Dynamic Demos: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about a great demo I loved, called "The Dissolve-A-Way Derby". If you haven't read about it yet, you can still access it here. Today I want to show you two other "activities" I've seen --- and continue to see --- at trade shows all over the place. They're not so good.

It seems so rare to come across a really great activity, one that hits home, gets its brand message across, has some fun, and appeals directly to its target audience. Usually, I see activities that are too much like the two examples below.

I'm sure you've seen many like these: a putting green; a pop-a-shot contest; a wheel of fortune; a cash booth (where you step inside a clear plastic box and money flies around you like mosquitoes in a Louisiana swamp). 

Now I'm sure activities like these have their place (a grade school carnival comes to mind), and they definitely attract a specific target audience (just look at the participants in the two photos above). But really folks, can't we do better than this.

In my opinion, a good exhibit activity needs to at least have the following elements:

Reinforce the brand message. The activity should not be some random carnival game, but rather spring directly from the brand attributes of the key message being delivered by your trade show presence. The Dissolve-A-Way Derby did exactly this by demonstrating the product's key benefit, dissolve-ability.

Engage the target audience in a memorable way. When I worked at Viewpoint Datalabs (many moons ago) for our Siggraph show, we created a twist on the "Guess the number of Jellybeans in the Jar" contest. Instead of beans, we asked visitors to guess the number of "polygons" (the basic 3D modeling unit of measure) in a 3D model of a mountain bike. Our target audience was "3D Animators" who were using polygon based models like the one below in their everyday work. We challenged their primary skill set, namely, to look at the model and guess its complexity. The winner rode home on the bike. By honing in on their passion for models and animation, we engaged them immediately and deeply, and winning our contest became a matter of personal and professional pride.

Be fun & interactive. This is the easy part. Today, there's no shortage of choices when it come to making things fun and engaging. But, beware the slippery slope of "coolness". Don't sacrifice your brand message and your target audience's key drivers for the sake of "the latest thing".

I'm sure there's many other important attributes that a good booth activity should have. What's tops on your list?

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Bob's Best Bites

I'm heading to New Orleans soon, and that means a stop at my favorite condemned bar & grill, The Corporation (I don't know if it's really condemned, but it could be). It's one block from the Convention Center next to the Hilton Garden Inn. It's the kind of place where you have to wear long sleeves so your arms don't stick to the tables. But, boy oh boy, are their po-boys good -- and CHEAP.You'll spend between $5-$10 for lunch, and it's just terrific. This is where a lot of the work force eats while setting up shows. Get there before 12:00 noon if you can, otherwise it's tough to get into the place. Shrimp, catfish, roast beef, ham, oyster and even gator po-boys are served along with great muffalettas. However, if you go there during a rainstorm, bring your umbrella inside, cause the roof leaks a bit.

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Turning an exhibit on its ear.

Sometimes it pays to think sideways.

Several years back while at Kerry Ingredients, our team of Marketing Communications folks got frustrated with the way our Sales people were performing at our smaller shows.

Despite our best efforts to train them how to engage people and behave in a proper "showmanlike" way, we'd constantly find them sitting, eating, cell phoning, daydreaming, sleeping or even completely absent.

They'd hide behind our draped 6-foot table, with company tablecloth, lovely product displays and neatly arranged literature. The table was usually positioned at the aisle, with two chairs behind it, so our staff could be protected from the intrusions of show visitors who had the nerve to interrupt their conversations.

Sound familiar?

This scenario usually played itself out in the regional shows where our presence was limited to a 10x10 space. Since we scheduled dozens of these shows each year, it was not feasible for us to attend them all. So, we would send our sales force out to these events with a "box and a blessing", then cross our fingers and hope. If we were lucky, we got our tablecloth shipped back.

We finally hit on an idea of how to change their behavior, get them out from behind the table, and  actually engage and talk with visitors.

We decided to turn our exhibit on its ear - literally.

Instead putting stuff on a horizontal table, we created a wall for both our staff and guests to interact with. See a picture of our inverted exhibit below.

We made this exhibit from a shelf we bought at IKEA for $99, and some Gator Foam graphics that we velcro'ed to the sides and top.

The products, in this case, Seasonings for snack foods, were arrayed in bowls in the center of the shelf. The staff and visitors were forced to stand in front of the wall - next to each other - to sample the products.

As you can see, it worked. A change in our architecture totally changed both the environment and the experience for both our visitors and our staff. By placing the products in a vertical surface, we placed our visitors and staff "on the same side" of the conversation, instead of across a table (possible adversaries). This also got the staff off their butts, and forced them to mingle with visitors.

By attacking a "sacred cow" -- the 6 foot display table, we totally changed our exhibit, and the vibe it gave to our visitors and staff alike.

What sacred cows can you attack, thereby creating a new experience for your people?

