Corporate Event Management

The trade show floor is full of different types of people with different agendas.  Some people have specific goals for attending the show; others do not.  As an exhibitor your observation and questioning skills will be your key to determining who may be a viable sales prospect.  Familiarize yourself with the various visitor types likely to frequent the tradeshow floor.

Have you ever found yourself having to scramble to organize a meeting at the last minute? Wouldn’t it be nice that if and when this daunting situation arose, you were well prepared with all necessary information ready at your fingertips? That’s why I’ve developed the following seven survival strategies to help you plan for the inevitable, because you know as well as I, it’s going to happen ‘someaday.’

Survival Strategy #1. Question the meeting need.

Before you jump into automatic pilot to start your last minute meeting organization, challenge the request. Since deciding to hold a meeting demands serious consideration because of the costs involved, both direct and indirect, double-check the rationale for holding the meeting. Develop a few pertinent questions to ask and find out if a meeting alternative, such as a teleconference would achieve the same results.

Survival Strategy #2. Know the basics.

If the meeting really needs to happen, make sure that you plan for the basics:

• What is the purpose of the meeting?
• Where should it take place – on or off-site?
• When is it scheduled for – date and time?
• What’s the meeting agenda?
• Who needs to be invited?
• What refreshments and snacks are needed?
• What specific materials and equipment is needed?
• What travel and hotel arrangements, if any, are necessary?
• What’s the meeting budget?

When it comes to budget, remind your boss that good quality, last minute buying and cheap don’t usually correlate. The reality is that last minute pricing may well come at a premium.

Survival Strategy #3. Develop checklists.

Checklists should be every meeting planners guardian angel. They’re there to help out in time of trouble and avoid unnecessary panic. With the hundreds of pieces that make up the meeting puzzle, the only way to put them together and keep tabs on all the details is with a checklist. Become a checklist fanatic and consider having a checklist for each checklist. Cover all your bases. The more thorough you are, the greater the probability of success, even at the last minute.

Survival Strategy #4. Create a contact list.

When you need something in a hurry who do you call? These are the people who need to make up your contact list. Consider your facility needs, catering, audio-visual, etc. Compile a list with phone including cell phones, fax and email information. Keep this list updated annually as contacts and their information can change. Also include useful website resources as you find them, but remember to check them out beforehand.

Survival Strategy #5. Build relationships.

Don’t wait until you need a favor from someone, rather continually find ways to build a “dream team” or support network. Build a contact base of other meeting professionals, suppliers, vendors and angels you can call on at the last minute to help you out. Take time to discuss their strategies and resources for dealing with last minute meetings, and add this information to your “survival kit.” Don’t forget to include your fellow co-workers who might be willing and able to help out at a moment’s notice.

Survival Strategy #6. Develop contingencies.

Because your plans are last minute, the greater the chance of something not working out the way you’d like it to. So what’s your backup? If you don’t have one, all your original plans could be destroyed in an instant, and you’ll be scrambling even more than before to put a second strategy into operation. Have a Plan B ready “in the wings” just in case you need it. Once again, the more thorough you are, the greater the probability of pulling off this miracle.

Survival Strategy #7. Learn to laugh.

Keeping a sense of humor will definitely help prevent you getting mad, angry and frustrated with those disorganized managers who leave things to the last minute and expect you to perform miracles. Learn to laugh at them and yourself to keep a saner perspective on life. If nothing else, remember that laughing is a great survival technique, which is good for your health and will help reduce stress and blood pressure levels.

Meetings can be a total waste of time or a powerful and productive communication tool that solve problems, stimulate ideas, promote team spirit and generate action. The results lie totally in how they are run. Organized and well-managed meetings will inevitably produce effective results. Whereas, meetings that are poorly managed lack purpose and focus are a total waste of an organization’s time and money.

From my observations working with hundreds of different companies, I have noticed that people seem to be meeting more, enjoying it less and frustrated that they have so little time to get their “real” work done. They talk about meetings as being a “necessary evil.” Research conducted by the Annenberg School of Communications at UCLA and the University of Minnesota’s Training & Development Research Center show that executives on average spend 40-50% of their working hours in meetings. The studies also point out that as much as 50% of meeting time is unproductive and that up to 25% is spent discussing irrelevant issues.

