Exhibition World Issue 6 – 2021 | Page 12

Stateside with Stephanie

Why is Exhibiting Still SO HARD ?

Exhibitions are back ! Many countries have opened , some more cautiously than others . After the Great Pause , but why has nothing on the show floor changed ? asks Stephanie Selesnick
fter attending three exhibitions in two weeks , aside from some venues / cities requiring masks or proof of vaccine / negative Covid-19 test , nothing else has changed . Why can ’ t we do a better job servicing our paying clients ?
Here ’ s but a sample of what may easily be improved - immediately :
Exhibitor service kits / manuals : These are confusing , dense , and poorly written . I ’ ve been an exhibitor at shows for decades and still can ’ t figure out what the heck is going on . It ’ s an embarrassment . With the Great Reset , we have a lot of people / companies exhibiting for the first time . Figure , one-half of your exhibitors are new to their current positions and have no clue when facing such a needlessly daunting task .
Why can ’ t we supply a simple road map to our clients ? Begin with a ‘ Start here first ’ document that clearly lays out what should be ordered ( with links ) for a successful exhibiting experience . Basics include : exhibitor badges , furniture , floor coverings ( if required ), electrical outlets , special graphics , and what free marketing opportunities are available to promote a presence at the exhibition .
Make the rules and regulations easy to understand . Don ’ t let the legalese get in the way of communication . Sound rules ? State what they are . Display rules ? Same . ( Or better yet , throw those out !)
Explain move-in and what happens . Make a video or five . Take advantage of the tech that ’ s out there to improve the education and experience . Same with move-out . Explain marshalling yards , bills of lading and shipping from show site .
Here ’ s an idea . Ask someone not in our business to read your exhibitor manual . Plan on buying whoever
Top : Stephanie Selesnick
that is dinner post read - they will have earned it ! Take their criticisms to heart . If they don ’ t understand something , neither will your exhibitors . Make the changes .
Package space Whether you are selling 9sqm ( 100 sq . ft ), or 27m 2 ( 300 sq . ft ) stands , offer a complete package – floor covering , furniture , electricity , waste basket / rubbish bin , drayage ( getting goods to the stand from the loading dock and back out again- it ’ s a US thing …) with the cost of the stand . It will make things so much easier for your small exhibitors , many of whom will be first timers . And please don ’ t offer the lowest cost furniture . It makes the show and organiser look cheap .
If you want to grow your small exhibitors into larger spaces , make the cost of an 18sqm a little less than the cost of two 9sqm stands combined . It works . And stop charging extra for corners . Is the extra revenue stream worth the antipathy of your clients ?
Show hours Why start early unless it ’ s a medical show ? We ’ ve got into a terrible habit of counting show hours as a way of ‘ giving value ’. What about compacting the time and making it a better use of everyone ’ s – exhibitors and visitors ’ time ? An 8-hour show day is both painful on the feet and painful on everyone alike . Nine or ten hours ? Ouch .
Look at the dwell time visitors spend on the floor and make changes according to the peak times . If there are dead times , get rid of them
If your organisation hosts visitor parties off the show floor during show hours , cut the show hours so there is no conflict . It ’ s painful watching a show floor with no visitors .
There are so many things that exhibitions do well . What else can your organisation and exhibition do to improve the exhibiting experience ?
12 Issue 6 2021 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk