Over the past few months I’ve been working on a new brand for my company.  I’ll post up the results as soon as all the parts are in place.  It’s been an interesting journey and one which threw up many questions and issues that needed resolving before I could move forward. 

I’ve always liked the branding that Nutmeg currently has.  One issue was always how to combine the name with what we do without making everyone think we were event caterers.  In fact when we were designing a website many years ago we specifically briefed the agency not to include food on the site.  Hence it was a little surprising when we saw their first design with a slice of black forest gateau on the home page.  Isn’t it amazing how some people can completely ignore key elements of a brief?  Needless to say, we didn’t go forward with that company!

The grated nutmeg that makes up the word Nutmeg was a lovely idea, although it eventually had to be created with BBQ spice and not Nutmeg to get a good look.  I like it’s uniqueness but it’s always been a bit of  a pain when it came to printing the logo.  We ended up having a simple text format for clothing and other more complex printing jobs which did dilute the brand a little.  I really like the Nutmeg cut in half - the red stands out really well and it’s a lovely image to use for more subtle branding.  However, I wasn’t every completely happy that it was another unique element and not part of the logo.

As the company and our offering has changed significantly in the past 8 years I felt that it was time to refresh the look.  This was not just to reflect the current age but also to give us some new momentum for the brand. I will say this isn’t something to be taken on lightly.  Not only is there financial investment needed in change but also it takes time to work out what your brand means now and how that is reflected.  Having said that - taking time out to consider and really think about your brand is never wasted time.

I’m just preparing a presentation for a local group of businesses.  The nub of the presentation is about exhibiting - so far, so good, it’s my specialist subject afterall.  The showman in me has no problem standing in front of the audience and talking about things I’m passionate about.  The question is - how to I present a topic on exhibiting to companies who probably aren’t considering exhibiting?

I could regale them with tales of ghastly, ridiculously expensive designs that just didn’t work or I could take them through the proven benefits of exhibiting (if done correctly!).  Great topics but how I can get to the heart of this and engage my, largely non-exhibiting, audience.  Furthermore I’d really like them to go out and have a go at exhibiting - a table top display is all you need to present your company at a local event.  The same principles apply whether you’re designing a presence at a local exhibition or if you’re going to an international tradeshow.

Those of you who read my blog on Mindmaps may be amused that despite my dislike of them I actually found it useful in this case!  I shan’t regale you with the process but suffice to say that I did feel that it gave me the freedom to explore ideas and then bring them into some order.

Three areas came out at the end of this, subjects that I think appeal to anyone in business.  So in May come on down to Bournemouth and watch me present on the importance of exhibitions to all businesses, how to set objectives to monitor your ROI on your events and how to use your exhibition presence to promote your brand and your products effectively.

When you sign up for exhibition space the question always is - how much do you book and where do you book it?  It’s difficult to work out how much space you should book at an exhibition - well, it’s hard if you don’t know what you want to do on that space.  Often my role is to work with clients on the background to their events, as well as the actual planning.  This is where I really feel I can add value.  It’s so easy to book the same amount of space as last year or to just pick a nice looking space. Why waste your money if you don’t need so much or why push your design beyond it’s limits if you book a space too small?

As you often book space a year or more in advance it can be really hard to know what products/services you’ll have online at that time, and more crucially, how you want to demonstrate them.  However, we have to make some decisions so lets start with the basics.

Why are you exhibiting?

Are you there to promote your brand, to meet new clients/dealers or to sign deals and sell product off the stand?Each element requires a very different presence, and so a different space.  I urge you not to book space just to look good  - it’s easy to sign up for more space and create a very open, airy booth but is it really worth it?  Could you spend your marketing money better if you had a smaller space and had sponsorship or a secondary offsite meeting room?

There are so many considerations and each company is different - I’ll try and outline some questions in a future blog but for now, here’s a case study of what my client did at ISE 2012 this year.

ISE 2012

My client had a relatively small space on the show floor so we didn’t have too much flexibility.  They were at the exhibition to meet old and new dealers and distributors - to build relationships and show their latest products.  We all know that trade show floors are not the best places to show off video and audio so we have to compromise but that doesn’t mean we can’t give a good overview of products.

Traditionally, they had several small demonstration areas where sales staff could bring their visitors and explain how the products worked, we also had a table and chairs where we could hold informal (but often planned meetings). Lastly, we had a reception which enabled us to monitor the booth activity, act as a focus for meeting visitors, have a small demo area and track visitor presence.

