Expo Features

A Private Dilemma: Inside the Struggle of Private Equity-Owned Companies

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:37:32 +0000

02/2010

“Private-equity (PE) firms run something of a shell game,” says Josh Kosman, author of “The Buyout of America: How private equity will cause the next great credit crisis.” “They buy companies with other people’s money by structuring acquisitions like mortgages. The critical difference is that while we pay our mortgages, PE firms have the businesses they buy take the loans, making them responsible for repayment.

Events: The Emergent Core of the Media Mix

traphael — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:17:00 +0000

12/2011

An exclusive joint survey from EXPO and FOLIO: reveals events have grown to occupy a hugely important role in the product mix.

What Exhibitors Really Want

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:48:25 +0000

04/2010

Exhibitor expectations are pretty high these days. The reality is that most exhibitor budgets have decreased dramatically over the last few years. Reaching the right buyers and controlling costs are top of mind.

Booth Sales: Then and Now

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:55:41 +0000

03/2010

Sure, booth sales objectives are the same today as they were 20 years ago. Identify prospect. Pitch prospect. Sign prospect. Repeat. But that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

Cheat Sheet: E-Mail Marketing to Attendees

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:10:27 +0000

03/2010

Although social media and word-of-mouth are gaining credibility in marketing circles, it’s still e-mail — accessed on a personal computer, laptop or mobile device — that drives communication. When you’re marketing to trade show attendees, you need to know the ins and outs of e-mail campaigns.

The Future Show: What Will Your Show Look Like?

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:48:57 +0000

03/2010

There’s no question: In 10 years, your event will be markedly different from what it is now. But how different? Will social media, like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, serve as your primary marketing and communication tools? Will you be using 3-D applications online to complement your show? Will registration areas consist of self-service kiosks with little or no staffing? Will attendees and exhibitors even wear badges?

The New Engagement: Inside Next-Gen Web Sites

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:00:17 +0000

03/2010

A Web site used to be an extra — one more way for attendees and exhibitors to locate basic information about your show. Today it’s an essential and original element in the marketing mix. It offers attendees and exhibitors a way to communicate with you and with each other.

Customer Service Tips From the Pros

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:22:53 +0000

02/2010

Aside from dieting, few topics generate as many gurus and as much book ink as customer service. The result: both subjects tend to make your eyes glaze over. Yet to work well, both require a fundamental mindset change.

How Reed's Pop Culture Group Builds Buzz Via Nontraditional Marketing

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:40:53 +0000

02/2010

Rather than rely on typical attendee marketing avenues such as direct mail and advertising, Reed Exhibition’s Pop Culture Group sticks to strictly nontraditional marketing initiatives, choosing to send its messages solely through social networks, blogs and YouTube videos.

10 Smart Strategies to Build Attendance

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:54:39 +0000

01/2010

New year, new strategies. Yes, 2009 was a tough year for most shows, at least in terms of attendance. And as we enter 2010, it’s clear we’re not out of the woods yet. So, if your plan of action has been “to wait it out,” it’s time for a new strategy. And EXPO’s here to help. We talked with show organizers who are bucking the attendance trends to find out what strategies they’re using to market their shows in 2010.

Inside EXPOTECH

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:05:08 +0000

01/2010

On Dec. 15, EXPO hosted the industry’s first virtual trade show and conference on event technologies. Powered by InXpo, EXPOTECH Virtual was a full-day event with keynotes and breakout sessions, an exhibit hall, a library chock-full of content and a networking lounge where attendees chatted about the industry’s hottest technologies, the pros and cons of social networking, mobile applications and more.

Three Mobile Technologies That Are Changing The Industry

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:44:13 +0000

01/2010

During the last decade, cellular phones have evolved from a luxury and a curiosity to a ubiquitous necessity. Today it’s not just early adopters using their phones to completely organize their lives — it’s a huge segment of the population that lives and dies by a tiny mobile device. That’s where you come in.

Ex-Cahns: Those Who Helped Build Cahners Exposition Group—And Where They Are Today

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:17:00 +0000

11/2009

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.

