Dynamic Demos: The Dissolve-A-Way Derby

I love great demos. Especially those that accurately tell the brand's story in a fun, interactive, innovative way.

I ran across a great example of this a couple years back at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. The demo was staged in a small (10x20) booth space, tucked away among several larger, more impressive (and expensive) exhibits. Yet, it was constantly full of people, and quickly became a big part of the "buzz" around the Exhibit Hall.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here's a look at the "Dissolve-A-Way Derby".

Participants lined up and shot huge water guns at plastic storage tubs on a wall about 5 feet away. Exactly like the old carnival game where you shoot water guns at the clown's mouth to be the first to pop the balloon. The Dissolve-A-Way Derby's objective: completely obliterate a small label affixed to the storage bin.

Why a small label on a storage bin? (Here's the brilliant part) The company makes an adhesive and paper that will easily dissolve in water, like when washing the bin in a dishwasher. This is a remarkable breakthrough for restaurant owner/operators who must label their product stored in bins like these to assure freshness and proper product usage and rotation. However, as you use the bin over and over, most adhesives will build up an ugly residue, a mixture of adhesive, paper, and grime which takes time and effort to remove, stealing valuable productivity away from other tasks.

This message was delivered exactly and memorably to these participants who had fun at the same time. They also connected the company's message to the fun they used to have as kids at the carnival.

What is the key to coming up with demo this good? I think it starts with a thorough understanding of your product/service and the benefit it delivers.

Another reason this particular demo was so effective: a good number of the trade show attendees were either influencers or buyers of their product. Theirs was not a "find the needle in the haystack" kind of situation.

The next time you see a carnival-type game being deployed in an exhibit, see if the brand message is woven as cleverly and completely as it was done here. Chances are, it will merely be a game for its own sake, attracting mainly sales people from adjoining exhibits.

If you can make your demos as dynamic as the Dissolve-A-Way Derby, you can soak your competition, and soak up some buzz from the Exhibit Hall as well.

TSB

BLOG BONUS: I'm adding a new feature to my blog. At the end of each post, I'll include a little "dessert" under the heading "Bob's Best Bites" about all the great places I've found to eat in the convention cities I've visited (hey, it's my blog, so I get to decide what's good and what isn't, but feel free to argue and comment). I'll link this to the city mentioned in my blog post, if possible. So, here goes ... your first helping of Bob's Best Bites.

Bob's Best Bites

Today's bite is The Wiener Circle in Chicago. That's me sitting at The Wiener Circle in the picture at right. It's located on the north side at about Clark & Wrightwood. It's just one of many Chicago hot dog joints, serving up greasy food with no apologies. Their dogs are done in the traditional Chicago style, with the steamed poppy seed bun, sport peppers, celery salt, and that wonderful neon green relish that looks so completely fake - but is awesome. Their fries are also hand cut from fresh potatoes, and can be smothered in a gooey cheese sauce that gets all over your fingers. However, if you really want to know what sets the Wiener Circle apart from all other hot dog stands, then Google it, and you'll understand why this place is so unique. Bon appetit.

Trade Show Bob can be reached toll free at 1888-9-ASK-TSB.

A Story of Strategy & BBQ

This story is about being strategic. We often hear that term thrown around, and we're often counseled to "be more strategic" in our thinking. Well here's a great example of how to do that.

Back in 2002, I was working for Kerry Ingredients, a large food ingredient manufacturer, when they acquired a small sauce bottling business located in northern Wisconsin. The ultimate end of this acquisition was to "flip the business" by increasing production quickly, then selling the business for a profit. To accomplish this MISSION, our marketing group was charged with promoting our sauces and capabilities at the National BBQ Association trade show in Houston, TX.

We began our process using DISCOVERY to learn as much as we could about (1) the NBBQA, and (2) our newly acquired business.

We quickly learned that BBQ in Texas is something of a religion, and the folks who belong to the NBBQA take it very seriously. We soon realized that we couldn't possibly convince our TARGET that a Wisconsin company knew anything about BBQ sauce, so the prospects of creating bottling projects for our factory seemed very remote.

We also spent some time learning about the CAPABILITIES of our newly acquired factory, interviewing the operations people who ran the plant. We were surprised to see how small the place was. We asked the general manager what kind of projects he usually ran in his facility. He said, "We can't run anything less than 75 gallon batches. We just can't afford to turn the machines on for less than that. And, we usually don't get anything bigger than 500 gallons, because our competitor nearby is much more efficient and they can produce at a lower cost".

