Best tradeshow marketing tips and case studies. Call 800-654-6946.
Best tradeshow marketing tips and case studies. Call 800-654-6946.

All posts by: Tim Patterson

Tradeshow Marketing Expert & Dynamic Public Speaker/Trainer

Taking Time to Review Your Tradeshow Marketing Systems

The tradeshow, event and conference industries are not dead. It’s just sleeping. It’ll awaken at some point again and roar to life.

In the meantime, time on your hands. Maybe, maybe not. I certainly have time on my hands. And I have to bring in a little income.

So, I’m driving for Uber Eats and delivering food three to four hours a day. Not bad money, actually, for the time involved. My older son, who’s in his late 20s, had been working as a cook in an upscale restaurant which had to close when the coronavirus restrictions here in Oregon went into place. When we went skiing together a month ago, he told me that he’d been driving for Uber Eats a few hours before he went to work, and then a few hours after he got off in the evening. Now that the restaurant closed, he’s doing it eight hours a day, six or seven days a week. Likes being in his car (it’s new), listening to music, and bringing food to people.

I thought, I can do this. And making a few extra bucks (it’s actually pretty good pay) was enticing. It took a short while to get signed up and approved, and now I’m delivering food from restaurants to people a few hours a day. Sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner.

It gives me a lot of time to think. And listen to rock, or podcasts. But definitely time to think.

And I got to thinking about systems. What kind of systems does it take for an Uber driver (or Door Dash or Grub Hub or any of those companies) to get an offer to drive, accept it, pick up the food and deliver it in a timely manner while it’s still hot?

The driver needs:

  • A car
  • Smartphone with app
  • Address to pickup
  • Address to deliver

The smartphone has all of those items, other than the car, built in. GPS. Mapping. Internet connectivity.

The customer needs:

  • An app to order food from
  • An address for the driver to deliver it to
  • A way to pay (credit or debit card) they can use through the app

The restaurant needs:

  • A system that receives incoming orders and gets them to the kitchen in a timely manner
  • Ability to prepare food quickly and have it ready for pickup within a few moments

As I drive from a restaurant to a drop off point, it’s common to get another offer to pick up another order before the current one is delivered.

During my drives, I keep thinking what an intricate system this is. What an elaborate dance it is to transmit an offer to a driver that’s in the area, about to drop off one order, to deliver another order. As an Uber Eats driver, it’s all optional. Don’t want that one? Don’t take it.

Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels

Then I get to thinking about the systems built around tradeshows and events. About what the show organizer needs. What the exhibitor needs. What the visitor needs.

Think about the systems that must be in place for all of that to work to a positive effect on a regular basis. Design and fabrication of tradeshow exhibits. Shipping, setup/dismantle logistics. Travel and lodging. Product development and production.

As a participant, you only can see and control what’s immediately in front of you. But as a tradeshow marketing manager, you can exert a lot of control over how your company exhibits. How your product is presented, how your company is represented by the exhibit and the booth staff. Who sets up the booth, who handles shipping and so on.

Now that the tradeshow and event industry is on hiatus, maybe it’s a good time to examine your systems that hold everything in place from your perspective and see what can be improved.

After all, while I don’t mind driving a few hours a day delivering food, I’d rather get back to the tradeshow world full time soon.

TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Coffee, April 13, 2020: Rama Beerfas

When is a branded promotional product a good idea? You’ve seen them all, right? Pens, letter openers, tins of mints. But choosing the right promotional product for a company or product is as much an art as science. Rama Beerfas of Lev Promotions joins me to talk about the promotional products industry – and getting the right branded product for the right situation.

Find Lev Promotions here.

This week’s ONE GOOD THING: Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.

Tradeshow Exhibit Rentals: It’s there When You Need It, Gone When You Don’t

We’ve mentioned tradeshow exhibit rentals several times in this blog and on the podcast. Most of what you can learn about exhibit rentals is already here. But to make a finer point of it, let’s recap:

Pros of tradeshow exhibit rentals:

  • Don’t have to store the exhibit
  • Costs much less than a new exhibit
  • Easy to re-shape and move into different sizes
  • Short-term commitment
  • Flexibility
  • …and more

Cons of tradeshow exhibit rentals

  • Cost can add up: after renting a few times, you’ve paid for the cost of a new exhibit
  • Have to keep coming up with a new idea or design for every show
  • It’s not yours; after the show the money you spent is gone and you have no exhibit

Bottom line, there are no wrong answers. Only answers that fit an exhibitor’s specific needs, goals and situation.

