Posted by Peter Moran on Tue, Mar 02, 2010 @ 02:05 PM
What is Drayage? The cost to have your exhibit materials moved from the loading dock to your booth and then back again after the show.
How is Drayage calculated? Drayage is charged by the hundredweight. Check your show manual for drayage cost (cwt), divide the weight of your freight by 100 pounds, and then multiply by the (cwt). Example: 2,000 lbs – 100 lbs x $50 (cwt) = $1,000.
Tips to reduce the drayage and shipping costs;
- Consider buying or renting a new exhibit.
Today’s custom and modular exhibits are lighter than in the past.
Your designers help you choose an exhibit specifically designed to meet your trade show goals.
- Understand your Exhibitor Service Manual.
Your Account Managers should help you to understand your show service manual, complete forms, and identify cost saving measures.
- Consolidate your shipments.
Drayage is based on 100 lbs with minimums, send all your freight as one shipment. Small boxes and uncrated items should be sent on shrink-wrapped pallets.
You can utilize carriers that specialize in trade show freight which provide personalized service and special handling for delicate equipment.
- Store your booth closer to the show sites.
Find an exhibit house that has
multiple storage facilities across the country that will maintain your freight and ship it to each of your shows.
5. Review your freight bill.
Keeping accurate records of certified pieces and weights, tracking numbers, and carrier names will help you to determine that you have been charged correctly.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask us as TMG Exhibits.
Posted by Peter Moran on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 01:16 PM
As most exhibitors know, there are several types of electronic lead retrieval systems available to them at different shows. The question now arises, which one should you use in your trade show exhibit? Well, it depends on your objectives and exhibit follow-up strategy.
Lets look at three basic electronic lead retrieval systems.
1st A very popular system is a hand held scanner that simply scans the attendees badge. The information associated with that attendee’s barcode is then captured.
No other information can be recorded.
2nd There is another version of the hand held scanner that allows the exhibitor to program in qualifying questions, which will help rate the lead. The leads are then separated by this rating system, which allows the exhibitors marketing and sales team to have a more effective follow-up. They are able to contact the “hot” leads first and provide them with the information they were interested in. This will hopefully help the conversions from leads to sales.
3rd There is a scan and print system. With this system, your sales reps have to take the leads badge out of their holder. They have to then walk over to lead retrieval machine and put the badge into the machine.
The system then captures the information electronically, but also prints out a piece of paper with the leads information on it. This system also allows the exhibitor to program qualifying questions to help rate the leads for follow-up.
Each one of these scanners has its pros and cons. As mentioned above, your decision on which scanner to use should be based on your objectives and follow-up strategy. The handheld scanners were created for speed and convenience, but limits the information gathered for effective follow-up.
Use the 1st scanner mentioned if your objective is to simply build a data base and scan as many badges as possible. With this objective you do not need to ask any qualifying questions or want to separate the leads for more strategic follow-up.
Use the 2nd scanner mentioned if your objective is to capture leads quickly and qualify the lead with just a few basic questions. There are two scenarios where this type of scanner would most likely be used. The first is that the exhibitor has more than one product and by asking qualifying questions they are able to send the appropriate information to them. The second is that the leads would be given to sales reps not present at the show. This occurs when leads are divided up and given out to the regions sales reps.
By qualifying the lead, it gives the sale reps a little background of how hot the lead is and what they are interested in. However, the danger on this is that because the sales reps did not speak to these individuals and have no relationship, they feel as though it is a cold lead and do not follow-up with them.
The 3rd scanner mentioned seems as though it is inconvenient, but it is often times the best option and most recommended. This system requires the sales rep to take the leads badge out of their holder.
The benefit to this is that the lead can’t go anywhere without their badge. Also, because it is inconvenient, if a lead allows you to scan their badge, this shows that they have some sort of interest in what you do (given they aren’t just trying to get a free ipod you are giving away).
This system also allows you to program in a few qualifying questions. More importantly this system prints out a piece of paper that your reps can make specific notes on about the lead that can be used for follow-up. This can help your sales reps feel as though it is a stronger lead and worth following up on.
Summary, if you are going for quantity over quality the handheld scanners are fine. If you would like to record more person information to each of your trade show leads, which would result in better follow-up, then go with the printout lead retrieval system. If you want both, quantity and quality, you can always have both types in your booth! It all depends on your strategy.
