By Jeff Rundles

In the go-go years in the late 1990s and most of 2000s no one in our industry (promotional products) asked “if” we were going to “the show.” We were all going; the only question was what day we were going to arrive.

As a journalist covering the industry (and an exhibitor) I knew many, many people from both the supplier side (exhibitors) and the buyer side (attendees), and for the major shows in our industry (6), not only was every company coming, they were bringing along a full complement of staff. The big-big show in the industry, the PPAI EXPO sponsored by the Promotional Products Association International, got so crowded after years in the Dallas Convention Center, that it moved to Vegas (Mandalay Bay) and quickly crowded that new space as well.

Times change. While the PPAI Expo is still the premier show in the industry, this last year, and by all accounts the 2010 show coming in January, things were different. While some exhibitors maintained their traditional large booths, it was clear that staffing was down, and there were many examples of exhibitors with a track record of doing a 40x, downsizing to a 20x, and so on.

On the buyer side changes were apparant too. The aisles were less crowded, the cafeteria lines less long, there were after-hours bar stools available at the hot spots, and events were, shall we say, “thinner.” And where once “Bob’s Specialties” from Milwaukee had all 10 of its sales people, bedecked in matching bright-orange and logoed polo shirts, perusing the booths, just Bob and his wife were there, wearing logoed nametags and strategically navigating the show.

What is clear is that anyone gearing up for a trade show in these times has to do more than just cut back. Success in these times takes planning.

It’s not that we didn’t plan our trade show strategy in the years when things were rolling along in high gear. On the walking-the-show part of our duties, back then we had more staff, so we would assign different teams to check out different areas of the show floor. This allowed us to cover more ground and spend more time getting ideas, meeting prospects and the like. This last year I went alone, and there was no way I could cover the whole event with any depth, so I spent a good deal of time in preparation with the show directory and floor plan, hitting the bigger prospects, cutting out the niche players.

On the exhibition side, I had to assume the people coming to my booth, or looking for my booth, were doing so with a much more-focused approach, and that their time was more limited than in years past. So for my display and my presentation, I also spent a good deal more time in preparation.

First, my booth. Being a small business, I have always gone with the smallest, 10×10, and for years I did signage on the back panel, and then placed a podium in front with magazines and subscription cards. I decided that wasn’t enough. I needed more visibility, so I changed the podium to a presentation table, moved it to the side, and placed a new double-sided, 6-foot banner with bright graphics in the middle for high visibility up and down the aisle. I also beefed up the lighting, not only on my graphics, but the whole booth; I wanted the space to look cheery and inviting. Plus, the rearrangement gave me more room to meet and greet; I used to spend my time behind the podium and wait for people to come to me, but I realized I had to be more proactive and pull them in.

Second, my dress. I have always gone with a fairly professional look with a suit and tie – no bright orange polos for me — but I decided to go coatless, with a logoed necktie and a dress shirt with a tasteful, recognizable logo that matched my graphics. No one asked me if I was with the magazine; it was pretty evident.

Third, my collateral. I used to hand them a magazine and call it good. I figured nine out of ten probably dumped them along with 90% of the catalogs they had stuffed into their totes, but I thought I could make hay with the 10^th one. This time I included a flyer with great graphics, a synopsis of our magazine, reasons to subscribe and/or advertise, and clear contact information. My reasoning was that perhaps if nine out of 10 dumped the magazine, maybe five would keep the flyer. My email activity in the days to follow would indicate it was the right move.

Lastly, an appropriate gift. I wasn’t in the habit of handing out anything more than my primary product, a magazine, and I was on a show floor replete with trinkets and tschotkes, so rather than a stress ball or another refrigerator magnet, I went with relief: bottled water, with a logo label. The pause that refreshes, as it were, led to quite a few pleasant conversations, business cards and new friends/contacts.

