blog

Am I Important?

Mon, 09 May 2011 08:46:34 +0100

Staff is one of the largest financial commitments for a business and also one of the most important.

People can make or break a business so how do you keep good employees.

It's not brain surgery people just want to feel like they are important and valued.

Give a little to achieve a lot.

Sometimes it can be a compliment or a morning tea shout or maybe some team building for fun but also consider the on going benefits you gain from team development.

Time focused on the needs of your employees to achieve results for your business ... the perfect synergy.

No matter what you decide you don't need to spend a lot to achieve a lot.

Get It Right Or Forget It

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:57:45 +0100

How many exhibits do you remember after walking away from a conference or exhibition?

What are the things you remember long term?

Research shows that we remember feelings or emotions about things we consider important much longer than we do anything else yet, on show stands companies keep trying to appeal to visitors with logic.

Try this example:

1) You go for a walk on a sunny day along the beach.

Would you decide to drop what you are doing and get involved?
How do you feel, can you picture yourself there seeing, hearing and experiencing those sights and sounds?

2 ) You go for a walk, the warmth on your skin so soothing, relaxing, sand squeezing between your toes as with each step you take in the smells of the salty sea. You close your eyes to listen to the squawk of seagulls and playful laughter of children running in and out of the shallow waves.

Would you decide to drop what you are doing and get involved?
How do you feel, can you picture yourself there seeing, hearing and experiencing those sights and sounds?

How did #1 appeal to you compared to #2?

Both statements say the same thing. Example #1 used a logical to the point statement which was 100% correct but didn't get any sort of investment from you. Example #2 uses emotion, and in case you missed it never actually said you were on the beach or that it was a sunny day but I bet that's where you were and what you were picturing.

Creating a memorable emotionally invested experience for the show visitor is important.

Tip #2: The Right Signage
Just sticking up a brand or logo, product information or benefits is not going to "Get it Right" if you want people to remember you.

Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience, what question or piece of information is going to grab them.
Make it relevant to your product or service but it doesn't always have to be about your product or service.
Pick one key message and don't clutter the stand with words.

If everyone knows who you are why tell them again. Give them a reason to stop and talk to you.

If I still have your attention one last parting thought .... Get this right and you are off to a good start.

Take Control of Your Exhibit Experience

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:14:05 +0100

Are you the sort of person that expects others to do all the work?

Well, ... if you are you might want to re-think exhibiting otherwise read on to get some helpful tips.

Your exhibition or conference organiser has got a lot of work to do to put together a successful event so, you need to make sure it turns out to be everything you expect.

Tip #1: Getting visitors to your stand
Take some responsibility and tell people. The organiser will have a marketing plan to reach the targeted audience to attend the show however, what they can't do is promote each exhibitor individually. So, what can you do?

Send invitations to people you specifically want to come to your stand.
Integrate show information into your advertising leading up to the show.
Consider other promotional opportunities you may not normally use. As they say ... "Think outside the square"

Tell visitors where you are and why they need to see you.

Put in the preparation and rely on yourself and your team to make sure you have a great exhibiting experience.

Good luck for 2011

We have to be there, all our competition is ...

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 04:49:22 +0100

If this is you, and you don't have a plan, you may as well flush your marketing dollars down the toilet.

Trade shows are one of the best sales & marketing tools available.

Targeted audience
Opportunity
Face to face
100's to 1000's of people ready to buy

"But we have to be there" is something I hear a lot when companies take part in trade shows because their competition is there and for no other reason.

You feel the industry expects you to have a presence but you don't see it as a challenge to do better, rather as a chore to get over as soon as possible and this reflects in the staff representing you.

The challenge is to figure out what YOU want out of the show and become a strategic exhibitor so you can run circles around the competition.

Flush your money away or, use trade shows as an opportunity - Go for it .....

Which Show Should I Exhibit At?

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 08:05:46 +0100

I've been having a real block for what to write lately so I remembered what someone said to me a while back ... "if you get stuck go back to basics."

When you are making the decision about which exhibitions or conferences to attend over the next year consider this ...

You make the decision.
You are given information to make an informed decision.
You have opportunity to research independently before making a commitment.

Tips and things to look out for:

"The organiser didn't target the right people" ...
Sometimes, more so with new shows, the organiser can want to target a particular audience and advertises to capture them but ends up getting a slightly different demographic.
Don't always take the information in a show prospectus as gospel.
Research, ask past exhibitors or attend the show before committing the following year.

Most of all make sure your decision is based on who you need to target and don't get excited about the prospect of possible new business from a demographic you have not tested or researched, you could end up falling flat on your face and being out of pocket to boot.

It's up to you to pick the exhibition or conferences that are going to help you succeed.

On the other hand taking a risk now and then can really pay off.
If you decide on this course make sure you have a strategy. Be prepared, focus and follow through.

Happy exhibiting

Focus in 3 seconds

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:06:39 +0100

What can you focus on in 3 seconds?

How much information can you take in?

and... What decisions will you make based on what you see & understand in 3 seconds?

