TSMI's Trade Show Marketing Report

One Way to Piss Off Your Attendees

Cut short one of your most popular sessions by 15 minutes.  Insert an unadvertised speaker for those final 15 minutes.  Allow that speaker to drone on in heavily accented Chinese for 13 minutes repeating the same three points over and over and over again.

As an IAEM education committee member, I was embarrassed by this misuse of attendee time and trust at the end of the "View from All Sides" session.  We're supposed to promote "best practices".  And this was about as far polar opposite of best practices as one could be.  It borders on abuse.

Really IAEM, if attendees want to learn about China during the conference, give them a session about it.  Let attendees choose if they want to invest 13 minutes of precious time listening to a trade show pitch.  Because that was all this was - a 13 minute commercial.  And a bad one at that.

Confucius said a picture is worth a thousand words.  This painful 13 minute rambling could have been summarized in five slides:  show logo, mission of show, photo of venue with key show stats, testimonial, logo again with call to action (visit website).  Could've saved us at least 12 minutes. 

Better yet, having this organization sponsor the session and put out flyers for said show could've saved us all that last minute.

Never let this happen again.

IAEM: A View From All Sides

“A View from All Sides” has been the 'theme' opening session at IAEM each of the past three years. Each year the discussion focuses on a different subject, this year's being the value of face-to-face marketing.

This year's panelists were: Nancy Hasselback, Diversified; Vin Polito, Reed; Mary Pat Heffernan, National Restaurant Association; and Ian McGonnigal, George P. Johnson. The session was moderated by Jack Chalden.

The session started with some real-time surveys using AVW-TelAv audience participation handholds. 57% of attendees are association organizers, 35% independents, 5% corporate organizers. Two-thirds of both association and indies do not currently produce corporate events. Of those that do produce corporate events, they produce fewer than three per year. So we can assume there is upside in the corporate market for traditional show organizers.

Following are some of the key takeaways from the panel.

Next Year We Demand Full Body Cavity Searches

The opening reception for IAEM was held last night at the new Georgia Aquarium.  While people were generally enthused at the fish, many attendees were less than enthused at the greeting they received upon departing the bus.

There was a full security search at the door.  Everyone stood in line to get wanded, front and back.  Lighters and matches were confiscated (along with weapons, although we didn't see any of those). 

Which begs the question, what are you going to set on fire in an aquarium?

Once inside, the aquarium proved a fine venue with interesting displays and some of the largest indoor tanks anywhere - which is necessary considering they have four whales inside (although it seemed to me that the two Beluga whales were somewhat melancholy).

Interestingly, the food choices included neither sushi nor caviar.

Belly Bands - Not For Everyone

Outside my hotel door this morning was a veritable rainbow of trade show magazine - TSW, EXPO, Trade Show Executive, USAE - all spread out in a perfect arc.

I noticed that all four publications sported bellybands.  But in three of the cases, I wonder if that money couldn't have been spend on something more effective.

The United Service belly band (top) is a great example of what you can do with this medium.  It has a very clear offer and call to action - come to our booth you could win $1000.  And the targeting is dead on.  So using the belly band should be a pretty effective tool for United Service.

The other two belly bands cases promote destinations(Orlando had TWO bellybands).  Neither has a clear offer or call to action on the front panel.  Orlando's booth number is in 10 point type under the photos.  St. Louis doesn't even have a booth number.

The Orlando belly band has some facts and figures on the back.  The St. Louis belly band has only a logo. 

If these two belly bands promoted anything other than destinations, I'd find them both woefully inadequate.  But the fact that they promote destinations should be a criminal offense to taxpayers in both regions, not only because of the execution, but because of using the belly band format to begin with. 

Now Batting for Kevin... Kevin

We've had to do an 11th hour switch of Kevins for our blogging session on Thursday.  Kevin Holland came down with a hobbling injury and won't be able to make it to IAEM.  Luckily, Toby was willing and able to dip into her local Atlanta Rolodex and come up with Kevin Howarth of Narcissitic Graffiti. 

While we'll miss Kevin Holland, it may be very energizing to add a tradeshow outsider to the panel. 

GQ Used to Mean Gentleman's Quarterly

This goes in the WTF file...

Real Men Exfoliate (source: Mimegasite)

I enjoy a massage as much as anyone.  My glasses have designer frames.  I own an Armani sportcoat and a two tuxes.  I've been know to match my ties and socks. I try to look a good as a paunchy, bald, almost-50 year-old can.  I even use an electric nose hair clipper. 

