Trade Show Emporium

By Jeff Rundles

In the go-go years in the late 1990s and most of 2000s no one in our industry (promotional products) asked “if” we were going to “the show.” We were all going; the only question was what day we were going to arrive.

As a journalist covering the industry (and an exhibitor) I knew many, many people from both the supplier side (exhibitors) and the buyer side (attendees), and for the major shows in our industry (6), not only was every company coming, they were bringing along a full complement of staff. The big-big show in the industry, the PPAI EXPO sponsored by the Promotional Products Association International, got so crowded after years in the Dallas Convention Center, that it moved to Vegas (Mandalay Bay) and quickly crowded that new space as well.

Times change. While the PPAI Expo is still the premier show in the industry, this last year, and by all accounts the 2010 show coming in January, things were different. While some exhibitors maintained their traditional large booths, it was clear that staffing was down, and there were many examples of exhibitors with a track record of doing a 40x, downsizing to a 20x, and so on.

On the buyer side changes were apparant too. The aisles were less crowded, the cafeteria lines less long, there were after-hours bar stools available at the hot spots, and events were, shall we say, “thinner.” And where once “Bob’s Specialties” from Milwaukee had all 10 of its sales people, bedecked in matching bright-orange and logoed polo shirts, perusing the booths, just Bob and his wife were there, wearing logoed nametags and strategically navigating the show.

What is clear is that anyone gearing up for a trade show in these times has to do more than just cut back. Success in these times takes planning.

It’s not that we didn’t plan our trade show strategy in the years when things were rolling along in high gear. On the walking-the-show part of our duties, back then we had more staff, so we would assign different teams to check out different areas of the show floor. This allowed us to cover more ground and spend more time getting ideas, meeting prospects and the like. This last year I went alone, and there was no way I could cover the whole event with any depth, so I spent a good deal of time in preparation with the show directory and floor plan, hitting the bigger prospects, cutting out the niche players.

On the exhibition side, I had to assume the people coming to my booth, or looking for my booth, were doing so with a much more-focused approach, and that their time was more limited than in years past. So for my display and my presentation, I also spent a good deal more time in preparation.

First, my booth. Being a small business, I have always gone with the smallest, 10×10, and for years I did signage on the back panel, and then placed a podium in front with magazines and subscription cards. I decided that wasn’t enough. I needed more visibility, so I changed the podium to a presentation table, moved it to the side, and placed a new double-sided, 6-foot banner with bright graphics in the middle for high visibility up and down the aisle. I also beefed up the lighting, not only on my graphics, but the whole booth; I wanted the space to look cheery and inviting. Plus, the rearrangement gave me more room to meet and greet; I used to spend my time behind the podium and wait for people to come to me, but I realized I had to be more proactive and pull them in.

Second, my dress. I have always gone with a fairly professional look with a suit and tie – no bright orange polos for me — but I decided to go coatless, with a logoed necktie and a dress shirt with a tasteful, recognizable logo that matched my graphics. No one asked me if I was with the magazine; it was pretty evident.

Third, my collateral. I used to hand them a magazine and call it good. I figured nine out of ten probably dumped them along with 90% of the catalogs they had stuffed into their totes, but I thought I could make hay with the 10^th one. This time I included a flyer with great graphics, a synopsis of our magazine, reasons to subscribe and/or advertise, and clear contact information. My reasoning was that perhaps if nine out of 10 dumped the magazine, maybe five would keep the flyer. My email activity in the days to follow would indicate it was the right move.

Lastly, an appropriate gift. I wasn’t in the habit of handing out anything more than my primary product, a magazine, and I was on a show floor replete with trinkets and tschotkes, so rather than a stress ball or another refrigerator magnet, I went with relief: bottled water, with a logo label. The pause that refreshes, as it were, led to quite a few pleasant conversations, business cards and new friends/contacts.

I tried to think of everything that might enhance my chances of doing business. While it all worked in concert, when I reviewed my experience I think the changes to my booth spelled the difference: more visibility, more welcoming. I noticed this all over the hall: the exhibitors who stood pat with the same-old were less busy than those who took a fresh approach. If it can work in lean times, I can’t wait to see how much more I can boost traffic when the economy picks up more steam.

Oh, and one other thing: I worked harder. I kept think about Edison and the 99% perspiration thing. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, thank goodness.

Jeff Rundles is Publisher/Editor of Corporate Apparel Magazine, an e-newsletter and has served in a similar capacity in promotional products industry trade publications for 15 years.

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