Networking is a vital factor in the growth of any company, but it’s difficult to know how to wring the most out of every encounter – especially those that take place at industry events. Here are some helpful networking tips to help you put your best foot forward:
1. Know what you’re looking for. It is important to develop a clear profile of the kind of client you want to attract — be as specific as possible. (more…)
It was a special week for both the Martin family and The Simons Group (TSG). One of our editors, Lis Martin, and her husband Jake, welcomed their first child, Lucy Apple Martin, into their lives. On November 8 at 10:14 a.m., the 6-pound, 7-ounce, 20-inch-long bundle of joy extended the Martin family and became The Simons Group’s first newborn.
We cannot express how incredibly excited and proud we are to become work aunts and uncles! Many of us visited Lucy the day after she was born and immediately fell in love with her. She could not be a more beautiful little girl.
Welcome to the world (and TSG) Lucy! We are all looking forward to seeing you grow up.
Every year, Morrisey, one of our favorite clients, throws an employee party. This year’s theme was burgers and butterflies, and Hilary and I had the pleasure of designing and writing for the event. (more…)
The Simons Group attended the IABC/Chicago 31st Annual Bronze Quill Awards and Volunteer Recognition Gala on Thursday, June 7, where many outstanding communication professionals received awards for work submitted in 2011. With 27 categories, their work included everything from a Sealy ad campaign to marketing communications for the “McRib, Sandwich of Legends.” (more…)
Chris, our senior designer, and I have been working for The Simons Group for five years, and our fearless leader, Lee, decided we should celebrate. Last Friday, we closed the office early and assembled at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab for the anniversary festivities. Our staff has been growing at such a brisk pace in recent months, and it was certainly exciting to meet everyone’s significant others and have some fun away from the office.
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate. The past five years have flown by because it’s truly fun to come into the office every day. I’ve never worked with such a talented and caring group of people, and I can’t wait to see what the next five years have in store!
Tchotchkes, knickknacks, baubles, trinkets – these are a few of the synonyms for the “stuff we all get” at B2B events, trade shows and seminars.
I recently received a tote bag at a book publishing seminar that moonlights as a gym duffel. I drink my daily servings of water out of a plastic mug I received at a cooking trade show. I am what you might call a casual swag user.
The great thing about a tchotchke is that it sells you and your product – but what freebie is right for your company?
It depends. Before choosing, it’s important to know two basic pieces of information: your budget and your audience. (more…)
Exhibiting at a trade show is like selling a house. When you put your home on the market, you want it to appeal to the person interested in buying it. You decorate with favorable items, choose an aesthetically pleasing paint color, and make structural improvements to entice the buyer. The same is true for trade show exhibits: Appealing to your customers is key.
How do you do that? Here are a few tips for making your trade show exhibit stand out in a sea of displays.
Along with these pointers, make sure to consider your display’s cost per use; how you plan to transport it; and the event’s location, size and shape when prepping for a trade show. Options for display pieces abound, including pop-up displays, tabletop displays, banner stands, wall displays and more. Choose the best display for your particular product or service. A professional marketing team can help you create a display that will reel in customers.
My husband and I got married two years ago. Like most couples, the year leading up to our wedding was filled with cake tastings, venue visits and emails to our church’s wedding coordinator. Juggling planning duties with a full-time job was hectic, but by the time we tied the knot I could address a save-the-date in my sleep.
Recently, I got married again – or at least it feels like I did.
Don’t worry, my husband and I didn’t split up. I’ve spent most of the last year sampling hors d’oeuvres and reviewing guest lists with a major client that celebrated a milestone anniversary this year.
As part of a rebranding initiative that included everything from a new logo and tagline to an anniversary blog series, our client threw a bash in downtown Chicago to celebrate its accomplishments and thank clients and colleagues for their support. Our company coordinated the event, and I was the party point person.
A party is a great way to connect with clients, meet new prospects and build goodwill for your company, making it an effective tool in your marketing arsenal. But unlike most of the marketing initiatives I work on, I found myself using skills for this assignment that I didn’t learn in school, but as a bride.
Anyone who’s ever spearheaded an event knows that the list of to-dos is almost endless. Planning our client’s party – just like planning my wedding — involved finding the right venue, planning the perfect menu, choosing flowers and other decor, handling RSVPs, and coordinating communication between the venue and vendors. We also created save-the-dates, invitations and banners for the party that showcased our client’s new look and set the festive mood.
While party planning may seem daunting, never fear. Whether you’re planning a bar mitzvah or a company blowout, following these steps can help make your event great. Take it from me – I’ve been there (twice).
Assemble your dream team. Planning a big event is a Herculean task for one person, so enlist the help of others to lighten the load and bring fresh perspectives to the process. My husband and I got married in our parents’ hometown about two hours away from Chicago, so stopping by the reception hall or florist after work wasn’t an option. Fortunately, my mom had it under control, handling the day-to-day stuff while we came in on weekends as needed. While planning our client’s event, I worked closely with the company’s marketing manager, who handled the guest gifts and other tasks and kept a close eye on the party’s bottom line, and the company president’s wife, who represented her husband’s interests on everything from the menu to the music.
Get organized. I’m a sucker for lists, and rarely are they handier than when you’re planning a big party. I was glued to theknot.com during my engagement, thanks to its master schedule that helped me remember when to send out invites and how far in advance I needed to book transportation for the big day. Those same organizational skills were key during the planning process for our client’s bash – while RSVPs were coming in, I sent daily Excel updates of the RSVPs to our client so they could follow up with invitees who hadn’t responded and gauge whether to invite additional guests.