This year they wanted to try something new to demonstrate their latest product.  This would involve putting a theatre onto the booth - not easy on the space we had.  In fact some designers we discussed this with, said it couldn’t be done. So we had to maximise our space.  To do this we took up much of the stand with an enclosed theatre. We then moved a product rack to an outside wall, allowing us to utilise aisle space effectively (and within regulations).  The reception was positioned to allow us to welcome oncoming visitors but also to manage entrance to the theatre (scanning every badge as they entered) and be a last resort demo station.  We then had a single product demo area and a separate museum case which gave us two more spaces to discuss products.  Lastly, we managed to squeeze in a table and chairs.

The design wasn’t roomy but it was effective, we gave sales people 3 areas to discuss products.  We had space for the development teams to sit informally for their pre-planned meetings and we had an enclosed theatre which demonstrated the latest product.  What’s more - as we had a booth by the aisle and catering concessions we could use their tables and chairs for further meetings when we were overrun.

All in all it worked really well - there were some things we’d change for next year but stands should evolve and we should always review how each aspect worked for sales, marketing and top management.  By adding in this feedback we will know how to amend the design for next year - whatever products we have at the event at that point!

Once again it was a real pleasure to work at ISE. It's the 3rd year I've been to this AV and Systems Integration tradeshow and I'm interested in the way it's growing, the quality of the exhibitors and the sheer number of visitors.  This year they surpassed expectations and increased visitor numbers by 17% to 40,869.  Pretty impressive figures for a very cold week at the end of January.

This year I was working with a client in the Residential systems area in Hall 1. They had a good presence and made full use of their space and surrounding areas.  But more of that in the next post, for now I want to concentrate on the positive ways that ISE attracted visitors to their show. 

Organisers can no longer assume that they’ll automatically get the footfall they, and their exhibitors need.  They need to engage their audience and really work to pull them in - not just to register but to actually turn up.

Encouraging exhibitors to market the event for them

The organisers engaged with the exhibitors on a personal level.  Even with 825 exhibitors at the event, every time I phoned to speak to sales or admin I was treated like a friend and colleague. I accept that my client has been part of the association and exhibited at ISE for years but they're not a major exhibitor, so it was good to know that I had the organiser’s ear when I needed it.  This was just the start of building a relationship that engaged the exhibitors and really them become part of the exhibition.  I really think this is key to how exhibitions should move forward - it’s about working together to promote your investments.

Marketing Plan

I’m sure the organisers had a comprehensive marketing plan to draw in visitors, both directly and via their exhibitors.  However, this is my take on the elements that I saw and felt were effective.

Exhibitor Newsletters: regular information to exhibitors outlining key information and deadlines.  It’s easy to forget deadlines when you’re caught up in many events or marketing projects so these newsletters were a bonus for many exhibitors.

Visitor Newsletters: this one was sent to registered visitors and previous attendees.  These newsletters built in frequency as the show approached but didn’t seem to push the “TOO MUCH” button.  Exhibitors could sign up for advertising slots on the newsletter and submit their press releases for inclusion.

Pre-show Magazine:  another opportunity for exhibitors to promote themselves via PR and advertising as the organisers produced and sent out this valuable and informative magazine.

Show Daily:  I’m never sure how useful these are as I see so many littering the bins but they’re always popular with exhibitors keen to get their latest information in and encourage people to visit their stand on the day.

Partners: A series of key partners built a good sponsorship marketing campaign enabling the partners to promote the event, their presence at it and show how important they feel the event is.

Customer Tickets: exhibitors could download free branded entrance tickets for their customers.  The exhibitors show goodwill by sharing these, help save the client some effort and money as well as using them as the basis for their own marketing campaign.

Banners and Logos: These were readily available, again enabling the client to incorporate the exhibition into all their current marketing plans.

Mark your Diary:  How simple!  A button on the home page of the show website which automatically put the dates into your diary - with one click the date is marked.

Connecting on LinkedIn: some of the key staff connected with their exhibitor contacts enabling them to be visible on their contacts profiles.

Show guide app:  This app was downloadable onto Smart Phones and enabled visitors (and exhibitors) to get basic info, find exhibitors and plan meetings.

Twitter: if there was one weak area then it might be Twitter.  I had to work hard to find their Twitter feed and they only had around 800 followers.  Twitter is a great way to communicate with your fans.

Technology is moving on fast nowadays.  After all we can now talk to our phones and ask them to find a suitable meeting time, then email or text the people to invite them.  The only trouble is, we now seem happy to talk to a phone but not to actually contact the person and talk to them about the meeting.  OK, that’s taking it to extremes but I’ve had a few instances recently where I’ve been invited to meetings and yet not one person has tried to speak to me.  Hence - I haven’t gone along.

