A Winning Experience | Promotional Consultant

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A Winning Experience
By: Cassandra Johnson
Issue: January/Expo 2010

Prepare, Endure, Survive—Tips To Make The Most Of Your Tradeshow Experience

Two tribes. A distant location. It might sound like “Survivor,” the popular reality television show that tests the endurance of contestants stranded on a remote island. But we’re talking about tribes of a different kind—exhibitors and attendees.

It takes the right instincts and experience for these survivors to thrive in one of the toughest habitats in the business world—the tradeshow. Promotional Consultant asked a few industry veterans, and outside industry tradeshow warriors, what they view as the crucial elements for survival when it comes to attending tradeshows. Here’s what they shared. Perhaps you can find a few tips to help you traverse the tradeshow jungle.

Pre-Show Preparation
“Tradeshows mean business,” says Teresa Moisant, MAS, with Oklahoma City-based distributor Moisant Promotional Products (UPIC: MOISANT1). In fact, tradeshows are a crucial element in the sales process, and now make up a $119 billion industry, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). To be a true competitor in the tradeshow world, it first takes a great deal of preparation, including both physical and mental training.
Cathy Corbell with Miami-based supplier Bullet Line, LLC (UPIC: BULLET) attends multiple regional and national shows every year. With this rigorous schedule, she gets physically fit for the show seasons.

“When I’m preparing for a series of tradeshows, I start with some light weight-training at least three months prior to the show. Plus, I walk three miles at least three times a week.”
As far as mental preparation, Eric Fidler, vice president of sales and marketing for Dallas-based Campbell Contract, a furniture manufacturer, suggests making a list of what you want to accomplish. “Whether you are an exhibitor or an attendee, have a plan to measure your success,” he says.

Endurance Tips From The Pros
• Pre-register.“Registering at the tradeshow can waste valuable time,” says Fidler. “Also get an advanced copy of the show guide so you can map out where you spend your time.” Registering for The Expo is easy. Just click here.

• Pre-set appointments. Patricia Dugan, vice president of sales and marketing for Attleboro Falls, Massachusetts-based supplier Budgetcard, Inc. (UPIC: BUDGET), likes to pre-set what she calls “adventures” where she spends after-show hours with customers. She also sets up breakfast meetings and makes sure exhibitor booth orders have been taken care of and show shipments are sent on time. Dugan even prepares pre-written thank-you letters and samples ahead of time so requests can be filled at the show.

• Organize your contacts. Moisant creates what she calls a show book. “It’s a 5x7-inch notebook where I list the products I’m interested in by catalog, a list of the suppliers and a list of what my customers are looking for.” This year, planning and organizing is even easier with Expo PlanIt. And, it’s free to attendees.

What To Pack: The Essentials
What you actually bring to a show can also make a big difference. All of our tradeshow warriors agreed on these essentials:

• Comfy shoes. Treat your feet and wear comfortable shoes. “No heels and no platform shoes,” emphasizes Corbell. “I also buy gel soles to put in my shoes.”

• Tote bags and carts. Bags are another essential tool, and Moisant has this down to a science. “You should always carry a cart,” says Moisant. “I have an upright cart that was engineered by my husband. It doesn’t take as much room and is easier to get down the aisles.” Moisant’s cart has a 24-inch mesh pocket where she can put catalogs and other stuff. It also has pockets on the bag. In one she carries her business cards, and in the other pens, mints and aspirin.

When using tote bags or carts, be mindful of other exhibitors in the aisles, and don’t forget PPAI’s Package Mail and Valet Service, both can cut down on what you have to carry around—and are an easy and convenient way to ship catalogs and product samples home. Both service booths are located on Level Two of the Mandalay Bay Ballroom, and the Valet Service has drop-off locations on the show floor.

• The toolkit. A small toolkit loaded with essentials is imperative to getting through tradeshows, according to these survivors. Tradeshow warrior Jon Nesbit, who attends eight to 10 tradeshows a year for the building industry, has one word of advice when it comes to the tradeshow toolkit: Velcro®. As the director of national accounts for RMAX, a manufacturer of sheathing products, he’s always prepared for any show environment.

“Velcro always comes in handy. Plus, I have a tablecloth drape, giveaway items, brochures, Exacto® knife, calculator, pens and notepads,” says Nesbit. “Besides the essential tools, I need to arrive knowing which customers have already placed orders and what pre-show specials my competitors are offering.”

• Business cards. Of course, you can’t leave home without business cards, and most attendees and exhibitors have plenty stashed in their pockets. Moisant says, “If a booth is tied up with people and I don’t want to waste time waiting for them to finish, then I just hand them one of my catalog cards. This card is a little bit larger than a business card. It has all of my contact information. Plus it has two blanks—one for the number of catalogs I’m requesting and one for the number of samples I’m requesting. Then I just hand this card to one of the reps in the booth and move on.”

• Other essentials. Mary Ellen Pahlka-Nichols, MAS, director of marketing for Philadelphia-based supplier Bodek and Rhodes (UPIC: ULTRACLB) likes to take items that inspire her. “I always carry a recent picture of my kids with me for two reasons—to remind me why I'm working and to share my pride with all the wonderful people I have met.”

At-The-Show Tips
These tradeshow gurus also couldn’t resist sharing their insiders’ tips for surviving the show floor.

• Eat a healthy breakfast. All agreed that eating a good breakfast is important, plus as Dugan suggests, “stash some energy bars in your bag.” This way, you don’t have to waste time standing in line for food.

• Get plenty of rest. “Wisdom comes with age; therefore, I no longer burn the candle at both ends while at tradeshows,” continues Dugan. In other words, go to bed early and get plenty of rest.

• Don’t try to see every booth. Moisant’s strategy for tackling the booths begins by starting in the middle of the show floor. “That way I’m not fighting the crowds,” she says.

• Be strategic. “A lot of people will go up to a booth and say ‘What’s New?’ People get too focused on what’s new,” says Moisant. “Instead, I always ask ‘What are your best sellers?’ Sometimes suppliers aren’t prepared to back up their orders for the new items.

• Take notes. “Take a tape recorder. Talk into it and take verbal notes. This will go a long way when you return to the office,” says Corbell.
Why do these tradeshow survivors go through all the pain and effort? As we all know from watching Survivor, the last one standing wins! Now, time to change into those comfy shoes.

During her 15 years as marketing communications consultant, Cassandra Johnson has worked many a tradeshow—and survived to tell about it. As a freelance writer, she reports on the latest trends in the promotional products industry, public relations, direct marketing, e-marketing and more. She supports clients in a variety of industries, including promotional products, hospitality, financial services and technology.

(This article was updated and reprinted in part from the November/December 2006 issue of Promotional Consultant magazine.)

Planning Is Key
Before you take the Expo plunge, take a look at Expo PlanIt. A helpful online tool, PlanIt makes organizing your Expo experience a quick and easy process. Just a couple of clicks of the mouse, and before you know it your whole week is planned.

Found on The PPAI Expo website, PlanIt can help you search for exhibitors, search product categories and use keywords as you map out your Expo experience. Through PlanIt you can contact exhibitors, save an exhibitor as a favorite, make notes and then save it all in your profile.

And, the interactive exhibitor floor plan will help you navigate the show floor with ease.

It is all free to Expo attendees. Go to PlanIt and key in your Badge ID number and the password assigned during registration to login. You can find these items on your Registration Confirmation e-mail.