Nutmeg Exhibit

Planning for Success

Show Objectives

Clear marketing objectives and quantifiable goals should drive trade show participation. This provides criteria required to effectively plan, execute and evaluate the effectiveness of your show participation.

Objectives

What end results would you like to achieve? Consider the objectives listed below to get you started in defining your own show objectives.

  • Build brand name recognition
  • New market penetration
  • Introduce new products or services
  • Competitor intelligence
  • Introduce or enhance your company's image
  • Competitor intelligence
  • Recruit dealers/distributors
  • Perform market research
  • Increase sales/write orders

DO NOT exhibit in a show merely because some of your competitors are. Do your homework when selecting and preparing for a show and you'll find the payback is great.

Goals

  1. Each show objective should have one or more goals.
  2. Goals should be formalized in writing and, ideally, developed in collaboration with those expected to achieve them. This provides the basis for greater enthusiasm and accountability for achieving the goal.
  3. Your written goals should have the following characteristics.
    • Specific in language, stating the quality and/or quantity of your desired result
    • Measurable
    • Attainable
    • Realistic
    • Time Limited

Example

  1. Objective: Introduce new line of high performance audio speakers to the Northeast at a major Northeast consumer electronics show.
  2. Goals:
    • Conduct 100 or more (quantity) product speaker demonstrations to qualified (quality) audio dealers.
    • Convert demonstrations into 5 (quantity) new Northeast speaker dealers by year end (time limited).

Key Messages

Exhibit staff must be able to quickly and clearly present the advantages of their company and its products. Developing a set of key company and product messages or themes for use can simplify this by all exhibit staff. Consider the following as you develop your set of key messages.

  1. Company Background: What is the age, size, history, annual revenue, top product lines, market position and product strategy of your company?
  2. Company Image: What image suits your company (traditional, quality, high-tech, trendy, etc)?
  3. Target Markets: Who are your current customers? Who is your target market? What are their primary needs?
  4. Product Background: How do your products meet these needs? What is your product improvement strategy?
  5. Competitor Background: What advantages do your company and products have over your competitor's offerings (e.g. quality, price, and style)? Be equally familiar with similarities and disadvantages.

Show Selection

  1. Review your show objectives and target markets. Determine the target audience (e.g., end-users, purchasing agents, senior ) towards which you would like to direct your promotional effort.
  2. Create a list of all the shows you might attend using your show objectives and target audience as a guide. There are several show directories that provide information on dates, location, scope, projected audience and description of exhibitors for trade shows across many industries. Nutmeg Exhibit Company has several of these guides and can assist you with your research. A list of references can be found on page 31.
  3. Collect statistical data on the shows you have targeted by contacting show management. The best shows offer a complete, audited breakdown of show audience. This data will help you evaluate the fit with your target audience.
  4. Show location influences the type of attendee you will see. Even a show of national scope will pull a large regional audience. Additionally, specific industries are often concentrated geographically. As a result, regional shows are often better for targeting specific industry or geographical markets.

    Show Scope Definitions:

    • Regional - More than 40 percent of the audience is from within a 200-mile radius
    • National - More than 60 percent of the audience is from outside a 200-mile radius
    • International - At least 10 percent of the audience is from other countries
  5. If possible, visit the various target shows. Determine who is exhibiting, the types of products being displayed, who is attending and what the exhibits look like. Speak with exhibitors from companies similar to yours. Inquire about the relevance of the show audience and the sensitivity of show management to exhibitor needs. Identify and evaluate competitors in attendance.
  6. Profile each show and select the ones that best fit your objectives and target audience requirements.

Many shows are sold out twelve months or more in advance. Others have "ranking lists" or "lotteries" for space location in the hall. Be sure to obtain this information from show management.

Space Selection

Space selection requires consideration of your show objectives, square footage requirements, space type needs and floor layout. Space selection is especially important at large shows since most visitors will not get to every booth.

Show Objectives

Your objectives will, to a large extent, determine the location of your floor space. For example, if introducing a new product with a broad market is an objective, you will want to select high traffic floor space. If lead generation involving a complex demonstration of a narrow-market product is the objective, you will want to select quieter, less busy floor space.

Space Requirements

Three factors need to be considered.

  1. Function: How much space is needed to accomplish the show site functions you will be performing (e.g., demonstration space, exhibit space, private sales area)?
  2. Traffic: How much traffic is expected?
  3. Budget: How much can you afford?

Generally, the greater the exhibit size, the greater the traffic. The Trade Show Bureau has reported that increasing booth size to 800 from 300 square feet results in a doubling of "stopped" booth traffic.

