent the booth. Instead she walks the floor and networks with buyers.”

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Needless to say I was totally incensed! I have seen this parasitic behavior at shows. There’s a local trade event where alcohol is served on the show floor. What some potential exhibitors who don’t want to pay the booth rental do is buy a couple hundred drink tickets and then schmooze with attendees on the show floor… in front of their exhibiting competitors! I could not believe that the show management did not escort them out the door.

Essentially, these people want the traffic the tradeshow producers sweat to get and steal traffic from the exhibitors who have paid money to be there. Even if these people pay a show entrance fee, it doesn’t nearly cover the benefits they receive from “networking” at the show or the cost that show producers and exhibitors have paid. Even worse is that some of the parasites get in by registering for free show attendance. The double whammy! A similar scenario is caused by those who want to host “hospitality suites” in lieu of exhibiting.

Business Competitive Advantage by Heidi ThorneWhat are some ways to decrease this detrimental behavior?

For exhibitors…

  • Exhibit at Relevant Events – If a show isn’t getting the results you want, seek out others. Do your homework! If you do visit a show prior to exhibiting at it, network with the other exhibitors that are not direct competitors… not the show attendees. Ask your industry colleagues if they’ve found it to be a good event.
  • Qualify, Follow Up and Be Patient – Rarely will a tradeshow provide immediate sales results. Depending on the type of show and industry, results could take months (years?) to develop. Qualification and follow-up are key.

For show producers…

  • Show ‘Em the Door – If you observe or receive reports about a tradeshow parasite, you should have them politely escorted off the show floor to discuss that their behavior is unacceptable. Tradeshows might be open to the public, but that doesn’t mean it’s a public place. You own the event and the ability to dismiss those that don’t play fair. Maybe you should show them the exhibiting brochure while you’re showing them the door. No, wait, if they’re this much trouble, you might not want them as exhibitors.
  • Emphasize that You’re a People Producer – Facility, pipe and drape, carpeting, signage… that’s the stuff of shows. But what you really are is a “people producer.” You provide a flow of potential prospects to your exhibitors. The cost to produce prospective people by an individual company is huge by comparison to what you can provide.

Got a good tradeshow parasite story to tell? We’d love to hear how you dealt with it.

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Tradeshow Booth Clingers | How to Eliminate Them and Move On to Selling

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Talk, talk, talk... with nothing to say.Spotted a tradeshow booth for a unique USA-made product line at the ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute) Show in Chicago. I had previously seen promotions on this upscale line in magazines and was anxious to check it out for real. As I approached the booth, the lone company representative was engaged with a guy who wanted to tell the rep his entire career history, a recap of all his current projects, his opinions on everything… I hovered for a bit, hoping the guy would move on. No such luck. Finally the rep hastily asked me if I’d like him to scan my badge. Sure, why not? Looks like that’s about all I’m going to get out of this booth. Pity, it was a cool product.

Poor rep, he was dealing with a tradeshow booth “clinger.”

Business Competitive Advantage by Heidi ThorneAs salespeople at tradeshows, we have a tough balancing act. How do you engage with booth visitors while at the same time connecting with the maximum number of high potential customers? Tradeshow booth clingers monopolize your time and guarantee that you will see only a handful of attendees.

Here are some “pest control” strategies for the clingers:

  • Adequately Staff Your Booth – If the show is one with high traffic, it’s probably worth it to have more than one booth staffer. That way one rep can spend more time with the hottest prospects while the other handles the marginal potential visitors. You might also want to consider hiring a professional tradeshow presenter–not a booth model!–to help qualify your traffic. (See my friend Emilie Barta’s Professional Tradeshow Presenter blog for more on the topic.)
  • Develop a Procedure for Handling the Clingers – In advance, devise a method for handling those visitors who want to share their story–their entire story!–with you. When they start to become clingy, politely hand them a project questionnaire that they can fill out right then and there or fill out later. For example, you might say “Wow, sounds you have a lot going on! [Hand over the form.] Could you take a moment to give us some details about your upcoming projects? Then let’s talk after we all get back from the show.” You accomplish a number of things with this: 1) You get clingers to focus; 2) You get the most important thing you want out of your encounter which is a lead (if there really is potential); and, 3) You get your time back.
  • Remember Why You’re Exhibiting – You are exhibiting to make sales, not friends, although that does often happen at shows. You are also not a show visitor’s on-demand consultant or therapist. Be polite, be professional, be productive.
  • Get Your Story Straight – I’ve seen a lot of booth reps who set up their booths, sometimes very beautiful booths with lots of product to show, and then they screw it up by not having a clue as to what to say when someone arrives at their booth. If you prepare proper qualifying questions to weed out those with low potential, you’ll be spending more time with those prospects that matter. Qualifying questions also help direct your interaction with booth visitors so that you can quickly assess their needs, gather the information you need, and send them on their merry way.