But the final thing to remember about rental exhibits is this: it’s there when you need it, gone when you don’t. And sometimes that’s the best thing.

Check tradeshow exhibit rentals here.

Managing in a Time of Crisis

This is a guest post by Dominic Rubino.

Here we are.  The “what if” scenario is in front of us.

As leaders we need to be prepared so that we show confidence and leadership to our teams.

Now more than ever facts must drive our decisions.

I’ll keep this article point form and factual so it is easy to follow and put in place.

Crisis management is about communication. (See the green circle below) (1)

Controlling that communication is the key to keeping everyone calm and focused.

Ref: Springer, 1, 3

Listen ( see orange circle above)

All of your team will have questions. Get in front of them as quickly as you can.

Depending on the size of your company you might need to have an “all company meeting.”

This can be quickly set up on Skype if you have people working remotely. Contact me if I can help you set up a conference call using Zoom.

I will also be publishing a How-To document for Managing Remote Teams. Stay tuned for more.

Not only do the people in your company have questions, they want to know that they are being heard.  Create an easy way for people to get their questions to you so that you can answer them.

Ideas for Listening to your team

  • Set up question boxes in your shop and check them daily.
  • Hold a meeting.  Put up a whiteboard and ask each person one by one to call out their questions.
  • Walk the shop floor.  Now is not the time to stay in your office. Talk to people individually.
  • When people are asking you questions remain calm and let them get the whole question out.  Once they are done it’s helpful if you repeat the question back.
  •  Here’s an example of what I mean.  Tony stops you in the hallway to ask a question.

Tony- ..What are going to do if sales drop off and people don’t want us in their houses ?

You- “…Thanks Tony- so your question is how are we gong to keep on selling new jobs if people don’t want us in their houses?”

Measure ( see orange circle above)

Measurement means a few different things right now.

Facts are facts.

First- now is the time to rely on the strategic plan you built for the company.  (Those of you who work directly with me will refer to this as the OPSP, or the EOS Level 10 meeting.)

In that strategic plan we laid out your critical numbers,  flowcharts ( also called SOP’s),  and types of meetings that we need to have with our people.  Use those tools as much as you can.  Contact me directly if you have questions.

Second- as business owners we need to take the lead and make sure that we are getting our information from credible sources. Facebook, Instagram,  and “my friend told me” are not credible sources!  Establish which media outlets you trust the most, and refer back to them. For an example, this is Forbes list of trusted media outlets. 

I would suggest that you publicize these trusted outlets with your team as well- this way, your team will know where you are looking.

Talk ( see orange circle above)

Yes, I know that some of you reading this already think you have too many meetings.  (read my article in Forbes on this subject) In a time of crisis like this, those meetings are not for you – they’re for your team.

Your team is going to be getting information from somewhere.  If it doesn’t come from you they will find it from other sources.  Or, left without direction,  the loudest , most convincing voices will win out over fact-based points of view.

Tips for talking to your team (and still getting work done)

Get ahead of “talking”,  so that you aren’t caught by surprise.  Tell your team to expect an update from you at a pre-set time.

I spoke with a business owner just this morning and we put the following communications schedule in place with his company.

Daily

9 AM daily-  He will update the team on the latest information. His primary source  of information will be at this web address.

2 PM daily- He will update the team on the latest information. His primary source  of information will be the CDC at this web address.

If you are feeling ill. Send a text message to ‘NAME’ by 7 AM. Otherwise we’re looking forward to seeing you here!

Weekly

The Toolbox talk/Safety meeting will be held at our regular time (8 AM ) for the duration of this quarantine.

The Huddle and Dashboard will be held at our regular time (10 AM Tues/Thur) in the boardroom for the duration of this quarantine.

Floor walks- I will be walking the floor daily. If you have questions, let’s discuss when I come by your station. Sunday nights at 6- He will update the team on the latest information. His primary source  of information will be the CDC at this web address.

Engage ( see orange circle above)

What this means is to slow down, really talk , really listen and don’t try to “Baffle with BS”.

Your team needs you now. Think about how they and their families will talk about your company after all of this blows over.  Because it will blow over.

Do you want them to say “Our boss is a good guy.  We were kept informed and I felt confident that he knew what he was doing every step of the way.”

OR

Do you want them to say “…it was really stressful I didn’t know from day to day what was going to happen.  I was worried I might lose my house.  My wife was asking me questions I just couldn’t answer.  I wish he had just been straight with me.”

Conclusion

Now is not the time to do this alone. If you have my contact info, get in touch with me now. We’ll put together a plan that works for you and your team.