I tried to think of everything that might enhance my chances of doing business. While it all worked in concert, when I reviewed my experience I think the changes to my booth spelled the difference: more visibility, more welcoming. I noticed this all over the hall: the exhibitors who stood pat with the same-old were less busy than those who took a fresh approach. If it can work in lean times, I can’t wait to see how much more I can boost traffic when the economy picks up more steam.

Oh, and one other thing: I worked harder. I kept think about Edison and the 99% perspiration thing. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, thank goodness.

Jeff Rundles is Publisher/Editor of Corporate Apparel Magazine, an e-newsletter and has served in a similar capacity in promotional products industry trade publications for 15 years.

LCD Shipping Case

Here at Trade Show Emporium we understand the importance of executing a flawless trade show by using high quality displays and equipment. We not only want you to be satisfied with our products,  we  want you to protect  your investments. Trade Show Emporium’s shipping cases provide the ultimate protection when shipping your valuable flat screen televisions and monitors. We provide a wide variety of cases ranging from 19″ to 60″ to fit your needs. Each case contains a foam lining to ensure minimal tv and monitor movement during travel. To top it off, the Air Transportation Association has certified our shipping cases as durable, and able to withold their quality with frequent shipments. So whether you are traveling to the next town over or across seas, we want you to feel at ease that your trade show will be a success.

Trade Show Emporium is premiering a line of 32” – 63” LCD/Plasma stands, fabulous and reliable for mounting your LCD/Plasma screens. Perfect for showing video clips in front of your display or perhaps off to the side of your display case or show room. Also great for having a stand in the waiting room or conference room of your business, these stands even work well at home and look great!

For a more information check out the full line of stands at: http://www.tradeshowemporium.com/lcd-tv-stands.html or check out Trade Show Emporium Website at: http://www.tradeshowemporium.com/

As people worldwide are celebrating the Earth Day, Trade Show Emporium provides you with a brief list of how to make your existing and future trade show displays environmentally friendly.

Purchasing a green trade show display is the first and biggest step one takes to become environmentally friendly with their booth. Environmentally friendly trade show displays are made from socially responsible materials such as bamboo, recycled plastics and aluminum, water-based inks, carpet, fabrics and LED lights.

At the show there are several options to make your display greener. Reduce literature by printing less or printing on recycled paper. After your show is over you can recycle materials through a local agency, or at designated places in the convention center. When you are finished with your display unplug as many electronics items as you can. Items, such as lights, monitors, DVD players and many more still consume electricity even when turned off. Overtime all items added up will save a great deal of energy consumption.

Instead of sending back unused materials, recycle them locally. It will eliminate the need to ship, and reduce carbon eliminate waste. Also employing local talent reduces the carbon footprint created by traveling with your own sales team.

After your display is finished use a trade show display recycling service that will ensure the process of your display and supply you with a detailed report of materials processed.

For more information on how to make your environmentally friendly visit Trade Show Emporium at www.tradeshowemporium.com or call 1-866-764-2968.

DENVER — Trade Show Emporium, a Denver-based trade show display company, has announced Monday the hiring of Joshua Mason as Director of Sales.

Mason, who has over 15 years of sales experience in various industries, will oversee the expansion of Trade Show Emporium’s sales force and development of current clients.

“Josh has an outstanding work ethic and his depth in the sales industry will make him a valuable asset to Trade Show Emporium,” said President Willis Wood, Jr.

Prior to joining Trade Show Emporium, Mason held positions at UniFirst Corporation, Wilmar Industries, All-4-Fun, WAXIE Sanitary Supply and National Sanitary Supply. Currently he is an adjunct business professor at Westwood College and admission counselor at Redstone College.

Mason earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Master of Management degrees from the University of Phoenix. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and currently holds positions at Toastmasters International and the Denver Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on Trade Show Emporium visit its Web site at www.tradeshowemporium.com or call 1-866-764-2968.

The most common trade show display graphic mistakes usually involve text, color, graphics and maintenance. If your booth has any of these mistakes, it could be an instant turnoff for attendees. But if you follow these simple rules then an attendee visiting your booth can turn into a promising lead.