Click Here to Get More Info on Hiring Professional Tradeshow Presenters

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Green Tradeshow Ideas | 3 Exit Strategies

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Recycle BinAh, the irony! While a presentation drones on about the evils of plastic water bottles and what should be done about it, attendees at a green new product showcase search for a place to pitch their now empty plastic water bottles. A showcase host replies, “You know, we hadn’t thought about that. Just throw them in the regular trash.”

In case you’re wondering, yes, this really happened.

Making your tradeshow or event greener is a start-to-finish affair. What we’ll be looking at here are green tradeshow ideas that are “exit strategies” you can use to make sure your green efforts don’t go walking out the door when your event ends.

Eco Friendly Promotional Product Guide by Heidi Thorne1. Bins for Used Lanyards and Name Badges at Exit – Unless the lanyard is super-cool or your event is attended by those who need them for their security badges, it is unlikely that event attendees will ever use them again in the future. Same goes for the plastic badge holders. Why not collect them at the event exit and reuse them for next time? This will not only help the earth, but will save you money since you can buy less for the next event.

2. Bins for Plastic, Paper, and Aluminum Waste at Exit – The amount of these waste materials generated at events can be huge. With still low recycling rates at the individual level, chances are the pile of paper, plastic containers, and cans will promptly be pitched into the straight-to-landfill waste stream in a hurry once they leave the building. Tap in to people’s desire to unload unnecessary weight at the end of an event and provide separated recycling bins at the exit. Unless you plan to haul it away yourself, this effort will have to be coordinated with the event facility for pick-up.

3. Recycle or Ship Back Show Materials – It’s the last few hours of an event and what do you see? Booth personnel scrambling to get rid of show materials so they don’t have to pack, ship or drag them back home. What a waste on multiple levels! If you are stuffing brochures or promotional products into the hands of unwilling show visitors, where do you think those items will end up? Of course, in the trash, likely as soon as they leave the show. These materials will also likely end up in the landfill-bound trash, not recycling bin. If you unnecessarily hand out show materials, you will probably have to reorder or reprint them for another event. So you have increased costs for the earth and your marketing budget. Plan in advance how you will handle the return or recycling of unused show materials and advise your booth personnel of procedures.

How to Do SEO for Tradeshow Events

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My blogging friend and fellow iConnect Naperville networking member, Brad Shorr, was kind enough to lend us some of his SEO and copywriting expertise as it relates to tradeshows. Thanks, Brad!

Heidi and I were having coffee at Starbucks the other day. She said tradeshow planners are always asking how they can do SEO around events. Good question, and believe it or not, I have an answer.

SEO – search engine optimization – is a long term proposition. It can take months to achieve page one Google rankings, and by that time, the event will be in the past. No point in ranking high for a trade show that already happened!

* Use an Indirect SEO Strategy

I can’t manipulate time and space, but there is a way to make SEO work for trade shows, and here it is:

* Use the Tradeshow to Generate Inbound Links.

The single most important element of SEO is having high quality links into your website. High quality links are hard to come by, especially for small and midsized firms. But, one of the best ways to generate inbound links is to do online press releases.

Tradeshows present an ideal opportunity to put out several releases before, during and after the event. Because the releases are inherently topical and easy to make newsworthy, there’s an excellent chance the online release will be picked up by blogs and news aggregating sites in the event’s niche. When those releases are picked up and republished, the links are often intact – creating an SEO goldmine.

Those inbound links will raise the value of your website in the eyes of Google and therefore improve your rankings across the board. The improved rankings may not help with the event itself, but will increase site traffic and leads going forward.

The press releases themselves may produce immediate leads, however! People actually read them, and with the proper targeting you can direct them to the people you want to reach. By putting a call to action in your press release – e.g., “Contact us before the show to arrange a 30-minute private meeting” – you can get the best of both worlds: well qualified leads today and stronger SEO tomorrow.

Brad Shorr of Straight North

About Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr is Director of Content Marketing for Straight North, an interactive marketing agency headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. His firm provides complete online marketing services for midsized and large firms. Brad is an experienced blogger, SEO copywriter and social media specialist. Also visit Brad’s blog with great content marketing insight at http://www.blog.straightnorth.com.