I have certainly had more than my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly meetings, both as a paid employee and as a volunteer. I have also experienced the wonderful sense of satisfaction from productive sessions, as well as the frustration and anger from ineffective sessions. I believe that the key to success lies not only in the preparation and organization, but also in the way in which the meeting is managed. When ego and power can be put aside, it is so much easier to get on with the task at hand.

All of this begs to ask the question, “Are meetings really necessary?” Well, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren’t. Wisdom is knowing the difference and fully understanding this primary question.

Are Meetings Really Necessary?

Inherent as part of our society is the need to come together with others to share information, make decisions, plan, discuss, talk things over, argue, question, iron out differences, compare notes, gossip, and much more. Families, schools, clubs, businesses and governments comprise groups of men, women and children all coming together for a specific purpose. All of this means that meeting is a natural function of our existence.

As humans we need the connection with others to survive. Very few people chose to be a hermit and seclude themselves from others. Although, I am sure, like me, many of you reading this may have fantasized about being alone on a desert island, far away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. We also need to belong, communicate and share a common purpose with likeminded individuals.

The reality is that doing things alone for any length of time is counterproductive. It is only when we work in partnership with others and pool our resources that things get done in a more efficient and effective way.

Meetings are becoming even more necessary for people’s survival with the plethora of entrepreneurs operating from home-based businesses, employees telecommuting or working endless hours in front of computer screens. The need for human interaction is critical.

Not to mention the fact that meetings also minimize or eliminate many of those popular time-wasting activities such as phone tag, unnecessary e-mails, or volumes of paper.

But, when we consider the myriads of business meetings that take place every year, there are many, you know as well as I, which should never have taken place. Now the $64,000 question is “When to hold a meeting (and when not to)?

Thirteen Reasons to Hold a Meeting?

Deciding to hold a meeting should be a serious consideration since there are so many costs involved, direct and indirect – people’s time and productivity, for example. So, the first thing is for the person wanting to hold the meeting to determine how necessary it is to meet. Here is a list of thirteen major reasons people need to meet:

• To communicate or request vital information.
• When you need a group consensus.
• To respond to questions or concerns.
• When you need a decision or an evaluation on an issue.
• When you need acceptance or support of an idea.
• To sell an idea, product or service.
• To brainstorm ideas.
• To solve a problem, conflict or difference of opinion.
• To generate a sense of team spirit.
• To provide training or clarification of a project.
• To alter perceptions or attitudes.
• To provide reassurance on an issue or situation.
• To create an awareness or interest in an idea, situation or project.

Thirteen Reasons Not to Hold a Meeting?

Meetings can easily become addictive, so before you schedule another meeting for the sake of it, check to make sure that you are not meeting for the wrong reasons. Here are thirteen reasons not to hold a meeting:

• When you meet for the sake of meeting – same time, same place, every week.
• When someone’s ego gets in the way and they want to look important and in control.
• When the information could be communicated another way.
• When key people are unavailable.
• When participants don’t have time to prepare.
• When your decision is made and you don’t want any input.
• When your decision is controversial and is likely to create resistance.
• When the costs are greater than the benefits.
• When other issues blur the decision at hand.
• When the subject matter is confidential.
• When nothing would be gained or lost by not having a meeting.
• When you have nothing else to do and want to look busy.
• When you want an excuse to get out of the office.

Eight Common Meeting Substitutes

If after careful consideration you decide that your meeting isn’t necessary, how else can you communicate your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions? Aside from telepathy and carrier pigeon, here are eight common meeting substitutes:

• Arrange a telephone conference call.
• Write a memo (no longer than a page).
• Write a brief report.
• Fax your information.
• E-mail your information.
• Post the information on your company’s intranet.
• Arrange a series of one-on-one discussions.
• Do breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially when you want to get to know the other person better.

What Makes an Effective Meeting?

As I mentioned before, meeting for the sake of meeting is a waste of time and likely to be totally ineffectual. In addition to the planning and preparation of any meeting, an important aspect of what makes a meeting effective, will depend on the perception of the participants.

A person’s perception is their reality, which means that however well the chairperson feels about the meeting, isn’t necessarily how the participants feel. In fact, some opinions may well be formed several days or weeks afterwards, especially, in the case of actions taken, or not taken, as a result of decisions made at the meeting.

With this in mind let’s address some of the positive feelings people experience that help label a meeting as effective. Here are ten common areas:

1. When participants can share and participate openly.
2. When wacky/creative ideas are given airtime.
3. When participants are an integral part of the decision-making process.
4. When participants feel good about agreed decisions.
5. When decisions are high quality and will advance a project.
6. When participants see actions taken as a result of decisions agreed upon.
7. When the meeting begins and ends on time.
8. When all agenda items are covered.
9. When no one participant is allowed to dominate.
10. When participants feel united as a group.

