How do we keep making it interesting for our customers?

I remember when I started in this business in 1992. I responded to a 6 month temporary ad. I hardly knew what a tradeshow even was at the time. My version of this was a county or state fair.

Which is quite a gathering of networking when you think of it. It's also probably one of the oldest forms of face to face.

Now talk about starting a job where you first know very little if anything about expos, next you are in charge of launching a new show within show for the Graphic arts/prepress industry sectors.

I had one good thing going for me phone skills I had learned running a telemarketing company during college. This was essential, because I was not scared to make a call, I had no problem with people's objections and I knew how to get thru the gatekeepers.

The guys I work for were former boxing promoters, and concert promoters and they would always say you were only as good as your last event. Well they were partially correct as you are guaged very heavily on your last event. The success of the event for your customers is essential to your events survival.

Now does that require Colin Powell type speakers or killer parties to make that event great. No it requires that the people had a good experience at your event.

They had a great time in the evening enjoying the destination, they had a great time networking with their peers, they had a great experience learning from fellow professionals at the educational conference, and they met with leaders who had products, ideas and solutions to make their jobs more productive and their company's business more successful.

Now all of these items are important, for sure. That address one side of ball. The other side is that the exhibitors enjoyed the destination, were happy with the crowds and the leads and met with people who had a genuine interest in their products. Also people that would eventually buy their products.

Now was the cost of shows anymore expensive than then now. I don't know we would need to get one of those movie guys who calculate all of these equations to come up with the fact that Gone With the Wind is still the highest grossing film of all time in real time calculated dollars. Or whatever metrics they are using.

Things that need to come out of show for you to know that you hit a home run. People are excited leaving the show and have positive outlook on their take aways and how it will impact both our customers businesses. They also should feel a little bit of a let down like we do as show organizers when we pour our energy and emotions into this event. They should feel a little let down because the buzz and the adrenaline of the show was incredible enough that the only reason they wanted to go home is because of family, work and a desire close the sale or implement those ideas and products into their business. Well they could have been tired of eating, lack of sleep and other things as well.

The buzz was their the energy was their and an optimistic future presented itself to entire industry.

Now do we really have that power maybe not but isn't it cool that as we look at this current economy to know that tradeshows may be what brings us out of this recession, moves us from recovery into a thriving economic good will story.

How do we keep it interesting well we keep it engaging, we keep the networking flowing, we continue to move the pendulum of innovation and facilitate the needs of our customers to engage. We don't know where the gold is at the end of the rainbow but we do know there is a good chance that the rainbow gold is found at an event.

To keep it interesting we need to constantly be in search for the ways to put our attendees and exhibitors together. If it's at a bar so be it, on the tradeshow floor so be it, in the classroom well that's great as well. Ideas shared are goals achieved.

We need to motivate and push our exhibitors to push the envelope in creative ways to engage their customers and we need to push our attendees to think future, think outside the box and to be willing to engage in a conversation that at the mininum they will come away with something tangible they can use in their business.

If we continue to do this , throw in some buzz and whistles guess what we kept it interesting. You know what if we do that business will get done. Whether we do this online or offline we need to put people together this is what innovates the world, conversations, and idea sharing.

Whatever you do with your event make sure you keep it interesting and make sure you keep your customers networking. Numbers are great and we all love full halls, but what is most important is that business is getting done.

Taking the Dive into Social Media for Tradeshows

I've read so many books that relate to new ways of marketing. You can check me out on linkedin Jim Wulfekuhle and see the books I've read. I've shared them with others. On linkedin it asks if you want to make a recommendation I have not done so. I think like movies I like people to check it out themselves and come to their own conclusions.

Now not all of these books get into social media and not all of them will be relevant to your marketing engagement plans. Now there are alot of consultants out there that will advise you on how how to get into social media, starting groups, blogging, etc. I've talked to a few of them and the more I spoke to some of them, I came to the conclusion that for me really to understand it I didn't need a consultant I needed to my own research. I needed to get out there and play with it, test it and build it.

I went out and joined many groups, that I felt would cover some of my personal interest and others that would cover my professional interests. I started with linkedin, plaxo, xing and some others. I looked at the connections that everyone had, and saw the numbers continue to grow.

