Sky News - April 2010

Dear Exhibitors,

Welcome to the April 2010 edition of Sky News. We hope you had a great Easter Break. Topics covered in this month’s edition include:

Skyline News
Product of the Month – Pop–Up Displays
Exhibition Tips & Tricks
Eye Power
Upcoming Exhibitions, Trade Shows and Events

If you have any feedback about Sky News or need further information about Skyline products and services, please phone us on 1800 077 419 or email us. We welcome any questions or suggestions you may have!

Skyline News

“An Inconvenient Booth” White Paper

What do people think is “Green exhibiting?”

How willing are exhibitors to consider Green exhibiting options?

What keeps them from doing so?

To help answer these questions and more, Skyline helped sponsor an extensive research study on Green exhibiting produced by Exhibitor Publishing Group.

This 12–page report is based on survey responses from almost 500 exhibitors and over 100 exhibit industry suppliers.

To get your free electronic copy email Skyline today.

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Product of the Month

Stand Out In The Crowd With Your Pop–Up

Pop–up displays are easy on the eyes and easy to set up. However, that success can be a hindrance if you want to look different from your neighbour who has the similar style display. Here are 7 ways to make your pop–up stand out from other pop–ups:

Graphic Design

Originally, pop–up displays were little more than carpeted walls. Exhibitors usually had their company name on a graphic header across the top, and then put smaller, detachable graphics on the rest of the carpeted walls. That usually led to a cluttered look more akin to a bulletin board.

Now, rather than carpet panels, you can have graphic panels. Make it more inviting with a big, colourful image. Make your graphics simple and bold – more like a billboard.

Images and Messages Targeted To Your Buyers

You can always get attention with big pictures of babies and puppies, but it´s not the attention of the right people, unless perhaps you sell baby food and puppy food. Instead, get intriguing photos or illustrations that appeal to your prospects.

Then be sure to concisely add words to your image that will appeal to your buyer´s hot points, be it products they are looking for or benefits you can deliver to them.

Integrated Marketing

Try to use the same messages and images that are used on your website, and in your ads and brochures. Repeated marketing is more memorable, and people are more likely to buy from people they recognize.

Go for Quality

The cost of your pop–up and its mural graphic is a fraction of your overall exhibiting costs. Be sure to put your best foot forward with artwork that will enlarge to 2.4 by 3 metres and still look sharp. Select a graphics supplier who can line up artwork across multiple panels seamlessly. And get graphic panels built to be rolled up, shipped in a case in extreme cold and heat, set up at the show, again and again and again.

Accessorize

Think of your pop–up as the beginning, not the end of your exhibit architecture. Some pop–up suppliers have backlit headers, attachable tables and counters, and other display components designed to attach to a pop–up and create a more unique architectural look. (However, the more you add, the more you get away from the ease of set up and shipping you probably bought that pop–up for in the first place.)

Booth Staffing and Promotions

More important than the pop–up display is the staff standing in front of it. Get the right people, and train them to sell within the trade show environment, and let the other guy sit there and complain about slow traffic while you engage visitors and bring them into your pop–up booth.

You can also stand out from your pop–up neighbour before the show even starts by inviting prospects to your booth, and hosting a compelling promotion during the show.

Go Beyond Pop–Ups

Finally, if after all this you still aren´t satisfied, go ahead and graduate to the next level. There are many modular exhibit systems that can give you an even more sophisticated look, yet are still more light weight than actually building a traditional custom exhibit for your 3 x 3 metre booth spaces.

To learn more about other Skyline’s Pop–Up Displays or our other Products and Services visit our website or phone our friendly Sales & Marketing team on 1800 077 419 to discuss your specific display requirements.

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Exhibition Tips and Tricks

Obstacles to Trade Show Lead Follow–Up

You´ve probably heard from several sources the need to quickly follow–up on the valuable leads you invested so much to generate at trade shows.

But while it´s easy to say, there are some real obstacles that can slow you down and get in the way:

Wrong information recorded. Booth staff were not trained to ask for the information needed to qualify leads. So when the sales people get the leads and don´t see the information they need, they don´t feel the leads are qualified.
No information recorded. If booth staff do know what questions to ask, they still don ´t write down the qualifying information they discover on a lead card or in an electronic lead system. They fail to record what the attendee was interested in or how interested they were. So even if the prospect said they wanted to meet with a sales person about a new product, the sales person won´t find out from the lead card.
Lack of familiarity with lead recording. Trade show leads present a challenge unlike most B2B leads. Nearly all exhibitors use the lead systems from the show, which can change from event to event. Plus, the booth staffer recording the lead may only do that for one show, unlike a career telemarketer who knows how to record a lead,or a website landing page with mandatory fields.
Busy people after the show. Lead follow up gets pushed aside because people are “behind” at work because of the show they just attended. So the sales team don´t want to take the time to wade through all the leads, hoping to find the good ones. Or just as bad, the leads sit on the trade show manager´s desk because they are too busy to get them entered into the company database.
Fulfilment unplanned. Lead follow–up packets (brochures, cover letter) were not prepared before the show started to allow for follow–up right after the show (or even during it).

