Professional Documents
Culture Documents
www.exhibitoradvantage.com
exhibitor
advantage
W elcome to the Exhibitor Advantage Program, courtesy of Diversified Business Communications. This program
is your guide to improving productivity and controlling costs at your next Diversified show. It will help you
promote your company’s participation at the show, meet with more of your clients and prospects at the event and
follow up with more results.
• The Exhibitor Marketing Guide, filled with tips, techniques, samples, resources and checklists to maximize your
company’s promotion investment before, during and after the show.
• Six Exhibitor Updates: strategies for establishing measurable objectives, selecting and training your booth staff,
saving money with show services and turning your leads into sales after the show.
• An Exhibitor Website (www.exhibitoradvantage.com), your one-stop shop for all the information and materials
you need to increase the return on your investment at your next Diversified Business Communications show.
Everything in the Exhibitor Marketing Guide is designed to maximize the return on your investment at your next
show. Share all these new tools, especially this guide, with your sales team, marketing and communications
departments, distributors, agents and reps.
We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at 207.842.5550 or by email at exhibitoradvantage@divcom.com with
questions or ideas about how we can help you attract more buyers, prospects and media attention to your booth.
Thank you.
exhibitor
advantage
TABLE OF CONTENTS
exhibitor
advantage
“
hot prospects, cool prospects and new leads you will make at the show
• Specific and quantifiable, so you can track: Your trade show
z Number of visitors to your booth must be part
z Booth visitors by target audience (by accounts, by industry, by title, etc.) of your company’s
z One-on-one meetings with key accounts marketing
z Number of qualified leads continuum.
z Lead quality mix (percent of A, B, C leads, etc.) Shows are
z Lead mix by geography or product interest marketing events
z Lead mix by the day and hour of the show bracketed by
z Number and value of sales confirmed all types of
z Number of international distribution deals completed marketing done
z Number of requests for proposals received before and after.
z Amount of media coverage received When you think of a
z Percentage increase in your company and/or product awareness among tradeshow as a one
attendees after the show time thing, your
z Numbers of attendees exposed to your demo or live presentation company loses
z Number of questionnaires completed by target audience momentum in the
”
z Number and quality of strategic alliances confirmed with other exhibiting marketplace.
companies
Make sure your sales force is involved in creating these objectives and executive
management agrees with them.
Using your company’s measurable objectives, target your marketing dollar to get the
most out of your investment. You can use these measurable objectives to create a
“picture of success” that will guide all of your decisions regarding:
• Pre-show marketing and PR efforts
• Your display’s theme, graphics and floor plan
• Products and services to spotlight in your booth
• Premiums and literature to distribute
• Design of your lead-follow-up campaign, which begins as soon as the show is over
Make all your objectives SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results oriented and Timebound.
exhibitor
advantage
DIRECT MARKETING
Mailings, faxes and e-mails to buyers in target markets.
Print promotions to prospects, including segmented letters, visitor brochures and reminder postcards.
Follow-up e-mails and faxes to complement the direct-mail campaign.
Phone calls to past registrants extending a personal invitation to the show.
ADVERTISING
Show ads in international, national and regional trade publications to reach hundreds of thousands of
qualified buyers.
Radio ads on stations broadcasting to areas where shows are held.
exhibitor
advantage
Identify the Right Buyers and Attract Them to Your Exhibit
Successful exhibitors know that the competition for the attendee’s limited time on the
exhibit floor is fierce. To get their fair share of booth traffic, they don’t just rent space,
show up and hope people find them. They use targeted pre-show marketing to get
on the right attendees’ agendas before the show opens.
So how do you get on an attendee’s “short list”? It’s easier than you think. Here are
four steps to help you fill your booth with qualified buyers at your next Diversified
Business Communications show:
STEP 1. Invest 15% or more of your total show budget on pre-show marketing.
The average exhibitor allocates just 6% of its show budget to pre-show marketing.
Most of these average exhibitors don’t get results. Of all the things you will spend NOTE: Go to
money on, pre-show marketing is one of the most important. Don’t skimp in this
Diversified Business
critical area. It can mean the difference between a busy exhibit and watching
people pass you by.
