Five show organizers build the value of their brands by connecting buyers and sellers throughout the year
By EXPO staff writers
Creative thinking on the part of savvy show organizers is paying off in terms of new and expanded programs that drive the success of exhibitors and increase the value of a show’s brand. From producing road shows to creating video that can be used on an exhibitor’s Web site, show producers’ new touch points transform them from once-a-year resources into year-round partners.
The benefits of these programs are multiple. They help show organizers and their shows stay relevant in today’s 24/7/365 economy; they provide specialized interaction for exhibitors who are best served by something other than — or in addition to — exhibiting; in many cases, they bring additional educational opportunities to the industries they serve; and they drive new revenue for the show organizer.
See how five industry leaders are stepping off their show floors to discover news ways to facilitate connections between buyer and seller.
1. REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
Description The show organizer produces relevant conference content and solicits respected speakers — then takes the program on the road to multiple venues that provide good regional access to industry attendees. The program is underwritten by a small number of sponsors who enjoy access to the target audience without competitors present.
Example: Primary Care Updates Diversified Business Communications Canada produces Primary Care Updates, a regional educational tour that enables primary care physicians to earn continuing medical education (CME) credits required for maintaining their certification. The tour visits 10 major population centers in Canada, attracting between 200 and 250 physicians to each location.
Held at a hotel or banquet facility near major medical schools, each two-day event includes six education segments per day interspersed with breaks in an exhibit area that facilitates peer-to-peer networking and interaction with sponsors. Typically, most of the companies sponsor the entire national tour.
Why it works • Limited sponsors. The number of participating sponsors is limited to 12, so while sponsors enjoy exclusive contact with their target audience, the overall atmosphere remains professional and academic. “There isn’t much competition, so sponsors don’t need to make much noise to be noticed,” says Alex Szucs, Vice President, Medical Group, for Diversified Business Communications Canada. • Valuable and relevant content. “Strong content drives everything,” Szucs says. Content is reviewed and accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, which ensures that it’s fair, unbiased and meets the learning needs of the participants. • Esteemed speakers. Presenters are typically regional authorities and always subject-matter experts. • Thorough promotion. Diversified promotes the program through fax, mail and e-mail. “Each channel seems to bring in a different group of physicians,” Szucs says.
Considerations • Costs should be set based on the value of the audience rather than the cost of producing the events. The sponsorship cost for Primary Care Updates is in the low six-figures. Szucs says this is a great value because it would cost a sponsor two to three times as much to get to the same audience on its own. • This sort of program is easiest to implement in industries in which people need CME, continuing education units or other credits to maintain their certification, or in industries that are experiencing great change. If these conditions don’t exist, it will be substantially more challenging to solicit the participation of high-level attendees. • Image plays a role in determining how the educational tour is received. Szucs says his program benefits from its affiliation with Primary Care Today, the largest medical trade show in Canada, as well as the positive industry profile of the team behind the event content. • The largest fixed cost in developing this sort of program is in content development. • While responsibility for promotion and production can be shared among members of the existing marketing and operations teams, people are still needed on site at each event. Szucs sends two Diversified employees to manage set up, registration and food and beverage.
2. PAID CONFERENCE EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS
Description Vendors wishing to present educational sessions as part of the trade show conference program can rent a room for their session.
Example: NAB Info Sessions National Association of Broadcasters’ (NAB) Info Sessions provide exhibitors and nonexhibitors with the opportunity to rent a session room for a twohour period for the presentation of their own educational session.
Why it works • Adds diverse content. “Often exhibitors will propose content for sessions that may not fit into our current conference structure, but is certainly relevant to the industry,” says Heather Shuster, Manager of Advertising and Sponsorships for NAB. • Prestige for participants. Companies want to deliver educational sessions to enhance their stature in the industry. • Makes the show accessible to more people. Shuster says that sometimes an exhibit isn’t the right fit for everyone and the Info Sessions create an alternative. For instance, some companies will use the Info Session for a product launch and pass on exhibiting, and then come back and exhibit the following year. “It gives companies options and gives us the opportunity to nurture relationships,” she says. • Builds exhibit traffic. Sponsors can drive attendees from their exhibit to their Info Session and vice versa.
Considerations • The program can be created and managed through the existing sales and operations staff. • NAB charges $8,000 for a turnkey package that includes AV equipment and technicians as well as print and Web promotion and on-site signage. • Promotion of the sessions is necessary to drive attendance. Info Sessions are promoted in all print and online conference collateral, and with half-page ads in the conference program. The presenting company also receives a one-time e-mail list of attendees who match their target demographic. • Commercialism is a turnoff to attendees. NAB advises presenting companies to focus on how their product or technology speaks to the market rather than use the time as an advertisement for their company. It also encourages participants to bring in panels of industry experts or customers to deliver unbiased information.
3. CUSTOM VIDEO BROADCASTS AND INTERNET TV STATIONS
Description Creation of high-end video content and short infomercials to be run on site and 24/7 on the show Web site and on individual exhibitors’ Web sites.
