July/August 2004 From the Editor: Is it easy to do business with you?
Last month, I was shocked by a radio spot for AirTran Airways. The announcer was talking about attending a boring trade show, sitting in long, dull meetings, and looking at products he didn’t care about or need. The one redeeming quality of the trip he said was that he’d be flying in the airline’s spacious new seats. Needless to say, I was surprised that the company would be dissing conventions and trade shows — most likely one of their largest business customer groups.
Is this the perception of trade shows? We all know that business travel has become a hassle. But what are we doing to make it easier to do business at our shows?
At the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum in May, Chuck Yuska, President, Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, told the audience he’s trying to make it easier for exhibitors at his association’s PACK EXPO, a 1.3 million net square foot trade show with 1,900 exhibitors. He “jumped the counter” to look at what it was like to do business with their show. He learned that the booth selection process was too early. And they had inflexible payment schedules, unfair cancellation policies, too many different forms and deadlines, excessive late charges for service orders, and inconvenient booth set-up procedures. In response, he has eliminated rules they couldn’t justify, simplified forms and procedures, relaxed payment schedules, and shortened the booth selection time frame. And most importantly, the association created PACK EXPO Services, which will serve as the general contractor for all PACK EXPO shows. (see Best Practices, EXPO, September 2003)
Medialive is also focusing on enhancing its relationship with exhibitors and attendees. For exhibitors, they’re offering market research, lead cycle management tools, booth traffic-building programs, lead qualifications and lead follow-up. For attendees, they’re offering year-round content through Web sites, Webinars, publications, e-learning and regional events. They’re testing purls – personal URLs — for attendees that automatically populate with sessions relevant to their interests and previous show experiences.
At George Little Management, an in-house display department teaches exhibitors at the New York International Gift Fair how to display and merchandise products for their booths and their stores. It increases sales for exhibitors, and it makes it easier for attendees to find products.
These shows have realized that we need customers more than they need us. Today’s exhibitors and attendees have more alternatives than ever. They don’t have to attend trade shows to meet with colleagues, see new products, or attend educational sessions. They go to shows because it’s the best, most economical venue to get these things done.
How easy is it to do business with your show? Jump the counter at your own show. Take a look at your practices, policies and procedures first hand.
I e-mailed AirTran’s public relations and marketing department to tell them I was offended by the commercial. After more than three weeks, I’ve yet to get a response.