What Makes an Ineffective Meeting?

Since we’ve taken time to list the positive aspects, it’s only right to complete the picture and look at some of the negative perceptions and opinions. Here are ten common areas:

1. When a meeting is called because it’s been a while since the previous meeting.
2. When a meeting is called just to find out what projects people are working on.
3. When a meeting takes up more time than necessary.
4. When one participant is allowed to dominate the entire meeting.
5. When the meeting is a one-way dialogue.
6. When there is no completion and items discussed are left hanging with no action plan.
7. When the meeting facilitator allows discussion to ramble on into unrelated topics.
8. When wacky/creative ideas are dismissed without a second thought.
9. When the meeting includes discussion points that aren’t relevant to the people present.
10. When to many people attend and the group effectiveness diminishes.

Walk around any trade or consumer show and you will be able to collect a bag full of advertising specialties, or giveaway items all designed to promote. But look a little more closely. How many really do an effective job? How clearly do they get a message across? Is the message sufficiently visible? Is the giveaway useful or unique enough that you would want to keep and use it? All these questions, and more, need to be considered before jumping into the giveaway game.

Everyone enjoys receiving a gift, even if it is “just a little something.” Gift giving creates a favorable impression. It can build goodwill, be an incentive, communicate a message and create awareness.

When thinking about advertising specialties for your next show, consider the following ten questions:

1. What do you want to achieve by giving away a premium item?

Your giveaway items should be designed to increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition. It is important not only that the message have an impact, but also the premium itself.

2. How will you select your premium item?

There is a multitude of different items you could consider as a premium. However, which one will best suit your purpose? To select the right item, you need to decide your objective. Do you want it to enhance a theme; convey a specific message or educate your target audience? A clear purpose should help make your selection process easier. A promotional specialist can also help you make an effective selection. Remember that your company image is reflected in whatever you choose to give away.

3. Whom do you want to receive your premium?

Having a clear objective for your premium item will also help you decide who should receive it. You may consider having different gifts for different types of visitors. You might have different quality gifts for your key customers, prospects and general passers by.

4. How does your giveaway tie into your marketing theme?

Is there an item that naturally complements your marketing message? Have the message imprinted on the item and make sure that your company name, logo and phone number appear clearly. An important aspect of any gift is to remember who it was from long after the fact.

5. What is your budget?

The price range for premium items is enormous. Quality, quantity and special orders, all impact the price. Establish a budget as part of your exhibit marketing plan. Consider ordering the same item for several different shows. The greater the quantity of your order, the lower the individual unit price.

6. What must visitors do to qualify for a gift item?

There are several ways to use your premium effectively. For example, as a reward for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest; as a token of your appreciation when visitors have given you qualifying information about their specific needs; as a thank you for stopping at the booth. Avoid leaving items out for anyone to take. This diminishes value and has little or no memorability factor.

7. Will your giveaway directly help your future sales?

Consider handing out a discount coupon or a gift certificate that requires future contact with your company for redemption. Consider premiums that will help generate frequent visits to customers and prospects, such as calling you for free refills.

8. How does your premium item complement your exhibiting goals?

Premiums can be used to prequalify your prospects. One company uses playing cards. Prior to the show, they send “kings” to their key customers, “queens” to suppliers, “jacks” to new or hot prospects. They request that the cards are brought to the booth in exchange for a special gift. When the cards are presented, the booth staff already know certain information about the visitor. They can then act on their previous knowledge and use time with the visitor more productively.

9. How will you inform your target audience about you giveaway item?

A sufficiently novel or useful giveaway can actively help to draw prospects to your booth. So make sure your prospects know about it. Send a “tickler” invitation with details of the giveaway, or create a two-piece premium, sending one part out to key prospects prior to the show and telling them to collect the other half at your booth.

10. How will you measure the effectiveness of your premium?

Establish a tracking mechanism to measure the success of your giveaway. If it is a redemption item, code it so that you know it resulted from the show. Post-show follow-up could include a question about the premium - did visitors remember receiving it and how useful was the item. After the show, critique your giveaway with your exhibit team: Did it draw specific prospects to the booth? Was it eye-catching enough to persuade passers by to stop? Did your customers find it useful? Did it project the right corporate image?