Communications’
new Exhibitor
STEP 2. Identify the buyers you want to visit your exhibit and build target
visitor lists. Advantage website
(www.exhibitoradvantage.com)
Start in-house with your sales team and your distribution channels. Build a list of
customers and current prospects you would like to have visit your exhibit. Include to learn more from
anyone who has inquired about your products or services over the last 12 months. Jefferson Davis’
Ask yourself, “What types of companies and what job functions/titles do we want to webinars. These
visit our exhibit?” complimentary
STEP 3. Give attendees a compelling reason to visit your exhibit. one-hour business
Don’t just pitch products and services; focus on solving problems, creating seminars cover
opportunities and delivering meaningful value. Analyze your company, products measurable objectives,
and services carefully. What is your value proposition? What problems do you solve? pre-show promotions,
What opportunities do you create? What do you do better than your competition? and increasing your
What benefits do you deliver? sales at the show.
Use powerful visual images and captivate attendees with provocative benefit- and
solution-focused headlines like: “Slash your downtime by 15%,” or “Increase your
turns by 20% without increasing your costs.” Everyone is interested in solving
problems, reducing costs, improving results and getting more value. Tell attendees
specifically how you can help, and they will come running to your exhibit.
STEP 4. Use a combination of media to implement an integrated pre-show
marketing campaign.
Integrate multiple media to “touch” prospective visitors at least three times before
the show opens. Start with print advertising in mass media and publicity in industry
trade publications. Advertise in show publications, such as the official show
directory and be sure to include your booth number on all advertisements. Then
add one-to-one media: personal letters of invitation, postcards and formal
invitations. Be sure to include an exhibit pass, when available. Put the third and
final touch on your program with more personal media like e-mail, faxes and
personal telephone calls. To increase response, offer a reward for responding; e.g.,
entry into a contest. Better yet, invite prospects to your booth to pick up a free gift.
With a little creative thought, some basic planning and focused execution, you
will have a booth full of interested and qualified visitors. All it takes is targeted
pre-show marketing.
Attract More Buyers and Prospects to Your Booth with Pre-Show Marketing
The most important aspect of your next Diversified Business Communications show is the quality and quantity of your
pre-show marketing.
It’s a fact that the level of success at your next Diversified show will be in direct proportion to the amount of pre-show
marketing you do. According to the Center For Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR):
• Direct mail motivates 53% of previous show attendees and 29% of newcomers to visit your booth.
• The frequency of mailings increases booth attendance. Your first mailing will get a 25% response, but sending three
mailings to the same audience will increase your response rate to 75%.
To get more qualified traffic in your booth, use a targeted, coordinated pre-show promotion campaign. Key components
of your campaign include:
1. A single database of each show’s prospects. Use your in-house database, new sources and appropriate publications’
subscriber lists.
2. Marketing pieces designed to stress the unique benefits you offer attendees who visit your booth.
3. Direct mail, e-mail, advertising, faxes, telephone calls and visits to prospects, inviting them to your booth.
4. Show-specific pages on your website.
5. A master schedule and budget for these pre-show marketing efforts.
6. A VIP program for each show’s top prospects, with exclusive benefits such as invitations to off-site events and
one-on-one meetings with your company’s top executives.
7. Participation in Diversified’s Key Buyer Program. E-mail us at exhibitoradvantage@divcom.com for details.
8. A public-relations campaign.
In all your marketing pieces, stress in the simplest terms the benefits your customers and prospects will receive by
working with your company. According to CEIR, 85% of show attendees have not been called by a company
salesperson in the last year, so they are hungry for:
• New-product information
• Additional data about existing products
• Tools to help them compare products from different companies
• Assistance in marketing and business planning
CEIR’s research finds that buyers decide whether to attend shows based on input from the following sources
(on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most important):
Friends/colleagues and word of mouth . . 4.9
Trade-publication articles . . . . . . . . 4.7
Calendars in trade publications . . . . . . 4.6
Direct mail from show sponsors . . . . . 4.5
Show sponsor advertising . . . . . . . . 4.2
Invitations from exhibitors . . . . . . . 3.7
Exhibitor advertising . . . . . . . . . . 3.7
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Attract More Buyers and Prospects to Your Booth with Pre-Show Marketing (cont’d)
Maximize your pre-show marketing efforts by matching them with the input sources attendees use to decide which
shows to attend:
zC
reate
a “buzz” about your participation in each Diversified show that will translate into positive word-of-mouth
promotion for your exhibit.
z Work with trade-publication editors to place your company news in pre-show issues.
z Personally invite your most important buyers and prospects.
z Advertise in pre-show issues of trade publications.
