Tips and Advice

Setting Your Goals 

If You Don't Know Where You Are Going,
Any Road Will Get You There

Exhibiting at a tradeshow is a sizeable investment. Not only are you spending money on booth space and travel, but you are also pulling your staff away from their daily activities to staff your booth. Therefore, your participation MUST be successful. This is easier said than done.

How do you know if you were successful? Do you measure success by dollars? Leads? Relationships built? That is up to you, but you will not know unless you set your goals ahead of time. If you achieved or exceeded your goals - you were successful.

Step One: Do your Research.
You can't set your goals until you know everything there is to know about the tradeshow. Know who your attendees are, how many, and their buying process. Also, familiarize yourself with all of the sanctioned networking opportunities as well as non-sanctioned opportunities such as the hotel bar or coffee shop. All of this information can help you decide what you want to achieve.

Step Two: Be Detailed
"My goal is to sell my product." Sorry, but that is not a goal, it is a vague and general statement that in the end really means nothing. Be detailed in setting goals. Give yourself exact numbers to meet. Here are some examples of detailed goals:

• Collect 150 business cards
• Do 5 live demonstrations
• Schedule 10 demos for the following week
• Meet privately with 2 qualified leads
• Set up 2 off-site meetings with surrounding companies
• Close 2 sales within 60 days
• Attend at least 2 educational sessions
• Collect at least 10 business cards from attendees in the lobby, bar, or coffee shop
• Follow up with all new leads within 3 business days

Being this detailed will make it easier to measure your results.

Step Three: Write Them Down
Don't forget to record your goals. You might be able to name all 50 states and capitals off the top of your head, but don't rely on your memory here. Writing them down is a simple exercise that will reinforce your goals and prepare you for Step Four.

Step Four: Spread the Word
Once you have written your goals, distribute them to management and all the other employees staffing your booth. You are all working as a team to ensure your success and all need to be on the same page. Be sure to print them out and take them with you for review every day before and after show hours.

Step Five: Circle Back
When you return, check your results against your original goals. Whether you failed to meet them, or exceeded them, ask yourself why. What did you do to achieve these results or what could you have done to improve? If you had long range goals such as closing two sales within 60 days of the show, circle back in 60 days and check again.

So, you see, it is up to you and your company to determine what you want to accomplish. But, no matter what you decide, take the time to analyze your goals and results. It is the only way to ensure you are getting the most for your money.

Not Just for Kindling

Your kit is more than a catalogue of tables and chairs for rent. It is a guide to the opportunities available to you as an exhibitor. For example, a commonly missed opportunity is the free listing in the program or show guide. Oftentimes, tradeshows will give the exhibitors a complimentary listing of their contact information, products and services. Miss this deadline and you run the risk of your competitor being listed while you are nowhere to be found.

Other more important items may include requirements for Certificates of Insurance, booth layout diagrams, and emergency contact information. Without this information in hand, show management may not let you onto the show floor, or even more importantly, the local fire marshal may not let the entire show open if just one crucial piece of information is missing.

Another important benefit of paying attention to the deadlines in your kit is saving money. Most contracted vendors offer discounts when items are ordered before a specific date. Pay attention to these dates, as vendors are often not willing to compromise on deadlines.

Lastly, order your items in the service kit ahead of time, and ship to the advance warehouse. Play your cards right, and all of your orders and shipments will be waiting for you at your booth when you are arrive. Service contractors are required to fulfill all advanced orders and shipping before on-site orders and deliveries. If you wait until you arrive at the show to order items like electricity, tables, and even plants, you will find yourself wasting valuable time waiting around for these items to arrive.

Here is a list of things to do when your service kit arrives:

• Read it cover to cover
• Make a list of important deadlines and add them to your personal calendar
• Plan backwards - take your deadlines and create a timeline weeks out in order to meet them
• Look for complimentary promotional opportunities
• Look for ideas on how to improve your booth
• Circulate it to all employees who will be staffing your booth
• Make copies of the Quick Facts, hang them on your office wall, and make sure all staffers do the same

Your exhibitor service kit may be a dry read, but its purpose is to help you have a smooth exhibiting process and get the most for your time and money - pay attention to it!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving
8 Strategies for a Successful Giveaway

Everybody loves to get free stuff, but getting free stuff and keeping it are two different things. Tradeshow giveaways are no exception.                           

