Trade Show Logic

Two thoughts from the ad:tech show exposition floor:

1. Messaging Stinks
Easily 90% of the messaging on the booths told me nothing about what the companies actually do. Is this on purpose, to try and get me to walk up and say "what is it you do?" ... or are companies so afraid of being pigeonholed into a category people are familiar with that they do it on purpose?

I have sat in on many hours of the meetings that shape these messages. Typically, there are WAY too many people in the conference room for these meetings, and one of the side effects is that the output is so diluted by everyone's personal agenda that it often becomes useless.

Ask yourself how you describe your company to your friends. Is it significantly different than your canned corporate description? If so, you might be ready for an overhaul.

2. Make Sure Your Representatives Want to Be There
Well, okay, want to be there might be a stretch...but at least stop sending the third stringers to these events! More than once, I would pause in front of a booth and be baffled by the messaging. I would notice several company reps looking at me, often with their arms crossed, and then NOT APPROACH ME!

Trade shows are expensive, probably the largest single investment you make make over the course of the year. If you are sending unmotivated, uninterested, antisocial loners to man your booth and then wonder why you didn't generate a ton of leads, you need to have your budget revoked. That engineer who knows the product backwards and forwards but may not be the best in front of a crowd? There is no denying that she or he is brilliant, but leave them at home.

You need to treat your expensive investment like an expensive investment. If you are going to jump in, than jump in all the way with a decent booth, good collateral, some giveaways people will use every day and your "A" team of personnel who may not have the most product knowledge but at least know how to get in my face and say hello.