The time and energy your company invests inviting prospects and clients to your exhibit in advance of each Diversified
show will pay off in increased traffic at your booth.
Because attendees are looking for concrete solutions to their current problems and challenges, here is what you can
do at your next Diversified show to increase the return on your tradeshow investment:
zS
end your clients and prospects printed VIP invitations with a fact sheet on the products/services that will be in
your booth.
z Promotewhat’s new in your booth and tell your targeted audiences how it will help them save money or add
new revenue streams to their businesses.
z Staff your booth with company employees who can help solve your targeted audiences’ problems.
z Convince your prospects to visit your booth by explaining your company’s special product or service — your unique
selling proposition.
z Promote in advance the technical specifications of the new products that will be on display in your booth.
Quotes from exhibitors using pre-show marketing to increase their booth traffic and sales:
“ We do much more pre-show contact to bring people into the booth. Our company uses direct marketing,
mailings and personal telephone calls to increase booth traffic. We promote in advance that we will have
people in our booth that can answer their questions. Then we try and schedule a hands-on demonstration in
our booth. We create new ads for each show that focus on the benefits of visiting our booth. Investing
more to target our pre-show direct mail and include more valuable content. E-mail our sales partners
to tell them to invite potential customers to our booth. Create a newsletter and mail out multiple times
featuring the new products we will have at our booth. Put more detailed information about our booth at
the show on our website. Do a pre-show mailing promising a giveaway of business value by visiting our
booth. Targeted e-mails with incentive to visit booth. Use statements and invoices to invite customers
”
to visit our booth. Use our corporate voicemail to invite prospects and clients to visit our booth
at the show.
(From Tradeshow Week’s survey of exhibitors)
exhibitor
advantage
Attract More Buyers and Prospects to Your Booth with Pre-Show Marketing (cont’d)
80%
70% 69%
60%
Pre-show Marketing: 54%
How do Exhibitors Drive 50% 69%
Attendees to Their Booth? 43%
40% 39%
30%
20%
Source: Tradeshow Week Executive
Outlook Corporate Exhibitor 2005 10%
0%
Direct mail Website Magazine ads Email Rely on show mgmt
pre-show
marketing efforts
Tip Display your booth number at the show in everything your buyers and prospects might see.
Send at least three pre-show invitations to increase the number of clients and prospects in
Tip your booth.
NOTE: According to CEIR, companies that send multiple pre-show invitations see 50% more traffic in their booths than
companies that don’t.
1. Two months before the show, mail the print VIP invitations supplied by Diversified, along with a personal letter, to
your clients/prospects.
2. One month before the show, e-mail the e-VIP invitation with an updated personal letter to your clients/prospects.
3. Two weeks before the show, fax your clients/prospects an invitation to visit your booth.
Advertising
Run your advertisement multiple times in several publications and on websites prior
Tip to your next show to generate interest in your booth.
1. Create a new advertisement for the show that tells your audiences how they will benefit by visiting your booth.
Include the show logo and your booth number.
2. Add “Visit us at (show name) in booth ___” to your existing advertisements.
3. Advertise on the appropriate show website.
4. Advertise on the appropriate show broadcast e-mail.
Sales
Ask your strategic partners, distributors and international agents to invite mutual
Tip clients and prospects to your booth at your next show.
1. Tell your staff to distribute print and e-VIP invitations to clients and prospects.
2. Call your best clients and prospects to schedule meetings at your booth during your next show.
3. Create a “show special” that will be available only at your booth and promote it in advance.
Publicity
1. Distribute a press release on any new product and/or service your company will be demonstrating at the next show.
2. Offer editors exclusive interviews with your company’s top executives to discuss your company’s plans at your next
show.
exhibitor
advantage
Advertising Tips:
Include your booth number and show logo in your ad.