By learning about our TARGET and our CAPABILITIES, we quickly understood our POSITION, with alarming clarity. We had to convince proud & fanatical Texas BBQ'ers that we could make great BBQ sauce in Wisconsin, in our little factory with all its limitations.

Here's how we did it:

• We didn't try to sell our own sauce recipes. 
• We played to the attributes of what we knew about our target -- mainly that they all have their own sauce, and they believe theirs is the best ever.
• We offered manufacturing time for their recipes. This overcame the "pride" factor.
• We understood that our mission was to get the factory productive.
• Our company really didn't care whose sauce was being bottled.
• We clearly defined our competitive niche - 75 to 500 gallon runs, and we put this on our graphic.

Bottom line, we got 73 new project leads, which turned into 49 new projects. the factory was at capacity in six months, and sold within the year.

During the show, we even had referrals from our competitor (the big factory down the road) who sent us the small project leads they didn't want. So we also referred larger projects back to them.

Here's a picture of our booth.

As you can see, we spared no expense here. We actually spent less than $500 to pull this off.

The point of this story is this: you don't need big budgets, you don't need fancy tactics, or bells and whistles to have a successful exhibit. Our effort was successful because:

• We understood our mission and objectives
• We learned about our target audience
• We clearly understood our own strengths and weaknesses
• We knew exactly how much equity our brand would carry into the show
• We weren't afraid to narrow our focus to our own advantage
• And most importantly, we found all of this out BEFORE we started executing our exhibit.

This is the essence of strategic thinking. Learning how to think strategically is the key. It will set your exhibits apart from everyone else who simply shows up to the BBQ.

TSB

Toll Free 1-888-9-ASK-TSB

Impressive? - Not Really

This post is dedicated to my good pal and co-conspirator, Eric Borchardt, Marketing Director at Glanbia Nutritionals. This is as much his pet peeve as mine.

Our collaborative background is in the food ingredient manufacturing industry, so we've both attended many shows where food processing companies strut their stuff.

I wish I had a dollar for each time we've run across an exhibit where one of the main graphic images on the exhibit is something similar to the photo below.

A beautiful (and no doubt expensive) aerial photograph of the company's manufacturing facility located just outside ______ Indiana. A source of pride to the company and the local community alike.

As we would pass by graphics like these, they all began to look alike.

Then we started to ask ourselves, "doesn't EVERY food processor have some kind of a factory like this?"

What does the aerial photo really tell us about a given company?

We concluded that the only thing it truly says is, "Look at us. We make OUR stuff indoors". Hey guess what? If you're processing food, you'd better have a factory like this and make your stuff indoors, or nobody does business with you ---- it's "table stakes". It's what you need to start playing the game, not what you need to win the game.

So, when you decide to tell your story, don't settle for table stakes. Find your unique points of differentiation, and tell that story. Everybody probably knows you make your stuff indoors.

TSB

Fronted and Faced

A long time ago, in a former life, I worked for a very short time in a retail grocery outlet. Since they didn't trust me with any of the more "important" tasks, I was often assigned to the job of stocking shelves. I quickly learned that all the product you place on the shelves must be "fronted" (pushed toward the front of the shelf) and "faced" (all the labels facing outward in the same direction) in beautiful, neat and tidy rows. Apparently, people buy more stuff when all the products are all fully "fronted and faced".

Somehow, this "traditional best practice" has been carried into the trade show world. If you walk the aisle of retail or food related trade shows like, The Hardware Show, FMI (Grocery), NACS (Covenience Stores), PLMA (Private Label), Natural Products, Candy Expo (a fun show to visit, by the way), or any other retail product or packaging show, you'll see it. Exhibit after exhibit of neatly displayed packages, all beautifully fronted & faced, their merchandise proudly reflecting the environment in which it's sold.

When the "O" Water Company attended the 2007 Natural Products Expo, instead of accepting the tradition of "Front & Face" as an "industry best practice", they attacked it as a sacred cow. Their resulting display, seen below, was immediately attention-getting, and stood out from all the other "neat & tidy" exhibits around them. When I asked why they had chosen to display their product so randomly, they responded by saying, "We're here to shake up the industry with our revolutionary new product, do you want to try some?" A great opening line.