Example: Packexpo TV Prior to Pack Expo, attendees visit the show Web site to tune in to Packexpo TV and view professionally anchored and produced video featuring segments on specific exhibitors’ news and offerings.
During the show, Packexpo TV is present on the Web and throughout the show via a network of monitors and large-screen displays. New content is shot daily and a live segment each morning covers what happened the previous day. Throughout the show, interviews with attendees, industry experts and exhibitors are interspersed with paid exhibitor infomercials.
Post-show, Packexpo TV continues to be accessible 24/7 via the Pack Expo Web site. Individual exhibitors post their segments on their own sites to extend their presence at the show into a year-round event.
Why it works • Enhanced visitor experience. Live coverage interspersed with exhibitor content enhances the show experience and gives participating exhibitors exposure. • Provides attendees with additional information. The video format enables exhibitors to show things that might not be easily communicated in their exhibit, such as awards won, demonstrations of large equipment in operation and customer case studies and testimonials. “Even small companies can raise their profiles,” says Tom Egan, Vice President, Industry Services for Pack Expo show producer PMMI. • Extended life. Videos can be used on the show Web site to extend the show’s life, as well as on the Web sites of the participating exhibitors to help them leverage greater value from their show participation.
Considerations • There’s no cutting corners on production. Achieving a sophisticated result requires professional production and experienced anchors. The on-site portion of the project requires a production room, an on- site crew and communications specialists who know the industry to develop questions. Without the capability in house, a good partner is needed. (Pack Expo partnered with BDMetrics on the production aspects and delegated sales to them as well.) • On-site networks require hardware, wiring, feeds — and the labor that goes with it. • This idea picks up momentum as exhibitors understand the possibilities. Only a dozen or so participants signed on prior to Pack Expo, but dozens more invested after they went to the show and saw Packexpo TV for themselves. “It’s an investment for the first year or two. You have to go into it with a firm commitment,” Egan says. • Pack Expo charged its exhibitors $5,000 for the production of three videos, air time at the show and unlimited usage on their own Web sites. Egan estimates that $300,000 in revenue must be hit to begin to recoup costs. From there the margin grows.
4. HIGH-LEVEL EXECUTIVE CONFERENCES
Description Pre-qualified, hand-selected attendees are recruited as guests (airfare and hotel are paid) for a content-rich event. A limited number of suppliers pay for the opportunity to reach the audience through sponsorships that include speaking or presentation spots.
Example: XChange Events Everything Channel’s XChange Events connect senior-level decision makers (such as owners, partners and presidents) for technology consultants and integrators with potential business partners. Attendance at the four-day events is limited to one attendee from each of 350 companies. “It’s about people meeting people in an informal and intimate setting,” says Nancy Hammervik, Vice President of Events, Everything Channel.
Event activities include general sessions sharing key findings from Everything Channel’s (formerly CMP Channel) research and editorial, as well as networking and awards events to facilitate peer-to-peer interaction. Sponsors purchase the opportunity to make 25-minute boardroom presentations to small groups that are interested in their offerings. There are also a solutions pavilion of tabletop exhibits and demo rooms available to sponsors.
Why it works • Everything Channel makes sure that everyone who attends an XChange Event is highly qualified. The attendees must meet minimum requirements including a minimum of five years in business and a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue. And they must be companies that the vendors are interested in meeting. • Interaction is targeted. Even though there are as many as 125 sponsoring suppliers, each attendee only meets about approximately 15 of them in private boardroom appointments. • Sponsors select who they reach based on attendee interest and can scale their participation. Attendees are divided into groups of 15 that share like agendas (i.e., mobile/wireless, storage or networking). Each group is assigned a specific conference room where it meets for four hours a day to receive 25-minute presentations from suppliers that offer appropriate solutions. Sponsors can purchase slots in as many rooms as match their agenda. Each purchases a customized bundle that can include one of five “World Premiere” slots if they have news that they would like to announce to the entire group, demo rooms, tabletop exhibits and branding opportunities. • Presentations focus on each sponsor’s value proposition so the meetings benefit everyone. Sponsors generate new leads while attendees identify new partners and revenue streams for their companies. Sponsors benefit from direct feedback that helps them fine-tune their offerings. • Every aspect of the event focuses on building community. Even the general sessions include runners with microphones so attendees can ask questions and get feedback. • Attendees sign a contract committing to attend all event activities and boardroom appointments.
Considerations • The model works for Everything Channel because it leverages parent company United Business Media’s extensive database to identify prospective participants and sponsors. • Strong content and value to attendees are key for this level of attendee. • Recruiting attendees requires having salespeople on the phone or meeting with prospects face-to-face to explain what the event is and why they should go. “The first reaction is always, ‘What’s the catch?’ We have to explain that we pay, but in return, they are our captive audience,” Hammervik says. “What we’re spending on travel would equal the necessary spending on marketing.” • Recruitment can’t taper off over time. Suppliers want to continue to reach new people. Hammervik’s goal is 75 percent first-time attendees at every event. • It’s important to have excellent travel planners and on-site staff to ensure that attendees get VIP treatment. Hammervik also employs what she calls ‘liaisons’ to keep attendees on track. “It’s about $8,000 for an individual appointment; so believe me, when a vendor has paid to meet with 15 people and only 14 show up, they ask.” • The model is expensive to implement — Hammervik’s costs for larger events are between $1 and $1.5 million per event — but has the potential of generating about a 50 percent margin if done correctly. “It’s very cost intensive,” she says. “We have to get up over $2 million in revenue to make it worthwhile.”
