Our guide to Successful exhibiting at the Convergence Summit South 2007

So you've made the first step and booked your stand at the Convergence Summit South 2007... what do you need to do now to make sure you get the most out of your attendance?

Well, we all know that marketing is the key to great exhibiting, but staying on top of, or more importantly, excelling at the multitude of tasks that come at a quick pace in the run-up to the event can be a challenge.

Here at Smart Monkey Marketing, we have put together 10 tips on how to ensure you get the most successful outcome from your attendance at the Convergence Summit South 2007.

So don't get bogged down - read on, absorb and enjoy the ride!

1. Planning is key!

Boring, boring, boring.... we can hear you! But planning is really important! If you are serious about your exhibiting, then you just can't afford not to plan.

Without getting too caught up in jargon (because we don't like it), you really need a strategic plan and a tactical plan. Basically, for your strategic plan - you need to know and understand exactly what you would like to achieve, for example, whether you wish to increase sales from your existing customers, introduce new products or services to current customers or introduce new products or services to new customers. When you know exactly what you want to achieve, you then need to put a tactical plan in place - how you're going to do it!

2. Build a solid promotional plan

Promotion is key to your exhibiting. It is very hard to tempt people who don't know you onto your stand. Event promotion will put your Company in the minds of the visitors before the event, making it much easier for your stand to be buzzing at the event. Your promotions should be broken down into three areas to encompass:

• Pre-promotion
• At the event
• Post-promotion

Budget will play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible, so it is important to know who you are targeting so that your pennies are spent in the best way to maximise your return. There are many ways you can promote yourself throughout the three stages direct mail, eshots, advertising, PR, sponsorship, the internet, and more...

All exhibitors have a free full page advert within the October issue of Comms Business Magazine. The deadline for artwork is Wednesday 5th September so ensure your advert is ready in time. For inspiration on your advertising design, get in touch with Beth at beth@smartmonkeymarketing.co.uk.

3. Don't just sit back and wait - invite, invite, invite!

Pre-event mailings are one of the most popular ways to promote your exhibition attendance, whether this be printed direct mail or email invitations. The first port of call is to get in touch with your own customer database. To help ensure your invitation is seen, try to set out a campaign to mail your customers at least three times before the event either through printed direct mail, or to cut back on postage costs, a series of emails. Contact Smart Monkey and ask to see our portfolio of emails we have designed for our clients

4. Why should visitors come to your stand?

Whatever promotional vehicles you use, make sure that you give visitors a reason to come and visit you. With a hall overflowing with fascinating products/services, combined with time constraints, people need an incentive to come and visit your stand. First and foremost their primary interest is 'what's new!'. They are eager to learn about the latest technologies, new applications, or anything that will help save them time and/or money. Even if you don't have a new product/service to introduce, think about a new angle to promote your offerings.

Another way to raise awareness and drive people to your stand whilst at the exhibition is utilising the many on-site promotional and marketing opportunities. Below is a list of the activities available at Convergence Summit South which can be booked by calling Marie on 01892 538348.

Available Marketing Opportunities at the Convergence Summit South

Opportunity	Description	Number of Opps	Cost
Big sign next to Sandown Park main entrance	Printed full colour one side. Artwork to be supplied.	2	£600 each
Sign on grassed island on main drive	Printed full colour one side. Artwork to be supplied.	1	£300
Sign on grassed island on main drive	Printed full colour one side. Artwork to be supplied.	1	£300
Flags on grassed island on main drive	Printed full colour. Double-sided. Artwork to be supplied.	2 Flags	£300 each
PVC Banners around Surrey Hall	Printed full colour both sides. Artwork to be supplied.	P10	P£150 each
A1 Signs around Surrey Hall	Printed full colour one side. Artwork to be supplied.	14	£95 each or £1200 for all
A3 Signs in Surrey Hall Gents Toilets	Printed full colour one side. Artwork to be supplied.	12	£40 each or £400 for all
A3 Signs in Esher Hall Gents Toilets (Gala Dinner)	Printed full colour one side. Artwork to be supplied.	5	£40 each or £180 for all
Stair Risers	11 laminated Posters printed full colour one side to cover main stairs in main foyer. Artwork to be supplied.	SOLD for 2007	£1,200

Other Opportunities

Opportunity	Description	Number of Opps	Cost
Carrier Bags	Your Sponsor logo & message on one side, Summit featured on other side, full colour. Handed out to each visitor.	SOLD for 2007	£2,500
Lanyards	Branded lanyards for badges	1	To be supplied + £500
Registration Pens	2000 pens to be supplied for registration desk	1	To be supplied + £500
Sponsorship of Bar	Includes 2 signs on the wall behind the barman, branded poser table tops. Table area will be carpeted in your corporate colour with branded floor tiles.	1	£2,000
Sponsorship of Educational Seminars	Includes your logo on lectern, behind speaker, on programme board, on main event board, in Summit editorial in Comms Business Magazine, on printed and online promotional material, in Show Guide etc.	1	£2,000
Delegate Packs	Includes: Folder, pad & pen to be placed on seating in conference rooms	1	On application
Delegate Refreshments	Sponsorship of Tea, Coffee, Water for all delegates attending seminars - Includes Poster sites within room	1	On application
Champagne Reception	Sponsorship of Gala Dinner drinks reception - Tuesday, 9th October at Esher Hall, Sandown Park , Surrey	1	£2,500
Table Gifts	Gifts on tables at Gala Dinner - 50 tables	3	On application
Recovery Pack for Gala Dinner Guests	Will contain hangover remedy, energy drink, mints, choc bar and your promotional material. Holding device such as Carrier Bag to be supplied by you.	1	£2,000

5. Quirky merchandise will stick around

Closely tied in with giving visitors an incentive to visit your stand is the opportunity to offer a premium item that will entice them. Promotional merchandise should be designed to make you memorable, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition of your Company.