Nine Things You Can Do To Help Your Bottom Line

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:34:50 +0000

11/2009

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.

Salary Survey: Industry Pay Has Increased Slightly

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:52:48 +0000

11/2009

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.

Supermarket Science: What Retailers Can Teach Us About Buying Environments

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:52:51 +0000

10/2009

AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, THE GURUS WHO WORK TO UNLOCK THE NUANCES OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN A RETAIL SETTING MUST FEEL SLIGHTLY HUMBLED. WHEN THRONGS OF CRAZED HOLIDAY SHOPPERS TRAMPLE THEIR WAY TO $29 DVD PLAYERS, ALL THE THEORIES ABOUT USING SOMETHING OTHER THAN LOW PRICES TO MOTIVATE CONSUMERS FLY OUT THE WINDOW.

World Tea Expo Keeps Growing--Despite the Recession

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:01:42 +0000

10/2009

When George Jage started the World Tea Expo in 2003, no one could have predicted the mark his brand would make in the specialty tea industry.

How Denise Medved Made The Switch From Trade Shows To Consumer Events

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:57:13 +0000

09/2009

As a cookbook author, Denise Medved has more than a few coveted recipes. But the one she may prize the most is the one she used to launch the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show (MCES, www.metrocooking.com).

Natural Products Expo Goes Green Without Breaking the Bank

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:49:57 +0000

09/2009

For the Natural Products Expo (NPE), environmentalism would seem to be a natural fit.
And it is. But when New Hope Natural Media (www.newhope.com), a division of Penton
Media, producers of the Natural Products Expo East and West, committed to a complete greening of its trade show portfolio in 2000, the initial outlook was less than rosy. Surprisingly, cost wasn’t the biggest obstacle. Access was. Most venues didn’t recycle, organic food was nowhere on the menus and contractors didn’t offer options in environmentally friendly materials whether or not you wanted to pay more for them.

Online Exhibitor Training

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:53:28 +0000

09/2009

When executed effectively, exhibitor education can result in benefits to both exhibitors and show organizers: exhibitors who employ the right strategy and know-how will see higher attendance at their booths, giving them the ROI they need to impress the higher-ups back home, and organizers will see higher retention rates as exhibitors make their shows must-attend events.

Learning Curve: Creating Compelling Content at Your Next Show

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:42:22 +0000

07/2009

Today’s typical show-goer returns home with a stack of business cards, an overstuffed goody bag and a hankering for some sleep. But if the show hit its mark, he or she also comes back with a head full of new ideas, smarter and more inspired.

The Host With The Most: The Inside Scoop on Hosted Buyer Programs

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:40:00 +0000

07/2009

Hosted buyer programs, which group together prequalified buyers and sellers in an intimate, often upscale setting, are gaining traction with many show organizers looking to get face time for exhibitors with those C-level executives who might not hit a show floor.

Trade Show Brats: Kids who grew up in the industry — and decided to stay

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:53:39 +0000

07/2009

Does it seem like our industry has more second- and third-generation players than others? A lot of kids look up to their parents and want to be just like them when they grow up. Maybe it’s the excitement of travel or the magnitude of a convention center. Maybe it’s all the goodies Dad brings home from the show, or the great vacations Mom gets from her “points.” And let’s face it, every kid who’s ever been to an exposition is awed by the sheer spectacle of the event. How cool to know that Mom or Dad is in charge.

Booth Sales: 13 Takeaways From Helen Berman's Webinar

expoweb-admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:29:25 +0000

05/2009

Talk about booth sales at any industry gathering and you're likely to draw a crowd, whether to commiserate with you or to pick up pointers. Such was our expectation when EXPO hosted its January Webinar, "Selling Booths in an Economic Crisis," with booth sales trainer Helen Berman.

Have an Unconference

expoweb-admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:29:33 +0000

05/2009

The room buzzes with energy. Attendees, active and engaged, cluster in groups in each of four corners. A few individuals float from one group to another. Noticeably absent are speakers, scripted agendas, PowerPoint slides and handouts — yet the conversations propel themselves.