I'm said to myself ok I would like to get to 500 connections. Well I reached that goal and my connections are a very diverse group of people.

Next I said let me take these groups I've started and grow them. Right now I have some of the bigger groups for the industry sectors I'm trying to cover. Goal Accomplished? No. Now my goal is how to tap into these groups and get them involved. Get them discussing hot topics, challenges and provide solutions for one another.

I started a group called Exhibitons and Events Incubator Group. Were heading toward 300 members, I think it should be around 2,000. The challenge with the group is we have maybe 10 people that are openly engaging and many others watching. Now I know you will always have the watchers, but I'm like don't they have something on their mind they want to put out there. Now to me that means I've failed I've not found the holy grail to get them involved.

There is one group that I put out the question "What keeps you up late at night" I posed it in other groups as well but this one became a huge thread so much that they had to move into another discussion place. So it's finding the hearbeat of your group. You have to throw somethings out there to see what sticks.

Now I tend to be very methodical, I don't have a grand plan for discussion any more than I do for this blog. However I will say one thing about social media. You got to get out there to understand it. If you want to test it, test it on something you know about, join a group and engage after you watch for a while. Next step start your own group and try to build it. It doesn't need to be about your tradeshow or event. Next step do it for your event.

Now do you need to talk about when you had a glass of wine or that your sitting at starbucks. You make your choice. If it's what you want to talk about than go for it.

Now with social media you need to get a buy in from your company, your company's decision makers. It's hard to be out on the island by yourself. The buy in will more than likely not come easy. So you will need to get out there and provide some metrics, meaning member allocation with good titles and people that would fit your exhibitor or attendee profile.

Next be very open in social media. Being a trust agent is important. Be careful of selling as this is personal. Remember cell phones used to be the personal device. Social media is there as well. I want to control my space.

Now the powers that be will want to know how time is this going to take. I don't know, sometimes its quick, sometime it's longer there is no time limit. The key is I can do this day or night. Be willing to invest some personal time not to take away from your day duties.

Next how can we measure linkedin, twitter, facebook. Well the first time you will need to add communities to your registration form, use codes for discounted registration. This will give you an idea of who's out there.

Next realize your not going to get everyone to the event, but social media gives you viral access, which is huge. Look what happens online when something goes viral. It's crazy. You need to monitor your show name, your name to see where it's being picked-up. Get on google alerts. You will be amazed at what is picked up online.

I've found speakers on social communities, and met some great new people online that led to some great conversation f2f. Now how can that be a bad thing.

Personally to reach so many people with a click of the mouse is amazing and I don't understand why any would not want to do it.

Introducing your event to those that have never come and getting viral testimonials from others telling others they need to go is priceless.

If I only added 100 people to attend an event I would be ok with it. Now if our event had another 1,000 checking it out online using hybrid tools that would be great as well. Hybrid now that is a blog for another day.

The best thing I can say is dive into it, you will be glad you did. Not only will you connect with people similar to yourself but you will find a new world of help from people you never knew existed. Next just think about your customers exhibitors and attendees who will also benefit by reaching those people that they never knew who are facing similar challenges. Nice story I think.

The other items is when you all meet f2f it's pretty cool how it all comes full circle.

You will see me say this in several posts or in groups. Facilitate, Facilitate, Facilitate. I want us all to see how we can facilitate ideas, and opportunities and networking online and offline.

Take the dive into social media, I think you will be glad you did.

Revenue Sales Teams for 2010 and Beyond

What happened to the good old days? Are they gone? Will they come back?

It's kind of like the stories you hear from those that start with you remember when?
Those stories are always good to hear and used to open some eyes and cause some chuckles depending on the story. However as we have become entrenched in this global economy that is making every go from watching every dollar they spend to scrutinizing every penny they spend.
Now don't get me wrong we all should look at expenses no matter what business we are in. What happened to the old phrase that has survived the test of time "You need to spend money to make money ?" Is it gone or misplace or forgotten or are the people that say you remember when not including it in their old wise tales.

Now don't anyone go crazy when I say, Do you remember when you would just say here are the dates of the show or I'm starting a show and usually you x amount of exhibitors that were ready to get on the bandwagon. You had x amount of attendees that would come to the show. Yes I know it wasn't that simple, many people would say well we had great marketing, fantastic tag lines, a great sales team, we were fundamentally sound from a-z and had our moment in the sun.

