As I scan the web and keep up to date with news and information on events and exhibition I occasionally find interesting articles that are worth forwarding.

In these days of budget control I thought this was worth a mention.

How to Reduce Your Exhibiting Costs by 30% in a Recession

For the full article click on:

www.accessdisplays.co.uk

We’ve already covered when to look at using a stand designer and how you find them but now you’ve got to sit down and write a detailed brief that covers the key facts about the client, their brand and their requirements.  This can be quite a tough job when you have all the information in your head but need to pull it together into a simple easy to understand format.  I’ve outlined below some key areas that I use - each section includes hard details but also some more personal feedback and obviously an open invitation to come back with questions.

Event Information

Facts:  When? Where? What exhibition? How much space you’ve booked? Stand number?

Hall Layout (with relevant entrances/features)

Stand Floor Layout (is there anything on there that you need to cover or make a feature ie a column)

Rules and Regulations for the hall incl. height restrictions.

Personal: Is the event up and coming with halls packed with Rolls Royces where the stand will really have to work hard to stand out?  Are there many other companies with similar products exhibiting?

Background Information

Facts: Name of client.  Why they’re attending?  Have they attended before?

Personal: Background on the event and the client presence at it.  Why is the client putting the stand design out to tender?  What do they expect out of a stand designer?

Stand Requirements

Facts:

Are you selling services or physical products? How do you sell these items? ie small demo areas for 5-10 persons or one to one briefings?

How many demo/sales areas do you need?  What product is on show?  Incl. dimensions and product literature and other relevant info ie it must be shown with a 42” Plasma fixed to the wall and a computer with at least the keyboard and mouse on a shelf.

Do you need a storage area? Do you need a meeting room? Do you require a relaxed coffee area?  If so, do you need water & waste or just an area to serve?

Do you need a raised floor to allow for extensive cabling to each area of the stand?

Personal: Do you have any past pictures of stands that can outline areas the client like or disliked?  What are the key issues that the client sees?

Branding

Facts:  Do you have branding guidelines that you can forward to the client?  I would recommend that a stand design reflects all other marketing and branding but there may be particular elements that the client wants to see.

Do send logo files and links to online marketing as well as brochures.  As much as you can to give the designer a feel for the clients brand.What colours are key?  Is the client after a black/dark design or  light, bright clean lines?

Personal:  What’s your instinct on what the client likes and dislikes?  Do they like creativity or are they more staid and formal?  How open will they be to new ideas?

Budget

Facts: How much do you have to spend?  You must give the designer a ball park figure so they know if they’re building a Jaguar or a Honda.Be clear about what this budget should include.  At this stage I wouldn’t expect a quote to include electrical installation,  AV and internet but I would expect to see a list of graphics, lighting, furniture and finishes.  Things can be fine tuned later on but you must make sure you’re comparing Apples and one quote/design includes AV hire and another doesn’t.

I’ve recently been exploring options for a client who wanted to put his stand design to tender.  This is always a fascinating experience as I usually start from scratch.  I may know a great bunch of stand designers who can quote but are they the right people for this job.  Are they going to provide the right level of service at the right price?  Do I need to look further afield and bring in a fresh pool of talent?

This blog series is going to explain the processes to go through and outline some thoughts on how best to brief the stand designer to get the quote and stand you want.

In my role as freelance event manager I sit in an interesting position.  My priority is the clients needs, but I also maintain relationships with the suppliers so they feel motivated and part of the team.  I manage politics and different cultures - would a European stand builder understand the constraints and issues of an America corporate? Would an American corporate appreciate the creativity of a European stand builder?

My preference is always to pay for quality - of products and of service.   Some clients don’t want this and cost is the number one priority.  I’ve let clients skimp on costs previously and it never works out well in the end.  The direct contact may feel good that they’ve got their budget down but then their bosses come along and are not happy about the way the brand is displayed.  Even in these times where everyone is fighting for new business, you have to pay for quality.

