A selection of general topics for those working in the business events industry in Australia and abroad
24/07/2010 12:37:19 AM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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550 Leads at RSVP Sydney- no chocolates plus a constant buzz at the stand and our Giveaway cost 10 cents per unit which was the ring and spring trick AKA The 24 carat Gold jewellery covered in aluminium (to protect the gold from tarnish ) A Very good show for my client- we had a great spot, but we really engaged those who were walking past and this really was the key plus we never stopped- while other stands around us were packing up early we continued to the end the 550th lead came right on the buzzer we also set targets and pushed our own comfort levels to achieve greater results plus with the crowds we had- you could see our stand from a distance
We had no chocloate we had no Plasma screen demo's or pretty models, we had a standard 3by3 stand, with limited signage. I am happy to discuss strategies with anyone who will listen
edited by Toruk Makto on 25/07/2010
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13/07/2010 7:51:26 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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Yes Most students are are not going to help your business but some will
Is it worth Qualifying every single student that comes to your stand- in the hope that one day they might be a customer- I think not
Time is money on the trade show floor- you don't want to waste it talking to someone who probably is not going to be your customer
But don't be rude- just tell them to move on- because there are plenty of people at the trade shows who are your customers who have needs and wants right now
With students- get their email address add them to your emailing list but don't waste a second going through your business with them.
I have had students do the following- (this was back before I knew what students would get up to)
1: Not wear a student name badge- and somehow get their hands on Corporate Visitor badge
2: Not wear their student name badge and wear a hosted buyer badge
3: Tell me that they really have a large event on and I sit down and talk with them after buying them a coffee- only to find out that it was an exam and that the event wasn't real, but they needed to put on "in theory" for their tafe
4: Hand me their resume asking for jobs
5: Take my expensive DVD Promotional Packs in Bulk
6: Crowd around my performance and not let anyone enter my stand
7: Constantly coming up to me asking to perform "just one more magic trick" mean while real customers are walking past
8: Get me to perform for their Charity event for free under some BS Promise
So you can see I have no time for students they waste my time which means they waste my money
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9/07/2010 2:17:02 PM
melanietk
Posts: 55
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Toruk Makto wrote:
No- students are not your customer- and students who attend with their resume are going to get a really cold reception from me- WATCH OUT!
when they get a job, they are not in a position to make decisions.
While I'm still catching up with the rest of this thread, I would like to contradict you there. As I've said in other (earlier) threads, I will admit that most students (at least, in the beginning) see these shows as a free lunch with swag for grabs, but for the few dedicated students amongst us (as I was in the day) I beg to differ... Students CAN and WILL be your customers. Within 6 months of my graduation I was in a position of sourcing and recommending to my superiors suppliers for events, and oh boy, did I remember those that were callous, cold, and snobbish towards my 'student status' at the trade shows. I may not have been the one signing the cheques - at least at that stage - but I was the one who put forward the recommendations. Guess who didn't make the cut because they didn't make the time to sell their service to me, or were in some cases, extremely rude and made sure they were not interested in talking to me. Two years later and I WAS the one making the bookings, writing up contracts and paying the bills on behalf of my employer, and now, for my personal business. How much time has passed? A mere 5 years.
I have huge folders of assets and materials collected at these trade shows and use these for reference as much as I do the A-List Guide or other Event publication/guides, try to keep them updated as much as possible, and while at the time I may not have had direct business with them at the time, every event I work on has different requirements - that obscure supplier I met 3 years ago might now be exactly the thing I'm looking for.
I do agree with you however that going along with resumes is just poor form, but I also know the opening line on your first day of study: You probably wont get a job where you want, it's who you know, most established companies don't put (much) value in Event education and don't even think about being able to get a job without hundreds, if not a thousand or so, hours of internship or volunteer work behind you. There are more jobs available for young event professionals than there were a few years ago, but most of us in the industry know that the real stellar jobs are not as widely advertised as most other employment opportunities. We tend to employ from within, from recommendations or referrals, and newbies just don't really know where to look, or where to get that foot in the door.
I'll go back to reading the rest of the thread now.
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Toruk Makto - I will agree with you again about the impact of seminars at trade shows. My major trade show tour is a different sort of beast than those we are currently discussing (public vs industry). During the show (pre-show I'm exhibition coordinator and WH&S officer) I am in charge of our guest speakers, but am acutely aware of the impact these very popular seminars and subsequent public appearances (autograph signing etc) suck the punters away from the trade show itself (to address the other topic in the thread - giveaways are not par for the course of our traders, 99% are pure retail) and this is becoming a real issue for us in retaining the exhibitors and sponsors.