In January, Exhibitor Magazine released a list of the top 10 small-booth and trade show display graphics mistakes and rules to avoid such mistakes.

1. Too Many Words
Three seconds is all you have to catch someone’s attention and having too many words may hinder that. Combine crisp, relevant text along with a strong graphic to create a cohesive message that will draw them into your booth.
Rule: Limit yourself to six or 10 words

2. The Wrong Words
Don’t waste words with needless information about your company that is not needed. Stay on point with what your company can do for the attendees and do it in as few words as possible.
Rule: Keep a direct message

3. Competing Colors
Having colors that clash can make your text hard to read. Be sure to have contrasting colors such as light on dark (white on black) or dark on light. Be careful to float text over images and graphics, especially busy areas, since it could cause readability issues.
Rule: Use light and dark text combinations

4. Artsy Fonts
Text that is hard to read will turn away attendees. Leave the art to the graphics and the images and keep text very conservative. Having fancy text makes it difficult for people to read and understand your message.
Rule: Stick with simple sans and sans serif fonts

5. Tiny Type
Attendees don’t want to worry about struggling to read your text because of its size. The general rule of thumb is for every three feet your text should be at least an inch tall. If an attendee is 12 feet away from your booth your text should be at least four inches tall.
Rule: All text should be more than four inches tall

6. Text Below Eye Level
Keep text as high as you can, and if possible within the top two feet of your booth. This keeps your text from being blocked by anyone in your booth and is more viewable from a distance. If your text doesn’t fit into this space, make sure you keep it above eye level.
Rule: Text is best placed at top of booth

7. Too Many Images
Having several images can district from what your overall message is. Creating one or a few larger images, that are clearly focused, helps keep your message on track.
Rule: Use large, cropped images

8. Poor Image Quality
Many times people think a company logo or image can be enlarged and maintain its crispness and clarity, but that is not always the case. Often, these low-res images become blurry and grainy. Use the most original file and high resolution graphics to complete your booth, and if needed consult a trade show display graphic designer.
Rule: Use high resolution graphics and work with a graphic designer

9. Bad Lighting
The choice to light your booth comes down to a very simple question of wanting people to see your booth. Having poor lighting decreases the ability for your graphics to be seen. Place lights, no less than 100-watt halogen or LED, every two to three feet for maximum coverage.
Rule: Lights placed every two to three feet<

10. Nicks And Dings
Accidents will happen, but generally wear and tear can be reduced with careful handling and cleaning. Starting with a laminate that will protect your graphics is a good first step. Also careful assemble and careful storing, using plastic or paper sheets between graphics is important. If you have to clean your graphic use light Windex, being extremely careful near the edge. Use a multipurpose cleaner for marks and sticky substances, and rubbing alcohol along any magnets.
Rule: Clean and maintain, if needed replace graphics

A fairly common question for companies exhibiting at trade shows is the number of people that is needed to staff its booth. Having too low of a number means people will visit the booth and leave, a possible lost sale or lead walking away. Too many staffers and the booth may look overcrowded making people hesitant to visit.

Using the following mathematical formula will help you figure out how many staffers you need at any given time to be stationed at your booth. You’ll need to do some research first and figure out a few key numbers before figuring out the formula. First contact the conference organizer and get an anticipated count of attendees and figure out how you what percentage will potentially visit your booth. This number can range from 12 to 20 percent, with higher figures representing more interest among attendees in your company, booth or product.

Once you have those figures you have to determine if the show is either highly targeted or a general show towards your company. The more targeted the show, the lower your percentage will be. If the show is highly targeted use numbers between 30 and 40 percent, and 50 percent if the show is broad to your industry. Finally, get the total amount of exhibiting hours.

After you figure out these important figures you can use the following formula to determine the number of trade show staffers needed to work your booth.