As an exhibitor, you must first set the goal for your giveaway, sometimes referred to as tchotchke, before searching catalogues and deciding on quantities. Are you going to use your giveaway to entice attendees to your booth, would you like them to take something with them that will encourage them try your product, or do you simply want to increase your brand awareness? Regardless of your goal, there is an art to choosing the proper giveaway. Here are some helpful strategies:

1. Bigger is Better
The "bigger is better" strategy is basically giving away such a large item that attendees can't fit it into their complimentary show bag and have to carry it around for all to see and envy. Others may ask where they received the item and stop by your booth to get one of their very own. Bigger is better works best when you keep the following things in mind: Colorful items grab more attention, and be sure the item is light and easy to carry. Attendees will pass if your giveaway is a burden or will weigh them down.

2. My "Insert Small Child" Would Love That
A large percentage of giveaways go straight to the attendee's son, daughter, grandchild or favorite niece or nephew. You can choose your giveaway to appeal to the attendee's pleasure in making a child "toy happy." From plush animals, to yo-yos, to beach balls, giveaways intended for small children can be a big hit and drive attendees directly to your booth. Something to keep in mind when targeting your giveaway to children is making sure the toy is labeled properly. Small removable parts can be dangerous, so make sure the label calls this out or lists appropriate ages for use.

3. Product Hook
Ah yes, the product hook. This strategy is best for those who just can't bring themselves to spend money on one more stress ball, pen, or keychain. The product hook is a giveaway that samples your product or service. For example, a software provider might give away a disk with a stripped down version of the real thing, or a disk with one license. A beauty supply manufacturer would give away trial-sized sample of their most popular item. Either way, the goal is to give the attendee a taste of what you have to offer and leave them wanting to purchase more. The trick here is not to give away too much. "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

4. Desktop Tchotchke
Desktop tchotchke is a good strategy for those looking to brand themselves or increase awareness of their product of service. Simply put, a desktop tchotchke is an item the attendee will take back to the office and display on their desk. Examples include clocks, pens, paperweights, paperclip holders, and organizational aides. All would prominently display your company name, logo, or website - anything that will stay in their minds because they look at it EVERY DAY! One suggestion is to ensure the item has a purpose. This will increase the likelihood that it will be used and displayed instead of thrown into the "circular file."

5. Quality - The Tchotchke in Disguise
Quality is a strategy that can work in tandem with any of the others. This is when you spend the extra few dollars or cents on your giveaway to give the attendee an impression that if you give away quality items you must be well established, and therefore your product or service is valuable too. A quality item might be the clock from desktop tchotchke above, but it is also from The Sharper Image. It could also be a plush animal that is much softer than your regular carnival giveaway.

An added benefit of quality is that it has a better chance of being kept by the attendee, but be careful - a seasoned tradeshow goer will be on to you and may think you spend too much money on tradeshow giveaways so your offering may be overpriced. Also, when using this strategy, it only works if you are very generous. Be prepared to give the item away as if it were a 50 cent pen - stinginess will counter-affect all the good your giveaway will do.

6. Rumbly in the Tummy and the Sweet Tooth
Food items and candy are a very popular giveaway. There are two different strategies when giving away food. One is appealing to someone's sweet tooth. Miniature chocolates, cookies and candy bars are all great. Attendees are tired and sweets can provide a needed energy boost, or they can save it for a pick-me-up treat during the next session. An alternative would be the more health-conscious apple or orange.

Rumbly in the tummy applies when the attendees' next meal is either hours away or the tradeshow doesn't provide meals. More substantial food items will draw them to your booth and give you the benefit of chatting while you serve them or they serve themselves. Examples would include a vegetable or cheese and cracker platter, build-your-own "fill in the blank" bar, or a popcorn machine. If you choose rumbly in the tummy, you might think about having standing cocktail tables in your booth so visitors have a place to eat instead of taking the food and running. Also, check with show management and make sure you are not violating any codes.

7. What is that?
The "what is that?" strategy is the giveaway that sparks the interest and curiosity of the attendee. Maybe it is new and never seen before, an innovative contraption that requires explaining, or a new take on an old standard. Again, make sure it is useful or it is destined for "recycling."

8. Minimalism
Minimalism is good for those more interested in lead quality not quantity. The minimalist will have no giveaways - GASP! You may choose to not give any items away because you only want very serious buyers to stop by your booth, or you want to give the impression that you are very serious about your offering and don't have any time for candy and toys. There is nothing wrong with minimalism, but be careful not to appear arrogant or above any other exhibitors. Always be welcoming and wear a smile.

Whether you choose bigger is better or the product hook, it is important to understand the difference between price and value. You could spend $5.00 per piece on an item the ends up in the trash and this giveaway would have no value, while your neighbor gives away a 10 cent pen that ends up on the desk of every attendee, which makes that 10 cent pen invaluable. Choose wisely - think before you give.