Running smaller ads in multiple issues starting three months before the show will bring more booth traffic than run-
ning one large ad the month before the show.
Place your ads in the same publications and on the same websites as your show’s ads, and schedule them to run at
the same time.
Keep your copy concise, benefit laden and to the point.
Add a response device to help track your ad’s effectiveness.
Create an Effective Ad
Advertising in trade publications is a proven way to reach your target audience successfully.
headline
Here are steps to produce an effective ad. headline headline
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CALL NOW!
800-555-2525
Direct Mail:
Direct mail still works! Sending your prospects and clients a letter of invitation with a VIP registration ticket will help get
your company on these attendees’ show agendas. The best results are obtained by sending at least three pieces of direct
mail; postcards directing potential visitors to the show-specific page on your company’s website work well.
Be sure to encourage your distributors, agents and partners to mail invitations with a VIP registration ticket to their cus-
tomers and prospects so they can visit your booth.
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exhibitor
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Direct-Mail Tips:
Keep your mailing lists current. At least 20% of data
in a business list becomes out of date each year. Con-
sider adding new names from Diversified publications
and from your show’s attendee list.
Target “multi-buyers.” If you merge/purge several lists,
“ How To Write with Power
by Mark S. A. Smith
”
person to visit your booth. 8th grade level.
- invites attendees to see demonstrations and new
products in your booth.
- Includes the show name, dates, location and your
company name and booth number.
- provides a response device — possibly the show
registration form.
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Tip
Some color tips to remember:
Your graphic should have one dominant color, with other colors
drawing the eye to particular areas of the page. For a harmonious
feel, choose colors from the same family as your dominant color. For
a brighter image, choose complementary colors — colors opposite
“
each other on the color wheel, like blue and orange. Know who your Colors that Sell
target audience is. For example, a piece aimed at retailers would use By Suzanne Roman
different colors than one aimed at health-care professionals, even if Art for the Web,
www.webpagedesign.com.au
the product were the same one. Learning to use colors right may just
give you the edge you need over your competition.
Color is a powerful psychological
For more information go to www.webpagedesign.com.au.
trigger. It creates strong emotions
that can sometimes mean the
difference between losing or
Internet
making that sale. Here are the
One of the best ways to promote your company’s show schedule is on your
company’s website. From Julia O’Connor, here are 10 easy ways to use
associations people make with
your website to attract additional traffic to your booth: certain colors.
1 List all your shows. Add all shows to your website. Once on your site, Reds: love, warmth, excitement,
this listing promotes your company before the show and, thanks to search passion, and food.
engines, can last forever. Delete each show listing one year after the show.
Blues: power professionalism,
2 Link your site. Link your dealers and distributors to your show site, so your trustworthiness, and calmness.
show information gets to the individual buyer who may be attending.
Greens: nature, life, and
3 Add a photo. Highlight your exhibits. Even for a 10-foot-by-10-foot display,
money.
there is something unique about your exhibit — one dominant image, a new
sign, a photo of a giveaway, the grand prize. Oranges: affordability,
4 Who are you? Add photos of your exhibit staff for each show. Photos will creativity, fun, youth.
make your staff more approachable for prospects coming to your booth and Purples: royalty, luxurious,
during other activities at the show. fantasy, and dreams.
5 Add a map. Provide a floor plan and highlight your exhibit so your buyers
and prospects can find you. Each color has negative and
positive associations. Use
6 Where are you? Promote your booth number.
colors in your designs in a way
7 Admission tickets. Offer Diversified’s VIP registration tickets from your site that steers the viewer’s mind
with a deadline date for mailing or pick-up.
toward the positive associations
8 Set appointments. Make it simple for people to contact you before the rather than the negative ones.
”
show to make appointments at the show.
9 Link to your show’s site. Provide a link from your website to the show site
to promote your participation in that show.
10 Tell people. Some of your customers and prospects won’t look at your
site unless you give them a reason. Promote your site’s special show infor-
mation in person, via mail and through e-mail correspondence.
