Conference and Trade Show Intelligence

Trade Show
Competitive Intelligence (CI)

Maximizing Your
Intelligence Efforts

Monday, February 28, 2011

Agenda
 Part I
– Competitive Intelligence Background
– Trade Show Intelligence Opportunities
– Trade Show Intelligence Benefits
– Trade Show CI Process
 Part II
– Targeting Trade Shows
– Trade Show Tactics
– Trade Show CI Exercises
– Defensive Operations

© 2001 Predictive Research Group

Part I

 Competitive Intelligence Basics
 Why Trade Show Intelligence Yields Value
 Trade Show Intelligence Process


What is Competitive Intelligence?


 CI is a Coordinated
Process


Process
 Analyzed Information


Process
 Anticipating Future
Competitive Landscape


Process
 Identification of Market
Signals


Process
Signals
 Always On-going


Process
Signals
 Always On-going
 Hard Work


Definition of CI

Competitive Intelligence is a systematic
process for gathering and analyzing
information about your competitive
landscape and general business trends
so that you can make well-informed
strategic decisions.


What Intelligence Is Not…


 Spying


 Spying
 Corporate Espionage


 Spying
 Stealing


 Spying
 Stealing
 Raw Data Reports


 Spying
 Stealing
 Thick Unprocessed
Information Reports


 Spying
 Stealing
 Thick Unprocessed
Information Reports
 Same as Market
Research


Why People Don’t Use Intelligence


 Know it all


 Know it all
 Nothing worth watching


 Know it all
 It’s Spying


 Know it all
 It’s Spying
 Not taught in business
school


 Know it all
 It’s Spying
school
 It’s a cost center not a
profit center


 Know it all
 It’s Spying
school
profit center
 Financial vs. Technical


 Know it all
 It’s Spying
school
profit center
 Financial vs. Technical
 Tried it, didn’t work


How Can CI Help Our Company?


 Uncover new or potential competitors


 Anticipate changes and trends in the marketplace


 Anticipate competitor’s strategies and actions


 Identify M&A activities and possibilities


 Learn from the successes and failures of others.


 Learn about new products, technologies, and
processes that can affect your business


 Learn about legislative or regulatory changes that can
affect your business


 Learn about legislative or regulatory changes that can
affect your business
 Learn industry best practices through CI Benchmarking

Trade Show Intelligence
“Free information on your competitors”



 Companies show off their products and strategies



 Talkative salespeople



 Real-life products to demo



 Piles of literature



 Deals, negotiations, partnerships happen




“Wherever money is exchanged,




“Wherever money is exchanged,
so is information.”


Who Attends Trade Shows?
 Competitors
 Your suppliers
 Your competitor’s
suppliers
 Financial analysts
 Industry analysts
 Magazine editors


Ronald
Goedendorp:
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wacky
What can you learn at a Trade
Show?


Ronald
Goedendorp:
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Show?
About the Industry


Ronald
Goedendorp:
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wacky
Show?
About the Industry
 Market dynamics


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?
About the Industry
 Market dynamics
 Growth Prospects


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?
About the Industry
 Market dynamics
 Trends


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?
About the Industry
 Market dynamics
 Trends
 Alliances/Relationships


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?
About the Industry About the Competitor
 Market dynamics
 Trends


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?
 Market dynamics  New Products

 Trends


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

 Growth Prospects (features, changes, availability,
release date, etc.)
 Trends


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
 Trends  Prices, Costs & Distribution


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
 Alliances/Relationships  Marketing tactics


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
(themes, slogans, pitch lines,
strategies, initiatives, targeting)


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
 Attendee interest


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
 Technology


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
 Technology
(changes, bundling, efficiency,
emphasis ‘or lack of’, leading
edge?)


Ronald
Goedendorp:
This slide is font
wacky
Show?

release date, etc.)
 Technology
(changes, bundling, efficiency,
emphasis ‘or lack of’, leading
edge?)
 New alliances/Partnerships


Trade Show Information Exchanges

100 Asked for Literature
95 95 94 Talked to current sup
Compared Similar Pro
75 77 76 Found at least one ne
Asked for a price quo
Requested onsite sal
50 51 Signed a purchase or

25 26

0

1

The Power of Trade Shows: Fact Sheet #3, Trade Show Bureau, Copyright 1992

Minimum Trade Show CI Process
 Determine Required
Intelligence
 Target Key Shows
 Form Team
 Identify Experts Needed
 Pre-show Meeting
 Networking Meetings
 Communications
 Debriefing
 Post-mortem

Determine Required Intelligence

 What do you need to know?
– Cost/Financials
– Management
– Processes
– Strategy/Marketing
– Technology/R&D
 Who needs to be targeted to acquire that
intelligence?


Target Key Shows
 What shows target your customer’s profile?
 What shows target your suppliers or partners?
 What shows target your competitors?
 Local and Regional Shows are important
 Use Trade Show Directories
– International Exhibitors Association
– Exposition Trade Shows & Fairs Directory
– Trade Shows Worldwide
– Your Associations, Conferences, Etc.


Form Your Team

Form a Vertical Team
 Technical
 Sales
 Operations
 Marketing

“Pick a leader to coordinate
the intelligence efforts.”


Identify What Experts Are Needed

 Identify key internal resources
 Ensure their availability
 Cover all bases
 Organize and Categorize


The Pre-show Meeting
 Target key booths
(suppliers, competitors,
etc.)
 Assign tasks
 Pass out and discuss a
map of the show floor
 Hand out checklist of
key objectives.


