Trade-show success: using Indiana exhibit-design companies.

• Author: McKimmie, Kathy
• Position: Trade Shows & Exhibitions

AFTER A FEW YEARS of slack travel lowering attendance at trade shows, business is once again on the upswing, but with a twist. "The quality of the traffic has picked up," says Karl Richter, president of Exhibiteam, Elkhart. "It used to be a perk to send someone to a show--send the family to Vegas. Now, if you don't have a reason to be at a show, you're not there."

How do you compete for attention with all those other exhibitors? "It's a mistake to communicate too many things and lose the effect," says Jeff Hoffman, president of The Exhibit House, Indianapolis, which offers a full-service exhibit design, fabrication and logistics resource. "The trade-show booth is like a billboard. You only have a few seconds to make your statement. There's got to be clarity," he says.

"Creative planning can strengthen branding strategies and increase productivity at a trade show," says Hoffman. Define your goals and the experience you want the customer to have when they visit you at the trade show, he says. Will it be to introduce a new product, find new customers, socialize with your best customers?

The answer will help define the space you need, from a 10-foot-by 10-foot booth to a 35,000-square-foot multipurpose extravaganza.

"If you are the dominant person in their industry or the top player, you need to communicate that," says Hoffman. "That's when it's likely you will want a two-story booth or a dramatic expression of the name and logo." If you're not the dominant player yet, you may be better off with a more personal approach, selling your service and people, as opposed to championing your market position.

Want to socialize with current clients and have a chance to catch up? "In that environment it's critical to have open spaces and plenty of hospitality opportunities with nice seating, good meeting space, adequate food and beverage space," says Hoffman. "Contrast that with someone who needs to walk through a complicated presentation of a product--sometimes on a schedule. Some booths are on appointment only."

What is your customers' experience with your product, service and your organization? Does it need to change? Do you need to introduce new products, or reinforce an existing service? Hoffman explains, "Too many companies make the mistake of planning trade-show strategy separately from other marketing, and trade shows can be extremely effective when they support the overall brand and marketing strategy. You can waste resources when they don't."...