Archive for the ‘Expert trade show advice’ Category
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
If you’re a foodie like me (not to mention a huge pop culture fan) than you are no doubt following along with two of the best cooking shows to hit the airwaves in decades. I’m talking about The Next Food Network Star and Top Chef both taking place on separate networks each and every week. Each show features a group of chefs competing in a variety of cooking contests designed to weed out the best and send home the rest. If you look beyond the competition and focus on the basics of the cooking though, you may be surprised to find lessons that relate directly to trade show success. Below is a recipe for a successful trade show and it starts with knowing what you want your end result to be. Like cooking you need to have a loose idea as to what you are making. What do you want your display to accomplish? Do you have a specific design in mind?
1 Dose of Preparation- What type of display works best for your product? Would a literature display be best or do your needs point more towards a computer kiosk? Indoor or outdoor? Pop up or environmentally friendly? What design best matches the types of events you attend? Who are you marketing to and what gets their attention the most?
1 Dash of Creativity- The use of color is a great way to get a persons attention. Try to be unique while at the same time don’t be too extreme as to alienate yourself from other vendors.
1 lb of Follow Through- Make sure you keep up the relationships you make while at an event. The moment you return from a trade show, shoot out an email or call your new contact just to thank them for taking the time to speak to you.
1 Ounce of Prevention- Know what it is about your product that discourages people and come to an event prepared to offer solutions to their concerns. If a customer is concerned about the cost tell them you understand, that others you spoken to have also felt the same way, and that you were able to help them through the use of a payment plan.
Mix With Special Ingredient- Every great chef knows that to truly be successful you must take the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary. A kiosk is not a kiosk when it features a custom logo along with your companies name emblazoned in the center. By taking the idea of a trade show display and molding it to fit your idea of what the customer is looking for, you are essentially giving them something they are familiar with yet have never seen before.
Like the perfect recipe, the key to a successful trade show exhibit is repetition. Don’t be afraid to try new things and make changes until you achieve a display that fits your needs and creates buzz amongst customers.
Tags: booth rentals, booths, computer stations, Custom graphics, customer service, Eco-friendly displays, environmentally friendly trade show display, Exhibit Booth Company, Exhibitors, Exhibits, Godfrey Group popups, indoor trade show display, kiosk displays, marketing tips, outdoor displays, outdoor trade show display, pop up displays, portable trade show display, potential customer, Trade Show Booths, trademark colors
Posted in Custom displays, Custom graphics, Eco-friendly displays, Expert trade show advice, lobby displays, marketing tips, Trade Show Booths, Trade Show Displays, Trade show popups, Trade Show Tips | No Comments »
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Did you know many companies will borrow from the bank each month based on projected receivables? Furthermore supplies, production schedules, material costs, and labor all require a certain amount of forecasting in order to know what to expect from the coming month so that the company is not caught off guard by an expense or decrease in business that may change the shape of the budget. Projecting what is about to happen next requires a certain amount of looking back at recent trends and looking forward in an attempt to identify upcoming obstacles or new opportunities. Trade shows in particular offer some special challenges when it comes to forecasting, but the process is just as important. One way to accurately predict the expenses, visitor turnout, revenue, and overall success of an event is to keep a diary.
For most people the word diary probably brings to mind thoughts of little girls writing in pink notebooks they keep under their mattresses, but in fact everyone keeps a diary of some sort. Every time you balance your checkbook you are making an entry into a diary. Whenever you log how much mileage you put on your car so you can be reimbursed by your company you are keeping a diary. Even this blog could be considered a diary all about trade show tips, events, and custom displays. Keeping a trade show diary of your own may just the key to success you have been looking for. The next time you’re at a trade show take a moment to step back from your exhibit and write down what you see. What has been your biggest selling item so far? How many people have come by and what was their demographic? Was there anything about your kiosk that did flow right with the rest your setup? Were you a good fit with the vendors around you? Could you have done anything better? At the end of the event make notes about the number of contacts you made and be sure to follow-up with them at a later time. By answering these questions not only are you gaining insight into how well you are operating, but more to the point you are keepping a log that can be used at other events to help determine what works and what doesn’t.
In business forecasting is not an exact science, but whether you like doing it or not you can’t deny the results. Paying attention to recent trends and adjusting your finances accordingly could be one of the smartest business moves you will ever make. The next time you are walking out the door on your way to an event, grab a notebook and remember to make notes afterward. Trust me you’ll thank yourself later.