Networking Meetings

 Attend off-the-floor meet and greet meetings
 Presentations
 Find informal, pick-up meetings
 Hospitality suites
 Company hosted parties


Facilitate Communications

Allow easy communication so your team
can act on the intelligence it acquires

Make use of:
 Cell phones
 Pagers
 Wireless Hand-held Devices
 Laptops w/scanners and modems
 Cameras and Recorders*


In-Show Debriefing

 Debrief during the show
 Exchange intelligence gathered and its
implications
 Verify or dispel previous assumptions
 Alter game plan accordingly
 Pursue follow-up intelligence collection efforts


Post-Mortem

 Pull team together to pool findings
 Use public forums to report your conclusions
 Identify key benefactors of the intelligence and
arrange to discuss it with them
 Avoid lengthy formal reports
 Examine the effectiveness of your actions


Part II

 Defining Objectives
 Assembling a CI Tool Kit
 Additional sources of information
 Intelligence acquisition tactics
 Ethics
 CI Defensive techniques
 Examination of CI effectiveness


Intelligence Requirements
Definition Process


Definition Process

 Select area of focus
(Market trends, competitor strategy,etc.)


Definition Process

 Create intelligence objective
(Create a question to be answered)


Definition Process

 Identify pieces of puzzle
(Where can the components be found?)


Definition Process

 Identify pieces of puzzle
(Where can the components be found?)
 Envision end result
(What would you do with that intelligence?)


Exercise


Exercise

Create a trade show intelligence goal


Exercise

Create a trade show intelligence goal

1. Select a business area to focus on
2. Create or select an intelligence objective
3. Identify the pieces of that intelligence puzzle
that may be found at a trade show
4. Ask yourself: “If that intelligence it was
determined, would we be able to use it?”


Trade Show Intelligence Tool Kit
 Competitor or key target Information
– Company news reports (intended mergers, or changes in their
distribution channel )
– Advertisements, product claims, etc
– Background info (size, market, exec bios, etc.)
 Trade show floor map w/targets
 Trade show planners and directory
 Categorized list of experts and contact info
 Communication devices (phones, pagers, etc.)


Additional Trade Show Sources

 Journalists/Editors/Publishers
 Conference Organizers
 Presentation Speakers
 Other attendees
 Customers
 Vendors
 Speakers at Scientific and Technical
Presentations


Additional Ways to Capture
Intelligence From Trade Shows

 Create area on expense reports to list
intelligence found
(captures employee attendee’s observations)
 Scan transcripts of speeches/presentations
given


Other Places to Use These Trade
Show Intelligence Tactics

 Science and Technology Events
 Professional Group Meetings
 Research Forums and Exhibits
 Public Relations Events
 Conferences/Symposia
 Stockholders Meetings


Ethics Guidelines

Some general guidelines
 Do not lie or misrepresent yourself
 Always observe legal guidelines
 Do not deliberately mislead people in interviews
 Do not plant eavesdropping devices
 Do not knowingly press someone for information that may
jeopardize that person’s job or reputation
 Respect all requests for confidentiality
 Do not steal trade secrets or other proprietary knowledge.

“Do not do anything that will harm or
embarrass yourself or the corporation”

Points to Remember


Points to Remember
 Stay focused


Points to Remember
 Stay focused
 Do not become
overwhelmed


Points to Remember
 Stay focused
 Do not become
overwhelmed
 Avoid being discouraged
(patience)


Points to Remember
 Stay focused
 Do not become
overwhelmed
(patience)
 Do not blindly collect
information (analyze it)


Points to Remember
 Stay focused
 Do not become
overwhelmed
(patience)
 Do not blindly collect
information (analyze it)
 Adhere to your code of
ethics


Protecting Yourself From
Intelligence Leaks


Intelligence Leaks
 Establish list of “taboo”
intelligence items


Intelligence Leaks
intelligence items
 Remember your are never alone


Intelligence Leaks
intelligence items
 People may not be who they
appear to be


Intelligence Leaks
intelligence items
appear to be
 Divulge only the necessary
information to promote your
product/service


Intelligence Leaks
intelligence items
appear to be
 Divulge only the necessary
information to promote your
product/service
 Look at your booth/exhibit from
a third party perspective


Exercise

 What information is acceptable to give out at a
trade show?


Exercise

 What information is acceptable to give out at a
trade show?

 What information is not acceptable to give out
at a trade show?


Defensive Operations
 Company Wide
CI Awareness
 Employee Education
– Topics to avoid
– Questions to dodge
– People to watch for
– Speaking loudly
 Legal Counsel
– Marketing material
– Press releases
– Papers, speeches, etc


Look Out!

Methods people use for eliciting intelligence


Look Out!


 Target lower, more inexperienced employees


Look Out!


 Drop-in or eavesdrop on other conversations


Look Out!


 Remain silent/don’t do the talking


Look Out!


 Remain silent/don’t do the talking
 Ask speakers targeted or pointed questions in
public arenas


How Successful Were You?



Possible Problems



Possible Problems
 Wrong trade show



Possible Problems
 Looking for wrong items



Possible Problems
 Used wrong tactics



Possible Problems
 Had broad focus



Possible Problems
 Had broad focus
 In the wrong areas


Easy Ways to Fail

 Do not take it seriously
 Assume it is easy
 Think it does not require much work
 Suspect it happens instantly (not long term)
 Believe that you competition is not doing it
 Think you know it all already


Success vs. Failure

Success Failure
 Planning  Ad Hoc
 Organization  Disorganization
 Focus  Broad range
 Defined Objectives  Non-defined objectives



Phone: (650) 577-1900
Email: info@prg3.com
www.prg3.com


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