There are plenty of exciting premiums for you to choose from so that you can avoid the usual pens, pencils and keychains. Make your premium work for you and it will be money well invested.

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately look at where they can cut budgets. Without much forethought, the first to hit the block is inevitably training, followed closely behind by marketing. Why? Both are viewed on the balance sheet as expenditures rather than income generators, so obviously they’re hot contenders for elimination.

This is a very myopic way of thinking, especially for companies who want to remain globally competitive. Instead, at times like these when resources are under severe scrutiny, look at this as a golden opportunity to analyze your strategies. Put your activities under a microscope and closely examine what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Often during times of plenty, the finance reins loosen up and some highly creative juggling takes place when budgets exceed their estimations. Obviously, we enjoy the abundant mentality and wish that it could last forever. But just as with all things in the universe there has to be a balance, and shortages add stability to plenty. Whenever highs exist, lows are inevitable.

So, instead of reacting to the highs and lows of the marketplace, what can you do to maintain a steady balance? Marketing and training are definitely keys to your success, so let’s examine five benefits and how they relate to your tradeshow participation.

1. Analyze your weakest links

When you take time to look examine your operation in more detail, you often discover that many of your actions are done out of habit rather than being productive and profitable. Think about some of the shows that you attend. How do they really fit into your marketing strategy? Are you attending them just because you’ve always done so, or because your competition is there? These are often your weak links, the shows that utilize unnecessary time and energy. Think about doing away with the “nice to be at shows” and rather opt at putting all your energy into the more profitable events that attract larger quantities of your target market.

Another weak budgetary link is associated with excessive employee spending at shows, such as dining at the finest restaurants and ordering the highest priced items just because the boss is paying. Consider setting up a per diem allowance and make employees accountable for expenses. You might even reward them with the difference if they under spend their stipend.

2. Exhibit a global competitiveness mindset

To be a contender in the global marketplace and establish a vanguard positioning, you have to be out there come rain or shine. And, tradeshows signify an essential marketing strategy when it comes to visibility. Exhibiting demonstrates that you’re a serious player in the industry. However tough, it’s important to keep tradeshows as one of your major promotional strategies. Rather consider reducing space than totally pulling out a show, provided of course, that it’s the right show for you. Unfortunately, if you stop exhibiting completely, the “buzz” on the show floor says publicly that you must be in financial trouble. This may be completely false, but it’s people’s perceptions that count. They’re the reality they believe. As the old adage states, “out of sight, out of mind.” And, since memorability is a key factor associated with exhibiting, if you’re not seen, how can you possibly be remembered!

3. Focus on long-term results

Investing in both marketing and training means that you’re interested and willing to focus on long-term results. Neither is designed to give a “quick fix,” rather using them continuously in an organized and planned manner, will produce results. They’re like a dripping faucet, so long as the drops constantly fall into the tub, it will fill up. However, if you maintain a “turn on, turn off” approach, that is train and market in times of plenty and discontinue when there’s a shortage, then your results are likely to mirror your actions. Look at how you can keep an operational equilibrium to avoid the highs and the lows. Develop a consistent marketing and training strategy.

4. Inspire loyal workers

Often companies are reluctant to invest too much in training staff for fear that once trained, they’ll leave for “greener pastures.” Since there are no guarantees in life, that’s always going to be a risk, but does that mean you shouldn’t develop your people to be the best they can be? Absolutely not! The reasons employees leave may be many. Employees may leave because of frustration or stress. They might feel unappreciated or undervalued. It could be that they believe your company is heading for an iceberg and want to “jump ship” before it sinks. Maybe they feel that their salaries are not in line with the jobs they are performing. Or they could feel that they don’t have enough authority, growth opportunities, or direction in their careers. Training is often the key to help inspire loyalty.

5. Improve performance

Employees are the backbone of your company. Without them, your company cannot stay afloat. The relationship between employees and employers has to be a partnership; if they feel their needs are being ignored, they will leave you. But when both sides work on the same wavelength, share the same goals and ideas, the company will be on the right track for success. What better place than the tradeshow floor to exhibit this mentality. Your exhibit staff represents your internal customer-service team and your company ambassadors. They stand for your entire organization. These people have the awesome responsibility of making or breaking future relationships with attendees, prospects and customers. Their attitude, body language, appearance, and knowledge help to create positive or negative perceptions in the minds of visitors. Make sure that they’re well trained and can do what you expect of them. Training shows that you recognize your team’s importance in the company and look to develop their skills to improve performance.