We work hard to position the seminars and appearances in areas that force the flow of patrons through the bulk of the trade show floor, where possible. Our limited access to venues that will allow this hinders the effort somewhat (budget, venue size and layout, etc). We wish we knew the magic formula that would see patrons visit and spend in the trade hall, and work closely in consultation with advisors and venue managers to help, but ultimately it is these special guest speakers that are drawing the bulk of the crowd to our shows in the first place, so it's sort of a catch 22.
edited by melanietk on 9/07/2010
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28/06/2010 1:45:21 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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That's cool AB99
I don't offend easily, and it is a forum not a blog (which is why the word forum is in the header) so you can say what you want- that is what a forum is all about---communication
Your right, look of stand accounts for about 12% of visitors stopping, size is about the same. (I do have the statistics somewhere)(Live demonstrations are around the 27%)
and at the end of the day- if chocolates or whatever is working for the exhibitor then go with it.
I prefer a systematic approach to selling on the trade show floor, it is the difference between 150 leads and 600 leads. and the ability to measure and compare results from previous years as a result of that system.
The other side of the coin is - Know your customers- if they want chocolate then you should offer chocolate, although I think there are better and more effective ways to engage your customers
And I do understand what you were saying and yes I read it as semi light hearted, I wanted to make the point for the small businesses out there who exhibit and to give them the right way to exhibit. There are many small businesses that take part in trade shows and really this is what makes the RSVP expo's better than previous ones which were just a bunch of the big same old same old venues. It is the small businesses that create the difference and the unique- and the trade shows are a unique vehicle to create an experience and to engage potential customers - unfortunately people just seem to follow the crowd- they look at what the big companies do and follow suit- but the big companies really also have no idea on how to work the show. (most- not all) like seeing Accor Hotels with big white sofas in their stand- and their sale staff are sitting in them-big mistake. And many of the big customers have candy.
Many of these exhibition stand companies which are main sponsors of the EEAA will also have you believe that great looking stands are the way to go and having multiple plasma screen demo's- but all these do is distance you from the visitor even more so. The problem with them sponsoring the EEAA is that they have a voice and then they get promoted as leaders when in actual fact customers fork out allot of money for a stand but have no real way to engage or generate leads which is primarily what it is all about.
The problem is there is no place to learn the real secrets of exhibiting because the EEAA is government by companies with their own bank balance as the priority which makes the association a joke (and they are not my words but past members)
and even tho your suggestion was semi light hearted- it puts (in my mind) the wrong message across. so I am sorry to really ham up on it.- It was not directed at you personally but more so on the idea that exhibiting is easy and all you have to do is have some candy and a banner stand and you will have a successful show.
Most successful businesses have a business plan- they also need an exhibition plan as well. and if done right- you don't need candy.
I will say- that I don't like seeing small businesses get suckered into exhibiting by hyped marketing and not given any support and lose out big time because there is no place to learn how to make your stand successful.
edited by Toruk Makto on 28/06/2010
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28/06/2010 9:31:17 AM
AB99
Posts: 9
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Hi again, no offence taken or given (i hope) but I still totally disagree... and to clarify, I was not talking about stands yelling "hey, free chocolates here!" (or making popcorn), and I haven't ever been to the kinds of shows where crowds of people are thronging into stands "for free food" or drinks. (The biggest queues I have seen were for those fun Photo-booths!).
Chocolates was just an example, and a simplistic one - which I now think is going way over the top as I'm sure my statement is an anathema for somone in your field. I was just trying to say, lighthheartedly, what works on me - a, I am a legitimate buyer, and b, if I am walking by and don't have an appointment with you, but you have a bowl of Lindts or I see that you are giving something cool to buyers with whom you speak, I will come and speak with you because of that, and we both may benefit. I have just come from an exhibition for the events industry and many of the buyers I met felt the same way. The only thing I see in the bins outside the expo are all the magazines and paper materials. (Cds and USBs are so much better for travelers than all that heavy paper!)
Apologies, Toruk Makto, I am only speaking as a buyer, and as an individual, and I know you are on the exhibitor side, but I am not attracted to a stand based on how it looks. Maybe others are; it's just me saying what works for me!
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16/06/2010 5:23:29 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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Sorry I was told not to hold back from Sonya
Mind you if candy is the only thing you have to try and attract customers to your stand, then go for it.