So why would you change designers if you’ve been working with someone for a couple of years?  After all you’ve built up a good relationship with them, you know how to get the best out of the staff on site, they know what the client needs and how they react to new ideas.  Change isn’t always easy but it is usually refreshing and opens up new avenues.

For most clients we put the design out to tender every couple of years, not to annoy the stand designers but to make sure that we’re getting value for money and that we’re not in a design rut. I’m always open and honest with the companies making them aware of the situation so that they know that  it’s not quite an even playing field but that there is still a fair chance that the business can be won.  I then leave it up to the designer to opt into the process. Once they opt in, they’re briefed and their every move is mentally noted to make sure that we’re getting the right level of service from the beginning.

I always find it a challenge to explain what I do.  So many people have their own vision of event management that as soon as I mention those words the listener disappears into their memory and assumes that what I do is what they think I do.  They activate their human listening filter. From art galleries filling their spaces with exquisite works of art, to the organisers of music festivals dealing with crowd control and highly strung band members, event management covers many areas and I have to bring clarity to explain my own particular niches.  This presents it’s own challenges as I want to come up with a snappy description of my business - encompassing all I do whilst inspiring the listeners.

It’s not easy to describe what you do - in fact I’d even say that you can’t do this effectively whilst your listeners have their own minds. They take the words you utter and filter them through their own memories and values.  The end result is a mismatch based on prejudices (good and bad).  Hence we need to work really hard to describe our roles and business in the clearest terms possible.

The first role I had to describe was one of sales and marketing trainee at Access, the credit card company.  Just mention who you worked with and suddenly you were inundated with views, opinions and issues.  The sales and marketing trainee aspect just got ignored.  As far as everyone else was concerned I could help them resolve their credit card statement issues, despite the fact that I was actually involved in market research and sales training for the terminals (no wireless electronic equipment in those days!)

I then went on to work for a company called Atex who made proprietary newspaper equipment.  As part of the Kodak group I was astounded when some visitors to a focused industry exhibition came up to me and asked if I could process their film.  Nowhere on the stand did we mention film, cameras or anything photography related but the Kodak brand was so strong in their mind that a small 20cm logo had attracted their attention.  So not only do we need to watch our words but also think about how your image is perceived through the human filter.

We can’t change the human filter - we all have it built in.  It enables us to pick up conversations from afar when someone mentions our clients or our favourite films.  It does that amazing thing where, once we buy a car we suddenly see 100s of them on the roads.  As a result I’m striving to come up with an objective but interesting description for my business so that I can automatically appeal to the interested parties and make the non-interested at least think about how events can improve their bottom line.  It’s an ongoing process and a fascinating one but one which means that I always try to tune my filters effectively when I’m talking to clients and prospects.  I’ve got to hear their needs and be able to respond and I can’t do that if my human filters aren’t fine tuned.

Hanging signs above exhibition stands seem to flow in and out of favour with the budget holders.  They are an additional expense but they are also one of the main ways that your visitors can find you.  Amongst the mass of stands tall and short in the route from entrance to your stand what better way to signpost your presence than with a sign hung in the air above your stand?

Hanging signs come in all shapes and sizes from the magnificent lighting rigs with rotating promotional material to a simple hanging vinyl banner.  All of them serve one purpose - to shout about where exactly you are in the hall and whilst you will never know what every stand in front of you will do, hanging a good sign will help bring visitors to your stand.Height is the key to being found at many tradeshows - I would always advise clients to consider how their stand can be found from key entrances/areas of the exhibition.  This may be as simple as having a tall back wall with a logo clearly displayed but do think about the angles and the visitor flow to make sure that they match.  If, for example, the entrance is in the front left hand corner of the hall, a small triangular or round hanging sign may be much easier to see from the entrance than a flat wall facing straight forwards.  Simple signs are easy and cheap to create and should only need a couple of suspension wires to fix.

