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February 2007
5-minute interview: Don Freeman
Chairman of Freeman
Freeman has been in the trade show business since he worked in the family business as a teenager. He officially joined the company in 1964 and has since presided over a company that has grown into a family of companies that includes its full-service contractor services, AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions, Party Time Rentals and Stage Rigging. Today, Freeman employs more than 3,800 and has 70 offices in 26 cities throughout North America. He talks with EXPO about where the exhibition business has been and where it’s going.
EXPO: What do you think is the biggest change you’ve experienced in the trade show industry during your career? How did it change your business?
Freeman: Since I started in the 1960s, the biggest change I’ve seen is the increasing sophistication of shows. It used to be a trade show was either hard-wall booths or pipe and drape. We were essentially a furniture rental company, and we didn’t even do a lot of materials handling. Then we progressed to be a full-service contractor and now things are moving even beyond that. We do so much more than take orders for signs and carpet. We consult with clients about how they want to convey their brand’s image.
EXPO: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing service contractors today? How’s your company meeting that challenge?
Freeman: Pricing is the biggest challenge we face, but I think that’s true of a lot of businesses. It’s sometimes a challenge to get people to stop focusing on just the price and to look at the overall value we offer. That’s harder because more and more corporate procurement departments are involved, and they tend to see the numbers and not the value. We continue to focus on value though. I think that’s particularly important today because of the industry’s sophistication. We don’t just provide logistics. We’re playing a greater role in the branding of events. We’re a marketing partner, and we see more demand for that from all quarters of the industry, from for-profits, associations and corporate clients.
EXPO: Is there a particular industry trend that you’ve got your eye on? How do you think this trend will change your business?
Freeman: I think the biggest trend goes back to the increasing sophistication of our customers’ needs. We have to better understand the objectives of the organizations we’re working for and the objectives they have for each event. Then we’ve got to find ways to support those objectives and bring more value to the table. It’s a simple example, but to make the point, take a show that moves around. It used to be when the show was in San Francisco, they wanted the Golden Gate Bridge on their signage and show graphics, and then they’d move to New Orleans and have a Mardi Gras theme on their graphics. Now there’s a lot more thought and strategic planning that goes into it. They don’t want to reflect the location. They want to project their show brand in everything the show does. I think what we’re doing to react is spending a lot more time with clients to understand them and their brands.
EXPO: Every company talks about the importance of good customer service. How’s the service your company offers different?
Freeman: We have always focused on the service we gave show organizers, but a few years ago, we recognized that we could be lacking in our service to exhibitors. We put together some internal focus groups, brought in some outside consultants and really did a top-to-bottom review of our company and our customer service. Now every one of our 3,000 employees receives customer service training, even if they don’t deal with outside clients. We conduct monthly customer service surveys and our branch managers’ compensation is, in part, tied to our customer service index based on those surveys. We constantly look for ways to improve the exhibitor experience. We redesigned our Exhibitor Service Centers to be easier to use and consistent from show to show. There’s no secret to creating great customer service. It’s just something you’ve got to build into your culture in everything you do and remind people of it often. |
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