What’s Love Got To Do With It?

This is an oldie but a goodie. Wise exhibiting always stays in style.

I began my career with Skyline in 1995 as an “Inside” Sales Consultant. In 1995 Pre-At-Post show promotion was not part of my daily lingo, nor my clients’. The industry was not that sophisticated yet. It was not until I attended The Exhibitor Conference in 1997 that I discovered all the education surrounding the industry and began to pursue Certified Trade Show Manager (#CTSM) Certification.

Today it is still challenging to convey the importance of “promoting” every show. The number one common excuse? “No time,” followed by, “It does not work.” However, the exhibit is only one piece of the puzzle (and yes, I know I sell exhibits), but promotion is another equally important piece. It is imperative for a triumphant return on investment.
The big problem is, talking about trade show promotions to my prospects always sounded like “blah, blah, blah” to them. It’s that “thing” (like eating healthy) you know you should do but never do. Then one day, during a meeting, in a very impromptu manner, I came up with my wedding analogy! This has helped so many of my clients “get it.” They can relate to the cost of a wedding and how crazy it would be to NOT “promote” it.

It’s simple. A trade show and a wedding both involve expensive real estate. That is a fact. But would you have a wedding without sending out an invitation? (Not unless your family disapproves of your choice of a spouse!) You must invite your prospects and customers just like the guests for a wedding. Otherwise, they will not have you on their schedule to visit your exhibit. With an invitation (and a call to action), you will increase your booth traffic – guaranteed!

Usually, a small gift is given to the guests before departing the wedding. My niece recently had a string knapsack with their names and the wedding date on the back. Pretty cool. I use it often and think about all the fun we had. By developing a cool giveaway for your prospects, you can create a memorable experience. And remember…not everyone has to get the same giveaway. If you identify the top opportunities ahead of time, you can create a targeted, premium at-show promotion, especially for them. You can still have a lower-tiered giveaway for the masses. The point is that an at-show promotion helps keep your company in mind until you make contact after the show.

This is where post-show promotion comes into play. If you do not send a thank you note (with a lovely picture) after your wedding, someone will be talking about you for sure (and not in a good way). As with a wedding, it is imperative to thank the attendees for taking the time to visit your exhibit. The post-show thank you can be generic if you do not have a well-thought-out lead-capturing program, but DON’T DO THAT! Make it specific to your conversation and the information you gathered from it.

When the task at hand morphs into a memorable experience, it’s more enjoyable and beneficial for everyone involved!

What’s love got to do with it? Everything!

(with love) VC