5. REGIONAL SHOW TOURS
Description The show organizer produces a series of day-long regional mini-shows.
Example: The ASI Show Road Shows Advertising Specialty Institute’s The ASI Show produces a 16-week series of mini-shows held in hotel ballrooms. Each week the tour visits a different region. Exhibitors have the option of signing on for as few or as many stops as they’d like — with price incentives to encourage signing on for full-week and multiple-week periods.
Each show features 40 to 60 exhibitors with tabletop exhibits and attracts about 200 attendees. “We go in the morning and set up, hold the show from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., then pack the truck, drive to the next city and do it again,” says Mary Upton, Vice President of Tradeshow Operations for The ASI Show.
Why it works • It fits the needs of the target audience. Much of The ASI Show’s target audience is small companies where the team can’t afford to take the time away from work to travel to the larger show. The day-long regional mini-shows enable them to visit the show by investing just a few hours. • Heavy marketing. The ASI Show markets its regional events to the 25,000 companies in its member base. • Leverages the existing sales team. Upton says leads and sales of exhibit space for the road tours are processed and handled the same as space sales for the national shows. • Local targeting. ASI uses e-mail marketing targeted by region to promote the show to attendees. It also makes phone calls to potential attendees the morning of the show to remind them to attend. • ASI allows potential new members to exhibit or attend the show. “This may be a channel to bring them in as members who will participate in our national shows,” says Upton.
Considerations • The potential audience must drive the site selection. ASI tour stops are selected to match the locations of potential attendees. • It helps to have an audience that’s predisposed to participating. ASI enjoys a tremendous advantage because of the depth of its membership database. • Pricing must be accessible. ASI charges exhibitors about $1,400 to participate in a week of the tour with an extra van cargo service charge of $400 if they take advantage of ASI’s van cargo service to transport their exhibit. • Dedicated staff may be required. ASI employs a full-time road show manager. “He takes care of the space assignments and exhibitor needs,” Upton says. In addition to figuring out the logistics, creating the schedule and finding the hotel venues, the road show manager is on site at every event. • Products and displays must be easy to move. ASI exhibitors tend to have small and easy-to-move products and displays. “If they had big equipment, it might not work,” Upton says. • It takes several years to get this sort of tour established. Upton says there’s the potential for 30- to 40- percent profit, but it can be painful to get there. “Our costs were much higher the first year because we had to figure everything out,” she says. “It was three years before it started to get comfortable.”
AT-SHOW VALUE-ADDS
VIP Leadership Forum Every year the editors of technology magazine CRN select a list of 50 “Channel Chiefs” representing the movers and shakers of the tech industry. United Business Media leverages this at XChange Solutions Provider by hosting a Channel Leadership Forum — a one-day think tank during the show where the Channel Chiefs are invited to get together and discuss pertinent industry issues and trends.
Despite a $25,000 participation fee, the event annually draws a minimum of 20 Channel Chiefs excited to hear the insights and opinions of other top channel leaders. “They talk about issues like technology, globalization and share what they’re doing and what they’re experiencing,” says Nancy Hammervik, Vice President of Events, Everything Channel. And what happens in that room stays in that room. Coupled with a strong outside speaker such as a national political or economic advisor, it’s a formula that helps ensure the participation of high-level people at XChange Solutions Provider year after year.
Specialty Pavilions This year, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) introduced the IPTV Pavilion. Geared at making it easier for attendees to locate suppliers involved with IPTV, the pavilion attracted a combination of new exhibitors and existing exhibitors who wanted to supplement their exhibits elsewhere on the floor. It also was a more targeted approach than hoping people noticed their IPTV offerings in their other booth.
The approximately 3,000-square-foot pavilion provided each exhibitor with a 10-foot by 10-foot turnkey exhibit. Each $9,500 package included the exhibit, carpet, electricity, furniture, graphics, labor and an Internet connection. NAB plans to add more pavilions next year.
New Buyer Online Training Patti Stracher, Show Manager for the National Stationery Show, hates lost time and lost opportunities. For this reason, she’s created a pre-show online training program that helps new buyers hit the ground — or rather, the show floor — running. Stracher charged a nominal $20 per participant — less to generate a profit than to prepare new buyers so they could be as productive as possible at the show.
Three weeks before the show, attendees had the option of participating in a Webinar that taught them how to navigate the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center easily, walk the show floor and use the online and print directories as key planning tools. The highlight was an exchange between an experienced retailer and a seasoned exhibitor to discuss what each expects from the other in the context of doing business at a trade show. “The 40 new retailers who participated approached the show oriented and ready to source merchandise for their stores, far ahead of where they would have been without the training,” Stracher says.
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