Tags: booths, Custom graphics, customer, customer service, customers, Display Booths, Exhibitors, Exhibits, kiosks, portable trade show display, Trade Show, trade show advice, Trade Show Booths
Posted in Custom graphics, Expert trade show advice, Kiosk placement, marketing tips, Trade Show Tips | No Comments »
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
In terms of trade shows there are basically two types of events. The first being a situation where you bring a specific amount of inventory, setup at a location previously selected to get the most attention from visitors, take out a calculator, and sell sell sell. The second involves bringing very little in terms of inventory (except for promotional items such as pens, key-chains, business cards, etc…), requires a much greater knowledge of what is being promoted, and relies heavily on product demonstration whether it be through actually showing how something works or how an investment can make life easier (an exhibit featuring an insurance company would be an example of this). It’s the later that I want to focus on today mainly because the determination as to whether the event was a success or not often can’t be made till weeks or even months down the road simply because you’re there to take orders and build relationships not unload merchandise.
This idea of delayed income is called Return On Investment or ROI and is really quite easy to figure out once you know the steps.
1)While at your next event offer those you come into contact with an incentive for ordering. This incentive could be a gift or a discount, something that will make them feel they are getting a good deal by following your instructions. Make sure they understand that in order to take advantage of the promotion they must reference a specific code. This way you can track how the sale was generated.
2)Once you know sales generated, total up all your expenses associated with the trade show. Include the cost of labor, food, travel, etc…
3)Now take the amount you made (the value in dollars of sales that referenced the promotional code you asked customers to use) and divide that number by the total expenses.
4) Finally take this last number and multiply it by 100 to get the percentage returned to you from your investment (ROI)
It’s very common that the full impact of a trade show is not felt for months or maybe even a year after the event has taken place. Regardless of whether or not you are selling tons of inventory at one time or get your sales through the use of connections made at the event, finding out how much profit you made is a huge tool to have at your disposal. Not only will this help you calculate how successful an event was, but it can also be used to forecast similar events to come.
Tags: booths, business, customer service, demonstration, Displays, Event Planners, marketing tips, potential customers, promotions, return on investment, sells
Posted in Expert trade show advice, marketing tips, Trade Show Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
In the course of writing this blog I’ve mentioned more than once that one key to being successful is to make sure the theme of the trade show is a good fit for your product. While I still believe this, a recent article in of all places Entertainment Weekly has me changing my tune at least slightly. The article is all about this year’s Comic Con show in San Diego July 22-25. Any pop culture fanatic will tell you that Comic Con isn’t your average comic-book convention, it’s the most anticipated event of the entire year. With over 125,000 people showing up for the three day event, this year’s organizers have put together a list of exhibits that goes beyond the realm of comic-books. In fact this year’s show will feature over 40 booths that are not to tied to comics at all such as televisions shows like Glee, Castle, and Hawaii-Five-O.
With all of these seemingly unrelated vendors showing up, I have to ask “When registering for a spot at a trade show, is being different always bad?” If you ask me the answer isn’t a clear yes or no, but like most things somewhere in the middle. If you are in the business of selling wrenches then a rug show is not the place to popup a tent for the weekend. However if it’s a car show where mechanics and automobile lovers alike will be visiting in hordes, then chances are you might do well. In other words there’s nothing wrong with being different as long as there’s a common thread to connect you with the other vendors attending the show. An island exhibit featuring a new high-tech wrench at a car show works because car lovers love to work on their cars, but the same display has no place at a rug show because the demographic is different. Likewise Comic Con is all about the most talked about television shows, movies, books, as well as comics so regardless if the vendor features a new cop show, sitcom, or drama the buzz is what connects them.
Being different is a classic double edge sword. Standing out can be a good thing if what you are offering has a base connection to the overall theme of the trade show. By the same token though being too different will only leave you high and dry as those attending the event keep their focus on what attracted them to the show to start with.
Tags: booths, comic-con, Conference Vendor, conventions, creating buzz, Display Booths, Event Planners, Exhibits, island exhibits, kiosk displays, popup displays, portable trade show display, potential customers, tents, Trade Show Booths, upcoming trade show
Posted in Conferences & Venues, Expert trade show advice, marketing tips, SpaceStation Popup Displays, Trade Show Exhibits, Trade show popups, Trade Show Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Getting ready for a trade show involves a lot of guess work. How many people will be attending? Will they be in the mood to spend or will you just get a bunch of window shoppers? Is going big the right direction or would something more personal have a more profound impact? Like I said guess work. All the prep in the world will only get you so far and the fact is that once it’s all said and done, how effective you were all boils down to how well you were able to influence the customer. Something as simple as the temperature of the building, the layout of the event, or the condition of the facilities could make or break your whole trip. Maybe instead of guessing what your customers want, you should be asking them straight out.