Your web site is a powerful tool in trade show marketing. But remember to use the Internet as a component of your show
marketing plan, not as your show marketing plan! Julia O’Connor — Speaker, Author, Consultant
Trade Show Training, Inc.
www.TradeShowTraining.com
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E-mail
E-mail, used wisely, is an important part of an exhibitor’s pre-show
promotion. Do not send out mass e-mails, because spam filters may
delete them. Personalize your e-mails and make sure they do not con-
tain words like “Free” in the subject line, because spam filters will likely
delete them as well.
“
Here is a sample e-mail to send along with the e-VIP
registration ticket: Telemarketing Tips:
I want to invite you to attend <SHOW NAME> on <DATE OF SHOW> at
<SHOW LOCATIONS>. <COMPANY NAME> will be exhibiting at booth •H ave a reason for calling
<BOOTH#>, so visit our exhibit to see the newest in <INFORMATION – update them on some-
ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT>. thing new at your company
Because <SHOW NAME> has more than <XXX> exhibiting companies, it is
the best place for you to see all the latest innovations and newest products in our
or changes with their current
industry all together at the same time. You will also benefit from the educational suppliers.
sessions and peer-to-peer networking at <NAME OF SHOW>. • Invite them to meet someone
Please visit <www.nameofshow.com> to find a complete exhibitor list and the lat-
in your booth they might nor-
est conference information and for information to help plan your show schedule
and reserve your hotel room. mally not have a chance to
If you have not registered yet, please use this e-VIP registration ticket and register meet with — an executive or
today. We look forward to seeing you in our booth <BOOTH#>. technical expert.
(Suggested E-mail signature for your staff)
• Schedule a time for them to
see a demo in your booth.
Visit us at booth <BOOTH#> during <NAME OF SHOW>, <DATES OF • Invite them to your booth to
”
SHOW>, <LOCATION OF SHOW>. Please register today at <www.showsweb-
receive a sample.
site.com>.
Telemarketing
Adding telephone calls to your other marketing efforts will increase the
chance of getting on your customers’ and prospects’ agendas before
the show. Starting one month before the show, personally call your
top customers and prospects to set up meetings. It is very important to
get on these key buyers’ agendas in advance of the show so they can
allot time to visit your booth. Also, call them again the week before the
show to confirm your appointment.
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This handy chart, courtesy of Skyline Displays, outlines the pros, cons, and objectives of the marketing
techniques discussed above. It also has some additional ideas for your consideration in advance and
at the show to help increase your booth traffic.
At the Show
Billboards Wide reach Limited locations Build image awareness,
Introduce product
Airport Ads Early exposure Limited time for exposure Build image awareness,
Introduce product
Hotel TV Ads Less competition for visibility Limited time for exposure Build image awareness,
Introduce product
Mobile Ads Repeat exposure Restrictions in some cities & Build image awareness,
for some shows Introduce product
In-Room Promos Less competition for visibility Additional time, Build image awareness,
cost for distribution Introduce product
Hospitality events Less competition for visibility Cost, limited control over Build image awareness,
who shows up Introduce product
Show Issue trade pub ads Wide reach Not targeted or selective Build image awareness,
Generate leads,
Introduce product, Sales
Show Daily Ads Wide reach, show related editorial Readership varies from Build image awareness,
show to show Generate leads,
Introduce product, Sales,
Promote your at-show event
Hall Ads/Boards Repeat on-site visibility Limited choices Build image awareness,
Generate leads,
Introduce product
TV/Photo Ops Local or national exposure Limited time exposure, Image awareness to a public
Little control, Limited audience audience, Generate leads,
Introduce product
Show Directory Ads Outer covers provide good Limited availability, Costly Build image awareness,
exposure, Selective reach Generate leads,
Introduce product, Sales
Promotion Advantage Disadvantage Objectives
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In the Exhibit
Contests, games, drawings Ability to draw a large audience Time-consuming, Generate qualified leads,
Audience too general Introduce product
In-booth premiums Generate qualified leads, Frequently misused by staff Generate leads
Relatively inexpensive
Celebrities Ability to draw a large audience Audience too general Build traffic
Live Presentations Ability to draw large audiences, Can draw too general an audience, Build traffic,
Ability to deliver a targeted message Can lose targeted prospects if Introduce product
staff fails to interact
Promotions Guide courtesy of Skyline Displays (www.skyline.com)
PROMOTE YOUR NEW PRODUCT — You may not be launching a product this year, but if a visitor hasn’t seen
your product, it’s new to them!
