Trade Show Insights

We kicked off this year’s Virtual Lunch in the Exhibit Marketers Café with a special, inspirational guest: Melva LaJoy Jones from LaJoy Plans. Listen in as she shares how to use the lessons from our past to build our future. Here are links to some of the items mentioned in the interview: Doubt Always Loses (from Melva’s blog) Event Planning Lessons from My Father (from Melva’s blog) Melva’s website, LaJoy Plans Here’s where you can watch the entire Virtual Lunch broadcast About Melva LaJoy...

One of the challenges event planners faced in 2020 was how to create connections among attendees in a virtual platform. But it’s not necessarily a new – or online only – problem. Nancy Drapeau from the Center from Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) shares trends and data from their report on trade show matchmaking in this rebroadcast of our Virtual Lunch in the Exhibit Marketers Cafe. Here are links to items mentioned in this interview: CEIR report: Matchmaking Before & During COVID-19: How...

Are you ignoring – or worse yet, alienating – a large percentage of the population in your trade shows, whether online or in person? Chances are you have been, even if you didn’t mean to. So I invited accessibility advocate Samantha Evans to join us for Virtual Lunch in the Exhibit Marketers Cafe to share what your events need to include to be more accessible to all. You’ll learn: What to look for and ask about when checking out virtual event platforms Things to consider when adding captions...

On this week’s Virtual Lunch in the Exhibit Marketers Cafe, Alan Arnold joins Marlys for a conversation about how to tap your creativity when faced with a challenge. You’ll learn how to: Stimulate your creative juices Recharge like powerful people do Keep an idea journal Have insightful conversations Here are links to items in the interview: Apple’s “Here’s to the crazy ones …” ad Here’s where you can watch the entire Virtual Lunch broadcast

It seems everyone’s talking about how procedures will change as trade shows reopen – from registration to scheduling to floor plans. But there’s one aspect of future shows that’s getting very little attention these days. So on this week’s Virtual Lunch, I invited Mel White from Classic Exhibits to provide insights on how exhibitors will need to adapt their exhibits as shows reopen. You’ll discover ideas for: Accommodating traffic flow restrictions Implementing tech tools Adapting your booth...

Just because events are going virtual doesn’t mean there aren’t still great ways for sponsors to get their message out. On this week’s Virtual Lunch replay, guest Nicole Burkart from Conference Care Package shares ideas for sponsors to: Host virtual happy hours Encourage sponsor and audience interaction Gamify participation Reinforce the importance of giving back Here are links to some of the items mentioned in the interview: Request the 30 Sponsorship Ideas report Conference Care Package...

For months, I’ve wished there was something I could do for all my trade show friends who were suddenly thrust into searching for a new career. Then I met career expert Leslie Evans Thorne in an online group, and knew I had to have her as a guest on our weekly Virtual Lunch! So listen in as she shares insights on how to: Recognize the difference between your skills and talents Convey the benefits your unique talents bring to any job “Rona-proof” your career Here are links to some of the items...

While the effects of this year on the exhibit industry may be hard to put into words, the team at UFI has been working to quantify the response from exhibitors and attendees, as well as offer perspective for moving forward. Our guest for this week’s Virtual Lunch, Kai Hattendorf, shares findings from the Global Recovery Project and the JMIC Global Manifesto. Here are links to items mentioned in the interview: UFI Global Recovery Project: Select findings and the overview webinar JMIC Global...

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of The Experience Economy by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore. So you can imagine how delighted I was when Jim agreed to be a guest on our weekly Virtual Lunch! So listen in as he shares insights on how to: Prepare for the next phase of the Experience Economy Design a multisensory environment in virtual events Inspire more engaging conversations Create an experience even when selling services or other intangibles … plus one simple (low-tech) thing that will help...

This year has proved to be a challenge for event planners on every level, including those in charge of the Presidential Conventions. Now I don’t know about you, but actually I found this year’s version was more intriguing than previous ones. Perhaps it was because I’m studying all kinds of virtual events anyway, but I think it was more because they were forced to innovate and re-imagine the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality that can be so ingrained in any organization. So regardless...