Try this next time you are in the supermarket or the mall ... look up the aisle and see in 3 seconds how much you can remember seeing once you look away(words, pictures, colours etc...). Was there anything in particular that caught your eye and what it was?

At exhibitions & conferences you only have 3 seconds for a visitor to pick you out of the clutter and make the dicision to stop at your stand.

Most exhibitors focus on the logistics of the event, for example, ensuring their stand is bought or hired, that the staff are booked, that the products are ready etc …

Don’t stay a logistics exhibitor who just does the obvious…

Become a Strategic Exhibitor…

Becoming a strategic exhibitor is easy, just stay focused and follow a plan, that’s everything required to make your show a success.

Strategic exhibitors realise that there are many important tasks, that whilst not seeming urgent right now are, absolutely critical to the show’s success. They look at the bigger picture, more than just the fine details.

So why aren’t more exhibitors strategic?

There are many reasons, but the most common is that, probably, no one has ever shown you how.

How do I become a Strategic Exhibitor?

Small or big business, it doesn’t matter what size your company is or how many employees you have …

Strategy is about your approach and the tactics you are going to use to achieve a result.

Rugby and Exhibitor Strategies

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:57:23 +0100

The vast majority of exhibitors book a show because their competitor does or because they are expected to be there. They may not know who really goes, they don’t know what image to portray, they may not have even thought about what products or services to display, it can all be a bit of an empty playing field!

Paying good money and then turning up at your show without objectives is like playing rugby without knowing who is on what side or in what position and of course you’ll never know if your team won or lost!

Become a Strategic Exhibitor…

If you do nothing else begin with these two things;

Set objectives or goals for the show
Stay focused by creating and following a check list

Being temporary is different from looking temporary

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:26:43 +0100

So ... what's the difference?

An exhibition or trade stand can be quite an investment once you add everything up, would you rather look like the Mona Lisa on canvas or a scribble on paper?

Staying with art analogies, a stand should be like a temporary tattoo, it looks like the real thing.

So what do you think about roll-up banners as signage on a stand?

It's my blog so here's what I think .... yuk

Roll-up portable banners have there place it's just that exhibition and conference stand are not it.

They break all the stand signage rules when it comes to text for a start.
1) No wording below the knee
2) Preferable no wording below 1mtr
3) Less is better when it comes to text

If you've been reading my blogs or web page content you know you have under 3 seconds to get your key message across to visitors. How many words can you read in 3 seconds?

I know roll-up banners can be purchased very cheaply these days but please, ...
Worst case - get a graphic designer that understands the exhibition & conference environment or, ...
Best case - don't use them at all, there are so many products available now that are easy for you to install and look a million times better on a show stand.

If you want to know what's available I'm happy to make suggestions and point you in the right direction.

Remember you only have one chance at a first impression.

Survival 101 For Your Show Build Day

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:03:20 +0100

What to take? Have you been to an exhibition or conference build previously or is it your first time?

Think like MacGyver ... Be like MacGyver ...

Essential items ....
Velcro - hook, loop, strip and dots.
Wall stapler, staples and staple removers(in my case a pair of pliers).
Sissors.
Cable ties.
Black marker.
Cleaning cloths - multipurpose cleaner, and glass cleaner.

I always take the same bag with me to every build I go to, fully stocked and ready for any occasion. On top of the above I also carry ....
Fabric tape or Gaffa tape as you may know it by. I carry silver, black, red, blue and white at all times.
Electric drill, drill bits and 2 different lengths of screws.
Craft knife.
Microfiber cloths.
Phillips & square-head screwdrivers.
Measuring tape.
2 different sizes of plastic shrink wrap.
Rubber bungs.
Hammer.
Alien Keys
Pens and calculator
... and my most important item of all ... my little green book with all my contacts.

Over the years the number of times I've been saved by my site kit or been able to help someone else in need I can't count. You can never be to prepared when you are away from your usual base of operations.

So go small and compact or prepared for anything either way "Trust me I know about this stuff" (MacGyver quote)

... The Big Feet are Back

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:34:57 +0100

I was amazed at how deep down into the rabbit hole being sustainable and 'Green' can take you. I'm saving the planet one plastic bag at a time and every little bit does help but WOW.

I discovered that asking the question "how can my clients contribute to reducing their carbon footprint" was a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string."

Every business is different and so therefore every answer is different but if you want to there are people who will evaluate the life cycle of your products ie. Where do all the components come from to make your product, do those producers have sustainable practices, what is the waste from the production, where does that go etc, etc, etc... the detail can be incredible, and yes there are people already doing this.

For events the first time is about observing and evaluating to create a plan for the following event that will work for both the organisers, exhibitors and visitors. A great example is the Oxfam Trailwalker NZ (http://www.oxfam.org.nz/oxfam_trailwalker), where organisers have been working with 'Get Instep' (www.getinstep.org) with really measurable results through a plan to educate attendees and visitors on rubbish disposal, amongst other things.

What I found out for myself is to be more aware of companies policies and make sure any recommendations or advise I give for product fits with there philosophies.

Being 'Green' is here to stay so find out about how it can work for you without being a hurdle in running your event or business.