Feedback straight from the customer is one of the best ways to judge how effective your displays are. All the custom graphics, overhead banners, video stations in the world mean nothing if instead of attracting the customer they distract them or worse send them running in the other direction. Feedback is easy to get cause all you gotta do is ask. Forget surveys or questionnaires, just strike up a conversation with those that visit your booth and ask them what they think. Like they taught us in school it’s about the What, When, Why, and How of it all. “What do you think of our presentation?” “How do you think we could be more effective?” “Why would somebody not want to know more about what we are offering?” “When do you think you might want to talk more about our product?” Try to be as casual as possible so as not to give people the feeling of being interrogated, but at the same time don’t be afraid to ask people for ways you could have done a better job at getting your message across.
After all the glitz and glamour of the trade show is over with, what matters the most is how effective you were in getting your message across to the customer. By talking to visitors throughout the day and getting their opinions on your presentation not only are you creating a relationship with that person, but you also gain some insight how you can be better prepared for your next event.
Tags: booths, conventions, Custom graphics, customer retention, Display Booths, hanging headers, interested customers, kiosk displays, Overhead banners, potential customer
Posted in Conferences & Venues, Custom graphics, Expert trade show advice, marketing tips, Overhead banners, Trade Show Booths, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Exhibits, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, June 21st, 2010
You may remember last week at this time we were all taking about the kick off of the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, Ca. and the rumors that were swirling around concerning the latest in high tech games that would be announced. As it turns out Project Natal (now called Kinect) and the Nintendo 3DS both premiered to huge crowds and immediately were proclaimed crowd favorites. Though I wasn’t able to attend the trade show, I did catch the majority of the coverage which was carried live on the G4 network and I gotta say impressed is simply not a good enough description of how I felt after catching a glimpse of all the amazing booths. From a full sized wrestling ring featuring characters in the video game Lucha Libre AAA Heroes of the Ring to literally hundreds of hands on demos of some of the most talked about games in years, if the folks behind E3 did anything right it was knowing what video game fans wanted to see and making sure those vendors were there.
As a vendor your priorities are different from those that are responsible for the scheduling and promotion of an event, but the lessons learned from E3 still apply:
- Customers want to be catered to. Long gone are the days when a company can just put a product on the market, come up with a general slogan, and hope to attract attention. Today’s consumers want to feel like you are talking directly to them. They want custom graphics, hands on demonstrations, sneak peeks or spoilers for upcoming products, and over the top demos. At the same time people want to know they are getting a certain amount of quality with their purchase as well as the thrill of being the first in their group of friends to own such an amazing item.
- In order to be successful you must go where the people are. The E3 Expo is a classic example of how birds of a feather flock together. If you’re a company that understands the value of attending trade shows and other events in order to showcase your products to the public, than you want to make sure you are setting your kiosks up where the people actually are. If you make kitchen appliances there’s no need to setup at a video game convention. If you paint portraits for a living, a car show isn’t the place to show off your skills. Before you hit the road make sure you’re not going to be the odd duck at the event and that there are similar products being demonstrated.
While events like the E3 Expo are amazing to witness and generate tons of support for all those involved, beyond the glitz and glamour lie some very important lessons that all vendors need to take notice of. By creating custom demonstrations geared towards making consumers feel unique and catered to, companies are finding better ways to create buzz and generate sales. Also in order to get the most of a trade show you want to make sure your product stands out from the crowd while at the same time is connected to the other vendors around you.
Tags: 3DS, booth, booths, Custom graphics, customer service, customers, Display Booths, electronics entertainment expo, Event Planners, kinect, kiosk displays, kiosks, marketing tips, Natal, portable trade show display, potential customers, showroom, trade show booth, Trade Show Booths, Trade Show Displays
Posted in Custom graphics, Expert trade show advice, Kiosk placement, marketing tips, Trade Show Booths, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Exhibits, Trade Show Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, June 18th, 2010
Are you tired of struggling to get every one’s attention trade show after trade show? Do you spend more of your time staring at your shoes than into the faces of eager customers? Well maybe Godfrey can help by shedding some light on the situation. See we understand that in today’s cut throat market in order to stand out from the crowd you’ve got to not only make your product relevant, you’ve got to establish yourself as the life preserver consumers have been desperately waiting for. You do this by making yourself necessary. How do you make yourself a must visit booth at a trade show? Simple! You give the public what they have to have….food and drink.
