Trade Shows and Free Stuff!

When we checked in at the 2015 SGMP NEC on Tuesday we got this bright green bag.  The idea being that we would fill it up with trade show goodies.  We would then take our huge bag of stuff and try and stuff our goodies in our suitcases to fly home, or just leave the entire bag behind (taking only the best items back).  Hotel booths have an assortment of items from tape measures, to pens, to eye glass, phone, and tablet cloths, to suitcase tags.  I have to say that it is rare that I use any of these "freebies" items that I get from trade shows.

Traditional trade shows have become stale to those of us that attend year after year.  You can tell that they are stale by the attendance and the ambiance in the room.

The attendance at the conference trade show was abominable.  It was very clear that planners were there either for the lunch that was included, to get the freebies and enter raffles, or just didn't show up at all.   One of my supplier friends told me that she received just 10 cards and talked to maybe a dozen planners.  There were close to 500 people registered for this conference, and I'm guessing more than 50% of these attendees were planners.

Frankly, I'm embarrassed as a planner to hear that we didn't even do our jobs as planners to make it worth it to the suppliers.  So this raises two questions, how do we entice the planners to show up and what responsibility does a planner have at a trade show?  After all, building relationships with one another is what our business is all about, not the swag that comes with a trade show!

Altering the Freebies

If you're going to keep the traditional trade show format I urge suppliers to rid yourselves of the "swag."  You don't need suitcase tags to get me to remember you.  I prefer to build a relationship with you and talk about whether or not my meetings would be a good fit.  However, I understand the world of marketing, so I think that there are things you can do to become memorable.

Photo Booths

I love the suppliers that have a photo booth, it's a chance to get a planner out of their comfort zone ask them a few questions about their events, have some fun, and let them take away a printed photo being silly with props in front of a photo of your hotel or logo.  We have made a connection in a funny way and I'll think of you next time I'm ready to book an event.

Charity Items

I remember stuffing teddy bears at a hotel booth to give to a children's hospital or police department.  We stuffed the bears and added some clothing.  Sewing up a teddy bear made me think about what a great thing this hotel was doing, and allowing us to participate was an honor.  Other hotels have had bins of toiletries for us to put together as care packages for a local women's shelter.  Whatever your charity is, showcase it on the trade show floor.

Food 

I love being able to sample food or beverages that are unique to your city or hotel restaurant.  This is information that will help me make a decision about a location.  What a wonderful way to spark a conversation about the local cuisine, new head chef, or what's new in the area.

Changing the Trade Show

 

 Reverse Trade Show / Speed Dating

Yes, it’s exactly as it sounds.  Each supplier gets 6 minutes with a planner before moving to the next person.  They make their pitch, learn about the types of events the planner does and finds out quickly if their hotel will be a good fit.  It’s beneficial for both the supplier and the planner.  The supplier will not have to send out mass emails looking for leads from planners.  It allow them to be more targeted with their communication and follow up on those that are actually considering booking with them.  Also, the planner will not be wasting the supplier’s time.  They can easily identify whether or not the hotel property will be useful to them based on the size, number of rooms, and general price points.  Sounds like a win-win!

Virtual Trade Show

Although this is only being done by 1% of the population I think you'll see this as a trend in the future.  It saves the costs of marketing, travel, and shipping.  Allows the information to be manageable rather than overwhelming to planners.  It is "green" and you'll be able to follow-up on quality leads more easily.  Plus, the 21st century customer will thrive in the online environment.

Planner Responsibilities

As for the planner's role at a trade show, I think that we need to canvas the trade show floor and speak to as many suppliers as possible.  Show gratitude for the suppliers that are there.  I let them know that I can't book meetings outside of North Carolina, but that if I ever have something come up for a personal event I will keep them in mind.  I know that suppliers are looking for business and they pay a lot of money to be there.  A simple "thanks for being here" goes a long way. 

If anyone has other trade show tips I'd love to hear them!

Utilizing Space

The 2015 National Education Conference (NEC) for the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) kicked off yesterday evening in Minneapolis.  The welcome reception was hosted in the Craft Bar and Lounge in the Minneapolis Convention Center.  The kickoff reception had signature Minneapolis food, a band called Viva Knievel, and fantastic photo opportunities.

The space itself was unique.  The band was housed in a circular room that had beautiful windows overlooking the street.  They truly added a rocking vibe to the reception.  Check them out here: http://www.vivaknievelband.com/

Viva Knievel at the Minneapolis Convention Center (SGMP NEC 2015)

There were great photo opportunities complete with props.  I'm a sucker for photo booths with props.  It's one of my absolute favorite things to do.  It's an opportunity to be silly, which is just not typically my nature.  I'm usually all business, all the time.  Letting loose with some fun props is incredibly fun and entertaining.

 

NC SGMP letting loose

There was one main thing that was amiss during this opening reception: the flow of the space.  While the planners of this event tried as hard as they could to space out the food and the bars within the space, the fact remained that there was just not enough space for the masses as we converged on the food and drinks for the evening.

Melissa caught a Danielle-fish

The desserts were the first thing we came to up the escalator, which was strange, but didn't stop us from indulging.  I can understand the idea behind this placement.  People might grab a dessert as they headed out.  However, in practice this wasn't the case.  We left down a side staircase and never went back by the desserts again. 

The next thing we came to was a line for an adorable makeshift food truck.  There was an alcove with food and a food truck façade in front of it.  However, the line was long and jutted into the walkway and we tried - with difficulty - to bypass it.  We also continued passed the nacho stand for this reason.

Play Ball!

We then came to some baseball players doing photo ops.  We also bypassed these gentlemen too, but came back later for photos.

We opted to stop at the first bar, despite the long line that was forming.  There were two bartenders here and three bars total in the space.  It didn't feel like enough bartenders or bars for the event, but with the space constraints they made it work.

One great thing were the servers walking around with sliders.  We grabbed this on our walk to find a place to congregate. 

There was a table with some finger foods on it (we also continued on).  We stopped for some veggies, cheese, and meats.  Then found a place to stand and sit.  We took turns going back for nachos, fries, and Reuben sandwiches.

Everyone milled around and we even found ourselves on the dance floor briefly.  We eventually decided to call it a night and indulged in the funny photos on our way out.

Thinking about how your space is setup can really make or break your event.  The space was long and narrow and didn't provide a lot of flexibility.  However, I think the planners made the best decisions they could about trying to spread out the food and the bars.  However, because everyone entered at once it might have been better to move one or two food stations down the way nearer to the band.

As a whole, the reception was a success.  Many people got the opportunity to reconnect with old friends.  Although it was crowded at times, the food and bars were dispersed throughout the space, and Viva Knieval rocked!  The awards banquet is commencing this evening and I will be back tomorrow with a full report on how we do as a chapter!  Go SGMP!  #sgmpnec2015 #Minneapolis #NCSGMP