#GoLiveTogether

The Events of 2020 have sure taken us by surprise.  Our industry, the tradeshow industry, is built on meetings.  The Javits Center in New York City was scheduled to have event after tradeshow after event this spring, not have a temporary hospital built inside of it.  PPE was used by the Exhibit Associates. Fabrication  and Service Teams to protect them from the hazards of building, installing and managing tradeshow booths, corporate displays and museum exhibits.  Not protect them as they walk into Home Depot!     We live in strange times.

While our immediate concern is to #FlattenTheCurve, and we have products designed just to do that - such as floor decals that demonstrate what six feet look.  But we will get through this, we will get back to normal.

So I have joined the Go Live Together coalition.  Our industry has assembled to drive local, state and federal legislative actions that will not only be critical to our ability to put millions of people back to work, but also for our country's economic recovery.

Tradeshows, specifically the live events industry contributes nearly $1 Trillion to the US economy.  It supports entrepreneurship, innovation, ingenuity and job creation.  We employ millions of workers, union and non-union, entertainers and independent contractors.  Designers, accountants, carpenters, truck drivers, electricians, warehouse and yes even sales people.

Tradeshows are a powerful business development tool.  Exhibit Associates's clients tell us their success.  Protecting this industry means protecting a key contributor to both the economy and the human spirit.    The numbers on this graphic just tell part of the story.

So we here at Exhibit Associates are behind the Trade Show & Event Recovery Act,  It's common sense approach will provide tax credit assistance to exhibitors and attendees for costs associated with their involvement in tradeshows.  Review restrictions on travel and entertainment deductions and other initiatives to promote tradeshows, and keep attendees, exhibitors and workers safe. 

If you would like to talk to me about this personally - Call me.  Email me.

When "Stay At Home" is over, Let's get this country moving again - Sensibly.  It will take effort.  It will take resources.  So as an industry - Let's Go Live Together!

Amy Jalbert
President
Exhibit Associates Inc
816-474-5333
amy@exhibitassociates.com
www.exhibitassociates.com

"...cursed with self-awareness."

1. You know what you know 
2. You know what you don't know 
3. You don't know what you don't know

It's #3 that causes all the issues when it comes to tradeshows (and life.) 

While Annie in Bull Durham says "The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness"   The tradeshow floor will eat you alive.  

Example #1 is this abbreviated email chain over a weekend this fall;

All week and on Friday the client is excited ready to go!  Then Sunday they show up on the tradeshow floor and, well, if you have never been on one it can be overwhelming.   Sunday night was a disaster.  And I was 1,500 miles away with the ability to do nothing!   (Well I did call the GC and let them know the issues and could they run someone by the tradeshow booth - Which They Did!)

Doing your own show services is not the issues here - not knowing what to expect (#3 from Above) is the issue.

Go with a team member who built your tradeshow booth just once and learn.   After all your Exhibit House should be "....just happy to be here.  Hope I can help the ball club." (Crash Davis giving tips to Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh) . (And if they don't want to help the ball club - give Exhibit Associates a call!)

Your Lobby

How is Your Brand Represented in Your Own Building?

This is nothing special unless we get it wrong.  

It is a simple sign.  Wood and metal hanging on a red wall with some back lighting for the wall.   Was it the only thing we did for Virgin Mobile?  No.

While this is something that is easy, and our team here at Exhibit Associates does it all the time - if we got it wrong it may have been the last thing we did for them.

Yes we did it awhile ago - but it still is a nice simple example of our work.

So how is your brand represented in your own lobby?

Exhibit Associates provides incredible design, build and installation services related to interior branding projects and awesome lobby experiences.   sales@exhibitassociates.com to find out more! 

Tradeshow Companies Actually Worry About Search As Well.

Or "The Best Place to Hide a Dead Body?  2nd Page of a Google Search!"

As much as we in the tradeshow business like to say that tradeshows are awesome marketing tools, they are just part of the answer.  In fact there is only one place more decision makers gather for your industry than at a tradeshow.

That is the world wide web.  Search.  SEO.  PPC.  Analytics.   While it is true with all the decision makers that are at a tradeshow they are a must have in your marketing tool kit - search is part of the answer as well.  Not like I am breaking ground here with this information.

But this goes goes for tradeshow companies as well.  

