There’s No Business Like Trade Show Business

BY KAREN BUTLER

As a promotional products distributor, you may be a bit spoiled in the tradeshow department. After all, if you’ve been to any of the national shows, you’ve been inundated with enough fun freebies — lip balm, playing cards, pens, chocolates and even thong undies — that extra luggage is required to get it all home. Here’s a news flash: Not all industries are created equally.

In fact, many businesses have no clue how to market themselves at a trade show. In their minds, they’ve done their part by shelling out big bucks to exhibit. That’s where the distributor comes in. It’s your job to help them take that experience to the next level.

Let’s start with nirvana, and work down. If there’s one man who knows how to promote trade shows, it’s Bruce J. Felber, MAS, creative director for Felber & Felber Marketing in Twinsburg, Ohio. He shares his public-relations expertise with the industry in his role as OPPA’s chairman of education and PR, and chairman of PPAI’s PR standing committee. For more than 15 years, he’s helped customers orchestrate successful trade-show campaigns using a three-step process:

“A great way to present a marketing strategy rather than just a promotional item is to send a customer a teaser-type item before the show,” recommends Jennifer Grigorian, director of advertising for Sweda Co. LLC in Monrovia, Calif. “For example, send out the invitation with a watch band and let them know they will get the watch case if they stop by the booth. That’s a great way to get the customer excited to come to your booth and promote an item with your logo at the same time.”

“Provide the customer with a tool he can use at the show. A product that is useful now will not be thrown in a bag amidst other trade-show samples,” explains Jason Emery, vice president of sales for Logomark in Irvine, Calif. “A product that is useful now will draw attention to itself and can drive booth traffic even when seen on the other side of the trade-show floor. In many cases, a sample or gift given at a trade show can be lost after the event amongst a tower of literature, or even given to the kids when the attendee returns home. The goal is simple: Keep the item out of the bag and in the customers’ hands to create opportunities at the show for potential new clients. Once a show is over, chances are slim that a customer will call on a sample giveaway. Give your customers something that can be used immediately; though, and your company name and information will be remembered throughout the tradeshow day.”

“The biggest thing is the follow-up,” Felber emphasizes. “Most companies don’t do well on follow-up, even in our industry. Usually you need to send something out one to two days after the show. Anything after that and it becomes too late. There has to be immediate follow-up to have any impact.”

Felber offers an example of the three-part process, using an industrial/commercial flooring company that exhibited at the National Restaurant Show. The targeted audience dealt with the processing, manufacturing and handling of food products, thereby creating a heavy emphasis on food samples.

Even if a customer isn’t ready to pursue the three-step process, there are lower-commitment strategies that will increase the likelihood of a successful trade-show appearance. Suggestions include:

• Stock inexpensive items for the masses who walk up to the booth, and nicer items for those “qualified” leads. Also, you’ve heard the horror stories when products don’t arrive in time, and the client doesn’t have anything to give out. We advise them to make lemonade out of lemons. Capture the names of those who are qualified, and offer to mail (or UPS) a gift after the show. This gives the exhibitor an additional opportunity to connect with the prospect.
  Larry Altman, BlueStar
• Plan for a different giveaway for each trade show attended. Suggest small, lightweight items. Keep it simple because of drayage fees and limited booth-space considerations. Under $1.00 promotions are most popular because of budget restrictions.
  Stephen Bloom, Tattoo Factory Inc.
• Themes are great for continuing a particular industry strategy. A house key holder one year could materialize into a house frame the next and a house clock or paperweight the next.
  Wendy Simons, International Merchandise Concepts
• Get a little creative and stand out with a fun item, such as a pedometer. Have the attendees wear your pedometer as they walk the trade show and see just how much walking they did. It is a great way to stand out from your competition. The key to trade-show giveaways is to keep it at a low price, but also make sure it’s not another pen that looks like the 30 pens they have in their trade-show tote. Sometimes trade-show items are hit-and-miss because people are overloaded with samples, catalogs, etc.
  Jennifer Grigorian, Sweda Co. LLC
• When bringing items to a trade show, make sure that you bring extra pieces such as batteries or refills. There is nothing worse than handing out items that refuse to work.
  Jason Emery, Logomark

Apparel should be an important part of any trade-show discussions, both as a potential giveaway and for outfitting booth workers. “Basic tees are consistently popular because they provide a nice canvas for a logo, they’re inexpensive to produce in large quantities, and sizing is less of an issue than with more-fitted products like sport shirts,” remarks John Lindgren, who heads up trade-show efforts for SanMar. The Preston, Wash.-based marketing manager does have a clothing caution. “Sizing is an important consideration when giving away products. You don’t want to have to have several different sizes that you’re trying to find for people during the chaos of a show.” He suggests tote bags and headwear as possible alternatives, especially since they can be put to use immediately.

