How to Own Your Next Trade Show with an Awareness and Engagement Strategy
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Mark Litos presented this presentation to the Rhode Island Business EXPO (RIBX) in May 2012.
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How to Own Your Next Trade Show with an Awareness and Engagement Strategy
- 1. Don’t Just Exhibit at a Trade Show… Own it! Presented by Mark Litos to:
- 2. Presentation Highlights • Tradeshow ROI • Tradeshow Landscape • Opportunities • Awareness & Engagement Strategy • Case-Studies – On-Site and Off-Site – The Tools – The Results • ROI Beyond the Tradeshow • Q&A www.litossc.com 2
- 3. The Modern Trade Show • Effective marketing & sales venue? • Must-attend event? • Increased ROI? Yes. Yes. And oh yeah. www.litossc.com 3
- 4. Your Next Trade Show • Home to captive audience • Full of potential prospects • Genuine face-to-face opportunity That’s why you’re here. That’s great. www.litossc.com 4
- 5. The Landscape • You’re familiar with it – Trade associations set the stage, attract the players and fill the event schedule – Your target audience walks the aisles – Exhibitors fall into the same habit, doing the same thing, the same way www.litossc.com 5
- 6. Your commitment. Your Investment. • You’ve done the hard work • You’ve invested heavily • You’re on site Now what? Sit idle? Hope for the best? I don’t think so. www.litossc.com 6
- 7. The Makings of a Strategy • Dare to shake things up – Develop a theme that aligns with your value prop • Interact / engage with your audience – In a meaningful and memorable manner • Think “leads” to maximize your investment – Take control www.litossc.com 7
- 8. Awareness & Engagement Strategy • The Opportunity – Increase booth traffic – Capture valuable and critical leads – Build brand awareness – Increase visibility and promote a stronger presence – Expand the footprint of your booth to fill an entire show The beauty of it all www.litossc.com 8
- 9. Anywhere. Anytime. Any Which Way. • Commands attention and drives results – Regardless of the size, location, or type of tradeshow • Generates leads like a well-tuned machine – Actively seeking out rather than passively standing by • Creates a buzz – Displays creativity and innovation – A reflection of your company / brand www.litossc.com 9
- 10. 3 Simple Rules • Rule 1: Know your target audience • Rule 2: Fun is allowed • Rule 3: Attendees are people first www.litossc.com 10
- 11. A&E: Take 1 CLIENT: ICE ENERGY INDUSTRY: ENERGY EVENT: DISTRIBUTECH SHOW SITE: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA TARGET: UTILITY MANAGEMENT www.litossc.com 11
- 12. On-Site Event • The Objective: – To introduce a new energy storage technology and turnkey utility program • The A&E Strategy: – To intercept attendees on show floor – Direct prospects to booth – Capture qualified leads • The Theme: – A technology pop-quiz to test your Ice-Q www.litossc.com 12
- 13. Introducing… www.litossc.com 13
- 14. Campaign Logo www.litossc.com 14
- 15. Themed Props www.litossc.com 15
- 16. Ice-Q Test www.litossc.com 16
- 17. Ice-Q Professors www.litossc.com 17
- 18. Ice-Q Professor Administering Test www.litossc.com 18
- 19. Professor at the Ice-Q Scoring Station www.litossc.com 19
- 20. The Results: • 428 qualified leads • Engagement with sales reps • Visibility and awareness • Sales team slept well every night www.litossc.com 20
- 21. A&E: Take 2 CLIENT: ELI INDUSTRY: LIGHTING EVENT: WORLD ENERGY ENG. CONFERENCE SHOW SITE: ATLANTA, GEORGIA TARGET: COMMERCIAL BUILDING OWNERS, OPERATORS AND MANAGERS www.litossc.com 21
- 22. Off-Site Event • The Objective: – Introduce an unknown company and a break-through technology • The A&E Strategy: – Invite prospects to an off-site event – Present the technology – Engage in a meaningful manner – Capture qualified leads • The Theme: – A “speakeasy” gathering of the Mob www.litossc.com 22
- 23. Introducing… www.litossc.com 23
- 24. 2D Invitation to Attendee List www.litossc.com 24
- 25. Print Ad / Poster www.litossc.com 25
- 26. 3D Hi-Impact Invitation www.litossc.com 26
- 27. Building a Buzz on the Floor www.litossc.com 27
- 28. Presenting the “Goods” www.litossc.com 28
- 29. The “Speakeasy” www.litossc.com 29
- 30. Custom Photo Frame www.litossc.com 30
- 31. Event Photo Op www.litossc.com 31
- 32. Promo Take-Away Package www.litossc.com 32
- 33. Promo Take-Away Package www.litossc.com 33
- 34. The Results: • 500+ in attendance off-site • 300+ promo take-away packages • 200+ guests returned for photo keepsake • Visibility and Awareness • The Don was pleased www.litossc.com 34
- 35. ROI Beyond the Event • Create pre-show buzz – Initial outreach tools and tactics • On-show – Event media, video / image capture • Post-show – Lead follow-up – Leverage PR www.litossc.com 35
- 36. Awareness & Engagement • The possibilities are endless • The opportunities are real • The next show is YOURS Own it! www.litossc.com 36
- 37. Thank You for Your Attention Questions? Fire away. Mark Litos mark.litos@litossc.com @LitosComm www.litossc.com 37
- 38. litossc.com
Editor's Notes
- Good Morning and welcome to RIBX.I’m Mark Litos, founder of Litos Strategic Communication, located close by in lovely East Providence.Litos is a full-service communications firm that has established a national reputation for developing results-oriented marketing solutions for over 25 years. Thank you for being here and for your interest in my presentation: Don’t Just Exhibit at a Trade Show. Own it!