What?  That can't be!  Exhibit Houses must just do tradeshows to gather new clients!   Nope.   Not even close.   The above image is a Google search I did at a hotel in Dallas and I searched on keywords relevant to our industry.   Considering the red boxes are paid ads, Exhibit Associates came first in the organics.  We did not pay for our space - we earned it.   How?  Well we paid for that information how to do that.   But we compete not only for customers at tradeshows, but for eyeballs online as well.   Considering we have a national franchise player and another similar competitor in the Kansas City market - we slog it out everyday along with these "Pay to Play" players paying for ads.   

Why?   Because our team is awesome.  Go to our website here, and see the custom booth we did just recently.   If our potential new client doesn't see that, then our team does not get a chance to do other awesome projects.   After all it is only because of our awesome clients we get to work on these projects.   But they got to find us 1st!

Yes we do tradeshows!  They are extremely important.  Decisions makers are not only at tradeshows, they are online as well.   We use both as part of our marketing toolkit.   

We can help with tradeshow booths and displays.  For online - we have some partners we can recommend.   You need to be in both channels - because that is were the decision makers are!

Exhibit Associates Information

Here is a great short video of the Revolution that has come to Exhibit Associates.

For additional information about the new graphics, new materials, LED Technology, and processes, contact us today! 




#tradeshow #booth #display #kansascity #exhibitassociates #YourBrandOurBusiness

Thanks for Following Along! The Four Rules of Tradeshows

Follow Up to The Four Rules of Tradeshows! 

Over the past week the Four Rules of Tradeshows, as described by Exhibit Associates has been discussed.  For those that have read all 4 Blog Posts - Thanks!  We hope it was worth your time.

To Recap here are links to the blog posts;

1. Tell People You Are Going
2. Exhibit With A Plan
3. Follow Up!
4. Stand Out!

And as a bonus, here is a link to our SlideShare Deck:  The Four Rules of Tradeshows.


And these rules are not just thrown together.  It comes from years of doing this.  This being design, fabrication and services.  We sum that up in Four Words:  Your Brand Our Business!

What does all this mean?   Stay Tuned!

Rule #4 of 4: Stand Out!

(My apologies for this post in advance.  This being the 5 straight day of posts I am getting a little "punchy"   Enjoy!)

Stand Out! There are many ways this could happen.

Getting pulled out of line at TSA for 2 lbs of cocaine is one of them.   But I am sure not what you are looking for.   For tradeshow booths here is a great way to stand out: LED Tiles! All this leads to Rule #4:

Rule #4 is to Stand Out.

Mostly when we speak of standing out we are at the foundation level talking about professionalism.  Clean, Organized, Consistent in appearance.   Having your old logo and new logo in the tradeshow booth sends a message.  (hint:  not a good message either.)

But your tradeshow booth isn't the most important thing at the tradeshow: Your people are the #1 Brand Representative your company has at the tradeshow.  Make sure they understand that.   So hint - No late night/early morning celebration in Las Vegas by team members prior to Day 1 of the Tradeshow so they show up hung over and hurt.

Your tradeshow booth is #2 on how to stand out.  Spend the extra to get great graphics.  It makes a difference.  Something as simple as one cool light and one warm light accenting the same product can send the wrong message.  Preview the booth - have it set up, do a walk through to make sure everything is clean, organized and consistent.

People will remember the sales rep with the onion breath after lunch more than they will remember your old logo.   But....neither should be there. 

Clean, Organized and Consistent wins every time.  That Stands Out.   The flash, the sizzle helps and Exhibit Associates can help with that, it is just a matter of budget.

Rule #3: Follow Up!

If you do not do this - Don't Go.   Don't exhibit, don't attend, don't even get out of bed in the morning.

Follow Up!  Follow Up!  Follow Up!

The key to success on this Rule is to hold one person accountable.   One client of ours had over 700 leads after their 3 day tradeshow.  They made one person responsible to report to the senior executive team about the follow up success.  The weekly report went something like this: "900 touches, 30 appointments, $220K in new business after 30 days"  "After 45 Days...." "After 60 Days...."   And you can believe that individual was on the regional directors about tradeshow contact follow ups. 

So we know you need to collect the leads and make One person responsible, but how do you follow up?

Email:  You have collected business cards.  Put them in a spreadsheet and upload them to your email marketing system and send a thank you email from the company to them at the end of the tradeshow.  The very next day!  (Touch #1)

Phone: From that very same spreadsheet who is the rep assigned to call the prospect?  Actually even your existing clients need a call.  They stopped by the tradeshow booth for a reason.