But for the life of me, I don't get why the press is trying to push all this frilly fashion crap down men's throats.  Call me a dinosaur.  I used to read GQ a couple of times a year just to ensure I was on top of things.  But now that venerable magazine is full of photos from male runway shows.  What gives?  I'd take those ridiculously posed shots where the guy in Hart Schafner & Marx was casually looking at his watch over a photos of ridiculous men strutting a runway in a feather-trimmed peacoat any day.

I know when I run across people who are too groomed (and that encompasses a range from Jude Law to Tom DeLay - as well as lots of women), I get the sense that it's all about them.   More huckster than gentleman.  And I really don't have time for those kinds of people.  I'd prefer to be with people of substance.  There's only so much time in a day, you know?

That doesn't mean guys should be slobs.  That's a whole other set of disorders.  But one of the great things about being a guy was that we could keep things relatively simple.  A wardrobe of jackets, shirts, belts, ties, socks and shoes that was for the most part, interchangeable.  Which is why we were always dressed and ready to go out well before our wives or girlfriends.  We never had the burden of having to master our universe and look oh-so-perfect doing it.  Looking professional was enough.

And why do we even want that burden?

If I go to a show in the near future and find that those ubiquitous massage chairs in the registration lobby have been replaced by a steam facial and eyebrow-plucking service, I'll know it's time to pack it in from this business and take a job in aisle 5 at Home Depot.

Those orange aprons don't go with anything.  And that's just fine with me.

DRM and Copyright Issues When Videotaping Presentations

Been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks.  Ray Verhelst of ConventionDisc was kind enough to allow us to post his reply to a MIMlister about obtaining releases from attendees during sessions that are being videotaped. 

Ray's reply was quite comprehsensive, covering IP and digital rights management issues as well as answering the initial question.  Some of what he's touched on are things we've never thought about ourselves, so we imagine it's news to some of you as well.

Here is Ray's unedited reply:

____________________________________________

Re: Videotaped Meetings - Attendee Waivers

As a company that offers this service, we took a very hard look at the digital copyright act and the individual rights of those being taped.

Since many organizers have not updated their own waivers for presenters, we spent a good deal of time (and money), reviewing our obligations and exposures through special digital copyright legal firms.

I am not saying that you need to do the necessary due diligence, but you must make sure that your presenter is fully aware of this requirement and that by signing your waiver, they will be claiming all this to be true.

Why Should Asian Attendees & Exhibitors Bother With Stringent US Passport Rules When They Can Go to an Expo in Germany?

That's the question Paul Woodward of Asian Business Media asks this morning. (via B or Not 2B)

"It is ironic that a Republican administration in Washington DC continues to take so many steps which are damaging to business. The exhibitions and business events industry in the US has been seriously hurt by the challenges which visitors from Asia now face in obtaining a US visa. Why bother with a US show when you can easily get to Germany or one of the world's other major trade fair centres? Heck, you're almost made to feel welcome there."

Having spoken with Jim Boney, Acting Director, Office of Trade Programs, about this several times (and posted on it a year ago), I know he empathizes and has been working for the past two years on ways to make Asian visitors welcome at US events while still maintaining security.  But it's an uphill battle.

The best thing to do right now is to ensure that potential international attendees and exhibitors are prepared for delays in visa processing.  One of the better sites for communicating this can be found on the CES travel page. 

Let's also remember all is not lost.  While Paul may think some Asians would prefer Germany, Germany doesn't have Las Vegas.  Yet.

Trade Show Media - Why Bother With Blogs?

Jeff Brown asked why our media isn't blogging.  I gave him my opinion.

Perhaps this is an even more compelling reason for the non-interest.

Like I said to Jeff, maybe it's us who are the nuts.

And you're all my Sancho Panzas.

Unconferences Vs. Conferences

David Gammel offers his thoughts on how to think about an "unconference" vs. the nomenclature used by the same-old-same-old event 99% of organizers are putting out there.

However, I think David left out two things:

Conference          Unconference
Powerpoints         Stories (aka 'examples')
Panels                 Conversations

Note the use of the word "Donations" as it applies to Sponsorships.  Personally I think corporate sponsorships will still be in effect, but attendee registrations may take on more of a donation aspect.  Either way, wrap your arms around that word and give it a big hug.  Learn to love it.