Experts & Opinions
Dec 07, 2013
When I talk to show managers about their biggest event challenges the recurring theme is: How to grow attendance, getting more exhibitors, getting more attendees, Building event traffic and attracting a larger number of quality attendees.
It is all about attendance.
1. Make Sure Newbies Know the Basics: As a show organizer, your goal is to have exhibitors return each year. Get new exhibitors off on the right foot. Some may know the ropes, but don’t assume that they all do. Here are a few of the basics.
• Signage: Make certain… more
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Dec 07, 2013
The end of the year is always a time for reflection. For many of us, it involves closing out a fiscal year, transitioning from a brutal work schedule to a hectic holiday schedule and hopefully some time to think about your business and what you need to do to stay relevant and competitive.
Change has historically come slow to the tradeshow business. Real slow. Like watching ice melt kind of slow.
Opportunity and business conditions have warranted that the industry step-up and evolve, and it has responded impressively. However, we must continue to innovate and manage our businesses at a… more
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Nov 30, 2013
In the last 10 years or so there have been fundamental technological and economic changes that have rewritten the trade show rule book. Not rules like how close to the aisle your exhibit structure can be or how loud your music can play, but rules about what it takes to succeed on the showfloor.
Some changes evolved slowly over the years, and some were wrenched into place almost at once. Here’s what’s changed – and how you can adapt to those changes:
1. More Uncertainty: Economic uncertainty has lasted for years, and shows little signs of going away. This makes your top… more
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Nov 30, 2013
Some people believe they aren’t creative, not innovative and weren’t born with the “creative gene.” What happens if I wasn’t born with it? How can I become more innovative in my personal and professional life?
Fortunately, there are some great tips out there we can all benefit from, and, yes, they came from Google. However, instead of Google.com, they came from a senior leader at Google.
In a summit about innovation for IT leaders, I had the chance to meet a senior leader from the innovation team at Google, Emily Ma.
Emily spent her entire career focused on… more
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Nov 24, 2013
This year, we’ve seen mobile event apps transition from a “nice-to-have” offering at trade shows into an expected, integrated part of the event experience. Attendees are generally glued to their smartphones, and smart event organizers are leveraging that mobile addiction to make a truly impactful event experience.
But for the event applications to make a maximum impact, attendees need to be aware of the app, download it and use them. So, app promotion is perhaps the most critical step.
Here are some tips to boost event app adoption that we’ve learned from experience… more
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Nov 24, 2013
When there is a 5,835 pound gorilla in the room, what do you do? Remember on Seinfeld when George knocked the clown over running out of a room that caught fire? That’s pretty much what I’d be doing …
That happens to be the same reaction you get from many show organizers, exhibitors, facilities, and yes … even service contractors, when there is a pile of old exhibit signage, banners and panels from past shows that aren’t being used any more.
That’s not the case at IMEX America. IMEX chooses to face the gorilla down. At the close of the show, just when… more
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Nov 16, 2013
Ah, Google, our benevolent overlords. I say that tongue in cheek, but Google has a good handle on how we are working, and connecting in our digital space. Your event attendees will first connect with you online, and Google has some great tools that can help with your online content management.
Google +: If you have not done so, get on Google + and set up an account. This allows you, when you post content to Google+, access to the largest search engine on the planet. You also want to add your colleagues and friends to your ‘circle’, so they will see… more
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Nov 16, 2013
Tradeshows have undergone more changes during the past five years than in the preceding 100. The changes are due mainly to a fast-growing array of new technologies and tools, but also to changes in expectations and how people find information.
As John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid tell us, “The way forward is paradoxically to look not ahead, but to look around.”
Event planners have the daunting task of staying current on new and emerging trends and
always-shifting strategies to meet customer preferences. Looking into our crystal ball, here are some thoughts from Tim… more
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Nov 09, 2013
There is a lot going on in Boston as one would expect. Lots of cool and innovative development, great restaurants everywhere, an amazing civic pride and spirit, that baseball team of theirs that just won the World Series … All good.
There also is Jim Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, who is kind of a force unto himself when it comes to tradeshows. Jim is one passionate guy. A native and proud Bostonian, and former chief-of-staff to the mayor, Jim has been running MCCA since 2003 and doing an excellent job.
Jim has a whole… more
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Nov 02, 2013
You may be surprised at the Booth Staffers Behaving Badly that goes on at trade shows. Or, maybe not, since you’ve had to endure it yourself; staffers so bad they were actually dragging down your corporate image, losing more business than they brought in.
Unfortunately, there always have been, and always will be bad booth staffers. Here’s a rogue’s gallery of unprofessional perpetrators:
1. The Networker: The Networker spends most of his booth staff shift talking, but instead of having concise conversations with clients and prospects, he whiles away the… more
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Partner Voices
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