You see everyone has at least three things in common: 1)They need to eat 2)They need to drink 3)They need to rest (sleep). Trade shows take up a ton of space and are often held in the largest possible locations. Because of all the walking that is required, at some point all those visitors need a place to stop and refill their batteries. That’s where you come in with the help of our Soda Can Station. Designed to resemble an aluminum cola can, this is one display that is sure to attract attention like an oasis in the middle of a long hot desert. Like everything else from Godfrey, our Soda Can Station is made of top of the line materials and can easily be customized with your name, logo, and color scheme emblazoned on all sides. Featuring an umbrella top and a wrap around counter, trade show visitors will be thanking you for helping them recharge their batteries while they take in the days events.
Imagine a convention center full of potential customers carrying bottles of water and telling others where they got them from. If you are looking for a smart, creative trade show booth with mass appeal and built in word of mouth, than the Soda Can Station is the answer to your prayers. Great for outdoor events and easily customized, this is one display that is sure to soak up the sales. Order today!!!
Tags: booth, booths, client, Custom graphics, customer service, customers, kiosk displays, marketing tips, outdoor displays, potential customer, potential customers, samples, trade show booth, Trade Show Booths, trade show display, unique trade show display
Posted in Custom displays, Custom graphics, Expert trade show advice, marketing tips, Trade Show Displays, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, June 14th, 2010
If you’re a fan of video games or simply electronics in general, than you are no doubt already aware of the E3 Expo that kicks into full gear this week in Los Angeles from the 15-17th. With over 40,000 visitors and booths representing 98% of U.S game manufactures, it’s no wonder fans are proclaiming the circus is coming to town. E3 for short, the Electronics Entertainment Expo proclaims itself to be the premier electronics even of the year and is only available to those professionals directly employed by the interactive entertainment industry. Exhibitors aside, this however is not what makes this trade show so special; it’s the dozens of exclusive fist time look products that will be unveiled to world for the first time. The top two of these rumored to be the new Microsoft Xbox Natal controller and the Nintendo 3DS.
The new Natal is literally being previewed with the help of the world famous troop Cirque Du Soleil. Forget all those thoughts of what a videogame controller is, was, or should be; the Natal is the controller that puts the contoller in your hands by doing just that…making your hand the controller. Straight from Microsoft, Natal is “a revolutionary new way to play: no controller required. See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak you and your friends can jump into the fun — the only experience needed is life experience.” Talk about custom graphics!! How much more custom can a trade show exhibit be?
Not to be out done, Nintendo is planning to demonstrate it’s latest world changing technology with the premier of the 3DS. The successor to the DSi XL, this new addition to the hand held game arena takes the worlds recent addiction to all things 3D to new heights by giving the public it’s first 3D gaming system that takes the tradition glasses and throws them out the window. That’s right, no glasses required!!
With demonstrations, exhibits, displays, and kiosks from everyone who is anyone in the electronic gaming industry, this year’s E3 Expo promises to be a dream come true not only for gaming fans but for those that love checking out the latest in trade show marketing tools. From floor to ceiling and wall to wall, you can guarantee that E3 will only provide those in attendance with the best in custom graphics, hands on work stations, and theme displays. Who knows maybe we’ll see you there!!
Tags: 3DS, booths, conventions, Custom graphics, E3 Expo, Event Planners, Exhibits, Godfrey Group, kiosk displays, kiosks, marketing tips, Natal, new products, Nintendo, portable trade show display, Trade Show Booths
Posted in Conferences & Venues, Expert trade show advice, marketing tips, Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Exhibits, Trade Show News, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
We’ve all heard the sayings ”The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow”, “The beauty of flying like an eagle is the ability to soar without looking back.”, or my personal favorite featuring the cutest of kittens dangling from a tree “Hang in there!” These days it seems that everyone is trying to motivate you to do something. Just one look at the world’s most popular media site Facebook and you’ll quickly learn that people all over are using these types of motivational phrases to not only boost their own moods, but to also give others a bit of inspiration in hopes of making it through a tough time in their lives. Nowhere are these words of wisdom more needed then in the work place where just like the economy, hopes of a better future are at an all time low.