Successful Tradeshow Promotions: “Wired” Giveaway Reels ‘Em Into Your Booth

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Looking for a memorable tradeshow giveaway that customers are sure to keep? Then check this out…

Click Here to Watch Demo on YouTube

 

These designs are created to stand up on their own. Perfect for desktop or to display anywhere. Think about the possibilities where and when you could use this type of giveaway:

  • Tradeshows
  • Fundraisers
  • Wedding Favors
  • Parties
  • Graduations
  • Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s
  • Grand Openings/Open Houses
  • Place Card Favors

I was introduced to Dave Maskin by one of my favorite Twitter “tweeple,” Brad Shorr of Straight North (@bradshorr and @StraightNorth on Twitter). Brad knows I’m always looking for great ideas, especially as they relate to shows and events. And here’s what Dave Schneider of APMHC had to say about using Dave as an “booth magnet” in his booth:

I hired Dave to be our “Booth Magnet” at the North American Material Handling Show in Cleveland (NA 2010) to represent the Association of Professional Material Handling Consultants (APMHC). The association had operated trade show booths in the past with poor results. This year we set out to do it right – and DAVE Dave Maskin in the APMHC BoothMASKIN, THE WIRE MAN was the “secret sauce” for the show’s traditional high traffic day.

And boy – DID HE WORK! Our little 10X10 booth was at time packed inside – and the aisle plugged on the outside. We collected 3 times more leads that day than we did for the other three days *combined*! Except for a single “boys room” break Dave was in our booth from 10AM to show close at 5PM making wire names and attracting a crowd. Each member of our association was thrilled with the results. I am still getting comments about our booth a week after the show. There was a sketch artist in the booth next to ours and our traffic *crushed* her efforts.

As Dave worked and the crowd grew waiting for their turn our team could engage the attendees in conversation and learn more about their needs. We made quality contacts – not only potential clients but also new members – a “double bagger” of a day!

That’s a ringing endorsement!

Plus, Dave only uses 100% recycled aluminum for these wire designs. Perfect for events concerned about green issues.

Though Dave is based in the New York area, he is available for tradeshows throughout the country and can ship custom orders, too.

Promo With Purpose Ink: Promotional Tattoos Help Promote Events, Teams

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Ever watch reality shows “Miami Ink” and “LA Ink” featuring tattoo artists pursuing their art? Here’s a more beneficial version of it that I like to call “Promo With Purpose Ink.”

Click Here to Watch Promotional Tattoos Video on YouTube

SWAG How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business by Heidi ThornePromotional tattoos are an inexpensive and effective way to promote your summer events including runs, fundraisers, and games. Also great for sports teams, awareness campaigns, and younger audiences. Selections in the PromoWithPurposeShop.com are Made in the USA.

Click Here to Order Your Promotional Tattoos from the PromoWithPurposeShop.com

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Marketing Video versus Marketing With Video | Why You Need to Do Both

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So I’m meeting with my fellow presenters for the upcoming iConnect “Basics of Social Media” seminar and I have the brilliant idea that we should do a little video intro to help promote the event. Whip out my Flip video camera. I’m sure my pal Scott Kolbe, of Sikich Marketing & Design Services, was absolutely cringing. His on-staff (and my favorite!) videographer/photographer, Matt Stout, would have been able to put together a fabulous video promo. But would it have been worth the cost and effort? Probably not for this purpose. Are there times when the cost is justified? Yes.

What we, as marketers, need to realize is that there is a difference between a “marketing video” and “marketing with video.” It’s not exactly the same thing. And in today’s social media arena, you will need to do both.

So let’s make the distinction between the two terms. A “marketing video” is a professionally produced video segment that you will need for your website and other electronic communications. It is the official animated face of you and your organization. Here is an example of a professionally produced marketing video that was created by Matt Stout and friends at Sikich Marketing & Design Services:

As you can see, the transitions are smooth, lighting is perfect, multiple shooting perspectives are used, it includes title slides, sound is excellent, and an entire marketing story unfolds in less than two minutes. That two minutes took about a hour or so of shooting time, plus I don’t know how many hours of production time. Add to that the dollar cost of professional video shooting and production which can be at least $1,000 or more (sometimes way more!) per minute of final edited video.

Contrast this with a quick video I took at the Friends of DuPage Animal Care & Control Wine & Chocolate fundraiser earlier this year with my Flip video camera…

I had little control over lighting, sound, and surroundings which were very close quarters, but yet it tells a story. This is “marketing with video” and the value comes from the “I was there factor,” giving it an authentic “news” appeal that social media demands.

So how do you decide when to use what?