Exhibiting is a powerful extension of your company’s marketing strategy and your people are the backbone of your company. Eliminating your marketing and training budgets during times of recession is tantamount to profitability suicide. So consider looking at other places to make those cuts!

The key to great exhibiting is marketing. But marketing is a very inexact science that leaves room for a multitude of errors to occur. The following are 10 of the most common marketing mistakes that exhibitors often make. Learn to avoid them and you will increase your chances for a successful tradeshow.

1. Have A Proper Exhibit Marketing Plan

Having both a strategic exhibit marketing and tactical plan of action is a critical starting point. In order to make tradeshows a powerful dimension your company’s overall marketing operation, there must be total alignment between the strategic marketing and your exhibit marketing plan. Tradeshows should not be a stand-alone venture. Know and understand exactly what you wish to achieve - increasing market share with existing users; introducing new products/services into existing markets or into new markets; or introducing new products/services into new markets. This is the nucleus on which to build.

2. Have A Well-Defined Promotional Plan

A significant part of your marketing includes promotion – pre-show, at-show and post-show. Most exhibitors fail to have a plan that encompasses all three areas. Budget is naturally going to play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible. Developing a meaningful theme or message that ties into your strategic marketing plan will then help to guide promotional decisions. Know whom you want to target and then consider having different promotional programs aimed at the different groups you are interested in attracting. Include direct mail, broadcast faxes, advertising, PR, sponsorship, and the Internet as possible ways to reach your target audience.

3. Use Direct Mail Effectively

Direct mail is still one of the most popular promotional vehicles exhibitors use. From postcards to multi-piece mailings, attendees are deluged with invitations to visit booths. Many of the mailings come from show management’s lists and as a result, everyone gets everything. To target the people you want visit your booth, use your own list of customers and prospects–it’s the best one available. Design a piece that is totally benefit-oriented and makes an impact. Mail three pieces at regular intervals prior to the show, starting about four weeks out, to help ensure your invitation is seen. Wherever possible, use first-class mail. There’s nothing worse than a mailing that arrives after the show is over.

4. Give Visitors An Incentive To Visit Your Booth

Whatever promotional vehicles you use, make sure that you give visitors a reason to come and visit you. With a hall overflowing with fascinating products/services, combined with time constraints, people need an incentive to come and visit your booth. First and foremost their primary interest is in “what’s new!” They are eager to learn about the latest technologies, new applications, or anything that will help save them time and/or money. Even if you don’t have a new product/service to introduce, think about a new angle to promote your offerings.

5. Have Giveaways That Work

Tied into giving visitors an incentive to visit your booth is the opportunity to offer a premium item that will entice them. Your giveaway items should be designed to increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition of your company. Developing a dynamite giveaway takes thought and creativity. Consider what your target audience wants, what will help them do their job better, what they can’t get elsewhere, what is product/service related and educational. Think about having different gifts for different types of visitors. Use your website to make an offer for visitors to collect important information, such as an executive report, when they visit your booth. Giveaways should be used as a reward or token of appreciation for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest, or as a thank-you for qualifying information about specific needs etc.

6. Use Press Relations Effectively

Public relations is one of the most cost-effective and successful methods for generating large volumes of direct inquiries and sales. Before the show ask show management for a comprehensive media list, and find out which publications are planning a special show edition. Send out newsworthy press releases focusing on what’s new about your product/service, or highlighting a new application or market venture. Compile press kits for the press office that include information about industry trends, statistics, new technology or production information. Also include good product photos and key company contacts. Have staff members at the booth who are specifically assigned to interact with the media

7. Differentiate Your Products/Services

Too many exhibitors are happy to use the “me too” marketing approach. Examine their marketing plans and there’s an underlying sameness about them. With shows that attract hundreds of exhibitors, there are very few that seem to “stand out from the crowd.” Since memorability is an integral part of a visitors’ show experience, you should be looking at what makes you different and why a prospect should buy from you. This is of particular concern with generic products in your industry. Every aspect of your exhibit marketing plan, including your promotions, your booth and your people should be aimed at making an impact and creating curiosity.

