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Responsibilities for a Successful Show: Part 1Dateline: 04/30/97
The Basics: Advertising Show promoters have one main obligation to exhibitors. GET THE PEOPLE THERE!!! This involves advertising, advertising, and more advertising! I think we've all been to a show where the only traffic there is other exhibitors walking around. Nothing is more aggravating than paying $1000 for a booth, traveling for 18 hours, setting up in bad weather, and then sitting in a 10 x 10 booth for four days with few customers to be seen. I've been to one show too many where the most money spent on advertising is on getting new exhibitors! Word of mouth should be one of a promoters strongest ways of getting more exhibitors as a show grows. If a show is chocked full of customers, word will get around fast that it's worth attending. Likewise, if a show is lousy, word will also get around that a promoter is simply taking exhibitors money. A large portion of advertising dollars should be set aside to let public know about the show. This is the single most important thing to a great show. Keep the content of the show consistent to the theme of the show. It's also important to stick with the theme of the show. By this, I mean that whatever type of products a show is supposed to have should be what's at the show. If the show has been advertised as a fine arts show and the promoter allows such things into the show as floppy-eared rabbits, imported watches, and fireworks it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the promoters are more interested in taking people's money than building a good show. Flea markets have their place, however if it's a flea market, then let's call it one. Availability Another thing that bothers exhibitors is that some promoters cannot be found to answer questions once the show begins. How many times have you been at a show looking for the promoters to answer a particular question and no one knows where they are? Not all do this of course, but the ones who do give a bad impression. It's important for someone to be in a designated location to help exhibitors with any problems that they may be having. Directions Good directions are a must. When you are in a new city, you will likely be confused when trying to get to the show location. It's not enough that you have the name of the Howard Happy Convention Center, you also need detailed instructions on how to get there. I remember driving around Birmingham, Alabama for over an hour trying to find the location of a show. After asking where 12th street was from every gas station attendant I could find, we finally realized that the city has two 12th streets! That's right, the city is split down the middle and has two 1st streets, two 2nd streets, and so on. This, of course, could have been easily resolved with good directions. It's also helpful when promoters give you a list of area hotels who offer exhibitor discounts. It's annoying when you have reservations at a Holiday Inn on the other side of town only to find that there is one right across the street! Good directions are also a must for easily finding your lodging while "on the road". Security Having good security at a show is important for an exhibitor's piece of mind. It can be scary to leave all your products unattended in a booth overnight. So it helps when a promoter informs you that there will be security guards on duty to keep an eye on things. It never hurts to make sure you cover everything up to at least make it more difficult for anyone to steal your work. Of course, no one can prevent everything from happening so it is a wise idea to have insurance on your products as well as on your display. Some nice extras: Booth sitters A booth sitter is someone who is hired by the show promoter to sit in your booth when you need to leave to eat, go to the restroom, or simply to stretch your legs for a few minutes. Make sure you don't abuse this service by staying gone for long periods of time. Remember, although someone can watch your space for you, they cannot answer questions about your products or make sales for you. Its up to you to make the most of your time at a show. Coffee Isn't it nice when on the morning of the first day of a show you find a complimentary coffee and doughnut table for exhibitors to enjoy. Too many convention centers take advantage of crafters (who pay a lot of money to be there) by charging a fortune for a cup of coffee. It's the little things that good promoters do that let you know they appreciate your business. Cut in lines What's a "cut in line" you ask? Have you ever taken a short break at a busy show to run to the concession area to buy some lunch, only to find a long line of hungry shoppers ahead of you? Believe it or not, I have been to a few shows where a special line is saved just for exhibitors so that they may grab their food and get back to their booths without being gone for hours! Cool, huh? Like I said, it's those little extras that can make a show special. Now I would like to say that by giving these suggestions, I am not picking on all show promoters. While certain shows certainly need improvement, most professional promoters do a very good job. In fact, that's where all of these ideas came from, great shows put on by great promoters! Being responsible for a large show is certainly not a job that I would want! The only thing I really expect for my booth fee is a good crowd. The rest is merely icing on the cake! Next week I'm going to give some suggestions that we as exhibitors need to do on our end to ensure a successful show. That's right, we have our responsibilities too! Until then, happy sales!!! |
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