Thanks,

Dom

Who is Dominic Rubino and is this information reliable?

Good question, I’m glad you’re asking. I’m a businessman, and for the last 20 years, I’ve coached, consulted and trained business owners on how to work smarter, not just harder.

I value reality over theory. I hate theory. You might want to know more about me and how I approach business turnarounds.

You can find out more in the following places

References

  • FEMA.gov
  • CDC.org
  • Christine G. Springer, Director of the Executive Masters Degree in Emergency and Crisis Management at UNLV

Check out the podcast interview I did with Dominic Rubino last year here.

Finally, here’s the time I appeared on Dominic’s Profit ToolBelt Podcast.

TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Coffee, April 6, 2020: Heather Haigler

While many of us are working from home, trying to juggle work schedules with kid demands and more, we are looking forward to a time when things return to at least semi-normal. On this week’s TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Coffee, I chatted with Heather Haigler of Switch Four about their new tradeshow management software, WorkTrip – for the remainder of 2020 they are offering free access. Here’s the conversation we had about that and other things that were on our minds:

Links mentioned in the show:

This week’s ONE GOOD THING: free streaming for the next few weeks on EPIX, thanks to XFinity, where you can find all of the James Bond movies!

Selling in the Time of No Tradeshows or Events

The social distancing guidelines put forth due to the COVID-19 pandemic has effectively shut off a majority of the economy, like turning off a spigot. It would be easier to line-item the businesses that are open than those that are closed: grocery stores, drive-through coffee shops and some business offices. Ten million in the US have filed for unemployment in the past two weeks.

Ten Million.

The impact of this on the nation, on the world, is unfathomable.

I know many people who are sitting at home most of the day, binging TV shows or reading books or even playing board games or sharing music online. Others are making use of the time to learn a new skill, to tackle that novel, to write music, to create.

Others don’t know what to do.

If you’re still working, whether from home or in the office, and you have to sell to keep things going in the company, what do you do? What approach do you take?

I subscribe to several sales newsletters and thought I’d share a few thoughts. Some came from the newsletters, others from just my own experience. But here we are in a time where it’s difficult to even find someone to talk to.

First, when you call, it makes sense to ask your contact what approach their company is making. Are they putting everything on hold for the time being, awaiting the end of the social distancing and figuring they’ll kick back into action when the pandemic is over? Or are they moving forward with business as usual, as much as they can?

If it’s the former, tell them, that, ‘yeah, it’s a crazy time, I get it,’ and ask if you can send a quick email with your contact information so that when we do get back to normal they can reach back out to you. If it’s the latter, move into your typical sales questions to uncover any needs they may currently have for what you’re offering.

Seems appropriate somehow… (click to play the album!)

Another part of the equation is what you’re selling. If you’re in the restaurant supply business, chances are that your potential buyers are not even open, unless they’re doing take-out or drive-thru only. If you’re selling Personal Protective Equipment for health workers, you probably can’t keep up with the demand. It all depends on the specific products or services you’re selling.

Most people probably fall somewhere in between those two extremes. Which means you’re going to have to find a strategy that keeps at least some business coming in.

With millions stuck at home, that means people are going online to shop, they’re connecting via video meetings (Zoom is being mentioned dozens of times a day in the mainstream press!), telephone and email.

Questions to ask yourself:

  • What shape is the company website it? Does it need upgrading? Can you add new products, new services and new ways for people to connect?
  • Are your social media platforms being updated frequently? With so much time on their hands, everybody is on social media.
  • Can you offer a digital version of your services? Lots of people are taking this time to create online learning classes or other ways of sharing their information.
  • Can you connect with others regularly? Sure! Some people are starting up regular Zoom meetings just to have a face-to-face connection with others outside of their home.

Bottom line: be there for clients and prospects. Don’t stop doing outreach, however that looks for you. Don’t be pushy but if you continue to think you can offer something of value, something that your clients and prospects can really use, keep doing it.

Quick Set-Up Medical Pods and Hand Sanitizer Dispensers

Here in the time of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic, there is a growing need for systems that support keeping health workers healthy, keeping patients isolated and helping the average citizen clean and healthy.

Classic Exhibits, one of our main suppliers, took a close look at the current needs and with a little creativity came up with some items that look to fit the bill.

Gravitee Medical Pods

Medical pods have been set up across the country. Imagine how quickly some areas have needed them. These pods need to isolate patients and set up quickly. With Gravitee’s tool-less quick set-up, hard Sintra walls, and the fact that they ship flat, make them a good option for administrators and health professionals. Check out the information sheets here and download the PDFs below.