As a person I want to be engaged, encouraged and spoken to - emails just don’t always fit the bill.  So here’s 3 circumstances that may just make people think about how they invite people to events and meetings.

Case 1: I was invited to meet up with a new employee at a supplier.  I don’t use the supplier regularly but am willing to stay in touch.  However, I have now been sent 3 group emails inviting myself and other clients to contact them to set up a meeting.  This seems so lazy to me and as I’m not valuable enough to the supplier to warrant a phone call I’m just not going to use them any more.  

Case 2: A venue finding client wanted to host a small seminar in London and they had met a collection of potential attendees.  This seminar did incur a small cost but the Return on Investment on attending was huge - so it should have been an easy sell.  However, the client refused to call the interested parties and get them to sign up.  They were trying to be more subtle and didn’t want to appear to pressurise people. Emails are great but they can be ignored (see Case 1!).  If you really want to get people to sign up you need to do more than just blast them with social media.  Try the old-fashioned picking up of the phone - especially for a small event where you have already got agreement of interest.  It may take more time but I am sure it will get you the sign ups you need.

Case 3: I was invited to visit a local venue recently - the emailed flyer was once again sent to a large group of recipients. Emails such as these are almost junk to me - with so many arriving they have to stand out to get my attention.  So I didn’t pick up on the first email but was surprised to receive another mail, marked urgent, which asked why I hadn’t responded and was I attending.  Again, it’s not a venue that was essential to my business so I put the email to one side to consider and a few days received another mail, once again demanding I let them know if I was attending.  I can’t believe that this small venue had invited more than 100 people so wouldn’t it have been so much more impressive to call me and invite me personally.  I’m not someone who goes to the opening of an envelope but I am someone who has serious business clients who might use the venue.  Group emails may get you some numbers but do they actually get you the quality atttendees that you need?So this may all seem like a rant but hopefully  you can all see that each scenario would have been so much better by the organiser knowing their mailing list, what motivates and engages them and then making sure that they use a variety of communication, especially a phone call to encourage attendance.  Please PICK UP THE PHONE!

Have you experienced the magic of good lighting?  Working on various product launches and exhibitions I’ve been amazed by the skill and creativity of lighting designers.  A simple additional light can transform your event from a run of the mill seminar to a stunning visual experience that leaves a lasting impression.

There are two events that I’ve managed in the past few years where we really got the lighting right.  One was an international product launch where we had the budget to bring in a dedicated lighting designer.  From start to finish I was amazed at how they viewed the event and how they could walk into the venue and see elements that could be lit, focussed and used to benefit the event.  I’m not talking about the stage - stage lighting can be slightly dull, partly because the events I organise need to focus on the product and service and not have the message confused by complex lighting.  The areas that were fantastic were those that led the guests into the event. From the entrance doors, guests were guided gently along the corridors and then welcomed to an ambient reception/cocktail area all with the effective use of lighting.  Once the product presentation had finished our guests came back into the cocktail area - a few changes of lamps and colours made the area a much more funky area complete with music and canapés.  It truly was spectacular, transforming plain white drapes into something really impressive.

The second moment which made me appreciate lighting came at a tradeshow.  We had been developing the exhibition stand over a few years, gradually adding different elements to make it create more of an impact.  However, last year we added a simple extra tube light underneath the counter top on the reception desk.  Suddenly a rather dull desk was transformed with the clients logo standing out and beckoning the visitors to the stand.

So whether you have  big budget or a small one, do look at the lighting at your event and see if just by adding one more item you can lift a dull room into something truly impressive.

What is collaboration? To many it is working together with another company but is that collaboration or is it outsourcing?  When I’ve asked questions and commented on Linkedin it seems to me that most people just see collaboration as working with someone else irrespective of the payments.  I disagree - to be a real collaboration you need to pool ideas and share responsibility for a project.  It’s only when you can work at that level that real collaboration and great innovation happens.

Over the past few years I’ve dabbled at collaboration - I love the concept but have found that you need to identify the people you work with carefully and also know your own expectations and limitations.

The process of looking for collaborators is a great way to expand your network and get closer to like-minded people but do know what you want to get out of it or you could end up with lots of great meetings but little actual benefit.  By benefit I mean tangible opportunities.