The question is though, do motivational posters placed around the office work? Well according to Ken Brown a professor at the University of Iowa they do. “If they’re part of a broader campaign, with clearly outlined goals and a commitment from management, they may have some impact ” says Brown. Brown then goes on to say, “It’s hard to alter peoples’ behavior, so getting workers to increase their value to a company is not easy. If the change effort is part of a multipronged strategy with committed management working to create change, and they create a sense of urgency that change is needed and clearly explain the reasons, then posters and coffee mugs can be a small part of it.” The Godfrey Group understands this idea and that’s why all of our products are geared toward helping you spark a sense of desire in the hearts and mind of your target market.
Whether you are in fact looking for poster frames perfect for those motivational phrases to hang around the office or you need an eye-catching display practically guaranteed to draw people to you, Godfrey has just what you need to get the job done. If you get down to it from our Pop-up displays to our Portable Kiosks, to our Computer Stations; everything Godfrey does is essentially created to motivate. If you are looking to inspire your customers or improve the attitude of your own employees, contact Godfrey today and get on the path to a brighter tomorrow.
Tags: booths, client, computer stations, customer, customer service, customers, display, Display Booths, employees, Event Planners, hanging headers, kiosk displays, kiosks, lobby, marketing tips, motivation, outdoor displays, pop up displays, portable SpaceStation popups, portable trade show display, Poster frames, potential customers, showroom, Trade Show Tips, unique trade show display, video stations, work place advice
Posted in Custom displays, Custom graphics, Custom hanging headers, custom office displays, Deskwrap, Expert trade show advice, lobby displays, marketing tips, Office fixtures, Poster frames, Promotional Ideas, SpaceStation Popup Displays, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Last week in a post titled “The Right Person For The Job” I talked about how something as tantalizing as Fillet Mignon would appear to be plain trash if it were to be served to you on a garbage can lid. Now in that post I was using this example as way to make sure you are employing people who have a certain degree of charm and personality, but the same can be said about how you choose to show off your product as well. You could essentially have one of those products that becomes synonymous with a entire line of products from any number of manufacturers (Coke, TiVo, and Matchbox Cars are examples of this), but because you did not choose the best way to promote your idea nobody ever takes notice. It’s those early decisions about how you will choose to bring your product to the consumer that make all the difference in the world.
Understandably this isn’t an easy process and not something to jump into. You want to start with a very broad idea of what you want and then begin to eliminate choices. Is your event outside? Do you need something like a large tent or would a smaller Mushroom style kiosk do the trick? Are you looking for something that can easily be packed up and taken to the next location or does portability not matter? Maybe you are just looking to spice up your office front. Will there be some type of attendant with a desk stationed there? Is privacy going to be a concern? How about signage? Were you thinking about something that may possibly hang from the ceiling or maybe you’d rather just have a stand that would allow people to pick up literature as they pass by?
All of these questions and we haven’t even considered graphics yet. Are you looking for something with bright colors or is something more professional what you had in mind? Do you have a specific logo that needs to be included or are you looking to come up with a new theme unlike anything you have done before? Are considering renting a booth to start out or are you ready to fully customize a display of your own?
Finding what is right for you and your products can be time consuming process, but one that is fulfilling and often very profitable. Knowing what works best for you and what you want makes all the difference in the world. The Godfrey Group understands this and that’s why we’ve created a Design Library that lets you start narrowing your ideas down and even save them so that you can come back later after you’ve researched what you want a little further. Don’t hesitate. Login in today!!
Tags: booth, booths, client, Conference Vendor, conventions, customer service, customers, Display Booths, Display Company, Displays, Eco-friendly displays, Event Planners, Godfrey Group popups, hanging headers, inflatables, kiosk, kiosk displays, kiosks, lobby, marketing tips, outdoor displays, Overhead banners, portable trade show display, potential customer, showroom, Trade Show Booths, trade show kiosk, tradeshow display, unique trade show display
Posted in Custom displays, Custom graphics, Custom hanging headers, custom office displays, Digital signage, Eco-friendly displays, Expert trade show advice, Kiosk placement, lobby displays, marketing tips, Mushroom kiosks, Office fixtures, Overhead banners, Poster frames, Promotional Ideas, Trade Show Booth Rentals, Trade Show Booths, Trade show popups, Trade Show Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »