Best Practices
When the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) wanted to build buzz among international industry press about product introductions at its upcoming 2009 PRINT Show, held in September in Chicago, it went straight to the source. GASC hosted a two-day Media Days event three months prior to its quadrennial international show, and invited editors from around the globe to see pre-launch product presentations
from exhibitors who paid to participate.
To make it easier for its 19,000 attendees to find and connect with those with like interests, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) began in 2002 organizing portions of the exhibit hall at its annual event into networking pavilions. Because the pavilion setup has helped boost attendance and exhibitor participation, and attendee response shows that it creates more valuable networking opportunities, NAR added two new pavilions this year.
When the American Bus Association (ABA) was looking for a fast, effective way to pair buyers and sellers on site at its annual ABA Marketplace show, it turned to an unusual source: speed dating. The resulting “Appointment Sessions” give buyers and sellers with mutual interests an opportunity to spend private, one-on-one time with each other right on the show floor.
Cheat Sheet
Using captured content and hybrid events can extend your audience, deliver more value to all participants, provide new revenue streams and grow your reputation. Technology and the economy make real-time and 24/7 access to content increasingly attractive supplements to on-site attendance.
Event Technology
Considering creating a mobile version of your show guide? Check out Boopsie. The service takes show information that organizers provide in spreadsheets, such as exhibitor and sponsor listings, poster sessions, floor maps, session details (including a description, speaker info and photos, dates, times and room numbers), and turns it into a branded mobile app that attendees can download onto their smartphones and use at the event.
If your attendees are already avid LinkedIn users, why not have them help spread the word about your show? That’s what Nielsen Business Media did when it worked with registration, lead management and event marketing provider Convention Data Services (CDS) to build a LinkedIn application programming interface (API) into the registration process for its upcoming GlobalShop 2010 show, which will be held March 10-12 in Las Vegas.
When a New York City half-marathon jammed traffic in and around the Javits Center on opening day of the summer 2009 New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), show owner GLM, a dmg world media business, used Twitter to inform participants of potential travel issues.
Once an entirely physical event, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national convention this year introduced a virtual component including trade show exhibits and live streaming video content. The reason? To connect with attendees who couldn’t make it to the face-to-face event, naturally.
EXPO Plus...
Boston - MIDDLESEX LOUNGE - Located in Cambridge’s trendy Central Square neighborhood, Middlesex Lounge has earned a faithful following as a nightlife destination since opening its doors in 2004.
Want to increase the number or quality of conference presentations at your next show? Consider issuing a call for papers (CFP). If you want to present the newest research or attract presentations on a certain topic, a CFP is a good way to find them.
Feature Articles
In every emerging industry, there are companies that define and shape the business. They are companies of innovation, energy, expansion and momentum. In the trade show industry, the company that most defined us was Cahners Exposition Group. Chances are good you know one of the “ex-Cahns,” as they’re today’s top executives and entrepreneurs. The predecessor to what’s now known as Reed Exhibitions, Cahners was arguably THE major exhibition player in the ’70s and ’80s, and today, having held a position at the company is somewhat of an industry badge of honor.
Every show organizer has a list of things they’d love to implement at their event if money and resources were no object. But in this economy, those items are in short supply. Making changes, however, doesn’t have to be about grandiose re-launches requiring vast internal resources, reserves of money or an extra month in the year — sometimes the quick fix just requires a little creative thinking. Here are nine things you can do to improve your show’s bottom line — right now.
There’s good reason for optimism among show managers — cautious optimism that is. On the plus side, median salaries and bonuses are up. On the down side, fewer show managers are receiving bonuses, and there have been some decreases in retirement and insurance benefits.
Openers
As more and more stories about the H1N1 virus permeate the national news, show organizers are wondering how to deal with an illness that may give attendees — and exhibitors — just one more reason to miss an event. Organizers concerned about H1N1 need to have two strategies in place: one for pre-event planning and one for on-site execution. Here are a few easy, effective tips that all show organizers can put into place for their next event.
While many event organizers are watching attendance — and budgets — fall as a result of the recession, others are actually seeing growth. The key: creative thinking. One b-to-b publisher saw growth from events in 2009 and is predicting 10 percent growth from events in 2010. “Based on the way people got squeezed this year, marketers are going into 2010 with compromised budgets,” says Nancy Hammervik, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Everything Channel Events. “One of the positive outcomes of a challenging market is that it causes you to think smarter. You get as tight as you can while evaluating everything you do.” Here are some of the steps Hammervik is taking:
Publisher's Column
Have you ever asked your reg vendor or lead retrieval company the No. 1 reason they get calls from attendees after a show? Most of them go something like this: “There was this booth — it was over by that bathroom on the left — and it had this really cool machine in it — and I think it had blue carpet. They swiped my badge, but no one ever got back to me. Can you tell me their name?”
Sales and Marketing
With the advent of user-friendly handheld video cameras and editing software that any tech newbie can master, shooting and creating video clips has become easier and easier. So why aren’t you incorporating more video into your marketing strategy?
Need to add some punch to your marketing collateral? Hop online! Many convention and visitors bureaus offer online toolkits, featuring everything from copywriting tips to images and downloadable ads promoting the destination.
Q: We’re really trying to emphasize the importance of having a year-round relationship with our exhibitors. How can we create a sales communications strategy that will support that goal without overwhelming — and annoying — exhibitors?
The Buzz
When’s the last time you took a hard look at the rental furniture you’re using for parties and gala events? The right choice can make — or break — an off-site event. The Buzz checked in with rental furniture specialists to get the skinny on the latest trends.
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