Of course we all want to get back to meeting face to face – but until that happens, we can’t stop marketing. So in the rebroadcast of this week’s Virtual Lunch interview with Ruth Stevens you’ll discover how to make the most of this time to: Get to know the person behind your corporate client Create your own virtual events and build community Convert social media followers into leads in your database Here are links to some of the items mentioned in the interview: Ruth’s article that inspired...

If you’re trying to figure out how to market to your audience appropriately during these confusing times, you’re not alone. Today’s guest, Juntae DeLane provides perspective in this rebroadcast of our weekly Virtual Lunch. You’ll discover how to: Tap into brand storytelling Stand out from the competition (without being negative) Leverage existing assets Here are the related links: Juntae’s website, Digital Delane Watch the entire Virtual Lunch broadcast About Juntae DeLane: Juntae is the...

This is the time when leaders will emerge. Our industry is being put to the test – we’re all being put to the test. But as our guest, Heather Hansen O’Neill says, what happens next depends on how we choose to show up in the world. So listen in to the rebroadcast of this week’s Virtual Lunch interview to hear Heather’s insights on how to: Collaborate to move forward Become a beacon of light for clients and prospects Build bridges to your desired goals Here are links to some of the things...

This special edition podcast episode is a bit different – I decided to republish this week’s Virtual Lunch interview with Kevin Carty from Classic Exhibits. You’ll hear his firsthand account of the Together Again Expo in Orlando, which was the trade show industry’s example of how events can operate safely. In the interview, you’ll hear several resources mentioned. Here are those links: Together Again Expo website Video replay of the Together Again Expo (7+ hour Vimeo video; certain segments...

I recently heard someone say that 2020 feels like being stuck in a simulation that’s running every possible scenario simultaneously. No wonder we’re all exhausted! That’s why on one of our weekly Virtual Lunches, we focused on ways to take care of yourself throughout all this madness. So in case you missed it, here are some ideas for you, broken down into three basic categories. First is Play. As you may have already discovered, a lot of that can take place online. Today there are all kinds...

While it may still be unclear exactly when face-to-face trade shows will be back up and running again, there’s one thing we do know for sure: they certainly won’t look like what we’re used to. You’ve likely seen endless conversations and updates on how the show floor layout and logistics will change – in fact, we’ve covered that topic quite a bit on our weekly Virtual Lunches in the Exhibit Marketers Café. But what about the actual exhibits themselves? There will likely be mandates on how...

Virtual events. For years, that phrase has ignited fierce debate in the trade show and events world. And even now that we’ve been forced to make all meetings virtual, some people are still kicking and screaming. But the fact is that right now any event coming up soon on the calendar has three options: cancel, postpone, or find a way to convert to virtual. Why the idea of incorporating a remote audience is so difficult to understand, I’m not sure. We’ve been doing it in other ways our entire...

Now that we’ve transitioned from freak-out stage to somewhat of a new routine – at least in many of our day-to-day functions – it’s important that we continue to stay in touch with our audience. And no, I’m not talking about the endless stream of crisis communications that we’re all getting sick of seeing in our inboxes on a daily basis! It’s okay to address the problems you know they’re facing, but instead of feeding off the fear, offer up solutions and support. Now is not the time to stop...

While I wish I had a crystal ball and could give you a precise timeline for when the trade show industry will be up and running again, I’m afraid that’s not possible. But what I can tell you is that whether it’s this summer, fall or not until 2021, we will begin gathering in convention centers across the country and around the world. And when we do, people will likely be both excited and nervous about doing so. The pent-up desire for face-to-face gatherings is already gaining steam...

As one of my friends put it, our world has gone “from zero to crazy” nearly overnight, and part of that may involve you working from home for the first time. That may feel very foreign and challenging to you, and that’s understandable. Since I’ve spent most of my adult life working on my own at home, I want to share some of the lessons I’ve learned (and am still learning). I’ve also got a number of tools to share (many of which are free), so be sure to check at the end of this post for a...