I remember at the Gaming Expo one of the big poker machine companies was giving out free red bull(i didn't sleep of a week)
and I went there in between presentations- They had set up a mini bar and people lined up to get their free drinks- now I never ever spoke to a sales rep to get my free red bulls and I have no idea what the company was, they never scanned my name badge nothing zero contact. they had hundreds of people at their stand- (It was a huge stand with hundreds of poker machines in the stand of demos)
so if your servicves or products don't really have much going for them, or your sales staff have no idea what they are doing you may be able to get a few people in with your free stuff.- however please note that once the candy has been eaten, the process of eating doesn't really convey your message, or generate a lead
But if you do sell candy for a living you would probably want to give away samples
I think that if your gift is worth advertising pre show- then go for it, so advertising that you can pick up your $25 gift voucher at Red balloon or Accor gift card- then go for it- as this will secure attention- but you probably wouldn't advertise- free candy at our stand pre show. Plus with The events expo- you really are competiting against all the taste food waiters walking around giving really amazing food. If it goes with your stategy, then go for it- but make sure you have a strategy. Sorry to keep going on- but there is no help for the exhibition industry, so many companies fail.
Organisers should do everything possible to educate their customers on how to get the best results, because it makes their job the next year easier to sell exhibitor space. It's the old saying retaining customers is cheaper than getting new ones. if 90% of your exhibitors booked the next year then that makes good business sence.
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edited by Toruk Makto on 24/06/2010
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16/06/2010 5:23:10 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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AB99 wrote
And is the expense of giving a choccie to a few non-customers not worth getting more 'real' customers in because you have the chocs?
No you are wrong. sorry to be blunt You see when you attract everyone to come into the stand- it takes away the time a sales person has to talk to real customers
if a person comes in for some free food, the problem is they may talk to the sales professional at the stand who will begin to qualify- this poses a problem, because as he/she is talking to a non customer, real customers will not wait and stop to talk to you- they will walk on to your compeditor.
Having chocolates and candy or whatever is a waste of money- all you have to do is have a look at the rubbish bin just outside the expo to see that 70% of things handed out are tossed out.
Amazing to see caps and pens and things worth over $5 in the bin. If you are serious about finding a solution to your event, you wont care much if you don't get your candy, and you should be looking for an actual solution.
Lets look at it another way
Lets say you are opening a new shop in a shopping centre (westfield in Sydney for example) you wouldn't want a bunch of people in your shop who were taking up sales peoples time getting free stuff while real customers walked around needing service- they would probably walk out and give it bad word of mouth and shop elsewhere.
Now it is true that if your stand looks busy it attracts attention- a small crowd will become a large crowd, but that crowd needs to be directed and told where to go and what to do. But you will be wanting to attract attention for the right reasons and you want to attract the attention of your customers- if you watch the video below in one of the posts- you will see my crowds are.... not in the stand, they are outside, and there is room for customers to walk in and speak with sales staff while I handle the 30 people outside, and then I get them to line up to take action, sorry for the sales plug for my own services I added the video because you need to see what an actual strategy looks like.
Create the crowd- convey the message, collect the leads
edited by hoohaa on 16/06/2010
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16/06/2010 1:22:36 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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I remember last year at Sydney RSVP I was at swish events stand- the stand right next to us was a pop corn making company and at the end I went around to say hello and to compare leads- they had 175 leads from the lead traker we had over 600 (as can be seen from the testimonial in the video below)
Their stragegy was to scan name badges for a cup of pop corn. what a waste of money that was to exhibit, thousands of dollars for 175 scans- it would have been far better to buy a direct mailing list- or send an email with direct response action with one of the media company email blasts (or better yet several).
Now the smell of pop corn is yummy, and it tasted good (OK they got 174 leads because I am not their customer) but it is not enough to generate a good amount of leads and giving away food and whatever attracts anyone. Exhibitors need a system called (from my sales consultancy) the 3 c's
Capture attention, convey the message and collect the leads you can read about it half way down the page at this
link
but lets get back on topic
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15/06/2010 12:48:34 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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No- students are not your customer- and students who attend with their resume are going to get a really cold reception from me- WATCH OUT!
when they get a job, they are not in a position to make descisions.
Thank you for your reply AB99 - nice to actually read for a change insead of reading 1 paragraph bits here and there.
"Common practice is to......" The reason it is common practice is because people just follow the crowd- if the big companies buy plasma sceen demos and candy- the small ones follow - but the truth is- It is the message delivery system that is going to generate leads not the candy. and plasma screen demos and siganage doesn't stop people- it only communicates a message.
Most people design their trade show stand signage- as tho they are the only person in the hall, they think a big sign or plasma screen will get the customers, and it would work if they were the only ones doing it, but marketing is standing out, not blending in. if everyone has a plasma screen and big signage visitors start to filter it out and ignor it. If you stand out from the crowd and deliver your message in a compeling way- you don't need all the crappy giveaways. You will come to the stand because it is engaging, you will take action on the day because you have been effectively communicated with you will remember the stand because you have experienced something different and positive.