I know that you all contact your clients and prospects before an event and tell them when and where you’ll be at the show, and if possible make appointments but let’s make it easy for them to find you as well.  If you can’t get a space right at the front of the tradeshow then consider whether the investment in a hanging sign would improve your visibility and your presence on the show floor.

You’ve probably been organising events for years and can do it standing on your head but has that led to you becoming complacent about the manuals and forms?  I know they’re often boring and hard to navigate.  The online versions can be much better but they can also mean that you head straight to the form you require and ignore all the blurb.  I urge you to read the blurb and just check the regulations.  After all, if something has changed year on year, you don’t want to turn up on site and into a battlefield, just because you hadn’t seen the clause on flame retardant materials in Bulgaria (a made up example!).

It is becoming more and more important to read the exhibition manual as legalities change, year on year and country to country.  For example, in the UK a recent change in legislation caused my bill for electrics to increase by over 50%.  I’m sure that the safety aspects of this change are very sound but the affect on budgets is ridiculous with the electrics being 1/5th of the cost of the stand design and so a major consideration.

Unfortunately it seems that there is nothing that you can do about it but if you don’t read the manual and accommodate this early on you could find your budgets being blown.From my understanding you can now no longer install 4-way distribution blocks of anything but a 1kw connection.  So if you require lots of low energy items you have to increase the number of connections you order.  If you order a larger supply, say 2kw you can only connect one item from it.  Hence fitting down-lights above countertops or individual items becomes a major budget consideration.

Personally, I’m looking for alternatives to lighting now.  I hate being held to financial ransom by any legislation, however well-intended its creation.  Suddenly a long string of LED lights seems like a great idea but I’d love to hear of ways that other stand designers get around this issue.

So a word of a advice from a seasoned exhibitionist - do read the manual for every event you attend and make sure you don’t have any nasty surprises.

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.

I like to think that I’m fairly environmentally friendly both in business and in my personal life. It’s a tricky goal as you constantly have to weigh up the options and make decisions on what is important to you and what you can live without.  What frustrates me immensely is when environmentally friendly options cause more stress and more cost but with a practical open approach I’m sure you can save money, help the planet and still make the most of your events.

Events and exhibitions are wasteful - there is no getting around that fact.  However, in today’s society I think that they’re still a useful part of the marketing mix - when done properly and with sensible ideals.  I’ve looked into the virtual exhibition spaces and these just don’t resonate with me.  Events and exhibitions are about using all your senses and a virtual space relegates you to one or two senses again.  There is no camaraderie, no real face time, and I believe no personality.  

So if you accept that events can be wasteful you then need to outline your objectives clearly and make sure that you minimise your footprint.  Take time to evaluate what you can do to make sure that you don’t waste time, money and resources. You could bring in a ‘green’ consultant but that’s more money on your budget and possibly some hard truths that will just make you realise how difficult your task is.  Alternatively, how about taking an hour to be objective, think around the issues and talk to your suppliers about what they can do to support your environmental credentials. How about bringing your events and marketing team together to brainstorm what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment.  In this way you are looking inside and out to find good solutions.

Meanwhile here’s a few thoughts:
- Do you really need to print heavy expensive brochures?  People love to collect information at events but how much of it is stored or even read and how much is thrown away as soon as they leave the event?  Think very seriously about this and if you have to print something make sure it’s using  recycled paper and used effectively rather than with a scattergun approach.  Why not put your press pack or company brochures on a CD or a branded USB key?
- Plan your event schedule at least year in advance and work with your suppliers to find modular materials that can be re-configured for each event with minimal wastage.  This is true for exhibition stand walling and flooring as well as for branding materials.
- How are you getting your staff to the event?  This isn’t only about environmental impact but also your own budget.  Do you really need flexible tickets?  Can your staff share cars/take trains or other public transport to get to the event? Can you put a no taxi rule onto exhibitions? Particularly in a city like Amsterdam the public transport is excellent and a much better solution to sitting in a traffic jam.
- Remember every little action, multiplied by the number of people doing it makes a huge impact.  Take small steps and aim for big leaps.