- Let me give you the highlights of my presentation.
- One location. Under one roof. Wow!Better yet, full of QUALIFIED Leads.Absolutely! And an opportunity to increase that face-time.
- … and - for the most part - they do a fine job.… methodically, randomly – hopefully on a mission, using there valuable time productively. As exhibitors, we know why we’re here. And the attendees know why they’re here. ’m sensing some synergy here. Anyone else??….Persuading passersby - Pushing swag, pens, key-chains, flash-drives, you name it. Coaxing w/ fishbowl biz-card drops for the I-Pad raffle. Oh…. and offering Mints. Lots of mints.
- Planning logistics, sales strategy, gathering materials, prepping and preparingBooth space, booth rental, graphics, andresources: people, time and moneyReady for the onrush of attendee traffic. The doors open. Here they come.
- Move beyond the fishbowl. Enough with the mints.Get creative.Develop a theme that aligns with your offering or value propositionin a meaningful and memorable manner. There’s nothing more powerful than the element of surprise. Make an impact.Once again, that’s why you’re here. Take control. It’s your show. There’s nothing stopping you.INTRODUCING…..
- THE Awareness & Engagement Strategy - and all the opportunity it offers.
- Regardless of the size, location, or type of tradeshow.Actively seeking them out, rather than passively standing by – relying on your booth (or you mints) to get attention. A well planned THEMED strategy displays creativity and innovation – it’s a reflection of your company and your brand. Do it right.
- And for the rules. They’re pretty simple, really. This is how you selected the right show in the first place. Good job. No one seams to know this. Or maybe exhibitors just don’t take advantage of this. Well, in my presentation, I’ll show you how you CAN have fun – and reap the benefits at the same time. And yes, people like to have fun. It’s a fact. Whether they’re willing to admit - or not, it’s true.
- Awareness & Engagement Study: Take 1Ice Energy: A thermal energy storage company offering a game-changing technology to the energy market. Very impressive technology. Benefits are somewhat misconceived and to a great extent, unknown.
- On-Site. On the tradeshow floor. Objective The Awareness & Engagement Strategy The ThemeIntroducing…. NEXT SLIDE
- NOW this awareness and engagement example is and on-site strategy that took place over a 3-day period on the tradeshow floor.Let’s take a look at the tools….
- Branded and ready role out.A branded strategy comes across as more credible, keeps it connected, and is more effective. It gives the participants something to rally around and makes it more tangible. As you will see, the Ice-Q Logo appears on all components, from the Ice-Q test, to the booth - and everything in between.
- Ahhh, the Props.The clipboard with test-pad, the professor glasses, and of course, the pocket protector. Gotta have the pocket protector.And the reward, a cube-shaped branded T-shirt given to all test-takers - No matter if they Aced the test or Failed it – every participant got one. But only AFTER the badge-swipe.
- The test was designed with careful thought. With several misconceptions surrounding energy storage systems, the questions were developed to address these misconceptions head on.And remember that attendees are people first – the initial question was designed to engage with fun in mind. Check it out….Frederic Tudor, Boston’s “Ice King” – made a fortune shipping to ice to Europe, India and the Caribbean from fresh-water sources in New England. On one 4-Month delivery, in 1833, 180 tons of ice left Boston. How many tons arrived in Calcutta? 100. 50. Or just enough for a tall Gin & Tonic.
- And the talent - the Ice-Q Professors - take a brief moment to pose for the camera.There were 4 professors in all. 3 walking the isles approaching unsuspected attendees – and engaging with the :30 second Pop Quiz – to test their Ice-Q.
- And here’s a utility manager taking the Ice-Q test - in action.Note the blue badge. Blue badges indicated a utility type attendee – separating them from \\others walking the isles. How about that…. a target on our qualified leads! It doesn’t get any better than that!
- Our zany professor at the Ice-Q Scoring Station. Once the test was scored, it was stamped “Certified Energy Storage Seeker”.The attendee badge was swiped. The reward was presented- the T-Shirt, a.k.a. “The Official Cap & Gown” And the attendee was handed-off to a sales rep for “tutoring” – for extra help with those tough questions that were marked wrong.Job done on the tradeshow floor. Now let’s take a look at the results.