AB99 if you were walking down a different direction than say my stand- and I had candy- how would I get you to stop at my stand? candy and giveaways are only effective at stoping people when they walk past your stand due to visibility. You wont see the candy from 2 stands away.
Marketing professionals stop thinking about their trade show marketing too soon. and they have no systematic approach to effectively generating leads
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15/06/2010 10:27:14 AM
AB99
Posts: 9
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Hi, wow! Interesting responses to my 'let me eat chocolate" bit! 
First, let me first note that I was being (at least partly) light-hearted in what I wrote about "bribing us"; and, the trade shows *I* am talking about are only the type I myself have been to - AIME, RSVP, etc. I haven't been to the huge international ones. Also, I am a buyer, not an exhibitor.
Also, apologies to those who can't afford chocolates or whatever, or even a business card draw for a prize, but I still say it is an effective way to get potential customers in to talk to you.
To qualify this all slightly, I have noticed that it is a common practice when the giveaways are a bit more expensive than candy - maybe the USBs, business card holders, massages, etc, and of course even more so the bottles of wine or overnight stays - that the customer IS 'checked out first' - ie, he or she is asked 'what's your role, what types of events do you organise, etc" - before being given the giftie. I organise lots of events so I guess I usually qualify as "gift-worthy". And frankly, it makes a difference, because it makes a positive impression - not to mention the giftie often has the venue or company's details on it for my future reference!
I also disagree with the attitude of hoohaa, who wrote "This way you attract everyone- even all the students and the non customers" - students and non-customers are still often potential customers, even if "in future" or "indirectly"! And is the expense of giving a choccie to a few non-customers not worth getting more 'real' customers in because you have the chocs?
Seriously - I am usually very open to new locations and venues. And if I'm not necessarily heading to your stand, but you have a giveaway or a prize draw that attracts me, I then feel I should talk to you for a few minutes - and therefore I may learn about a place I didn't know about, and so consider it for an event. This has happened to me quite a few times - sometimes even with whole regions! I may not be looking to book with you this year or next at the time I walk through the trade show, but something may come up next week or next month, whatever - and I will remember you for when I am next looking for something in your area!
The other plus about a trade show is meeting the personnel - the exhibitors - the personal touch. Sending me your brochure in the mail (when you got my name from the mailing list hoohaa suggests you buy) is very unlikely to work - most of those get filed in the circular file.
Another note for exhibitors - when you select who will 'man' your stand, pick people who are confident, have personality, and are sincerely interested in selling what you have to sell. Nothing worse than, when I do want to talk to someone (chocolates or not), and they've been assigned to the stand but obviously just can't wait til 5 pm. They flip through the powerpoints giving the spiel with robotic phrases and no responsiveness to what I'm telling them about my event... I once ended up choosing a hotel for an event after being drawn to the stand primarily because the person at the stand was so engaging, funny, warm and interested - they gave me such a good impression.
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15/06/2010 9:43:38 AM
Sydneygirl
Posts: 11
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AB99. Not everyone that exhibits at a trade show has the budget to support giveaways.
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11/06/2010 7:34:41 PM
Toruk Makto Special edition
Posts: 136
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What dreadful advice that is AB99
yes, bribe us! If you have neat giveaways (chocolate, USBs, massages, bottles of wine, something different),
This way you attract everyone- even all the students and the non customers why would you want to attract everyone for????????????
And if you want a bunch of business cards- buy a direct mailing list- it will be cheaper than exhibiting
I think you may want to qualify customers before giving away a nights stay- Generate a lead and turn it into a sale, don't waste your time collecting a bunch of business cards which say NOTHING about the customers needs.
Yes Peter is correct there are two types of trade show going on ----to KISS local and big
I think trade shows potentially can be fantastic if the organisers know what they are doing and don't scratch too many backs of the bigger customers (yes organisers I know of the 80/20 rule and that you suck up to that 20).
For a small business and medium business even the local shows are expensive as hell The core problem I see (for local shows) is as an exhibitor is that quality of the visitor is not there. (don't get me wrong there is quality- just not much of it) Being at RSVP Melbourne you have students, students with corporate visitor badges, Bar tenders walking around (Huh? why? what the?) and a whole bunch of non customers. As an exhibitor I don't like the seminars because people go to them and spend less time in the exhibition which is what I or my client has paid for. Seminars are great and all, but it is not boosting visitors to the exhibition itself- only to the overall event which is great for statistics "we had 5000 visitors" yeah but only 1000 went into the exhibition which they never mention. or rather statistics show that visitors were at the exhibition for 3 hours- but they were in the seminars for the bulk of the time. You need to change the seminars- many of these local shows are a bunch of seminars paid for by the exhibitors who in return get zip customers walking around the exhibition. It has got to the point- the only real way to benefit is to be a speaker at the seminar instead of exhibiting.