Brinden Asher, director of marketing for Los Angeles-based Bella, suggests distributors “keep mindful of companies who are launching new products. Apparel is a great, inexpensive way to get the word out on the new product. Unique catch-phrases also work well to bring attention to the wearer’s garment and further brand the company.”

When helping your client figure out what to order, she says, “It really depends on the show. It’s good to find out how many attendees come, and to figure on one-third of that number for giveaways.” In terms of sizing, she suggests selecting a mid-sized range.

Bob Pierce, executive vice president of Independence, Mo.-based Dunbrooke Apparel Corp., stands firm on his preference for booth workers to be “dressed to the nines.” He advises distributors to make sure their clients consider their entire appearance — right down to coordinating their shoe colors (an often-overlooked detail).

Color is also an important aspect of projecting the right image. “Remember that dark colors such as navy, black, charcoal gray, burgundy and plum create an image of power and intimidation,” he explains. “Retain a professional look and choose medium to lighter colors such as royal blue, teal, magenta, coral or periwinkle. These colors say ‘approachable and friendly;’ then choose styles that say ‘professional.’”

Lindgren also gives a nod to uniformity and neatness. “When your customer is outfitting for a trade show, put the emphasis on ‘team.’ There’s never a more important time for your organization to look like a cohesive unit than at a trade show. Wearing imprinted apparel also lends a level of professionalism to the group that is very attractive to new business prospects, and reassuring to current customers.”

Finally, thanks to advances in colors, fabrics, moisture-wicking, care, laundering, wrinkle-resistance and gender-appropriate styles, distributors can rest assured a good percentage of their customers will be interested in hearing about the latest apparel options.

When a client puts a distributor’s trade-show strategy to the test and experiences an increase in traffic and leads, customer loyalty is born. Jeff Anderton, who handles sales and marketing for Leashables by Oralabs in Parker, Colo., reminds distributors of a key selling-point to garner this business. He points out that usually — even at a promotional products show — companies are competing on a level playing field. Each has a 10-foot booth, sometimes a horrible location (in the back, against a wall), and very few subscribe to the “sex sells” tactics. With that in mind, he advises, “If you want to have a fantastic trade show, you have to love what you do, and then find a considerate way to share that enthusiasm with the attendees — usually, by an attractive array of relevant giveaways.”

Lindgren adds a parting thought to share with potential trade-show customers, urging distributors to tell them, “Planning is key. Decide what your company’s objectives are and plot a course to realize those objectives. The important thing is that you take your company’s ability and needs into account and formulate a strategy accordingly. Just showing up is not enough.”

Tom Vann, COO of Target Graphics Ltd. in Naperville, Ill., has a trade-show promotion that’s worth the shirt off his back. At the PPAI Vegas show, he came up with an idea which he then launched at ASI Vegas. His pre-show maneuver was an e-mail blast to show attendees, one week before the event. “The e-mail mentioned to come by the booth for a one-in-50 chance of winning an iPod,” he explains. “Then we also placed an ad (with the same graphics) in the show daily and had the graphic displayed at our booth.”

Distributors were asked to wear a black T-shirt on the show floor. The front was emblazoned with the company’s logo, and the back featured text, along with a vivid image of a toy monkey riding a bike.

Sporting the shirt, the participants would have to attend four other select supplier booths, getting a card validated at each stop. The drawing was held on the last day of the show, one hour before closing. Three entrants won iPods, and three dozen others received stuffed monkeys.

“Direct results were easy to measure because we used our scanner to keep track of all the people who participated, and then, of course, we had all the cards we got back,” Vann reports. “We had 85 people participate — and all returned their cards. To us, this was a huge success because we are still a relatively small company, and we knew we would have a limited crowd willing to wear the shirt on the show floor. As for indirect measurement, I didn’t talk to one person, supplier or distributor, who hadn’t seen our shirt walking around on the show floor; that’s huge!”

Vann was thrilled with the cost-effectiveness of his promotion. “Three iPods cost $1,000. A typical show cost eight times that much for us; so with the huge response, this was a no-brainer.”

The promotion was so successful, in fact, that he replicated it in Chicago, and plans to continue in the future. Look for the monkey — or something equally cheeky — at PPAI Vegas 2006.