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Bob's Best Bites

I'll be going to New Orleans next month for the IFT show. I could write a book about all the incredible places to eat there. so I'll start with Mandina's, at 3800 Canal St. It's a short street car ride from the French Quarter via the Canal St. Line. Once there, you definitely need to order the onion rings as an appetizer. for entrees, I've had gumbo, po'boys, spaghetti & meatballs, fried catfish, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, and their version of the muffaletta sandwich. Each one is a work of art unto itself. Which brings me to a moment of reflection on Mandina's meatballs -- a truly spiritual experience. Each one is the size of a small grapefruit, juicy, perfectly seasoned, and paired with Mandina's sweet tomato marinara. Each meal comes with that wonderful light and crispy New Orleans style french bread, and you'll be hard pressed to save room for dessert. But if you skip dessert, you'll miss some of the best bread pudding in the city. It's a great "locals" spot, a true neighborhood restaurant, and it's just so cool to ride that trolley to and from dinner.

What's your favorite New Orleans "neighborhood" restaurant?

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Brand integrity: At trade shows, it's all in the details

No doubt about it. Trade shows are a hazardous place to display your brand. You can do a lot of damage to your brand's reputation unless you're aware of the signals you might send in a face-to-face setting.

Most companies plan to exhibit at trade shows to do just the opposite. They have objectives like "building brand awareness", or "defending our brand from the competition". They expect that telling their story in the powerful medium of the trade show will assure success. And so it can ... but only if you're careful.

Why are trade shows such a risky place to show your brand?

One reason is strongly related to a basic reason for trade shows' continuing relevance and existence, even in the face of expanding virtual media. Trade shows are in-person, face-to-face events, where your brand is experienced by all the senses of your visitors. Your brand is then compared to your competitor who might be exhibiting right next to you. This allows visitors size up each company in real time and real life. In essence, they get to see who is behind all those brand messages they've been tuning into in other forms of media. They see you, talk to you, watch as you work your exhibit. They interact with you away from the exhibit. They observe you and your competitor.

And they notice everything. At some point during the pre-purchase cycle, your prospect will have narrowed their choices down to a few finalists, and will be looking for confirmation of their final buying decision. In many cases, this will be a tough call. It might come down to how they "feel" about you. Are you believable? Will what you "do" be the same as what you "say"? Are you true to your brand? Or is it all fake? A trade show is a great place to observe this.

Look closely at the exhibit below, and carefully read their brand message from the copy on the exhibit.

OK, got a picture of their brand and message? Definitely one of meticulous quality, scrutinizingly careful planning of every last detail of their product. It's a national calling, no? Beauty in both form and function.

Now, go back and look at the exhibit. Specifically, how they've meticulously attached their graphics to their back wall ... no doubt to add beauty to the brand's form and function ?!?

All their branding work is undone by four spring clamps. Spring clamps, really? Is that the best they could do?

As trade show managers, we must prepare for these kinds of details to be noticed by our prospects. If we CLAIM to be something, we better darn well deliver, or our trade show efforts will only serve to undermine the branding efforts we've worked so hard to create.

The details are everywhere. Typos, bad graphics, poorly trained staff, bad demos, sloppy follow-up. It all signals a lack of attention. Details speak much more powerfully than any marketing-crafted brand message about the true nature of the brand -- and the people behind it.

I'd love to hear from you. Do you have examples like this one, where an entire company's efforts are rendered "fake" because they missed details?

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Bob's Best Bites

Today, I'll go back to my home town, San Francisco. There's a million great places to eat. Having grown up there, I tend to favor the old established places that have been in business for decades. One of my favorite spots in North Beach is Capp's Corner located art the corner of Powell and Green St. It's a family style Italian joint that opened in 1963 in a cramped corner bar/restaurant. The food is cheap, plentiful, and amazing. I highly recommend the Osso Buco with Polenta. All dinners come with soup AND salad AND pasta AND veggies, and of course that great San Francisco sourdough french bread.

Where do you like to eat in San Francisco's old Italian neighborhood of North Beach?

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Dynamic Demos: Terrific, But Will It Fit Thru My Door?

As I've said, I love a good demo. but, I also love a really bad demo. Well, I've got examples of both today.

First here's my really bad demo. It comes courtesy of a link from my ESPN SportsCenter rundown email - of all places. Here's the link, but I think the picture really speaks for itself.

As for the "good demo", it comes from the same National Restaurant Show as the Dissolve-A-Way Derby mentioned in another post.

This time, the exhibitor's products are display case refrigerators, like those seen at your typical deli or butcher shop. Here's a photo of their demonstration.

The exhibitor's refrigerated case is the brown colored one. Their competitor's case is the white one.

I love demonstrations like these that require no explanation. (For the Lawyers & Accountants out there who might be reading this -- the brown one fits through a standard doorway, the white one is too big to fit through). You immediately "get it". That's the power of a good demonstration, and it comes from a thorough and clear understanding of ...

• Your own key benefits
• Your position relative to your competitor
• The factors that are important to your target audience (in this "case" - no pun intended - mom & pop operators whose properties do not have double-wide doors)
• The ability to translate your story into a visual demo

Pulling these factors together will help you squeeze through openings your competition can't.

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Bob's Best Bites

My choice today is pizza, Chicago-style. Because there are so many great places to choose from, this might get contentious, but my favorite is based mainly on location. Namely, its proximity to McCormick Place. Connie's Pizza at 2373 S. Archer Avenue is a stone's throw away from McCormick, and the pizza is every bit as good as Lou Malnati's, Giordano's, Gino's East, Uno, Due, or any number of other terrific deep dish pizza joints around the city and burbs. (If you have a favorite, please post it in the comments section).