Make sure the event reflects you. Little touches that show your unique interests make your event more personal and special to you and your guests. My mom’s an amazing seamstress, so I asked her to sew my wedding dress. It turned out beautifully, and everyone got a kick out of admiring her handiwork. Our client found its own way to work family history into the event. The company’s founder was from Sweden, so one of the buffet stations featured traditional Swedish dishes, including some mouthwatering meatballs I’m still dreaming about.
Remember, it’s supposed to be fun. Looking around our client’s party after so many months of planning, I felt the same sense of joy and accomplishment I did at my own wedding reception. A lot of hard work goes into planning a party, but it’s all worth it when the big day finally arrives. These events tend to go by in a flash, so don’t forget to enjoy the celebration – and grab a helping of Swedish meatballs while you’re at it.
Believe it or not, digital marketing hasn’t killed trade shows. They’re still very much alive and well, and exhibiting at them is a great way to generate leads.
Skeptical? Don’t be. Clark Johnson, marketing director at the Finishing Contractors Association of Chicago (FCAC), said the qualified leads he got at Buildex Chicago™ earlier this month justified participating in the event. But Johnson didn’t just show up and hope prospects flocked to his exhibit. A lot of work went into attracting those leads.
The Simons Group helped brainstorm strategies for drawing traffic to the FCAC exhibit; worked with Johnson to determine the ideal placement for banners and signs; promoted FCAC’s participation before the show; and created signs, banners and marketing materials for the event and beyond. These combined efforts helped make the FCAC’s booth one of the best on the show floor.
Before hitting the road for your own trade shows, follow our top tips for success:
Find the right events
Not all trade shows are made the same. Choose those that match your target audience and won’t clean out your annual marketing budget. Consider any local shows to pinch pennies. Traveling long distances means you’ll have to shell out for airfare, hotels and meals. In addition, you’ll have to pay for shipping your booth and materials – and possibly for storing them.
Mind your Ps: Plan, plan plan
Don’t wait until a month before the event to start preparing. Most businesses plan at least six months out, and some do it a year in advance. Start by setting your goals and budget; be clear about what you want to achieve. How many leads do you hope to generate? How many products do you want to sell? Determine your own ROI.
Nail down the details
Once you know where you’re headed, select your exhibit space. Some businesses prefer to be the first and last booth that participants will see, while others may not be able to afford premium locations. Whatever you land, be sure your booth will fit. The last thing you want is to arrive at the event and find out your exhibit is too large for the space allotted.
Dress it up
Long before the show, think about how to make your booth pop for prospects. If it’s boring, they’ll keep on going – right on to your competitors’ exhibits. Consider placement, too. Does everything need to be at eye level? Can you do anything overhead? Banners and signs, such as the ones below that we created for FCAC, help attract people to your booth. Lighting, music and other accessories can add ambiance.
Keep them coming
Engage prospects before, during and after the show with powerful marketing initiatives, such as press releases, e-blasts, post cards, sell sheets and ads. Let everyone know you’ll be there on your website as well. Invite your customers, suppliers and other contacts to generate interest. Give them all the details, including your booth number. Our pre-Buildex Chicago press release, e-blast and post card for FCAC created buzz for the show and promoted FCAC’s brand.
Stay top of mind
Since you’ll be pressing a lot of flesh, don’t forget to have plenty of business cards on hand. Another way to remind them about your business is to hand out inexpensive promotional items with your company’s logo, Web address and contact information, such as pens, sticky notes and key chains. Place these items in a location where people will have to walk through or into your booth to get them.
Take it up a notch
Contests and prize drawings will also attract people to your booth. Select cost-effective giveaways, but don’t make them too enticing. You don’t want people to show up only for the freebie and then flee. Limit the quantity and require people to provide their contact information to register. Less-expensive examples might include stainless-steel water bottles, tote bags and umbrellas, while more expensive prizes include laptop bags, golf shirts and backpacks. Make sure you put your logo, Web address and contact information on whatever prize you pick.
Don’t let it all slip away
Hot prospects cool quickly. Follow up with them within five business days after the event. Don’t let all your preparation and hard work go to waste. The simplest way is to mail a letter or post card, or call. If they gave you permission to email them, you can send an e-blast. If you don’t ask for the sale, you won’t get it.
Call in the experts
Gearing up for a trade show can be a lot of work, and it’s a good idea to rely on the professionals to make sure your booth and collateral look spiffy. Marketers will manage the logistics and the creative details so that you can focus on getting those all-important leads.
What are you doing to get ready for your next trade show?
UIC Family Business Council’s event yesterday was a huge success. A huge thanks needs go out to Art Lukowski, FBC president; Brian McIlwee, FBC first vice president; Judy Hogel, director; and Robyn Traub, program coordinator, for making this happen. With a record-setting number of attendees, we were able to share our insights into social media and offer some good tips to a large audience of small-business owners. After talking with many attendees, I feel that the panel achieved our goal of showing the importance of using social media to reach prospective customers.
We had a ton of great questions during and after the panel discussion. We ended up spending quite a bit more time on some of the services (I’m looking at you LinkedIn) than we had planned, but with the organic nature that the talk took on, that’s not a bad thing.