Posted by Peter Moran on Fri, Feb 12, 2010 @ 03:20 PM
= 
?
Companies have been using collateral at trade shows for years as a marketing technique. How effective is this and what is it hurting? Most collateral that is used at a trade show is thrown out.
Why is this? Well, trade show attendees are walking by all of the booths and collecting collateral from the different companies exhibiting.
They take all of this information with the best intention to read it over, but because of busy schedules and large workloads, most of this material is simply thrown out. The only hope is that your collateral stands out among the crowd, which leads to marketing departments spending additional time and money to do so. Also, all of your extra collateral will most likely be thrown out because it will either cost more to ship it back than it would to reproduce it or the material is no longer relevant. The amount of paper thrown out is staggering and is obviously not good for the environment. What does this mean to you? It means that if you use a lot of collateral at your trade shows you are wasting your marketing dollars and hurting the environment.
I’m not saying don’t use any collateral; however use it in a way that is more strategic and effective. Here are some tips on effectively using collateral:
1st Don’t have a large amount of collateral at the show.
Just have a little on hand for very “hot” leads.
2nd If a lead asks for any marketing material, explain to them that your company has eliminated a lot of trade show collateral because so much was thrown away, and the company wanted to be more eco-friendly.
3rd Explain to the lead that you will be sending the requested information to them through email and direct mail. This way they don’t have to carry more stuff and you will follow-up with them to make sure they got the information the wanted and answer any questions. “Is that ok?” This qualifies the lead, provides you with contact information, and allows you to set up a follow-up phone call.
4th Record the person’s information and what they would like to learn more about. Make sure you verify all of the information.
What does this mean for you? You are sending specific information to qualified trade show leads instead of just wasting money one useless collateral.
For more helpful trade show marketing advice, contact www.TMGExhibits.com
Posted by Peter Moran on Fri, Feb 12, 2010 @ 11:06 AM
& 
As we finish the spring trade show season, take the to think about a few things before we enter the fall trade show season. Are you maximizing your trade show INVESTMENT? As you can see, the key word here is investment. All too often companies do not have a significant return on their trade show exhibit
investment. Why? Because they neglect to create a proper trade show exhibit strategy, which results in their trade shows becoming just a huge expense rather than a giant profit center. Here are three tips to help you with your strategy and help maximize your trade show return on investment.
1. Set goals & expectations:
Over the years as a trade show consultant, I have found that many companies go into exhibiting at trade show blindly, with little to no goals or expectations. Exhibiting merely for market visibility and because other companies are exhibiting, are not acceptable answers. The most important goal or expectation you should set pertains to qualified leads at the show. What type of person do you want to meet at the show and how many you should be able to stop? To answer this, create a lead criteria, so that you and your staff members understand what constitutes a QUALIFIED lead. After this, find out from the show organizers, how many of these leads will be attending the show or have in the past. This will give you two things. 1. It will provide you the information needed to justify whether or not you should exhibit at the show. 2. It will give you an idea of how many potential leads there are, which gives you something to measure your results up against.
Note: Although in this economy trade show attendance is down, the attendees that do go to the shows are more qualified. This is because they are doing something right by being able to attend, and are most likely looking for opportunities.
2. Booth Attraction:
Once you have chosen the right trade show to exhibit at and determined how many qualified leads you would like to generate at the show, a new question arises. How do we get them in the booth? There are lead generators
who specialize in attracting people to a booth; most typical are the booth models. Another option that is often used is the raffle, “Drop your card in the fishbowl for your chance to win!” Both of these methods can be effective or they can be another way to WASTE money. The reason they can be a waste of money is because they may not be attracting the right people. You don’t want to waste your time following up on unqualified leads. Two ways to make sure they are effective for you: 1. If you choose to use a lead generator, make sure they are good and do more than just attract people. A good lead generator
will become educated on your business and what determines a qualified lead for you. This will allow them to filter through only the qualified leads to you. 2. If you use a raffle, raffle off something that only your qualified leads would want. This could be a product or maybe a discount on a product or service you offer? This way you know that anyone who enters the raffle is interested in your product, thus a qualified lead.