The difference here is that I've been here several times with my co-horts in crime (you know who you are) are shared many a belly laugh over the frustrations and silliness that usually accompany the set-up and dismantle process of a large trade show exhibit.

We always get a pizza with italian sausage (there may be other stuff in there too, but the sausage is IT!) and spend our time waiting for the pizza telling old war stories (which might be the best part of the whole experience). Next time I'm there, I'll tweet it, and anybody in the area is welcome to come join us.

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Remembering 9/11 and "The Odyssey"

Given the events of this past weekend, featuring the demise of the mastermind behind 9/11, it took me back to the events of that watershed week in September almost ten years ago.

We all have stories and strong memories or feelings tied to that chapter in our history, so here's mine.

I was fortunate. I did not lose any loved ones or dear friends in that catastrophe. In fact, my life was largely unaffected, compared to many people. But I still remember in vivid detail. I was working for Kerry Ingredients in downtown Beloit, WI, in an old converted bank building (our departmental area even had an old vault where we hid our contraband). We were in a meeting that morning, reviewing booth design plans for the upcoming Worldwide Food Expo to be held later that month in Chicago. That's when the news reached us. Like everyone else, we stopped, found a TV, and spent the next couple hours in complete disbelief, followed by intense concern for our family and friends' welfare and safety.

Once we had all verified that our families were secure, our thoughts turned to our department's fearless leader, Jim Andrews, who was at the time, attending the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) in Las Vegas.

The IBIE is a worldwide show that comes around once every few years, and 9/11 fell on day #2 of the 5 day show. Instantly, everyone at the show along with several thousand other folks vacationing in Las Vegas realized they had to somehow get home. If you recall, all flights were grounded for several days across the US, stranding countless numbers of travelers. As the realization began to sink in of severity of the disruption 9/11 would ultimately cause, Jim (along with the rest of us back in Beloit, WI) started to plot how he could get himself home.

What followed became known in company lore as "The Odd-yssey". And to this day, we all laugh about it whenever we get together.

By the time Jim realized he had to "get out of Dodge", all the rental cars in Las Vegas were gone, all bus tickets sold out, and of course all flights were grounded. So we all began widening our circle of options. Finally, Jim found a rental car in Laughlin, Nevada, some 95 miles to the south of Las Vegas. So, he reserved it. He then hailed a cab, and said, "Hertz Rent-A-Car .... in Laughlin, if you please". After a discussion regarding the proposed fare, the substantiation of Jim's bank account, and another few remarks about his sanity, they set out for Laughlin. Total cab fare = I recall it being around $475.00 one way.

I love Jim dearly, he's one my best friends. But frankly, he's not very good with directions, and 9/11 occurred during the pre-GPS device days. So Jim would call us in the office, and ask for directions. Things like, "is Chicago east or west of Las Vegas?" So we decided to track his progress on a big map of the United States in one of our offices. We'd add a pushpin whenever we heard from him, and then fill in his route by marking pen.

Jim is also a very realistic and pragmatic guy. He knew nobody was getting any work done anywhere following 9/11, so he decided to do a little sightseeing on his way back to Chicago. At one point, we got a call from Jim's cell phone -- sort of. Apparently, he had sat on his phone while having a cup of coffee at the Grand Canyon. So we listened to several minutes of conversation about sugar, cream, the weather, etc.

His ordeal getting home helped us to focus, restoring some reality to our lives that week. As you may recall, college and professional sports all cancelled their games those first couple weeks. However in the northern Illinois area, high school football went on as usual. As many of you know, I've been refereeing high school football for the past 20 years, and my crew was scheduled to work the game at Crystal Lake Central High School that week. That experience was one of the most memorable of my officiating career. Tears flowed freely during pre-game ceremonies, and I choked up several times trying to get through the coin toss. However, once the game started, both teams played with pride and dignity, and every single player, coach, and fan demonstrated the highest degree of sportsmanship and respect for each other, their schools, their opponents, their communities, and the country they represented. At game's end, everyone was completely drained, physically and emotionally, and feelings of patriotism ran very high.

Now, nearly ten years later, I'm reminded to look back, and try to restore that same feeling of dignity, citizenship, and righteous pride in my country to all aspects of my life. I hope I can live up to that.

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Bob's Best Bites
Since the IBIE took place in Las Vegas, today's Best Bite comes from my good friend and colleague Marc Goldberg of Marketech. It's called Makino, a neighborhood sushi joint at the corner of Decatur and Flamingo (well off the strip). This is BY FAR, the best deal for sushi and oriental food in Las Vegas. For about the same money as you'll pay for a stale hamburger at the Mandalay Bay food court, you'll eat like a king/queen (all you can eat for one price) at Makino. The place is usually only attended by locals, and you're liable to be the only person there who speaks English as their primary language, but for quality, selection, price, taste and value for the buck --- you can't beat it. The only downside is --- they close at 9:30pm, so get over there right after your day is done.


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