This is just one example of an exhibitor who broke thru the clutter by being unconventional and challenging a long accepted tradition. Was it expensive? No. Did it require courage? Yes. Did it get the company more attention than it otherwise would have had? Judge for yourself.

The point is, in today's trade show environment, we need to challenge our so-called "sacred cows" and find new ways of doing things. Ways that help us tell our own stories more effectively. It no longer makes sense to follow every so-called "rule" simply because that's the way it's always been done. If we do, we'll find our exhibits will attract attention about as well as those rows of cans at your local supermarket.

I'd love to see other examples of how people have challenged the traditions of exhibiting. Have you found unique and appropriate ways to tell your story? Or maybe you need to find some ways to attack your own sacred cows, and break out of the pack.

Either way, drop me line at tradeshowbob@gmail.com, or Tweet me at @Tradeshowbob, or visit my Facebook page Trade Show Bob on Facebook, or give me a call at 1-888-9-ASK-TSB.

TSB

What do YOUR visitors want?

When you design your trade show exhibit, do you consider what your visitors might want to take away from their interaction with you?

This excellent article, written by EXHIBITOR MAGAZINE's Senior Writer, Linda Armstrong, is titled Ask your customer, stupid! and cleverly points outs that many times we ignore obvious signs our customers give us to help us identify and qualify our best prospects.

In this exhibit, by Oregon Chai at the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Show) a few years back, the company wanted buyers to experience their product in an authentic and eclectic coffee house environment. In fact, the exhibit used no carpeting whatsoever, just the Exhibit Hall's concrete flooring to enhance the effect.

If you're having trouble figuring out how to deliver what your customers want through your exhibits, then give me a call at 1-888-9-ASK-TSB, and let's discuss different approaches that might turn out to be your cup of coffee.

TSB

A Little Family History

I know. I said this blog would be "trade show stuff only". However, today is a special day in Milam Family History. As most of you know, my real name is Bob Milam. Trade Show Bob is just a "handle". Today is April 18, 2011. Exactly 105 years ago this morning, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated the city of San Francisco. The city was nearly wiped out by the earthquake and ensuing fires that spread throughout the city.

During that week, thousands of families were relocated into temporary tent communities set up primarily by the Army from the post at the nearby Presidio. At the time, a young Sergeant from Texas was stationed there and assigned to look after a few of the families that had been relocated.

One family in particular, had recently moved to San Francisco from Tennesee. And this young Sergeant struck up a relationship with one of the young girls in the family. It didn't take long for them to fall in love and eventually they married. Then in December of 1912, Thomas Richard Milam & Irene Carol Stroud had a baby boy (Frederick Robert Milam) born to them at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco.

That baby boy was my Dad. So, were it not for this great natural catastrophe, Thomas and Irene would never have met, and none of the Milam Family posterity would be around today.

I owe my very existence to a terrible natural disaster (which is what my wife has claimed for years).

TSB

My personal "Big 3" for Trade Show Success

I love things boiled down to 3 simple points. I guess I'm just a simple kind of person, but things grouped into 3's have a special power for me.

So, here's my personal "Big 3" thoughts that I think lead to trade show success.

1. Size up your opportunity. Many exhibitors simply don't know what to expect when they exhibit at a trade show. Often times, they don't know if they have the right size exhibit. They don't know how many qualified prospects will be there who are interested in their message. They don't know whether they should invest more money or less money in a given show. To achieve the optimal ROI you must must be sure you making the appropriate level of "I". Don't overspend or underspend.
2. Focus on your target. You likely will not need to see everybody who comes to the show. Focus your efforts and resources on those that are likely to become (or already are) your customers. Make sure your pre-show efforts are properly targeted, and your booth graphics speak strongly to the needs of this particular group. "FREE BEER" will definitely attract a crowd, but you will still have to focus on your target to find your prospects.
3. Make your leads count. Be sure that once you engage one of these targets, you are prepared to capture exactly the information you need to move the relationship forward. 75% of all trade show leads are never followed up, and those that are, are done with the personal touch of a "form letter" from the DMV.

I don't care how much money you spend on other parts of your show campaign, if you fail to get these three things right, your ROI will not be what it could be.

TSB

The Power of Simple - Part II

Recently I posted an entry on the "power of simple" using the photo below as an example of strong exhibit communication (see blog post below).