I recently employed Kate of Passionate PA to cover a job for me - I was busy on another project and whilst I could manage the client and plan the event I couldn’t actually get out to the event. Kate  went out to Amsterdam on my behalf and managed the onsite logistics for me. Meanwhile, I handled a small event for her whilst she was in Amsterdam. It worked really well and we both got something out of it but I wouldn’t say it’s collaboration.  Our relationship was about networking, getting to know someone personally and outsourcing to our mutual benefit.

Collaboration is about working together towards a common goal. A group of colleagues from Business Xchange have got together to launch an online magazine called Whatify.  This is true collaboration - they’ve sat down, created the project, allocated roles and work together on a future that works of all of them.

So what do you need to collaborate?  Personally I think you need to be able to think outside the box, to be able to work slightly outside your comfort zone, and above all to know yourself and your limits. It’s a sharing of time, responsibility and profit.  It won’t suit everyone and you need to look carefully at the people you are thinking of collaborating with and go into it with an open mind.  It can create amazing things but it is a bit like a partnership so do go into it with your eyes open.

I haven’t found a project that I have time and ongoing motivation to join yet but I’m out there looking as I really do think that for small businesses it’s a great way to open your mind and your working life to new opportunities.

I have spent many years of my working life travelling from city to city to manage events.  Many of my friends and colleagues think it’s hugely exciting - what  pity it is to shatter their ideas but travelling can get solitary and boring.

So, is a job that involves travelling, glamourous or onerous?  I personally think it is down to your attitude and the small moments of local culture that you can grab.  

I’ve been to events where I’ve been to a city for 36 hours and only seen the airport, and the hotel conference facilities.  Luckily I had some great people around me so we did have a good time as we built up, hosted and tore down that event.

Another time we went to Milan I made the effort to walk from my hotel to the venue - a chilly one mile of real life and stunning architecture.  Even better our local man took us out for the most exquisite dinner one evening and I experienced the very best of Italian food. I may have had to deal with explosive Italian characters all day but this sure made up for it.

So each event is different but it’s the few hours of eating that are often the joy.  Take time to find a local or to research in advance and try new foods.  I’ve recently started to really push my taste buds and deliberately choose food I wouldn’t normally eat - I’m not talking sheeps eye balls here - still not going to go that far into local culture.

Take joy in the people and the moments and make the most of your time - travelling may not become glamourous, the hotel rooms may all still look the same but at least you can come home richer in experiences.

Any events manager will tell you that being onsite at a large event is great fun and often full of challenges that need solving immediately.  

I love the immoveable deadline of an event - you have to plan from A to B. Even more challenging is the fact that B doesn’t move - you have to be ready. So you have to make sure that you’ve gone into all the possible outcomes and put a strategy in place to make it all go smoothly. Having said that, experienced Event Managers will all be able to tell you of the time they arrived onsite and had to deal with the unexpected.  We can’t always plan for every item but we can always make sure that any issue is dealt with promptly, effectively and with lots of good humour!

We were managing a client’s technical tradeshow presence in Lyon, France and their technician realised he hadn’t packed his specialised screwdriver which was essential to setup.  The show opened on Monday and it was Saturday evening.  Unfortunately, Saturday and Sunday’s were not  good shopping days in France and the screwdriver was not your typical B&Q purchase so buying one wasn’t an option. After a quick review of the exhibition layouts we took a tour of the halls and visited all our partners and competitors to beg and borrow.  Thankfully the exhibition community supported us - we knew many of the people onsite and one of them could loan us the screwdriver.  So with a little bit of logical thinking and some cheek we found the solution  - an event manager should never be afraid of asking for help!

On another large, VIP and Press launch we were in the office for a few hours before travelling up to the event when the venue called and said that they’d realised they couldn’t find the Emergency Exit signs they’d promised.  As a key part of the risk assessment and Health and Safety process we couldn’t compromise - we had to have them. As this event was an evening reception the signs needed to glow or be illuminated.  Much web-searching ensued and we found some at an online stationery store - wonderful!  As were were heading to London we could get a same day delivery.  We requested delivery to the venue and continued on our way.  As we approached London we decided to make sure that they were on their way and called the company.  They had no record of our order!  Mobile phones pulled out the whole team started to look for more suppliers in the area.  Thankfully we found a Travis Perkins who had some in stock so after a short detour we’d solved that problem.  They weren’t the best solution or the most design orientated but they worked and another crisis was averted.  Of course, to top it all - the original supplier did deliver the signs to our client that day so we ended up with twice as many as we needed!

Events always require some tangential thinking - they’re not always straight forward but they are great fun and really get your brain working!