3 New Year’s Resolutions for Trade Show Marketers
Article written by Mike Timmesch from Skyline Exhibits Inc.
Ah, the good intentions of New Year Resolutions! People resolve to start doing things that they know they should be doing, but don’t, either because they’re too difficult or dull. Well, there are some essential trade show activities that fall into those categories!
Trade Show Marketer’s New Year Resolution #1: Follow Up Your Leads
The first and foremost resolution you can make is to simply follow up on your leads. Following up on leads is almost like flossing your teeth or doing maintenance on your house: you know you need to do it, but are still reluctant. Following up on the leads gets overshadowed by all the other parts of your job that were neglected while you concentrated on organising and going to the show.
Trade Show Marketer’s New Year Resolution #2: Measure Your Results
Measuring your trade show results is another worthwhile activity to choose as a New Year’s resolution. Measuring your trade show results can be complicated when you have a long sales cycle, have multiple lead sources to allocate credit for any sales to, or you can’t easily get access to the data you need. So it is both difficult and (compared to exhibit design and creating cool pre-show and at-show promotions) kind of dull. Yet without demonstrable results, your entire trade show program is in jeopardy.
Trade Show Marketer’s New Year Resolution #3: Update Your Trade Show Display Graphics
With so many logistics to take care of, it’s easy to put much of our trade show program on autopilot and avoid the grief of getting new exhibit graphics. Yet, over time your marketing messages changes. Is the message on your trade show displays still relevant to the message that you’re using in your other marketing programs? What message is currently on your website, direct mail, print ads, and your blog? When all your messages reinforce each other, you are much more likely to be remembered. And when you exhibit at trade shows that serve different vertical market industries, do you take the time to adapt your graphics to better appeal to the different audiences?
How do you make resolutions stick?
These three are worthwhile trade show New Year’s resolutions. Yet, like all resolutions, they are easy to start, yet much harder to maintain. How do we maintain them?
Here are some ideas to make your resolutions stick:
- Make it achievable
- Break your bigger goal into smaller activities
- Focus on the benefits
- Make yourself accountable
It takes time to build a new habit. Give yourself time to turn wishes into actions into habits.
Will these resolutions help with your 2012 trade show strategy? Can you suggest more New Year Resolutions? Post your comments below.
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Attend Eye Power!
Eye Power is an internationally recognised and widely presented exhibitor education program. Skyline Displays Australia has presented over 160 seminars to 5,000+ sales, marketing and public relations professionals since 2001.
The key purpose of Eye Power is to help exhibitors and industry professionals like you achieve your exhibition and trade show objectives and increase your return-on-investment.
Eye Power is fast-paced, in two hours you will learn how to:
- · Set Measurable Objectives
- · Select Shows and Spaces that Work
- · Design Your Stand for Maximum Impact & Functionality
- · Create Effective Promotions. Before the Event. At the Event and After the Event.
- · Select and Train your Exhibit Team to Maximise Your Return
- · Effortlessly Engage Total Strangers
- · Generate More Leads, Sales and Results
What’s New with Eye Power in 2012?
New case studies. Fresh imagery. Updated social media section.
What previous Eye Power attendees have said?
“Superb! Very informative & enjoyable.”
“Excellent. Lots of marketing ideas.”
“Fantastic and inspiring. Food for thought.”
“Clear, informative, concise & educational.“
“Extremely professional & informative.”
“Delighted and will recommend to industry colleagues.”
“Very valuable information & relevant to our business.”
“Wish our entire team was here.”
“Very thought provoking seminar which will change our planning for future events.”
“Good mix of information, multimedia & perfect person presenting.”
“Very useful. I feel more equipped to run a more profitable, measurable and competitive exhibit.”
If you manage or participate in trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, field days, careers markets or other face-to-face events you should attend Eye Power. Eye Power is designed for SMEs, large organisations, the not-for-profit sector and all levels of Government. Skyline presents Eye Power FREE of charge.
DATE: Wednesday, 7th March 2012
TIME: Arrive 9:00 AM for a 9.30 AM start. Concludes: 12 Noon.
VENUE: Skyline Displays Showroom, 19 Morgan Street, FORTITUDE VALLEY
COST: Free
REGISTRATION: Limit of three attendees per organisation.
To secure your place, phone 1800 077 419
or email eyepower@skyline.com.au
or visit www.skyline.com.au/eyepower/registration/
Check Out the Latest Skyline Displays Video Uploads
Want to see what’s new at Skyline Displays. Check out the latest YouTube Videos on The Skyline Displays Australia Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/SkylineDisplaysAust
Share on FacebookUpcoming Trade Shows, Exhibitions & Events in Australia in February 2012
Outlined below are a list of upcoming Conferences, Exhibitions, Trade Shows and other events happening around Australia in February 2012.