Today, I want to show you the exact opposite.

This is my all time favorite "bad example" exhibit. This photo was taken about 5 years ago at a show featuring natural vitamins and supplements. In this exhibit, there are no fewer than 5 different banner stands, none of which look alike, and ALL of which have way too much copy. It looks as though every last bit of information they have about their product is plastered up on the exhibit. I especially like the banner on the right with the red border across the bottom -- there are even two lines of copy written way down there.

As if this weren't enough, his table is crammed full of sample bottles and product displays, and he has multiple literature racks for his brochures.

There is so much copy in this exhibit, it's impossible to know what the heck is going on here -- it's so helter skelter.

But the absolute best part ---- is the headline reading "Do You Have the Focus?"

Take a lesson from this poor fellow, spend some time and FOCUS your message in a clear, concise, and simple manner.

TSB

A Shameless Plug for Trade Show Bob

Folks, that's exactly what this post is -- a shameless plug for "Yours Truly".

I started a new business Facebook page today called "Trade Show Bob" so I can have both a personal and professional presence on Facebook --- because -- I've started a call-on-demand service for trade show advice.

Now you can call me anytime on a toll free line (1-888-9-ASK-TSB) and get the immediate advice you need in 30 minute chunks.

I'm charging $69.00 for each 30 minute session, and I'm even set up to take credit cards over the phone (except AMEX). An immediate email receipt is generated and sent to you, so expensing the call should be pretty simple.

Now, instead of struggling with tough problems that carry tight deadlines, you can tap into my brain (or what's left of it) and i'll do my best to address your concerns. If, at the end of session, you're not satisfied with what I've been able to provide, then no charge.

I'm hoping this service will fill a need for many of you exhibit managers, and help you be more successful in your jobs, producing better exhibits and exhibit campaigns.

So, put that number in your contact list and call me when you need a hand. 1-888-9-ASK-TSB or 1-888-927-5872.

Thanks,
TSB

EXHIBITOR magazine - Article: Trade Show Bob, March 2011

Here's the most recent installment of EXHIBITOR Magazine's "Trade Show Bob" column.

EXHIBITOR magazine - Article: Trade Show Bob, March 2011

The Power of Simple

I love to look at exhibits - both good and bad. Whenever I find an outstanding example, particularly in a small inexpensive exhibit, I try to snap a picture of it.

This little exhibit was one I ran across at a high end computing show.

The company makes some sort of gizmo that allows a run-of-the-mill PC (valued at $400) to efficiently serve 11 users at the same time. This brings the total cost of the PC down to $70 per user, including the cost of the gizmo.

What I love about this is the simple communication. Headline = three words. Yet it stopped people in their tracks, intrigued by the notion of a $70 PC. Then the headline was backed up by a totally impressive demo, that clearly showed the product's key benefit in simple, easy-to-understand terms. Remember, this exhibit was seen at a high end computing show, where acronyms, jargon, and technical terms are a dime a dozen. Yet, I'll bet all you non-technical people reading this, understand exactly what this company is trying to do.

Another great part of this story is the cost - this company didn't break the bank to create this exhibit, BUT they did understand their brand, their benefit, and the importance of keeping things simple.

TSB

A rebuttal to my own rant.

After thinking about this subject (see post below), I've come to a different conclusion.

Shame on us (exhibit managers) for letting the show organizers get away with this, and not demanding audited comparable statistics across shows.

Shame on us (exhibit managers) for not opening a dialog with show organizers to see how to create more win-win situations together.

Shame on us (exhibit managers) for signing space contracts without first negotiating them.

What else do we, as exhibit managers, fail to do with show organizers that could pay big dividends?

TSB

RANT: Getting information about shows

Warning: what follows is my first rant, and it has to do with show web sites and their lack of information.

I'm involved in a project researching several shows for a client. When I go to a show's web site to pull basic information (nothing fancy, really) it's never all there.

Now, I'm not talking about complex nuances of buying patterns of specific sub-groups of attendees from Elbonia (thanks, Dilbert). I mean things like .... the city where the convention will be, the name of the building it's in, what days and hours are the Expo ... stuff like that.

Instead I find useless drivel like this (taken from one show's actual prospectus)...

• Nearly 30 percent of conference attendees evaluate purchase options
• More than 30 percent either make purchases or approve purchases

This raises two questions in my mind ...