8. Use The Booth As An Effective Marketing Tool

On the show floor your exhibit makes a strong statement about who your company is, what you do and how you do it. The purpose of your exhibit is to attract visitors so that you can achieve your marketing objectives. In addition to it being an open, welcoming and friendly space, there needs to be a focal point and a strong key message that communicates a significant benefit to your prospect. Opt for large graphics rather than reams of copy. Pictures paint a thousand words while very few exhibitors will take the time to read. Your presentations or demonstrations are a critical part of your exhibit marketing. Create an experience that allows visitors use as many of their senses as possible. This will help to enhance memorability.

9. Realize That Your People Are Your Marketing Team

Your people are your ambassadors. They represent everything your company stands for, so choose them well. Brief them beforehand and make sure that they know: why you are exhibiting; what you are exhibiting and what you expect from them. Exhibit staff training is essential for a unified and professional image. Make sure that they sell instead of tell; don’t try to do too much; understand visitor needs; don’t spend too much time; and know how to close the interaction with a commitment to follow-up.

Avoid overcrowding the booth with company representatives. Have strict rules regarding employees visiting the show and insist staffers not scheduled for booth duty stay away until their assigned time. Assign specific tasks for company executives working the show.

10. Follow-Up Promptly

The key to your tradeshow success is wrapped up in the lead-management process. The best time to plan for follow-up is before the show. Show leads often take second place to other management activities that occur after being out of the office for several days. The longer leads are left unattended, the colder and more mediocre they become. It is to your advantage to develop an organized, systematic approach to follow-up. Establish a lead handling system, set time lines for follow-up, use a computerized database for tracking, make sales representatives accountable for leads given to them, and then measure your results.

Trade shows are a bonaza of sponsorship opportunities. Talk with any show organizer, and they’ll be more than happy to explain how you can make sure your company’s name and logo are plastered all over the arena, on the program guide, over the hospitality suite, even on the tote bags everyone carries around all day. It’s just a simple matter of money – lots of money. Spend enough, and at some conferences, you can get a seat on the event planning committee.

Is all that cash worth it? How do you know that sponsorship is right for your company? Is there a way to determine if underwriting aspects of a trade show will help your bottom line?

Absolutely.

First, it’s imperative to understand exactly what sponsorship is. Sponsorship is the financial or in-kind support of an activity, used primarily to reach specified business goals. The fact that sponsorship is undertaken to reach specific business goals clearly deliniates it from philanthropy – you won’t be able to write off your trade show participation as a charitable contribution. However, sponsorship is also very different from advertising. Sponsorship is not a solo adventure, the way advertising is. It promotes a company in association with the sponsee.

The next step is to determine why you may want to sponsor an event. Beware of the CEO-trap. This occurs when the CEO is a fan of a particular sport or event, and wants to throw corporate dollars behind his personal passion. Throwing the corporate logo on his favorite NASCAR driver’s car might make the big man happy, but will it help your company?

Instead, you will want to set some clear, measurable goals for your corporate sponsorship. There are six main reasons why companies embrace sponsorship, including image enhancement, driving sales, increasing visibility with positive publicity, to take on a “Good Corporate Citizen” role, to differentiate from one’s competitors, and to enhance business, consumer, and VIP relations.

All of these are valid reasons. Assess the proposed sponsorship opportunity against these goals and them ask yourself if sponsoring an aspect of this event will enhance your corporate image. Many companies value the goodwill generated by sponsoring hospitality suites and special meals at trade shows – goodwill that can influence sales.

If sponsoring an aspect of the trade show will meet one or more of these goals, you may want to participate. It’s a good idea to do some homework first, before you sign on the dotted line.

Check out the show’s image. Is it perceived as a classy, up-scale event? Or does it have a less-than-stellar reputation? You’ll want to know this before you affiliate yourself with the event. Show organizers should be able to provide you with the target audience expected to attend, plans for media coverage of the event, and what your obligations as a sponsor are. You’ll also want to know what kind of support you can expect from the show organizers, and what exactly your sponsorship dollars are buying.

Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. You are forming a short term partnership with the trade show organizer. Approach it the same way you’d assess any other potential business relationship. You need to know the event’s operational history. Has the show been around for a while, and growing every year, or is this a brand-new enterprise? Who were the previous sponsors? How much did they pay to be involved? What are the organizer’s backgrounds? Are they affiliated with any non-profit or political organizations?

Check the date of the event, and check to make sure that it does not conflict with any other events your company wishes to have a presence at. You should also be provided with a full and complete list of event attractions, including educational programming and receptions.