Distributor Finds Jungle Love

Rick Greene, MAS, of Lee Wayne Corp. helped brainstorm a creative approach to getting people into a trade-show booth, regardless of whether there was a “theme” for the show itself. The Van Nuys, Calif.-based regional vice president recalls, “We came up with the booth theme ‘It’s A Jungle Out There!’ and did a three-part mailing, inviting people to stop into the booth of a car-cover manufacturer at an automobile-industry trade show. Each mailing had graphics of a wild animal peering at the recipient, a tiger or an elephant, with the booth number and an encouragement to stop by a booth they’d never forget in the jungle of the trade show.

“For the booth itself, we had the client rent big, bushy foliage from a local greenhouse, set up a main table of bamboo, play an endless tape of jungle noises and drums in the background, and we sold them pith helmets and safari clothing for the staff to wear. We also populated the booth with medium-sized and large plush animals — again, lions, rhinos, leopards and elephants. Every hour in a drawing, we gave away a medium-sized animal, and twice a day, we gave away one of the huge, almost life-sized stuffed animals. The client handed out pith helmets and blinking animal buttons, and everyone at that show visited that booth several times. It was literally the hit of the show.

“I’ve revived this idea for different clients every four or five years in other industries, and it’s always very popular and a lot of fun, as well. We sometimes put a different spin on the mailing, depending on budget. Very effective recently was a single invitation-mailing of a small plush animal with the booth number printed on a chimp’s T-shirt. The chimp rested in some green shred that looked like jungle grass.”

David Oglesby is a manager who specializes in corporate programs for Bankers Advertising Co. in Iowa City, Iowa.

Q. What types of trade-show promotions has your company been involved with?

A. A power-generation client who specializes in serving businesses in the energy industry participates in several trade shows throughout the year. One item in particular that continues to receive rave reviews is the light-up sound ball. Attendees literally come across all aisles to obtain a light-up sound ball from their booth, which assures the power-generation company the chance to visit with prospects about their products, technology and services. The client has purchased nearly 30,000 light-up sound balls for trade shows over the past few years.

We have also assisted a client who specializes in the real-estate market. Real-estate agents depend on their networking skills, and this is especially true at trade shows. It was natural to select trade-show items that would complement their networking efforts. Items such as writing instruments, folders, house-shaped note pads, spiral note pads and dry-erase memo boards have proven popular. It’s not unusual for an agent to return to our client’s trade-show booth in subsequent years seeking the newest handout. Some agents have even returned to the booth sporting an item they received at the previous show.

Q. Do you do anything special to research/ identify potential trade-show promotion clients?

A. We ask lots of questions on every call. Whether it’s a national trade show, a regional association event, a county or state fair, or a chamber of commerce event, there are many opportunities for businesses to tell their story, and there’s no better way to showcase that story than by using promotional products. You don’t know what your client is doing, if they are exhibiting or how you can help, until you ask.

Q. How can a distributor present an ongoing marketing strategy for trade shows?

A. Create a theme and build on it (pre-show, show, post-show). Be certain the theme ties in to the company’s core mission and values. Have fun and find ways to engage the target audience. Use the same theme in other marketing efforts for greater continuity.

As a company, we have participated in trade shows for trade-show planners. A cooking theme has been popular. We mailed a large window envelope with a potholder clearly visible inside. This packaging increased the likelihood our mailing would be opened. The potholder was printed with food/cooking utensil graphics and the statements “We have the Key Ingredient in Your Recipe for Success!” and “Stop by and see our Sizzling Hot ideas for your next trade show” plus “Mention this potholder and receive a Free Gift!”

Our staff members were adorned in aprons and chef hats. Chocolate-covered pretzels were being made in the booth and served to attendees. Other giveaways included fruit and vegetable-shaped stress relievers with the “Your Recipe for Success” imprint.

As a post-show follow-up, we mailed each of the attendees a thank-you letter, a company catalog, personal sales contact information and a compressed sponge imprinted with the tag line “Expand Your Trade-Show Horizons With Help From Bankers Advertising Company.”

At another trade show, we used a basketball theme with the slogan “You say Jump! We say How High!” Our strategy included two pre-show mailers. The first was a basketball printed tube which held a self-inflating Mylar basketball and a show scorecard reading “How High should we Jump for You?” When the card was returned to the booth, the recipient received a free gift.