I'm sure many of us long for the day of tradeshow nirvana and all wonder what happened to all of that good karma.

Let's look at how we were selling before and how we should be selling in the future?
In the past we would pick-up the phone? Send a piece of mail, go visit prospects at other shows and close them at our events, while the iron was hot.
Now we still do many of these things and they are all vital. But sometimes we rely to much on email, to much on mail and lack the f2f that we all promote for our business to use for our closures.
Now what happened to the relationship sales techniques, the consultative sales, the r&d sales?
R&D sales what is it. Well it's when we probe our customers for information on where they spend their money, where they achieve ROI, find out their pain and come up with a way to turn their pain into joy.
Consultative Sales: What is it, more importantly what happened to it. It's in my opinion so vital to everything we do. We are supposed to marketers in this business, promoters, facilitators?
Our exhibitors are busy, juggling multiple act, multi-tasking, assuming new duties every day. Also they are becoming more conservative in some ways, meaning they don't want to put their job on the line for your event.

Now what is their skill set? Who do they work with and report to in their organization? How do they market their products? How are they measuring the results? What mediums are they using? What obstacles are they facing in their sales & marketing plans? What is their budgets for x, y and z. If the person your dealing with has the brakes on find out where the objective is and get with that person or heck get the team on the line. Use a phone call, go to meeting, whatever it takes to close the deal. ABC always be closing. Someone is always making the close either them to nullify the sale or you to get the sale.

I could go on but above is some of the probing questions that need to be done. You need to probe the questions and provide the answers and have them visulize the opportunity you present.

Are we doing this? Most of us maybe ask one or two questions?
How is our follow-up, good, fair, poor, heck let's go for excellent.
Also when you get knocked out on the sale, do you ever go to another team member and say here is what I did? I didn't get the sale and suggestions?

How often does your sales team work on their skill set? How many of them have become inbound sales? What about outbound sales? Also how many of your sales team professionals understand all of the data collection that you have collected from your attendees?
Are you collecting enough information for consultative sales? If not ask these probing questions to get your metrics up to date for this new economy.

How about some competition? Does your sales team compete for anything? Give it some motivation? Now in this economy have you limited your sales teams earning potential? Everyone knows sales need some incentive?
Do you need to look at your current sales team and determine if they are the correct team for the new sales model.
Also do they understand online sales, do they get all of the metrics to f2f.

I have a lot of questions in the blog today and you should as well as you look at your Revenue potential.

Also before I forget please look at your offerings, banners, flages, column wraps, is that really effective ROI. Do you have anyway to measure it. I would rather spend 10,000 for something where you deliver people with names that I get to meet either online or offline.

Just some food for thought.

That's it for now.
Jim

Why are we slow to embrace Unconferences ?

It seems like such a no-brainer that their must be plenty of loopholes on why you don't see more Unconference tied into the marketing plans for tradeshows/events/conferences.
Is it the lack of control of the program? Is it that the ideas would be generated from our customer base of exhibitors attendees? Is their the fear of carpetbaggers jumping on the bandwagon to seize the opportunity at your events.
Is is the thought that their is no revenue in these Unconferences? Is there a concern these Unconference could upstate our own programs?

I'm not sure if any of these questions warrant the avoidance of embracing a new medium for us to provide value to our customers.

Now the question I have not asked how many people are even familiar with what a "Unconference" is? That could be the bigger question.

I will give a simple explanation and others are more than welcome to provide a deeper description or feel free to look it up on wikipedia.
An Unconference is a program that is put together by people that have a common interest and desire to meet and learn and network.
Topic could be "Effective Marketing Strategies for attendee promotion. Ok so I say here is the general topic. Next I spread the word using email and social media tools and heck even telephone calls to fellow marketing professionals. Next I say here is a general topic I think you could contribute to this as well and maybe you would like to discuss social media, another person public relations, another direct mail, another data mining. I think you get the idea of it. Next we schedule a meeting somewhere for all of us to gather.

We send out invivations, post it on our communities and get the viral movement going for a Unconference. Now let's say we get 10 people or 50 0r 100. The number doesn't matter as much as the topic and the facilitation of ideas in a networking f2f program.