1. Are there really people who "Buy/Approve" without evaluating?
2. What are the other 70% of this show's attendees doing there? Trick or treating?

I really wish show organizers would find out what Exhibitors NEED to know before signing them up to exhibit, rather than constructing impressive sounding, but meaningless factoids.

TSB

What the Blog ?!?

Well, we'll see what kind of a Blogger I turn out to be.

Hopefully, this effort will give me an outlet for my rambling trade show thoughts, pet peeves, and moments of inspiration. I hope you find it -- if not useful -- at least entertaining.

The first three entries are listed below -- more to follow.

TSB

The Model T of Inspiration

In one of my Exhibitor Show classes, I talk about how much our industry needs to re-invent itself. Many shows still do business via fax machine, and the preponderance of shows use an outdated 1970's business model.

If you find your company's exhibit program stuck in a rut with no easily visible way out, let me suggest you look to an industry giant of the past, and learn from his method of inspiration.

Henry Ford is credited with making the automobile affordable for regular families in America. He did this by inventing the assembly line, reducing the time it took to assemble his famous Model T from 14 hours down to an hour and a half. But do you know where he found the inspiration to do this?

Legend has it, Ford got his idea from watching slaughterhouses butcher cattle carcasses. The carcasses were hung on hooks on an overhead rail, and slid from butcher to butcher, each one lopping off a different part of the cow. By watching cows get taken apart, Ford realized this was a good way to put automobiles together.

Quite a leap of inspiration, don't you think?

It's a model that serves us well in the trade show industry, and my advice to all trade show managers is this, "go visit some slaughterhouses".

Well, not literally. But DO go visit trade shows outside your industry. Pay attention to the business models that work for other industries. And most importantly, always ask yourself, "how could I make that work in my exhibit plans?"

Just imagine what our industry would look like if I&D teams were assembled and trained like NASCAR pit crews, or exhibits patterned after American Idol.

It's fun to think about the possibilities.

TSB

What makes a good trade show lead?

At Exhibitor 2011, I was seated at a peer-to-peer round table, discussing everything from negotiating with organizers to how sore my feet were, when the subject of quality leads came up.

Someone asked, "what makes a good lead at a trade show?" Simple question., but not one with a simple answer. Unless you count "it depends" as a simple answer.

However, there are three important kinds of information you should get from whoever you define as a "good lead".

1. The contact info. This is typically the information scanned by the badge reader or carried on a business card. Important to know, if you want to reach your prospect after the show.
2. The content. Whatever you talked about relating to the prospect's needs for your products and services, scope & budget, and other stuff unique to your situation.
3. The action plan. Who's gonna do what and when after the show.

IMHO, you can't follow a lead from a trade show unless it has all three of these pieces.

Anybody have other critical stuff to add?

TSB

Exhibitor Show 2011

It's always the most exhausting AND exhilarating week of the year, and the 2011 edition of The Exhibitor Show at Las Vegas' Mandalay Hotel and Convention Center was certainly no exception.

Attendance among us attendees was up about 12% over last year, although it felt like the Exhibit Hall had shrunk a bit in size. I don't know whether there were actually a bit fewer exhibitors or exhibitors were downsizing their footprints. Nevertheless, almost all the post-show comments from exhibitors were universally ecstatic with both the quality and quantity of leads they got. This bodes very well for our industry.

The emerging trend I saw at the show, is a definite movement away from printed material, in collateral, signage and even exhibit structure. I suspect that in a few years, the "augmented reality" technology will be applied to all the structural elements of the exhibit, making printed or vinyl copy a thing of the past. As the cost for this technology drops, the obvious benefits of personalizing and customizing the exhibit experience will bring us ever closer to kind of exhibit environments like the retail environments of "Minority Report". A little freaky, particularly if you visualize every exhibit employing similar tactics.

The classes and networking at Exhibitor were, as always, outstanding. Of course, there's always going to be one or two "lemons" mixed into the curriculum, but overall, it's as good as educational marketing conference as there is anywhere.

I also don't know of any other event (outside of maybe a Star Trek convention) where such a strong sense of tribal community is created. Trade show managers are indeed Lone Ranger's in their own company, and it just feels so good to rub shoulders with people who share your pains and frustrations.

I can't wait till next year.

TSB