Trade Show Insights

I grew up on a farm outside a small-ish town (less than 20,000), and I can remember thinking my dad knew everyone. But that’s how it is in small towns – people take the time to get to know their neighbors and pay attention to what happens in their community and how they can support […]

It’s an ongoing problem among exhibitors: too many carefully-gathered leads end up leading nowhere! But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are simple steps you can implement to set your leads on the path to a long-term relationship with your company – and several of them can take place earlier than you may […]

If you pay attention to the news, you can't miss what should be warning signs: hurricanes, wildfires, mass shootings such as the one in Las Vegas, and other tragedies like the recent Branson Duck Boat incident. But when was the last time you paid attention to the news to discern what lessons you can learn and apply at your events? Today's guest expert is Joan Eisenstodt, who guides us through the "what-if's" of risk planning. Disclaimer: Neither Joan or I are attorneys, nor are we providing...

Gamification. It’s a word you’ve probably been hearing a lot in the business world lately. But have you taken steps to implement it into your exhibit marketing? Today’s guest expert is Samuel J. Smith from Interactive Meeting Technology, LLC. Scroll down to listen as he not only explains what gamification is, but also gives you […]

Successful exhibit marketing isn’t the result of one “magic wand” thing you do. It happens because you take the time to think through the entire process and make adjustments as needed. So along those lines, here are six tweaks you can make that probably won’t cost all that much (some are entirely free), but will […]

Chances are you’re still recovering from all the mad rush to comply with the GDPR deadline last month. But just because that date has passed doesn’t mean you can relax just yet. Today’s guest expert is Jay Tokosch, CEO of Core-apps. Scroll down to listen as he offers some post-GDPR tips and a bit of […]

If you think direct mail is an “old-school tool,” you don’t understand the power of today’s technology. Today’s guest expert is Gina Danner, CEO of NextPage in Kansas City. Scroll down to listen as she shares how direct mail has evolved with options such as: Blended online/offline marketing campaigns Personalized mailings that go far beyond […]

How focused are you on what happens to the leads you gathered once the trade show is over? Perhaps you answered that “It’s not my problem – I simply hand them off to the sales department (or someone else).” But you know what? Even if that’s the case, you want to take steps to ensure […]

It’s a challenge I hear from exhibitors all the time: How can we possibly stand out with only a 10-by-10-foot booth in a sea of (much larger) exhibits? And while that scenario may feel impossible to overcome, it really isn’t. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, how well known you […]

No matter whether you’re an exhibitor or a show organizer, there are often times when you may also be walking the show floor as an attendee. Do you know how to make the most of that role? Here are a few strategic tips for before, during, and after the show that will make you more […]

Making a huge splash at a trade show isn’t limited to the biggest exhibits or the biggest budgets. International Paper (IP) proved that when they became the talk of the Adobe MAX show by creating a family of Print Guys who came to life with the help of augmented reality. Today’s guest expert is Emilee […]

If you’re a follower of Trade Show Insights – or you’ve attended any of my workshops – you’ve probably heard me talk about the importance of rewarding your team. Celebrating your wins not only results in happier teammates and reduced stress, but it also helps to build a feeling of community and camaraderie among your […]

Admit it … how many times have you attended conference sessions or webinars excited about all the great ideas, but yet you haven’t implemented any of the things you learned? I get it! I’ve got notebooks full of notes – many of which I’ve never looked at since the workshop. Prefer to listen to this […]

As 2017 winds down, you’ll likely begin focusing on what to do to kick off the new year and set yourself and your team up for success. But too often, that means big things in January that dwindle as the year goes on. Don’t let this happen to you! It is possible to create an […]

Just because the trade show has ended doesn’t mean your job is done. Actually, that’s when the relationship with all those newly-gathered leads truly begins. Contrary to what many exhibitors assume, it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to build that relationship. Guest expert Sandy Martini shares insights on: What lead nurturing is and […]

It’s a sad fact of our modern culture that many things with little to no value receive a high percentage of attention, particularly in the popular media. But just because reality TV and do-nothing celebrities take over our national spotlight, that’s no reason to let gimmicks take over your exhibit marketing plan. Here are four […]

It’s a hard truth: most exhibitors aren’t as successful as they could be. Do they realize they’re setting themselves up to fail? Probably not. The irony is that almost every single exhibitor could easily improve their results by ditching one or more of the following bad habits and strategies. Hopefully you don’t see yourself in […]

It seems last month’s post on Reinventing the Trade Show Floor touched a few nerves. First, there were a handful of unsubscribes from my monthly ezine. Then there were some heated comments in social media. It’s always amazing how pointing out the obvious can get people so fired up. You’ve got to wonder where the […]

It’s a fact of this rapidly-advancing era we live in: Consistently reinvent, or get run over. We see it happening all the time with major, often decades-old companies who fail to keep up, then soon wither and disappear. Yet in the trade show world, it seems that lesson generally goes unheeded. Sure, a few award-winning […]

It happens leading up to nearly every trade show — exhibitors get all stressed out over the location of their booth. Many believe that your location on the floor is a make-or-break situation and that there are only so many ‘perfect’ spots available. But in reality there is no perfect spot. Even the long-held strategy […]