I recently worked at ISE 2011 in Amsterdam - how fantastic to be involved in a thriving show.  The official figures quote an increase in traffic of 22% which really is quite amazing and so refreshing.  It was great to see some bright innovative stands as well - this blog is my take on the stand designs around the show.

There is still a lot of white, angular walling but white as shown on it’s extensive use in websites is still one of the most versatile colours to go with.  Most brands work well against white and indeed brand guidelines always cover that combination.  However I do feel it is a bit of a safe colour, one that is not going to offend the board and split the red haters from the red lovers.

Most stands seemed to be relatively simple with little excessive catering - no bad thing, given the cost and mess that result!

Carpets seems to have given way to harder flooring.  I’m not sure if this is due to the outrageous wastage that comes from using carpet for 3 days and then throwing it out or if it’s just a fashion thing.  Hard flooring may be easier to re-install at another show but it ultimately depends on planning a series of exhibitions so you get the most use out of your stand components.

Our stand had considerable under-floor padding to make it easier on the feet and legs.  This is an American led item where most stands over there will not build a platform as they’re allowed to run flat power cables underneath a thick pad. Personally I’m not sure if it helped my feet but I know most people who walked on the stand cooed with pleasure at the soft flooring.

Lighting rigs are being used more and more to give a much more gentle light wash to a stand.  They’ve always worked really well to accent particular signs and products but maybe now the price is coming down so the smaller stands can consider using it.

The last thing I noticed was the large number of angles - this is a much more cost effective solution, enabling a stand to be used in different configurations at a variety of tradeshows. However, it did seem quite harsh so maybe a few strategic rounded elements or non 90º corners would help make you stand out.

Do you love tradeshows?  Do you relish the chance to stand on a show floor for up to 10 hours and talk to strangers?  I fear not many do - it’s hard, tiring work and even the thought of a good night out won’t always get you through the day with enthusiasm.  However, if you’re not going to try to talk to the visitors, engage them and find out about their interests what is the point of you being there?

Walking around exhibitions I see stand after stand where their staff are just not performing and it really frustrates me - what a waste of time and money.  I do train people on how to make the most of their attendance but at the end of the day it is hard work and it can be hard to stay engaged and interested.  After all it’s also great to catch up with colleagues that you haven’t seen for a few weeks. However, I bring it back to ROI - what are you there for?  The company has spent a large amount of money on the exhibition presence and it’s now relying on you to fill the hopper with leads or promote the brand as best you can.  So what can you do to make the most of the opportunity?

The biggest thing that needs to happen is a shift in attitude.  Exhibitions aren’t an excuse to party all night and recuperate all day.  They are a chance for you to meet new people, to promote your company and make sales (either now or in the future).

So here’s a few tips on how to make the most of each day:
- Remember that you’re there for the company and you represent them in your every action (particularly if you’re wearing company branded clothing)
- Put a smile on your face and leave it there all day as a signal that you’re interested and ready to talk.
- Be interested in others.  Not everyone on the show floor is there for your company or product but who’s to say that they don’t know someone who is.  Think of exhibitions as a chance to find out more about people but if you’re busy have a company strategy for dealing with the time thieves.
- Think of it as networking.  You never know who you might need to call upon in your job - your current (or future) boss might be looking at you leaning on the counter and being rude to visitors.
- Stay on your feet.  If there are chairs on the stand, don’t use them without good reason.  Sitting down and watching the crowds go buy is a signal that you’re really not interested (plus it’s so much harder to get going again)
- Take two pairs of shoes so you can swap during the day or at least walk home in a different pair.
- Drink lots of water and take scheduled breaks.  It all helps you stay fresh and interested.

Lastly, talk to your boss or your stand manager about how they can help make this more useful to your particular role.  Make it a company issue so that you all agree that exhibitions are useful and then you can make the most of them.