Direct Mail: A postcard that ties in the marketing that was used for you tradeshow.  (New Product?  New Service?) 

Phone:  (Yeah I know it's a repeat.) Yes - Get that appointment.  After the 3 touches above, the sales team member has got to do the work to get the appointment to get the sale.  Again:  They stopped by the tradeshow booth for a reason.

There is no Secret Sauce on this one:  Just get to work as a company, as a sales team.  Follow Up!

Contact Exhibit Associates to find out more!

#tradeshow #booth #exhibit #display #kansascity #service #awesome

Rule #2: Exhibit With a Plan!

Rule #2 of the Four Rules of Tradeshows:  Exhibit With a Plan!

If you know anything about the United States Marine Corps then you know Parris Island is home to Boot Camp.   When young recruits show up to this South Carolina "vacation spot" little do they realize that for the next 13 weeks as they transition from civilian and earn the title Marine - their time is scheduled in 15 minute increments for the entire 13 weeks.  That is 8,736 blocks of time planned out.  Now the Marines have been doing this for a couple of hundred years.   You have until next month.

So What is Your Plan?

• Who is going to double check that you have the correct product brochure for the product on display?
• Who will walk through the tradeshow booth with you the evening before?  (Or the hour before.) 
• Who will be there when the floor opens?
• What is the lunch schedule?
• What is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days schedule?
  • If your tradeshow booth is ideally manned by 4 people - Who are those 4 people?   This is important whether the tradeshow is 4 hours long or 4 days long! 
• Which networking events will be attended and by who?
• Any corporate VIPs coming by?
• Is your largest client going to be there?
• Is your largest prospect going to be there? 
• What happens to all the leads?  Business Cards?

The Marines have 8,736 blocks of time, you only have at max 32 blocks per day you have to plan out if you do it in 15 minute blocks.   

Earning the title Marine just doesn't happen - neither does getting results from your tradeshow exhibit.   Contact Exhibit Associates today to find out more.

Rule #1: Tell People You Are Going!

The 1st Rule of tradeshows is Tell People You are Going!

Ever been on a vacation?

To a tropical island?

How people did you tell before you left?

Did you get paid to tell people?

Think about your tradeshow as the more you tell people, the more you get paid.  Ok, the more traffic you get at your tradeshow booth, the more business you do as a result, and the more money your company makes, or the more commission checks you get.  That simple.

How do you tell people?

#1) Direct Contact with existing clients

• You have existing clients?  They know this tradeshow is going on - it's their industry as well!    They need to know you are exhibiting.  Phone call is best.  Email 2nd.  Direct Mail 3rd.

#2) Prospect List Contact

• You have future clients.  Let them know.   Please do this 3 months out.   Direct Mail is a great reminder.   Email blasts.   And about 1 month out call to see if they are going.   Great reason to call you next best client!

#3) Social Media

• Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are all great ways to broadcast (as a company and as a individual) that you will be at the ABC Tradeshow showing off the new XYZ Product of the great company you work for.   Your marketing team should provide support if the company is spending the money to exhibit and send you!   Use them.   

#4) Twitter

• Wait - isn't this Social Media?  Yes but when it comes to tradeshows Twitter is king.  There is a tradeshow Twitter handle and hashtag.   Use them.  3 months out once or twice a week.  2 months crank it up, 1 month even more.
• The day of the show, use Twitter scheduler like Tweetdeck to remind people upon wake up, 1 hour to go, 15 to go, 10 to go and 5 to go.   Trust me - before the floor opens every attendee will be searching twitter.  Use the hashtag and your booth number.   You can set this up a week in advance.

So before the floor opens you have had contact with existing and future clients, let people know on Facebook and LinkedIn and blasted Twitter - attendees will know to look for you and your company.   

Hopefully enough to pay for that beach vacation! 

The Four Rules of Tradeshows!

Today!  We are going to review the Four Rules of Tradeshows in detail.  They are 

simple in concept, but execution can be tough on your own.    Over the next 4 blog posts you will

learn in detail what the Exhibit Associates version of the Four Rules are for Tradeshows.  In addition there will be a special #selfiesticksunday on @YouTube and a slide deck up on @SlideShare.  

Since we are in the 2020 Tradeshow Season, these rules will yield success for you and your tradeshow program!