They can be good, if done correctly from an organisers point of view- and also from the exhibitor themself, but from my experience most trade show exhibitors have no idea on what they are doing and have no idea on how to create an experience at the stand and draw people in- (which is good for my business, as that is what I do- oops sorry for the sales plug) Selling on the trade show floor is different from any other kind of sales. Most people focus on pre show marketing which is important but here is an interesting document/interview from one of the trade show consultants
very interesting read on exhibiting
www.bestofshow.com.au/exhibition-infotainer.html
The responsibility of how successful the exhibition is is on the organisers and the exhibitor
edited by hoohaa on 14/06/2010
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11/06/2010 5:41:16 PM
PeterGray
Posts: 4
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It's obvious from some of the responses that we're talking about different animals. The major trade shows (EIBTM, CIBTM, IMEX, AIME and so on) versus the smaller 'local' events such as RSVP, Australian Event Expo and so on. The former requires considerably commitment from buyers particularly when they have to travel to another country. The cost of exhibiting is not cheap either. I always make new contacts at such shows but would never commit to giving business to a supplier until I have seen and/or experienced their product or service. I think we owe this to our clients.
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11/06/2010 5:22:28 PM
AB99
Posts: 9
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Trade Shows are extremely effective ways to meet suppliers and get an idea of what's out there with venues, promotional items, caterers, AV and more. One can't always visit every place in person, so this is the next best thing. Nearly all of the venues I've booked have come through meetings at events such as AIME, RSVP, and others.
And a note to exhibitors - yes, bribe us! If you have neat giveaways (chocolate, USBs, massages, bottles of wine, something different), I will stop and talk to you! :-) And ALWAYS have a draw for some sort of prize - you get my business card that way and maybe I get a free stay at your venue, which then sells me on it even more!
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11/06/2010 3:05:31 PM
Macfiesty
Posts: 2
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I think tradeshows are fantastic! There's no better way to meet new clients than in person!!
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11/06/2010 2:58:32 PM
PeterGray
Posts: 4
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Not too long ago there were just three major C&I industry trade shows which covered the globe in terms of suppliers: IT&ME (Chicago), EIBTM (then run by Ray Bloom and Paul Flackett) in Geneva and AIME in Melbourne. Now there are at least 14 including the two about to be launched by IMEX and Reed in the USA. There has to come a point where some of these just have to go! The cost to suppliers - particularly hotels - to exhibit at all these events must be astronomical and simply can't continue particularly in a world which is still smarting from a financial crisis. The cost to buyers in terms of time out of the office - even assuming hosted buyer status is obtained - is also considerable and unless the number of shows is curtailed the result will inevitably be fewer attendees.
I have just returned from IMEX which is probably the largest and most comprehensive of the C&I trade shows and found it extremely valuable. It's ostensibly a European show (as is EIBTM) but it attracts a far wider range of exhibitors and buyers. A return to one show in each of the major areas of the world - Europe & Middle East, Asia & China, America and Australia/New Zealand/Pacific would mean greater attendance by both sellers and buyers. There will be sellers who would want to be present at each one and no doubt buyers who would attend each one but four is a far better bet than fourteen!
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11/06/2010 2:51:13 PM
Kim Simpson
Posts: 1
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I love them. I love exhibiting and I love going as a visitor.
As an exhibitor I find quality buyers who are eager to get my information (especially in a past life when that meant getting FREE Hunter Valley Wine). The number of weeks I would spend prospecting compared to a trade show is one reason, another is that I get to work with industry colleagues who don't cross my path all the time.
As a visitor I love innovation and find most companies send their best to shows (well you can hope can't you). Most of the exhibitors also send their best staff who know their product well (again you don't always find this but it would work). Now I'm not interested in the bundles of flyers and brochures that used to pile up in the office, I want websites, enewsletters and other information sent to me to store electronically.
A basically I just like the fact that a group of people have gathered with a common purpose in one place. Whether its selling or buying they all have common interests.
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11/06/2010 1:50:34 PM
bfoster
Administrator
Posts: 56
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A suggestion from one of our forum participants this week... Do you value trade shows? Are you heading off to one soon? What makes you want to leave your warm office in the middle of winter and spend one, two, three, or more than four hours at a trade show? As an exhibitor or a visitor what's the attraction?
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