  • If you are using the video for a website, tradeshow presentation, etc. that will be shown over and over again or for a long period of time, invest in a professionally produced video. You will have more control over your message and the effect it will have on your audiences.
  • If you have a very sophisticated audience that expects polished video, you really should consider going pro.
  • If you are using the video to relay what is happening right now, particularly for use with social media, a Flip video shoot would be just fine. It will add a layer of authenticity to it that helps build trust in social media venues. Social media superstar Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time Cash In on Your Passion, is a master of this video blogging (vlogging) and it helped him become the multi-millionaire he is today. Check out Gary’s vlogs at WineLibraryTV.com. You’ll see what I mean, especially the early years! His genuine personality shines through, even in the later, more sophisticated episodes.
  • If you are using the video to promote a product, service, or event with a short time horizon and that may not have a high potential ROI, consider a quick, homegrown video. I shoot some new product announcements with my webcam. Promotional product suppliers usually do not provide financial support for distributors, like me, to produce advertising or marketing like this. But on the plus side, it gives it that “just announced” news feel. Click here to see one of my latest product promos for a text messaging + promotional product program.

I love my Flip video camera for quick on-the-scene shooting, but it does have some serious limitations, especially with sound. Click here to see my full Flip video review.

Flip Video vs Kodak Zi8 – Heidi Thorne Reviews Both for Tradeshow and Event Use

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Ironic that I used the webcam integrated into my computer to shoot this video on Flip Video vs Kodak Zi8…

Click to Watch Flip Video Ultra HD vs. Kodak Zi8 on YouTube

These new “Flip” style video cameras are handy for use at both tradeshows and events. But it is obvious that these are still in their infant stages, as evidenced by either lack of features or performance issues. Just to summarize:

FLIP VIDEO ULTRA HD

  • Excellent quality video
  • Quick, easy video shooting (can’t miss the big red on/off button!)
  • Easy, intuitive bundled editing software with quick upload to YouTube
  • Snapshot feature allows you to pick out stills frame by frame
  • Integrated USB connection to computer for editing
  • NO external microphone jack, so lots of ambient noise which crowds out voices
  • USB connection is rigid, often requiring USB hub port to connect to computer
  • Wall charger accessory overheats
  • No battery life indicator on screen while shooting

KODAK Zi8 VIDEO CAMERA

  • Has external microphone jack! (Best feature)
  • Multiple shooting modes for effects and flexibility (HD, sports shooting, standard/close-up focus, standard shooting for YouTube video)
  • Multiple shooting modes can be confusing for beginners
  • Still camera feature morphs two devices into one — video + still camera
  • USB connection is flexible to allow for easy connection to any computer
  • Bundled editing software is non-intuitive and difficult to master
  • Had difficulty uploading video from software to YouTube
  • Software support requires registration which wastes time
  • Video shot in HD mode is impossible to edit on a typical desktop computer since audio and video do not sync up; eats up processor capacity even if only program open
  • Editing software has some cool special effects including black & white, sepia tone, sketch, and more

So for ease of shooting and editing, I’m going to stick with my Flip… and hope that the next generation will have an external mic jack!

Promotional Product Strategies | 3 Ways to Avoid the ‘Can I Have One For My Kid?’ Problem

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A tradeshow visitor walks up to you, points to one of your promotional products, and asks “Can I have one of these for my kid?” Or maybe you’re meeting with a client and upon handing him your cool new promotion, he exclaims, “My kid will love this!” Your heart sinks as you realize that this promotion will not be used for its intended purpose which is to sell your product, service or cause. Worse yet is that those marketing dollars are being wasted to provide a child with a plaything.

There are also some additional issues that come into play (pun intended!) with these scenarios. Though these items are not intended for children, they are now going to be given to children, opening up an additional layer of consumer product safety concerns.

SWAG How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business by Heidi ThorneCan you avoid this problem? Even though whether someone gives an item to a child or not is out of your control, there are some promotional product strategies you can use to make it less of an issue.

Read SWAG: How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business

1. Select Age and Purpose Appropriate Promotional Products – Select items that adults use. Chances are children are not going to be too interested in items such as auto travel mugs, writing portfolios, and adult-size clothing. Look for items that relate to your marketing purpose or event to help guide you.

2. Avoid “Cute” if Giving to Adults – This is where the trouble really starts. In particular, stress balls available in a myriad of cute characters and shapes are problematic. These are not toys and should not be given to young children! They are not required to be made or imprinted with kid-friendly materials. Bits of them can also be worked off, presenting a swallowing or choking hazard. Same principle for stuffed toys, model cars, novelty pens, and the like.

3. Select Safer Products – Unsure of in what hands your item will end up? Are you actually giving to children as a way to endear yourself to the parents? Select an item that complies with safety standards for non-toxic materials or would not present other hazards by nature. For example, coloring books can be a safer choice, especially looking for those which are identified as using non-toxic inks. Ask your promotional product distributor for details on particular products.

Don’t let your promotional product end up in the hands of little ones who have no ability to buy from you! This will save you marketing dollars and will help make your promotions more effective.

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