The second was a “trade-show survival kit” with a reminder to bring their card to our booth. The show booth was decorated like a basketball court and exhibit staff wore bright orange shirts. As gifts, we had light-up sound balls, 8-inch rubber basketballs, writing instruments and self-inflating Mylar basketballs. In addition, we handed out one basketball leather coaster to each business contact and asked them to watch for our post-show follow-up mailing which would include the other three coasters to complete the set. This strategy kept the attendee watching for our mailing. It proved successful, as we had attendees call us wanting to know when they were going to receive the mailing.

Q. How do you educate clients about the value of a good trade-show promotion?

A. Educate the client on the steps of creating a successful campaign. In a sense, you have to work backwards with the client. They often want to know the end result of their effort before they make the effort. It thus becomes key to a trade-show campaign to create measurable steps to obtain visual results. Knowing the show audience is the first step. A list of registered attendees can often be obtained before the show. Next, create a theme. Attendees remember themed-types of products over randomly chosen products. It is important to keep in mind that it is not always the initial appearance of the product that must be relevant to the theme but, rather, how you tie that product in with the theme. For example, a note pad becomes a grocery list pad. A coaster becomes a basketball, etc. With theme creativity, a variety of products can be used that fit any client’s trade-show budget and still achieve successful results. The promotional product becomes the vehicle that allows you to gather valuable information from trade-show attendees. A follow-up plan is also critical. Emphasizing your trade-show theme in your follow-up will help trigger attendees’ memory, which results in recall of who you are, what you do and how you can help them grow their businesses.

Q. Any cautions for distributors to keep in mind?

A. Don’t choose a product that will be heavy, easily breakable or cumbersome for the recipient to carry home, like ceramic mugs. If choosing something bulky, such as inflatable balls, choose to have them shipped non-inflated and take an electric pump with you. Small electric pumps are not expensive, and the amount you save in incoming shipping will more than make up the expense.

Melissa Anunson is the marketing manager for MeetingsDirect in Verona, Wisc.

Q. How can a distributor find new clients who need trade-show promotions?

A. An easy way to start is to research local trade shows — your local Convention and Visitors Bureau will have a list of those coming to the area — and work backward from there. The trade shows will list who’s exhibiting, so you can find companies in your territory. By locally calling on these companies, you will be able to present samples and ideas. They may take these to other shows they exhibit at nationally. Exhibitors usually decide months in advance what shows to attend, so you will have plenty of time to pitch and order items.

Q. How can a distributor present an ongoing marketing strategy for trade shows?

A. The obvious answer is quantity discounts. Most exhibitors will go to more than one show. By purchasing their yearly allotment of amenities, they can take advantage of the quantity discounts you offer, as well as only having to think about it once.

Q. Any cautions for distributors to keep in mind?

A. Weight and size do matter. Not only does your customer need to ship the items to their booth, they often have to pay drayage (handling from the warehouse, or decorator, over to the convention center) by weight or number of skids. And, if they want their promotional item to be used after the event, it needs to be easily packable in luggage. Keep in mind, new safety regulations on airlines: the obvious knives and tools — but also wine openers, manicure sets, sewing kits — will be confiscated at security, making your marketing message dead in the water.

Q. Do you find trade-show promotions in any certain price range are most popular?

A. There are two schools of thought: first, the “big net” theory of cheap-but-useful items that are simply offered at the booth (pens, sticky notes, candy, key chains, buttons, etc). This will get your message to many more people, but how many of them are qualified leads? You must expect grown-up trick-or-treaters to visit — driving your ROI lower. Alternatively, some exhibitors will display or advance-notify prospects of a premium with a higher perceived value. Of course, to receive the item, more is expected of an attendee. Visit the booth and meet with a salesperson, get a no-obligation quote, fill out a questionnaire, enter our drawing, participate in a focus group, “bring this postcard to booth #123,” etc. Your up-front expense is greater, but by pre-qualifying leads and gaining more information about their needs, the ROI probably won’t differ much from the “big net” theory. If you are going to offer a nice premium, pre-mail the attendees to make sure you get on their very full to-do list. Almost all trade shows make attendee lists available to the exhibitors. The most popular and appreciated items are utilitarian and unisex, small and packable. Better yet, offer to send them their premium after the show to save them the hassle (and collect their name and address for your database at the same time).

Q. Is “show business” year-round?

A. The largest times for trade shows are March, April, September and October. While only 33 percent of the year, these four months account for 45 percent — almost half — of the year’s meetings.

Q. Any other advice for distributors to help their clients?

A. Should be intuitive, but some exhibitors don’t think of it: tie your premium into your branding or marketing message. Make the giveaway meaningful to your promotion. It reinforces your message both by what it says and by what it is.