Australian International Furniture Fair with Decoration + Design Sydney
www.aiff.net.au / www.decorationanddesign.com.au
01 February 2012 – 03 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Melbourne Summer Boat Show
03 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Docklands Melbourne
AFTA Sunday Mail Holiday Expo
www.adelaideholidayexpo.com.au
03 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Adelaide Convention Centre
Pool and Spa Expo 2012
03 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Travel Expo 2012
04 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Ultimate Bridal Expo
www.australianbridalservice.com.au/exhibition
04 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Sydney Entertainment Centre
Everything Baking
04 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Reed Gift Fairs Melbourne
04 February 2012 – 07 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Flight Centre Travel Expo
05 February 2012
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC 10)
05 February 2012 – 09 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
VALA2012: em-Powering eFutures Conference
06 February 2012 – 09 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
5th Intermodel Asia Conference & Exhibition
09 February 2012 – 10 February 2012
Intercontinental Melbourne The Rialto
Fremantle Boat Show
http://freoboatshow.exibit.com.au/
10 February 2012 – 12 February 2012
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, WA
23rd Australian Orthodontic Congress
10 February 2012 – 14 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Ultimate Bridal Expo
www.australianbridalservice.com.au/exhibition
11 February 2012 – 12 February 2012
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Jetts Fitness World Sports Expo
11 February 2012 – 12 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Flight Centre Travel Expo
11 February 2012 – 12 February 2012
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Fashion Exposed / Australian Shoe Fair
www.fashionexposed.com / www.australianshoefair.com
12 February 2012 – 14 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Motorcycle and Cycling Expo
www.motorcycleshow.com.au / www.cyclingexpo.com.au
17 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Victorian Herpetological Society Expo
18 February 2012
Melbourne Showground
Sydney Pet & Animal Expo
www.emsaust.com.au/Sydney-Pet-Animal-Expo.html
18 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Rosehill Gardens Event Centre, Sydney
Adventure Travel & Backpackers Expo
18 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Pool, Spa and Outdoor Living Expo
18 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Rosehill Gardens Event Centre, Sydney
Ideal Bride Wedding Expo
18 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
RNA Showground, Brisbane
Wellness and Fitness Industry Conference (WAFIC)
18 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
AIME: Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo
21 February 2012 – 22 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Path to Purchase Summit 2012
www.acevents.com.au/pathtopurchase2012/
22 February 2012 – 24 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Subsea Conference
22 February 2012 – 23 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Australasian Oil & Gas
22 February 2012 – 24 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
SA Caravan & Camping & Outdoor Adventure Show
www.caravanandcampingsa.com.au
22 February 2012 – 26 February 2012
Adelaide Showground
Better Homes & Gardens Expo 2012
24 February 2012 – 26 February 2012
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Home & Giving Fair
25 February 2012 – 28 February 2012
Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park
Reed Gift Fair Sydney
25 February 2012 – 29 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Textile, Clothing, Footwear Industry Fair 2012
26 February 2012 – 27 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
22nd International Geophysical Conference & Expo
26 February 2012 – 29 February 2012
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
National Security Australia 2012
29 February 2012 – 01 March 2012
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Are we missing an event coming up in February 2012 that should be mentioned? Share your upcoming events with us below.
Share on FacebookSkyline Christmas Card 2011
Merry Christmas from Skyline Display Australia
The Team at Skyline would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, safe and relaxing holiday season.
Please be aware that Skyline will shut its doors after Thursday, 22nd December and reopen for business in the New Year on Monday, 9th January 2012. If you have any events coming up early in the New Year please let us know your requirements before Christmas.
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10 Top Tips for Trade Show Booth Staffing
Article written by Mike Timmesch from Skyline Exhibits Inc.
The difference between a good booth staffer and a bad one can make the difference between a trade show that profitably boosts your brand and sales, and a tragic waste of your company’s time and money. What can you do to ensure that you assemble a team of booth staff that will get the job done right?
To help you find and prepare a winning trade show team, here are the 10 best ideas on booth staffing that I’ve collected over the years, and now share with you:
- Choose staff who actually want to man your trade show booth and have the right attitude. Then, train your chosen team for product, company, and customer knowledge as needed.
- Your booth staffers will be more motivated when they understand clearly just how much you are investing at each show, what are the company’s goals and your goals for them at the show.
- A staffer that is able to stay focused on aisle traffic, watch attendees walking down the aisle for the right moment, and engage with them can double or triple your leads.
- Your booth team doesn’t have time to tell your entire company history. So train staffers to ask what matters most to your booth visitors and then share only the relevant part of your story.