Hand Sanitizer Stations

You’ve seen them in grocery stores, malls, offices and more. People everywhere are concerned about their cleanliness. They’re washing their hands frequently, and when soap and water isn’t readily available, a hand sanitizer station often is just what is needed.

Download the PDFs here:

Gravitee Medical Pods #1

Gravitee Medical Pods #2

Hand Sanitizer Stations

TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Coffee, March 30, 2020: Working From Home

Working from home isn’t as easy or as glamorous as you might think. If you ever thought it glamorous at all, right? On this week’s TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Coffee, I share a few tips that came from what I’ve learned by working from a home office for nearly nine years.

This week’s ONE GOOD THING: counting the things that you’re grateful for.

Personal Tips for Working from Home

I’ve been fortunate enough to work from home for almost nine years. It’s not always easy. Retaining focus and momentum through the day is one of the hardest things. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years.

You can’t do it all on your own. Even though you work from home, presumably alone (although you may have family and kids and dogs and cats with you for the time being), there are still workers and colleagues you need. Not only to stay connected, but to communicate with regularly so you know what everyone is doing.

Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels

Having a schedule is critical. I block out various times of the day to get things done. Or make sure that on certain days, certain things get done. For instance, in normal times, I block out an hour of prospecting calls four times a week. Client calls are usually around the same time, although knowing that clients might not be as flexible, I often schedule calls early or later in the day. I write, record and produce a podcast late in the week, usually Friday although sometimes it happens on Saturday, and post it first thing on Monday. I try (and usually succeed) to write and post a new blog article on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Take a break. Snack, water, quick walk, get outside. Hey, you’re at home! You can take a few moments.

Have a start and stop time and do your best to stick to it. I realize that work-at-home schedules are fraught with influences that mean you have to be flexible. But if you have guidelines on when to start and stop, you’ll have a better time keeping on track.

Focus is also critical. If you can’t focus and find yourself getting on Twitter or Facebook, spend a moment there, then get up and leave the room. Get away from the computer. Talk with your spouse if they’re there, or a kid, or just take a break. Think about the most important thing you should do when you get back in front of the computer. Maybe even the most important two or three things, write them down, and when you sit down to work after a few moments, do those things. Put the blinders on, for at least a few moments. Some people work well with timers, shutting everything out for 20 or 30 minutes. Others don’t. Find what works best for you to keep focus, which is when you’ll likely do your best work.

Work when you’re most effective. I tend to like working best in the morning. After one or two in the afternoon, focus wanes and effectiveness drops significantly. With my wife not working now because her employer is closed due to the Coronavirus, I’m getting up a six, doing my morning Yoga routine while the coffee brews, and then work on my novel for an hour. Then I crank through the email and any immediate business items. Then it’s a shower and we walk the dog. Lately the walks have been an hour or more, getting in three or four miles. Finally, it’s back in the office for more business-related work for a couple of hours. Some people are not morning people and work better at night. Whatever works best for you is what you should try to make happen.

With the family home, communication is important. Your spouse may need to work as well, you may have kids that need hands-on attention. Or not. No matter your situation, make sure all parties are clear on your needs, and make sure you’re clear on their needs. It’s not fun to keep butting heads on schedules when a simple discussion and prioritizing of each person’s needs and desires can usually straighten things out.

With the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic, you may be working from home. But it won’t last forever. You’ll get back to the office at some point. Hopefully sooner than later. But in the meantime, get some work done. And have a little fun at the same time.

Natural Products Expo West 2020: What Might Have Been

When Natural Products Expo West was cancelled on March 2, just a couple of days before the doors were to have opened to 80,000+ attendees and 3500+ exhibitors, there was a sense of “what did we miss by not being able to exhibit, by not being able to attend?”

And it happened for everyone. Here at TradeshowGuy Exhibits, we had several clients who had done modest upgrades to their exhibits. Upgrades that would have showed off new products, new brands, you name it.

All unseen.

But I thought they should see the light of day, so that followers could at least get an idea of what they missed. Plus, knowing that companies often change year over year, there’s a good chance that none of these exhibit revisions would be used in 2021. We worked with several other clients at the show, mainly to assist in installation and dismantle, so there was nothing new to show. I reached out to the clients involved, and many of them said, YES, please share those concepts; the artwork and revisions that we would have shown our visitors at Expo West. And one client declined to show off their new look, opting instead to save it for the future. Here’s a short video of those changes:

Check ’em all out here:

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