10 things Every Rookie Should Know About Trade Shows (Part 2)

Well, it didn't take long for me to discover the source of these excellent points. Mike Thimmesch of Skyline Exhibits had blogged about them  here. They're still as relevant as when I first read them. I'm especially fond of point #6 -- so true.



6.  Everybody wants to help you pick the exhibit color. No one wants to help you track the leads.  When it comes to exhibit design, everyone has an opinion. And in the time leading up to the show, they will all clamor to offer their ideas, making it harder to get the booth built on time without rush charges. Yet after the show, you will have a harder time getting similar participation in tracking the leads from the show – ostensibly the reason you designed your exhibit in the first place. Remind your colleagues that if you can’t prove the results from this year’s show, you won’t be exhibiting at the show next year.


7.  The 10 minutes after the show closes is when most damage happens to your exhibit materials.  The show ends with a voice booming over the loudspeakers saying, “The show is closed, see you next year.” But to impatient booth staffers, it’s as if they had actually shouted, “Drivers, start your engines!” Booth staffers hurry to win the race to the taxi stand, hotel, bar, restaurant, or parking lot. And if you have a portable display that your booth staffers pack up, this is when they break it, by shoving it in its case as fast as they can. Close that expensive window of time by getting a more durable display, getting better packaging, or just by having a frank conversation with your staffers before the closing bell. Or, if you’re the one who wants to win the race, take a deep breath and slow down before you make a costly mistake.

8.  Drayage is the most expensive way to move your exhibit the shortest distance.  As a trade show rookie, one of the biggest surprises is that you have to pay to have your exhibit moved from the shipping dock to your booth space. Even more shocking is just how much you’ll have to pay — about the same to move something across a convention center as it does to ship it across country. Drayage rates have risen by double-digit percentages in some of the last few years, probably because more exhibitors switched to lighter weight exhibits. To offset the lower weight of exhibit properties, drayage charges per pound have increased. If your exhibit is still made the old-fashioned way, it’s a double-whammy.

9.  It’s hard for booth staffers to take their very first lead at a trade show.  In our lives we go though various rites of passage: learning to ride a bike, going to your first day of school, getting a date to the prom. While all of these have been immortalized in film, no movie has yet to bring to the silver screen the epic tale of a first-time booth staffer engaging and writing up their first trade show lead. What would yours have been, a horror film? A comedy? A tragedy? Whatever kind of movie it would be, it would also be a drama, because you’re filled with nervous energy as you go out and ask a perfect stranger face to face if they’d like to do business with your company. Just remember that your booth visitors actually paid to visit the show, and many are shopping for solutions to their problems that your products can solve. Practice the process of engage, qualify, present, and close, and you’ll be more comfortable taking your first lead.

10.  Trade shows can be addictive.  With the hard work, long hours, and time away from home, some people can’t wait to return from their trade show. But for others, trade shows are a calling.  They get jazzed by the performance aspect, the blitz of direct client contact, and the relationships built before and during the show. They like the ability to create a successful marketing program in a medium built upon the value of face-to-face interactions. And that’s when trade shows really become addictive: when you master the medium and drive serious revenue to your company’s bottom line.


I'm sure there's many other things we all wished we knew when we started out. What are some of your favorite bits of wisdom we can pass along to those who will follow?


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Bob's Best Bites
The Lighthouse. That's what "El Faro" translates to. And frankly, it's best burrito I've ever had. Period. the original location is on Folsom St., between 19th & 20th St's., in San Francisco's Mission District. And it's still the very best. The Carne Asada Super Burrito is so massive it dwarfs your forearm. And inside is perfectly seasoned and roasted carne asada with just the right touch of guacamole added to enhance the rich smoky flavor. I've been coming here since the early sixties, because my Dad worked just a block away, and whenever we'd go into the city to meet him, we'd stop and get burritos from El Faro. Most of the side items you'd pay for at other burrito joints (sour cream, guacamole, etc. ) are already included in their offerings, so be sure to ask what's inside, and get exactly the stuff you want. el Faro is truly a lighthouse and beacon to burrito lovers the world over. Stop by and prove me wrong.


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