Space Type

  • Inline/Backwall - are rows of varying lengths, normally face to face with an aisle space between the booths. Generally, corner spaces are advantageous since they offer more aisle space to work the crowd. Inline, or backwall, space is generally sold in multiples of 8 x 10, 9 x 10 or 10 x 10.
  • Peninsula - has three sides opening on aisles and is located at the ends of in-line booths. They provide three sides from which to greet prospects, provide greater flow and facilitate visitor access. Peninsula space is generally 20 feet wide and 20 feet deep.
  • Island - does not share any perimeter space with any other exhibit. This makes all four sides available for visitor interaction. The minimum size island is normally 20 feet by 20 feet. Because of its attractiveness and limited quantity, island space is the most expensive.

Floor Layout

Several general guidelines apply. However, many times location selection is not under the exhibitor's control. Nonetheless, the following should be considered.

Do's

  • The right side is generally preferable as traffic flows to the right upon entering a show. This enables you to engage the attendee before they get show fatigue.
  • A corner location allows you to obtain traffic from two directions and increase the amount of area to engage visitors.
  • Complementary exhibitors ideally should be near you. For example, locating a Fishing & Hunting Goods exhibit near an Outdoor Adventure Trips exhibit would be advantageous.

Don'ts

  • "Front & Center" Locations are often missed as attendees want to get into the hall and start their tour. Large, eye-catching graphics work well if you find yourself in this type of space.
  • Noisy, busy booths and areas should be avoided.
  • Competitor's exhibits generally should not be near you. However, if the show is segmented by industry or product type, proximity to competitors may be advantageous.

The smaller the exhibitor's market share, the more important the location becomes. If this applies to you, try to select a space away from large competitors.

Exhibit Preparation Time Lines

Minimize the pressure of exposition participation by allowing yourself enough time to prepare. A good rule to follow is to allow yourself a minimum of 12 weeks for preparation. Following are some guidelines for success:

Ongoing

  • Determine exhibit objectives. Obtain company approval.
  • Develop key messages.
  • Evaluate and select show(s).
  • Investigate and evaluate the exposition audience.
  • Rough out a basic plan covering both exhibit and graphic needs, plus other items such as VIP treatment, press and staff needs.
  • Create a preliminary budget. With this in hand, look back at what has been planned and, if needed, revise the plan.

Weeks 12 and 10

  • Start work with your exhibit house on designs or changes to your exhibit and graphics.
  • Make sure everyone in the company involved knows the plan and has provided their input to avoid last minute changes.
  • Start recruiting and training sales staff. Avoid using new or inexperienced employees. Your best sales and technical people should work the exhibit.
  • Finalize all work to be performed by your exhibit house. If constructing a new exhibit, start work now.
  • Begin work with outside suppliers such as those that produce printed materials, ads, etc.
  • If the Exhibitor Kit has arrived, read it with care. Pay special attention to rules.
  • Make preliminary travel and hotel plans for staff.

Weeks 10 to 6

  • Check progress and finalize staff recruiting/training.
  • Pull together exposition data and company plan information that will be given to sales staff members before the event.
  • Check on production progress for graphics, booth and printed material.
  • If you plan to use suppliers other than the official show service contractors, send notification and their proof of insurance to show management. Check your show kit as some shows may have an earlier deadline.
  • Review the budget now that more information has come in from suppliers. Revise if necessary.

Weeks 5 and 4

  • Confirm availability of product samples, sales literature and the provision of any special technical help required from inside the company.
  • Finalize travel and hotel arrangements.
  • Make sure that pre-event advertising and promotion programs are on track. Reconfirm the production of press releases for use at the exposition.
  • Finalize any VIP guest programs.
  • Obtain visitor information from the city where the exposition takes place and finalize the pre-event information package for staff members.
  • Order appropriate services and rentals at the exposition.

Weeks 3 and 2

  • Finalize shipping information and provide to vendors.
  • Send pre-event package to staff people.
  • Check on all production work at the exhibit house and other suppliers.
  • Prepare training materials for booth staff at the exposition.

Week 1

  • Organize office supplies, tickets and copies of service orders sent to the exposition in advance.
  • Obtain travelers checks or company checks or bring credit cards for payments on site.
  • Insure that all lists of VIP's and staff members are packed.

At The Exposition Before Opening

  • Confirm arrivals of exhibit, equipment and services, and supervise the setup of the booth.
  • Conduct pre-event training meeting and rehearsal at the booth.

During The Show

  • Conduct daily meetings to assess progress, process paperwork and adjust sales activities and schedules.
  • Verify dismantling and shipping arrangements for returning your exhibit.
  • Reserve next year's space.

After The Exposition

  • Supervise the dismantling process.
  • Distribute sales leads and orders as soon as possible. Write thank you notes, both inside and outside the company, immediately.
  • Evaluate your company's performance at the show and conduct a post show meeting with management to point out areas of success, as well as areas of weakness.
  • Activate pre-planned lead tracking procedures.