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PRESS PROMOTIONS
4 Our public-relations firms have a proven track record in securing coverage in national trade, business and
in-language press, as well as in other media outlets.
4 Large billboards promote shows in metro areas where the events are held.
4 Press releases are sent to industry trade publications and local press. Daily media faxes are sent during shows.
4 Posters are distributed throughout the metro area where shows are located and delivered to select outlets along
with VIP passes.
4Large banners are hung in appropriate public venues to promote the shows.
4 Press kits are distributed to working editors and reporters during the show.
4 Press releases are submitted to industry publications both before and after a show.
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Press Kits
What is a press kit?
Press kits are a one-stop source for the media to get information about your company and products. Most shows have
a pressroom on or near the show floor. Contact your marketing representative for information regarding that room or
booth number.
Information included in the kit should be kept simple and to the point. Journalists are not interested in marketing
materials; they are after hard news. The best kits are enclosed in a folder that is marked clearly on the outside with the
company’s name and booth number. Some members of the media prefer an electronic press kit — online or CD-ROMs.
These electronic kits should contain the same information as hard-copy kits.
Press Conferences
A press conference at the show can be a very useful public-relations tool. With proper planning, a press conference can
be a forum for a large gathering of media, where you can deliver news, demonstrate a new product or introduce a new
company executive. Some topics that would interest the media:
4 New products or technologies
4 Company announcements
4 Introduction of a new member of your executive team
4 Research that is available for the first time ever in your booth
4 Any celebrities that may be appearing in your booth
Steve Leon and Dan Janal of Showstoppers, www.showstoppers.com, created this resource for Susan Friedmann, The Tradeshow
Coach, at www.thetradeshowcoach.com
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Plan for your post-show follow-up, and put all the pieces of your plan in place before you leave for the show. Follow up
on your leads right after the show; that tells your customers and prospects that your company cares about them and is
responsive. Studies reveal that 80% of exhibitors do not follow up, so take your competitors’ customers and increase
your show’s ROI — follow up on your leads!
Follow-Up
Make sure all your leads receive a follow-up with requested information within two weeks after the show ends. Use
personal telephone calls, direct mail, faxes or e-mails to respond to your A and B leads. Your C leads can be contacted as
time and resources permit.
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Promotion Schedule and Checklist
Immediately!
❏ Read Diversified’s new Exhibitor Marketing Guide.
❏ Go to Diversified’s new Exhibitor Advantage website (www.exhibitoradvantage.com) for tips, strategies and
resources to attract more buyers to your booth.
❏ Determine measurable objectives for your next show.
❏ Clean, update and enlarge your show’s prospect and customer database.
❏ Create a compelling reason — also known as your company’s unique selling proposition (USP) — for your audience
to visit your booth.
❏ Contact Diversified if your company has a speaker who could contribute to the show’s conference program.
❏ Contact the Diversified staff with any questions or ideas you have on how to attract more buyers and prospects to
your booth.
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Notes
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exhibitor
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Please refer to your show’s website for sponsorship and advertising opportunities under exhibitor information
or contact your Diversified Business Communications’ event account representative at 207.842.5500.
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Show Director:
• Oversees all aspects of the tradeshow, from marketing and audience development to exhibit sales and operations
Audience Development:
• Works with marketing and sales teams to identify markets for growth
• Obtains data for mass-market campaigns
• Strengthens and creates association partnerships to bring in member buying groups
• Manages Key Buyer programs designed to attract high-volume industry buyers
Exhibit Sales:
• Responsible for show-related sales, including:
- Exhibit space
- Advertising
- Sponsorships
Operations:
• Handles all show logistics, working with the convention center and show decorator
• Prepares the Exhibitor Services Manual
• Negotiates and secures discount travel and hotel accommodations for show
• Works directly with customer-service and registration teams
Registration:
• Works with the registration vendor to ensure smooth procedure as exhibitors and visitors register to attend
the event
Resources
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