3. Booth Layout:
Your booth layout can attract or repel people. Have your booth laid out in a way that is open and inviting. If you have a table, put it in the back or on the side of the booth, never in the front as it can act as a barrier. Make sure your messaging in your booth is extremely clear and quickly sums up what you do. The messaging should also appeal to those qualified leads walking the isle. Avoid chairs in the booth
because you don’t want your staff to use them. I understand working the trade show floor and standing for an extended period of time, but if you staff sits down, attendees are less likely to approach them.
Tip: In order to help with the comfort of spending a day on your feet, double up your socks, use the shoe gels for padding, and take a couple advil before the show. I have found these help.
Recap:
Don’t settle for “it was a good show because it paid for itself!” Maximize your Investment.
How? Set Expectations & create strategy on how you are going to reach them.
Happy exhibiting.
Posted by Peter Moran on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 08:10 AM
Recently Exhibitor Magazine put out a Social Media Marketing survey, which surveyed almost 8,000 trade show exhibitors. This survey was conducted because of the large social media boom in the business world. In fact, facebook alone grew by 42 million people from January and July of 2009. With this large growth, the trade show and event world is keeping a close eye on social media marketing and deciding what it means to them.
Although a few companies that have utilized social media in the exhibit and event world, many of them are waiting to see if social media is just a fad or if it will result in a revolutionary change to trade show and event world. The survey showed that over two-thirds of the respondents have used social media sites as part of their marketing strategies for trade shows and events. Those who have utilized social media have reported an increase in brand awareness and enriched the relationships with their clients, increased booth traffic and even an increase in sales. In fact, 58% of respondents of the survey believe that social media has moderate potential for exhibit and event marketing. 90% of the respondents insisted that social media has unlimited potential in the face-to-face marketing events. Of the different types of social media, the two channels that show the most potential with trade shows and events are
Facebook and Twitter. Even with exhibit and event professionals admitting that social media could be very beneficial, only 31% of the respondents claimed that they have effectively used social media with exhibit marketing and only 24% of them have used it effectively with event marketing.
What is the biggest hurdle for companies when it comes to using social media with their events and trade show exhibits? In one word, TIME! The companies lack the time that is needed to effectively use social media as part of their event and exhibit marketing campaigns. This is why so many companies are starting to outsource this service to agencies that specialize in how to use social media in the trade show and event world. This will most likely continue to be the trend until it is determined if social media is here to stay.
Do you think social media is here to stay? If so, how will it affect the trade show exhibit and event world?
If you want to view the results of the survey visit: www.ExhibitorWebLinks.com.
Posted by Peter Moran on Tue, Jan 19, 2010 @ 02:00 PM
(image is not same as mentioned in blog)
The other week I was at a trade show with one of our client who was exhibiting. As I walked around this show looking at different exhibitor strategies I had an experience that I think every trade show exhibitor should hear and think about.
I stopped at one exhibit booth that had a trade show model to see the company’s strategy on using the booth model. We had some brief small talk and we took a picture using a “beach back drop.”
All the while I was waiting for her to ask me, “What do you do?” or “Do you use these services?” or “let me introduce you to one of our sales reps.” IT NEVER HAPPENED! I wasn’t even approached by one of the sales reps in their exhibit booth.
I asked the model what the company did, and she had no idea! She just laughed and said, “I don’t know what they do, but those are the sales guys over there (she pointed to the huddled sales reps on the other side of the booth)! “They could tell you what we do,” she said. There was a pause and I simply walked away. What a waste of marketing dollars!
Is having a trade show exhibit booth model or “booth babe” as some call it an effective approach to trade show lead generation? YES! You can get a very good return on certain “lead generators”
whether it be, models or other types of talent. However, when a lead generator, such as the booth model in this case, doesn’t have a purpose or a system in place, it is just a giant waste of money.
Five tips to ensure a Trade Show Booth Lead Generator (exhibit model or other talent) is part of an effective lead generation strategy.
- The lead generator should know what the company does. They don’t need to have detailed specifics, but they need to have a general understanding.
- They need to know the elevator pitch.
- Have them ask the attendee what they are do and if they use what the company offers.
- The sales reps should be on alert and watching the lead generator when they are interacting with a potential lead, slowly move over and listen in for a jump-in point.
- If the sales reps are busy, the lead generator should walk the person into the booth to gain their contact info or hand them information on the company. During this time hopefully a sales rep will free up so they can come over and answer questions.