Sponsorship works best in the context of a relationship. You will often see the same companies supporting the same events year after year after year. This synergy creates a special, unique ‘brand’ for the duration of the event, a brand that the buying public begins to count on and expect. Make sure you enquire about on-going sponsorship opportunities, as well as cross-promotion opportunities.

Don’t dilute your brand by sponsoring every event that comes along. You can afford to be selective here. Pick the one or two events that most closely mirror your corporate image and philosophy – those are the shows that will help you meet your sponsorship goals.

Once you’ve made up your mind what events you’d like to be affiliated with, contact the event organizers right away. Many sponsorship opportunities are highly competitive, and space is limited. There’s not a lot of time to dawdle if you want one of only two or three premier spots.

Finally, don’t feel limited to what sponsorship opportunities the show organizers offer. If you have a great idea, talk to the organizers about it. Chances are that show organizers will welcome your creativity and they’ll be more than willing to accommodate your plan.

Survey the crowd at any trade show, and one trend immediately makes itself apparent. Attendees are getting younger. The infamous Baby Boomers are preparing for retirement, and Gen X’ers have moved into upper management positions. Now we’re exhibiting for Generation Y.

The members of Generation Y were born between 1977-1994. It’s a huge demographic, with over 68 million individuals, 40% of which are already employed full-time. While it’s always unwise to indulge in sweeping generalizations, this generation has consistently exhibited one primary characteristic: They’re trendsetters. Gen X’ers have shown a remarkable tendency to mimic Generation Y’s embrace of everything new, and the Baby Boomers are eager to follow along. If you can attract Generation Y’s attention, you’ll get the other two groups as well.

How do you attract Generation Y? It may be trickier than you think.

For one, Generation Y is skeptical. They don’t trust anybody. They grew up knowing that the media exists only to sell products, that news can be spun, and that the same set of numbers can be used to prove that Enron is thriving and viable or completely bankrupt.

The following four keys will help you attract this interesting and powerful target audience:

Key -1: Provide Proof
Any claim that you make must be backed up with real-world, viable proof. Any arbitrary set of statistics won’t be enough anymore. Generation Y wants to know where you got your numbers from – and don’t mind at all if they’ve been audited.

It’s hard to get Generation Y’s attention. They’ve grown up saturated with media. The average person in this age group is engaged with some form of media – tv, radio, podcasting, internet – almost 19 hours a day. They often, ‘multi-task’ – checking e-mail while watching television or listening to a podcast while reading the morning paper. Your regular exhibit booth with a video clip playing on continuous loop and piles of brochures simply is not going to cut it.

Key -2: Provide Entertainment
This group expects to be entertained. They know their attention is a valuable commodity, and they want something in return for it. Think outside of the box to find creative ways to engage this crowd. Remember to consider more than audio and visual stimuli – to get Generation Y, you need to engage ALL of their senses. While we used to caution about over-stimulating attendees, that’s not necessarily a danger with this group. They are more than ready to interact with you on many levels all at once.

That being said, Generation Y is not content to simply sit back and passively watch. They want to be engaged in their environment, fully immersed in the activities going on around them. Given a chance between watching a product demonstration and actually trying the product out, Generation Y will choose to try it themselves every time.

Key -3: Encourage Participation
Hands-on, direct product contact will appeal to Generation Y. This may not be practical for every exhibitor – after all, if you sell earth-moving equipment, you can hardly let attendees drive a front-end loader down the aisle – so be sure to explore tech-savvy alternatives. Could you have a ‘simulator’, similar to the type used to train pilots? Remember, Generation Y is used to viewing the world through a set of virtual tools. Provide a new experience using these tools.

Finally, Generation Y expects to be recognized as unique. Individuals crave and desire recognition, and are very sensitive to how they are treated. They don’t simply want to be acknowledged, they want to be acknowledged as special.

Key -4: Value the Individual
Even in the brief time your booth staff has to talk with each attendee, they can create the impression that they value the individual. Active listening, noting and using the attendee’s name, appropriate eye contact, and positive, reinforcing statements will make the attendee feel as if the booth staff are genuinely pleased to meet them. This will definitely appeal to the individual who fears being one of the faceless crowd.

Incorporating these keys into your exhibiting strategy does not mean you have to throw out everything you’ve done up to this point. Exhibiting is a constantly evolving art. As you approach each show, consider what elements you can improve to appeal to Generation Y. Staff training should focus on this new up and coming generation, so they are adequately prepared to represent your company to a whole new set of eyes.