Attendees x Popularity of Exhibit = Visitors to Booth
Visitors x Type of Show = People Interested In Booth
People Interested x Hours Exhibiting = People Visiting Per Hour
Per Hour Visitors x Amount One Staffer Can Handle An Hour = Total Staffers Needed

Example:
You work for a highly reputable and successful company in your business. The show is one of the larger more important trade shows in your industry and you expect 20,000 people to attend the convention. Your company recently purchased a new custom trade show display that will be located in a 40×20 booth space. Since you have a new booth and it is one of the larger industry shows you anticipate a great deal of buzz about your display and new product being launched.

The show is four days long with six hours each day for people to visit exhibits on the floor, giving people 24 hours to visit your booth. Typically your customers come in groups of four people and it takes approximately 30 minutes for someone on your staff to explain your company and its products to potential clients.

20,000 attendees x 20 percent = 4,000 potential clients visiting your booth
4,000 visitors x .40 (large show) = 1,600 people truly interested in your product
1,600/24 / 24 hours exhibit is open = 67 number of people per hour visiting your booth
67 / 8 each staffer can handle per hour = 8 staffers needed

Assuming these figures are fair representations for the amount of people visiting your booth and the expected buzz that your company and its booth generate, you should expect to have at least eight staffers at your booth.

If you have exhibited at any trade show, then you know the importance of obtaining reliable and steady leads. Many people stop by your trade show booth, but what is the best way to make sure you have the ability to follow up with each person that visits your booth.

Once people visit your trade show display, the next step is making contact with them, explaining your product and finding out how it can relate to them. Make sure to use the 80-20 rule, 80 percent listening and 20 percent talking. Also let them lead the conversation and they will be more open to sharing information. But before they lead make sure to obtain their information.

In previous years the best way of maintaining a lead way exchanging business cards, but with the advancement of technology everything can now be gained by the simple swipe of your pass. These passes contain all the usual information, such as name and company, but can also contain information such as the size of your company, industry served and how many times you have visited this specific show. This information all comes from the online registrations that are mandatory for shows.

Today, the most effective way of managing this information is through a variety of computer programs that helps organize this information more thoroughly. These programs are capable of handling entire process from beginning to end. Once the information has been programmed into any of these programs it is up to a dedicated member of the sales team to be the point contact for the company.

For more information regarding trade show tips and marketing information contact Trade Show Emporium at 1-866-764-2968 or visit the Web site at www.tradeshowemporium.com.

DENVER — Trade Show Emporium announced new reduced pricing for its line of Alumalite Displays, one of the most popular portable and hybrid trade show displays available in the industry.

New pricing is available is for the classic Alumalite display (Wave, Straight and Arch), all eight of the Alumalite Zero configurations and the Alumalite Lineare. Discounted prices are for both the 10- and 20-foot models.

The 10-foot Alumalite prices were Classic prices now start at $3,159, Zero’s at $2,489 and Lineare $3,919 a difference of more than one thousand dollars from original prices. Prices for the 20-foot Classic models start at approximately a two thousand dollar difference.

“With our cost coming down we feel it important to pass on our discount to the customers,” said Trade Show Emporium President, Willis Wood, Jr. “This makes one of our most popular products available for a far reduced cost.”

All Alumalite prices include the basic frame, wheeled transport case and certain features unique to each display’s design. Graphics, counters and additional frame colors are also available.

For more information on Trade Show Emporium’s and its line of Alumalite displays or any other products carried visit www.tradeshowemporium.com or call 1-866-764-2968.

Attending trade shows is a time honored tradition of presenting your company and products. However, attending shows take time and money, something that is becoming increasingly valuable with each passing day.

On the other hand, the benefit of exhibiting at and attending trade shows maintains its strengths of improving your company through networking, education and lead building.

In tough these economic times, people feel more comfortable dealing with reliable companies and those who offer the best customer interaction. That is why ditching trade shows can be hurtful to your business in the long run.

If attending trade shows is becoming too expensive, think of changing your approach and possibly add accessories like banner stands, literature racks, flat-screen monitors, kiosks or the new allure banner stands.