Posted by Peter Moran on Fri, Jan 15, 2010 @ 03:20 PM
Recently I was at the Adtech trade show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City with "Idea Launch," one of our new clients. While walking the show floor I noticed two very important things that all exhibitors should know!
1st
There were quite a few people in the isles. It was easy to notice that attendance was up! This is a good sign to exhibitors as it shows that companies are starting to spend money and allowing their staff to attend trade shows. Also, it is a positive sign to the economy because the companies are loosening their money belts to not only attend trade shows, but are looking to start buying again.
2nd
When walking the isles checking out the different booths not only to see what the companies did, but also what their trade show strategies entailed. While doing this I ran into quite a few exhibit booth models.
Companies’ will uses these trade show booth models to attract attendees to their booth, with hope that an increase of booth traffic leads to more leads and in turn more business. This is also a good sign in the exhibit world as it shows that companies are also spending additional marketing dollars on these trade show booth models.
Has anyone else started to see this at any other trade shows?
Posted by Peter Moran on Tue, Dec 01, 2009 @ 07:52 AM
Exhibiting at an international show can be a little tricky. That's why we want to give you 3 tips to put you on the road to a success! To ensure an effective and efficient international trade show display, remember:
- Business Cards – should be printed on both sides, one side with a translation in the language of the targeted market. Be sure to research and understand the host country’s customs and business etiquette practices before having the cards printed.
- Literature – Customers at international shows avoid taking excess paper. Attendees prefer to have literature sent to their place of business instead.
- Exhibit Display Items
– Avoid creating clutter in your booth. It is not necessary to bring “everything but the kitchen sink” to the show. Limit your display items to new products and core products only.
Posted by Peter Moran on Fri, Nov 13, 2009 @ 01:39 PM
Inbound marketing is all the rage right now, however not everyone is taking advantage of it's usefullness, especially when it comes to following up on trade show leads.
Inbound
marketing then uses social media to then stay connected to these qualified
leads. Those that find your
content to be of value will want to stay connected to you in hope they will get
more valuable content. This is why
they follow your blogs and twitter.
At a trade show you may meet a qualified lead that is not intersted in your service right now, however they might need your service in a month or a year. Sales personell can not follow and stay in contact with all of these leads, nor does this lead want the sale person to hound them. This is where using inbound marketing and social networking outlets can be applied to trade show lead follow-up strategy. Your follow-up emails should include an
invitation to follow your company on twitter, or your blogs, or facebook etc, for
them receive more information of value, such as tips.
In addition to this, your company can stay in contact with them so that
even if they are not interested now, you will stay in-touch with them for
potential business in the future.
This is just one way you can use social media and inbound marketing as part of your trade show follow-up strategy. I hope this gets you thinking of ways
to get better results out of your trade show exhibiting experience. If you do find this information to be
of value, follow us!
Posted by Peter Moran on Fri, Nov 13, 2009 @ 01:03 PM
I just went to
an American Marketing Association Boston event yesterday on the importance of
inbound marketing for companies.
It was said that the idea behind inbound marketing is to put out rich
content that your qualified leads would be interested in. This content is then put out through
different channels of distribution such as your website, blog, facebook page,
linkedin page, and short snips of this content on twitter. The more rich and relevant the content
is, the more valuable you appear to be to search engines as well as your
potential clients. In doing so,
this helps your search engine optimization, which allows these qualified leads
to find you over your competition and for you to stay in contact with these
leads.
Hearing some of
the comments from the inbound marketing experts got me thinking about how this
can be applied to trade shows.
Your exhibit booth should follow many of these same guidelines.
1. Clearly convey your message to attract
people interested in what you do.
All too often I
have walked trade show floors, looking at booths with absolutely no idea what
they did. Now I’m not saying you
should have a paragraph of information on your booth walls, but you do need to
come up with a clear and simple way to convey exactly what you do to the
qualified attendees in under three seconds.
2. Inbound marketing relies on the value
of your content specific to your qualified leads. In this process it filters through all of the people on the
web and connects you to those interested in what you do. At a trade show, exhibitors give away
things of value to the attendees, but all too often what the exhibitors give
away are not filtering through all of the attendees to find those interested in
your services. Who is interested
in getting an ipod? Everyone! An ipod giveaway does not qualify any
of these leads; however, if you give away something of specific value to your qualified
leads, such as an extended trial of your services or helpful tips, it will help
attract your qualified leads.