However, developing a talked about giveaway takes thought and creativity. You will need to consider what your target audience wants, what will help them do their job better, what they can't get elsewhere, what is product/service related and educational. The premium item doesn't just have to be a giveaway - maybe you have an informative white paper or valuable industry guide that you could gather contact details for to email them following the event, or direct people to your website to view the information.

6. Take advantage of PR pre and post event

PR is one of the most cost-effective and successful methods for generating large volumes of direct enquiries and sales. Send out newsworthy press releases focusing on what's new about your product/service, highlighting a new application or market venture, industry trends, statistics, new technology or production information. Ensure you include key company contacts and inform the Editors if you have good product photos that they could use.

The Convergence Summit organisers offer opportunities for you to maximise your Company's free promotional exposure through editorial coverage within the Comms Business magazine, information on the Summit website and promotion within the regular ecasts to the voice & data resellers. If you haven't already sent back your completed Exhibitor Details form to marie@commsbusiness.co.uk, make sure you do this as a matter of urgency.

Following the exhibition, make sure you continue post event PR, how successful you found the event, any news arising from your attendance such as new deals, partnerships, etc.

7. Stand out from the crowd

Too many exhibitors are happy to use the "me too" marketing approach. Examine their marketing plans and there's an underlying sameness about them. With shows that attract a large number of exhibitors, there are very few that seem to "stand out from the crowd." Since being memorable is an integral part of a visitors' show experience, you should be looking at what makes you different and why a prospect should buy from you. This is of particular concern with generic products in your industry. Every aspect of your marketing plan, including your promotions, your stand and your people should be aimed at making an impact and creating curiosity.

On the exhibition floor, your stand makes a strong statement about who your company is, what you do and how you do it. The purpose of your stand is to attract visitors so that you can achieve your marketing objectives. In addition to it being an open, welcoming and friendly space, there needs to be a focal point and a strong key message that communicates a significant benefit to your prospect. Exhibition visitors want information fast, they don't want to have to read loads of copy on your graphics to find out what you do - opt for large images as pictures paint a thousand words. Make your stand memorable by creating an experience that allows visitors to use as many of their senses as possible.

For eye catching exhibition graphic displays, give Smart Monkey a call on 0845 688 4497.

8. Things to avoid

Avoid using tables as barricades. Leaving the centre of your stand open will increase traffic by 25%. Place tables off to the side and always have an open entry.

Avoid radar vision. Make eye contact with your stand visitors first and then look at the person's badge. Don't look straight at their badge to see if they are worth talking to first.

Avoid stacking brochures on counters. Displaying just one or two copies of a brochure is more likely to create a request rather than stacking loads on the stand.

Avoid stacking giveaways on tables. Piles of giveaways tend to attract bag-stuffers, so just display one giveaway that will create interest, but reduce the 'grab-and-run' effect.

Avoid asking 'May I help you?'. Always ask the visitors how familiar they are with your product or company and what created the interest. Visitors are more willing to share information when you ask these questions as the most common response to 'May I help you?' is, 'No, just looking'.

Avoid being a palace guard. Always stand at least 3 feet from the displays or equipment. Be an observer and not a guard so that your prospects can approach the displays without your interference. Sales people standing with their arms folded look like a palace guard protecting the display.

9. People mean power

Your staff are your ambassadors. They represent everything your company stands for, so choose the people that man your stand well. Brief them before the event starts and make sure that they know:

• Why you are exhibiting
• What you are exhibiting
• What you expect from them

Exhibition staff training is essential for a unified and professional image. Make sure that they sell instead of tell, don't try to do too much, understand visitor needs and know how to close the interaction with a commitment to follow-up. Whilst at the event, ensure your staff don't overcrowd the stand so as not to frighten potential visitors.

10. Lead management

Exhibiting is all about generating enquiries for further business from existing customers and new business from prospects. In this respect, it is vital to gather information from the people that show an interest on your stand so that you can follow up effectively after the event. There are various options available to help you collect as much data as possible. Some exhibitors will use a simple business card collection, however, try to add notes as best you can so that you can target the prospect correctly rather than bombard them with information on products or services they are not interested in. Alternatively, laser lead recorders enable you to simply 'zap' people as they visit your stand, saving you time writing down their details. Laser lead recorders are available to hire from CDS. Orders must be placed before Friday 21st September. An order form can be found within your Exhibitor Manual.

The key to your tradeshow success is wrapped up in the lead-management process. The best time to plan for follow-up is before the show as the exhibition leads often take second place to other management activities that occur after being out of the office for several days. The longer leads are left unattended, the colder and more mediocre they become. It is to your advantage to develop an organised, systematic approach to follow-up. Establish a lead handling system, set time lines for follow-up, use a computerised database for tracking and make sales representatives accountable for leads given to them.

Finally, one of the single most important factors in follow-up is to measure your results so that you can plan even more effectively for next year!

Time is running out fast, so for help with any of your exhibition promotion and marketing, give us a call!

Smart Monkey Marketing