- 428 qualified leads. That’s not a typo.That’s quality time. We jumpstarted the conversation with the Ice-Q Test. Clever tool, that test.The word on the floor, “Ice Energy is the clever company with the must-visit booth”. That’s making noise. That’s visibility. On their feet all day. Fully engaged with sales prospects. Oh happy day.
- Awareness & Engagement study: Take 2Client: Electronic Lighting, Inc. Also known as ELI, is a small ballast manufacturer who developed the first, fully commercialized, dimmable electronic ballast – the power source for all fluorescent lighting.An industry breakthrough, dimmable technology offers huge benefits – lead by energy savings - to all commercial buildings.
- Taking the Awareness & Engagement Strategy Off-Site. This event was held at a location within walking distance from the tradeshow – and was held the evening of the first day – of a 3-day tradeshow.ObjectiveThe Awareness & Engagement StrategyThe ThemeIntroducing….
- Once again, branded and ready role out. Keep an eye on how this strategy and theme stays connected. And by the way, this theme was developed Pre – Seprano’sLet’s take a look at the tools….
- The invitation: You got 2 choices… This event had an attendee database of nearly 5,000. As an exhibitor, the database is yours.Whether traditional direct mail and / or email – Start the buzz well in advance of the event. This lead piece introduced. “The Offer You Can’t Refuse”
- It Has 101 Uses. The ad was placed in the event program - and in the Industry Publication that sponsored - or aligned with - the event. Continuing to build the buzz.The ad also doubled as a poster – which was placed in the booth to promote the event held that evening (after the show) later that day.
- Disregard This Message, and Your Career Sleeps with the Fishes. Don’t miss out on The Offer You Can’t Refuse, elsewise you’ll be taking the big sleep, the eternal back-stroke, the permanent wet nap, if you get our meaning.High Impact Direct Mail can be an effective means for opening doors and getting past the gate-keeper. Best used for short lists or A-List Prospects, it gets to point B (the intended recipient. It commands their attention. And when you anti up for their attention at this level, the prospect is more likely to give you their time.In this instance, the fish was sent to ELI A-List prospects – namely Architects and Developers – in the South East region. Prospects who were not likely attending the tradeshow but may attend our evening event.Approximately half of the 500 recipients responded to this high-impact initiative. Several of which attended the offsite event. How’s that for a response rate. While traditional direct mail response rates run in the single digits, High Impact Direct Mail takes it to a different level.
- And the talent:The Don, The Floosy, and Nicky the Tough Guy. (Not shown here.)The first day of the trade show - to start the buzz - The Don and his Floosy walked the show floor. The Floozy would….For 4 or so hours, they engaged with many prospects in the isles - creating awareness - and the beginning of engagement.
- Once the guest arrived and settled in, The Don, presented the technology - I mean “The Goods”, “The merchandise” - in a brief PPT presentation – all the while, keeping in character. Look at the crowd - and the attention.
- All in fun, and in speakeasy fashion, Roulette, Craps and Black Jack tables were part of the scene throughout the venue. This made for fun and memorable event. Dare I say fun?
- Now… with an eye toward driving booth traffic the following 2 days – guests were invited to “Get Shot with The Family” throughout the evening. The catch? Guests had to return to the booth to pick up their photo – mounted in this clever designed photo frame - little take-home souvenir from the Don.Next Slide…..
- Nearly half of the guests “Got Shot” with The Family.Booth traffic the following day was overwhelming. By then, many attendees were hearing about this “ELI company” and the evenings event. And many that did not attend - wish they had. The fun spread like wild-fire.
- Now never losing sight of our core objectives, we had prepared the the Take-Away…We explained to our guests that the Don had (somehow) gotten his hands on the FBI Dossier - and has made copies for everyone….Next slide…
- By the end of the evening, over 300 guests left the event with the “Dossier” in hand. Keeping in theme, it was nothing more than a cleverly disguised collection of ELI case-studies - and other promotional materials.What an evening it was. Those who were there, will never forget it.And now for the Results….
- Everyone is talking at the show. ELI and its technology are on the radar screen.Let’s not stop there…..
- In order to maximize your ROI, think pre-show, show – and post-show. The opportunities are there.• PROMOTE the event pre-show via e-alerts, newsletter, website, banner ads, social media, by whatever means you can.• ENGAGE On-Site with the eventmedia, develop a social media strategy that aligns with the Awareness & Engagement Strategy…. And be sure to capture video and images of the event. These will remain valuable assets for follow-up activities.• And Post-show - don’t slip after all the fun. FOLLOW UP on every single lead. These are HOT leads. Keep the dialogue going. Keep the sales-cycle going. And don’t rule out PR. Reporters are always looking for fresh ideas.
- Next slide….Thank You for your attentions. Questions please!