Now take that idea and consider your a vendor to the tradeshow industry and you have marketing products. Well guess what you have your possible sponsor or sponsors. This will offset some costs hopefully and give these vendor an opportunity to reach their marketplace. It will also allow them an opportunity to access market intelligence for their products.
To me that sounds like an effective use of time.
Now consider you have show. Show closes at 4 or 5. Why not engage some thought leaders pre-show to engage in a "Unconference utilizing those meeting rooms that are not in use after the end of show. Or engage your hospitality partners in your city for a private room. As I've said in an earlier posts it's my belief that our job is to facilitate. So why not? Let's say you have network engineers and over 100 show up for this Unconference don't you think they could find a sponsor or two? I believe they would.

Now let's take this another step. We all go to other events in other cities for shows that may relate to ours. Why no re-engage your audience that will be attending that show that also attend your show to an "Unconference" they will see your group as a leader and they will appreciate the fact that you faciliated the event. What a great way to re-engage. Now you can do this anytime pre-show, during the show or post-show.

Unconference seems to make sense to me for all of us involved in the supply chain. The other interesting thing is why are registration companies, decorating companies, cities, cvb's, venues etc. not taking advantage of this new medium to engage their prospective and current customers.
Let's think outside the box and again facilitate some interaction that will lead to business and also allow you to gather market intelligence, while working with your customer base in a networking event.
Look forward to your thoughts.

Getting personal for tradeshows and events

I just read an article in the recent issue of Expo Magazine about getting personal with your attendee base.

Items that were mentioned in the article were variable print. Now variable print which is personalized message to your attendees has been around for at least 6 years or more.

I find that it was interested that is was being explored now by the Print Show. As a way to address 11 different industry sectors with 4 postcard directed to each sector.

The reality is why did the print industry show wait so long to introduce this technology to their promotional plan. Not sure but costs has a factor. Also the purls have become available and it make the campaign more interactive with a personal portal.

There are several vendors that establish personal portals for your attendees as well.

Next personal was a mascot. It got the some people interested and they will feel involved that they helped name a mascot for the cable show.

Twitter, facebook, linkedin, plaxo, xing, you name it they all have a place for our business of interaction.

Again as I said in an earlier post our job is to facilitate.

Now the question will be how to we as an industry continue the faciliation? This key to how we serve our customers.

Getting personal. Education at your conference, we need to engage both of our customer bases on giving them some say in the education they are looking for, that will allow them to overcome their business challenges or give them the future guidance for their business.

Again getting personal, how about personal emails to your customers? How about personal calls to your customers? How about f2f visits to their offices?

I like the getting personal idea, let's keep it moving along.

Tradeshow/Event thoughts

First day of starting a blog for the tradeshow and events industry.

The current economic times have put all in either a defensive mode or offensive mode.

Are those good positions to be in I don't believe either position is necessarily good for our long term growth. Now have these current economic times forced many of us to re-evaluate how we do business most definitely. However many of us should of saw some of the sea of change on the horizon before the current recession.

Some things are cyclical. In 1992 when I started in this industry everybody couldn't stop talking about audits. Now that is all of the rage. We should post accurate numbers of our attendance. Also it's important down the road track the audits of purchases at your show. This will require cooperation from you attendee base, yet this is one of the key ROI's you need to prove value to your exhibitor customers. ROI is not the first purchase but the continued purchase of products. Will exhibitors agree that the show get multiple sales credits doubtful. However if they stop exhibiting they could lose the sale to someone else down the road.

The value of the f2f is now questioned as well. So we are needing to utilize metrics to compare and contrast the cost for the exhibitors to reach x amount of customers vs. the tradeshow/event model. Now these are numbers and serve as a good measuring stick from CEIR and IAEE and PCMA etc. However these numbers can easily be tested and debated by your exhibitor base.

I believe if you have numbers that say one thing, there is a very good chance they have some numbers that say something else. Just watch politicians they make it seem like all of their numbers are correct even after they fail the litmus test of another study.

I believe everything in life no matter what you do relates to numbers. Numbers make up our DNA and our everyday life.

The question I believe we all need to be prepared to address is how we as tradeshow/events facilitate human interaction. Does it matter if it's f2f or online. I believe they need to be both however I look forward to hearing from you as well.