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| Susan Friedmann |
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Fighting The Fear
Exhibiting in economically turbulent times is problematic. Yet the challenge may not lie exactly where you think it does.
It's not the falling Dow Jones that's the problem. It's not the S&P, nor the price of oil. It's not even the constant reiteration that we're headed into the Great Depression II.
No. The problem instead lies in the resultant consumer confidence crisis. People -- both on an organizational and individual level -- are afraid to buy. The constant bad news has created
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| Lydia Ramsey |
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Trade Show Etiquette - Free Mints and First Impressions
Trade shows are big business today and you probably already have a number of invitations from upcoming conferences asking if you would be interested in renting space to hawk your wares.
Over the years I have resisted these invitations. They require money and manpower and the return on investment may or may not be there. In these difficult times vendors are looking at their budgets and struggling with that decision. Obviously, you can't grow your business unless you are in front of potential custo ...
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| Barry Siskind |
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Trade Show Survival Tips
I recently had the opportunity of moderating a panel of experts at the Eastern Canada chapter of the Trade Show Exhibitors Association. The panel members covered four areas of the exhibition industry; a show manager, a display builder, a shipper and a show contractor. Each spoke on how to ride out the current economic uncertainly from their perspective.
We started by asking the audience for a show of hands on how many would be cutting back on their exhibit expense, how many would be maintainin
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| Susan Friedmann |
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Who Put All These Trees in the Forest?
Making Pre-show Promotion Stand Out!
There's a lot of pressure on marketing departments today: a tightening economy and increasingly competitive environment means that every promotional effort must generate a positive return. Every decision has to be viewed critically, and that includes the decision to participate in tradeshows.
Show participation must, for many exhibitors, generate a positive, demonstrable ROI if exhibiting is to remain a viable part of the marketing strategy. This means taki
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| Barry Siskind |
The Good News about Bad Times
If you have ever attended the world’s biggest car show in Detroit you were undoubtedly overwhelmed by the orgy of extravagant car promotions, wild stunts, spare-no-expense promotions and the best of what you would expect from an industry prepared to spend over $100 million to introduce their newest models.
This year it was different. Opulence was replaced by austerity. A struggling industry was now exhibiting to the bare bones. Some companies like Nissan pulled out completely.
Yes, it’s true that when times are tough we all need to tighten our belts a notch or two and yet when times are good we seem to forget the basics and throw gobs of money into the air hoping for some sort of a return.
This year’s Detroit show is a direct reflection of the global financial scene. But sometimes rolling back isn’t a bad thing. When all your energy goes into creating too much glitz and glamour, often the question, “Am I getting a return for the investment in all this excess” is not asked.
So, in the difficult times we are simply forced to take a serious look at what we are doing and focus our attention on finding exhibit practices that make sense.
We can all learn from the automobile industry. While the current recession will affect us all, some will feel it more than others. There are challenges and opportunities for those forced to relook at their exhibiting practices because of shrinking budgets. For those who are still doing well and spending without regard to a return, this economy is a reminder that your good times may not always be there.
The economy is cyclical so rather than waiting for the economic hammer to land on your trade show budget take a serious look at what you are doing now. Does it make sense? Are you getting a positive return on your show investment? Could you get the same return or better if you made some changes? These are the gut wrenching questions that savvy marketers mull over constantly. They don’t wait until the market forces them to address these questions; they act proactively so that when economic times shift, the landing is much softer.
No matter what the size of your company the same principles apply. Whether you are managing a budget that is as little as a few thousand dollars or millions, the need to focus on your return on investment is paramount.
Here are some of the questions you should be asking now.
• Is my exhibit schedule of shows still relevant?
• What have you learned from your previous show participation?
• Do I know what my return on investment is for each show?
• Do I set specific, focused and measurable objectives for each show?
• How will cost cutting effect my exhibit program?
• Have I worked with my show organizer to find cost savings and return enhancement ideas?
• Is my staff getting weary implementing our show schedule?
• Is my booth hardware up-to-date?
• Does my booth staff fall into negative behaviors because of the long hours of a show?
• Do I have senior management commitment to our exhibit program?
• What will be doing differently?
The list can go on but you get the point. This current economic downturn will turn again. If you want to be well prepared to deal with the good times then use the bad times as your opportunity to fix your exhibit program. ...
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