Fortunately, these are not insurmountable issues, but issues that can be resolved with training, teamwork, and planning.

For obstacles #1, #2 and #3 remember the words of Stephen Covey, “Begin with the end in mind”. Work with your sales people to determine what makes for a qualified lead, and be sure that´s the information your booth staff are seeking to get from booth visitors. Those data points should already be data fields in your company´s CRM database, and also be questions that you set up to be recorded on a lead card or on the show´s electronic lead retrieval system.

Before the show, coach your booth staff to write down the information from the conversation that your sales person will need to make a good follow–up call. Set expectations with your booth staff that, if they haven´t done so during their conversations, to always take a minute right afterwards to record the prospect´s buyer profile, product interest, and what they promised as the next step (such as set an appointment or send specific product literature).

Role play before the show, have your staff practice writing down those qualifying answers. Do the role play again at the show just before it opens, letting each booth staffer get familiar with that show´s particular lead retrieval system.

To ensure qualifying info is recorded at the show, monitor the leads for completeness as the show goes on, and go back to the booth staff that are not fully recording their leads.

To overcome obstacles #4 and #5 requires a higher level of planning. Just as you don´t order and ship your display the day of the show, you shouldn´t attempt to figure out your lead follow–up starting the day after the show. Take some quality time to assign who will enter the leads into your database, and determine, order, and prepare what follow up literature will be sent. Even have the cover letter for the show written before the show starts. Just be sure you only send your “Thanks for visiting us at the show” letter to the people you did meet, rather than to all the show attendees as a post–show follow up.

With more qualified leads and a plan to get them faster into the sales people´s hands, you increase your odds that your leads will be followed up better. And with better follow up, you will generate more meetings, sales, and higher R.O.I. from your trade show marketing.

Like these tips? Will you use them? Think we missed something essential? Email us to share your comments.

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Eye Power

Upcoming Eye Power events include:

Eye Power (Brisbane) – Wednesday, 2nd June 2010

Visit our online calendar for the most up–to–date Skyline Eye Power information.

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Upcoming Events

Royal Easter Show
www.eastershow.com.au
01 April – 14 April 2010
Sydney Showground

HIA Home Ideas Show
www.hiahomeideasshow.com.au
07 April – 11 April 2010
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Healthy Food & Lifestyle Show
www.healthyfoodshow.net.au
09 April – 11 April 2010
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Sydney Bridal Show
www.sydneybridalexpo.com.au
10 April – 11 April 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

Perth School Ball Expo
www.perthschoolballexpo.com
10 April – 11 April 2010
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

Travel Xpo 2010
www.travelxpo.com.au
10 April – 11 April 2010
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

ARBS 2010
www.arbs.com.au
12 April – 14 April 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

Seafood Directions 2010 Conference
www.sd2010.com.au
14 April – 16 April 2010
The Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne

ABC Gardening Australia Expo
www.abcgardeningexpo.com.au
16 April – 18 April 2010
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Travel Xpo 2010
www.travelxpo.com.au
16 April – 18 April 2010
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Salon Melbourne
www.salonmelbourne.com.au
17 April – 18 April 2010
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Ultimate Blokes Expo
www.ultimateblokesexpo.com.au
17 April – 18 April 2010
Royal Adelaide Showground

EquineX National Horse Expo
http://equinex.org/site
17 April – 18 April 2010
Exhibition Park in Canberra

Caravan Camping 4WD & Holiday Supershow
www.supershow.com.au
17 April – 25 April 2010
Rosehill Gardens Event Centre, Sydney

Safety in Action & Materials Handling Show
www.safetyinaction.net.au
20 April – 22 April 2010
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Carbon Reduction Conference
www.carbonconference.com.au
20 April – 22 April 2010
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Cosmetex 2010
www.iceaustralia.com/cosmetex2010/
21 April – 24 April 2010
Adelaide Convention Centre

Designex, Form & Function
www.designex.info
22 April – 24 April 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

The Age VCE and Careers Expo
www.vceandcareers.com.au
23 April – 25 April 2010
Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne

Sunday Mail Home Living Expo
www.kymjonesexhibitions.com.au
24 April – 26 April 2010
Royal Adelaide Showground

Food, Wine & Cooking Show
www.kymjonesexhibitions.com.au
24 April – 26 April 2010
Royal Adelaide Showground

Australian Business and IT Expo
www.australianbusinessanditexpo.com.au
28 April – 29 April 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

Australian Fitness & Health Expo
www.fitnessexpo.com.au
30 April – 02 May 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

Pregnancy Babies & Children´s Expo
www.pbcexpo.com.au
30 April – 02 May 2010
Rosehill Gardens Event Centre, Sydney

Baby Boomers and Retirees Lifestyle Expo
www.babyboomerslifestyleexpo.com.au
30 April – 02 May 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

Going Green Expo
www.goinggreenexpo.com.au
30 April – 02 May 2010
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

National Careers & Employment Expo
www.eocexpo.com.au
30 April – 02 May 2010
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

National May Outdoor Trade Fair
www.sota.net.au
02 May – 04 May 2010
Exhibition Park in Canberra

Clean Energy Council National Conference
www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au
03 May – 05 May 2010
Adelaide Convention Centre

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