October 2002
What exhibitors want
Putting together an award-winning exhibitor service manual
By Marlys Arnold
What makes a great exhibitor service manual? Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West, produced by Canon Communications, can answer that. The show earned the honor of best exhibitor service manual at the Exposition Operations Society (EOS) Forum in July.
How can other shows emulate this winner? “Unfortunately, there is no ‘magic bullet’ to get exhibitors to read the manual,” says Stephen Schuldenfrei, President of EOS. But show managers can create a more exhibitor-friendly and well-read manual by focusing on these seven critical areas:
• Appearance. Prominently display the show logo, date and location on both the cover and spine. As exhibitors point out, “Do you think your show manual is the only one on my shelf?”
• User-Friendly. Because most people reading manuals are rookies, write clearly and don’t assume too much. Repeat key points in various places and ask non-industry people to proof the manual for clarity. “Assume the reader has never been to a show, let alone been responsible for an exhibit,” Schuldenfrei
recommends. By contrast, long-time exhibitors only skim the manual, so you must emphasize what’s new this year. Print bullet points on divider pages, and highlight the new items in red.
• Design. Use graphics and other visual devices to draw attention to key sections. MD&M employed a forklift icon for move-in/move-out information and a gavel for rules and regulations, among other symbols. All forms that exhibitors needed to return were printed on light yellow paper.
• Content Flow. Review the entire book several times to ensure that all dates and other details are correct and that the look of the manual is consistent.
n Information Access. MD&M used several basic techniques to accomplish this objective. Each divider tab was numbered and labeled, with yellow for the Promotions Kit and red for Shipping/Targeted Move-In & Floor Plan. Each item on the chronological deadline was cross-referenced to more details. Exhibitors were told who each form should be returned to and given a place to record the date each item was completed.
• Completeness. Don’t overlook the details, like a complete list of who to contact with questions. MD&M also provided a color-coded floor plan to illustrate the move-in schedule.
• Quality. Take time to ensure that the overall look reflects your show’s image.
A well-designed manual helps educate exhibitors about all aspects of the show. While few exhibitors will read it from cover to cover, most will refer to the sections that answer their most pressing questions. Complete, easy-
to-find information will save both show staff and exhibitors time and frustration.
Marlys Arnold is a trade show consultant based in Kansas City, MO, and is the author of Build a Better Trade Show Image (2002). E-mail: marnold@imagespecialist.com
• Welcome Letter
• Deadline Checklist
• Basic Show Information (Dates, Times, Hall Specifics, Contact Information)
• Registration (Policies, How-to, On-site Registration Details)
• Promotions Kit (Table of Contents with Deadlines, Advertising, Sponsorships, and Press Information; should be sent separately)
• Hotel and Travel Information
• Rules and Regulations (Include illustrations of various booth
configurations)
• Official Contractor Information (Include a complete contact list)
• Labor
• Shipping
• Utilities
• Lead Retrieval
• Additional Services
• Index (should be extensively cross-referenced)
Provided by Exposition Operations Society. For more information, call (877) 232-EXPO.
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