- Tell your booth staffers it’s essential they take a minute after each visitor conversation to write down a few sentences about what that visitor said and want, before going on to the next lead.
- Spend enough time training your booth staffers to give them the chance to succeed. A half hour just before the show starts is not nearly enough. For example, can staffers all smoothly demonstrate your newest products?
- New booth staffers benefit enormously by doing practice role playing before the trade show. It gets them over their fears and engrains the training in a memorable way.
- Invest in bringing enough booth staff so they can maximise the investment you’ve already spent in booth space, trade show displays, show expenses and services, and promotions.
- Surprisingly, introverted booth staffers can outperform extroverted booth staffers, because they can be more focused on engaging attendees and may listen more to your booth visitors’ needs.
- Offer prizes and/or recognition for the staff who gather the highest quantity of qualified leads.
Your booth staffers are the ambassadors of your brand. What they say and do matters. Use these 10 tips to ensure that your staff perform at the highest level and get the most return from your trade show investment.
Will these tips help with your trade show strategy? Have you any booth staffing tips that you would like to share? Post your comments below.
Share on FacebookUpcoming Trade Shows, Exhibitions & Events in Australia
Outlined below is a list of upcoming Conferences, Exhibitions, Trade Shows and other events happening around Australia in December 2011 and early 2012.
8th SA Exploration & Mining Conference
02 December 2011
Adelaide Convention Centre
Green Chemistry 2011 Innovations
http://greenoz.asnevents.com.au
04 December 2011 – 07 December 2011
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Asia Pacific Microwave Conference
05 December 2011 – 08 December 2011
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
SURF n’ Ink 2012
13 January 2012 – 15 January 2012
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Health Harmony and Soul
20 January 2012 – 22 January 2012
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Gold Coast Food & Wine Show
www.goldcoastfoodandwineshow.com.au
20 January 2012 – 22 January 2012
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Supreme and Federal Court Judges’ Conference
www.cdesign.com.au/conferences.html
21 January 2012 – 25 January 2012
The Langham Melbourne
Melbourne Bridal and Honeymoon Expo
22 January 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
2012 Summer Bridal Ideas Expo
28 January 2012 – 29 January 2012
Adelaide Showground
Pacific 2012
31 January 2012 – 03 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Australian International Furniture Fair with Decoration + Design Sydney
www.aiff.net.au / www.decorationanddesign.com.au
01 February 2012 – 03 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Melbourne Summer Boat Show
03 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Docklands Melbourne
Pool and Spa Expo 2012
03 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Everything Baking
04 February 2012 – 05 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Reed Gift Fair
04 February 2012 – 07 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC 10)
05 February 2012 – 09 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
VALA2012: em-Powering eFutures Conference
06 February 2012 – 09 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
5th Intermodel Asia Conference & Exhibition
09 February 2012 – 10 February 2012
Intercontinental Melbourne The Rialto
Fremantle Boat Show
http://freoboatshow.exibit.com.au/
10 February 2012 – 12 February 2012
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, WA
23rd Australian Orthodontic Congress
10 February 2012 – 14 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Flight Centre Travel Expo
11 February 2012 – 12 February 2012
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Fashion Exposed / Australian Shoe Fair
www.fashionexposed.com / www.australianshoefair.com
12 February 2012 – 14 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Motorcycle and Cycling Expo
www.motorcycleshow.com.au / www.cyclingexpo.com.au
17 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Adventure Travel & Backpackers Expo
18 February 2012 – 19 February 2012
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
AIME – Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo
21 February 2012 – 22 February 2012
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Australian Dairy Conference
www.australiandairyconference.com.au
21 February 2012 – 24 February 2012
Gippsland, Victoria
Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference
22 February 2012 – 24 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference
22 February 2012 – 24 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Subsea Conference
http://www.aogexpo.com.au/content.asp?cid=4&tid=4
22 February 2012 – 23 February 2012
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Reed Gift Fair
25 February 2012 – 29 February 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (I think)
22nd International Geophysical Conference & Exhibition
26 February 2012 – 29 February 2012
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Are we missing an event coming up in December or early in the New Year that should be mentioned? Share your upcoming events with us below.
Share on FacebookAre You Planning Your 2012 Trade Show Schedule?
2012 Trade Show Schedule
What’s Working In Exhibiting
Discover What’s Working in Exhibiting with the 32 page White Paper from Skyline Exhibits and Trade Show Week Magazine. With insightful analysis and almost 100 tips from exhibitors, the report reveals the most effective strategies and tactics exhibitors are using today to boost their results and stretch their budgets.
Click here to get your complimentary copy and learn how your fellow exhibitors are maximising their trade shows through better show selection, lead management, exhibit design, promotion and more.
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