Category Archives: Trade Shows/Events

Behind the scenes: An inside look at design

Posted by: Kelly | March 14, 2013 | Creativity, Design, Print

Earlier this year, The Simons Group had the opportunity to work on materials for three award galas. I love working on award materials because they are a chance to celebrate honorees and each organization as a whole.

Below are two of my favorites from 2013: an elegant trifold program for BOMA Chicago and a fun twist on IABC’s Call for Entries for the Chicago Bronze Quill Awards.

Edward Bury, our contact at BOMA Chicago, was a pleasure to work with. He had a clear vision of what he wanted, but left the creativity to us. It was important to him to have a sophisticated and classic program. He also wanted to include categories and names that weren’t included in past brochures. Space was a challenge, but with just the right organization, everything fit nicely. For the cover, I chose a striking photo of Chicago and tied everything together by using the yellows in the photo to create a subtle gradient on the inside spread.

blog-program-boma

I always enjoy designing multipage layouts, so the IABC Call for Entries was a treat. Alex Mitchell, our contact at IABC, asked that we incorporate a quill to tie back to the show’s title. To do this, I drew a few different quill silhouettes and created abstract designs by layering and varying their opacities. I carried this design element throughout the entire piece to create a uniform look. Overall, this two-color design is very clean, open and easy to read.

Good luck to all of this year’s nominees! I’m looking forward to next year’s award season.

Have any designs inspired you lately? What elements appealed to you? Tell us about them in the comments below.

Insider tips for networking like a pro

Posted by: Dina | February 1, 2013 | Best Practices, Events, Featured

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…)

Show off your swag

Posted by: Hilary | February 22, 2012 | Advertising Strategy, Best Practices, Branding

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…)

Spruce up your trade show exhibit

Posted by: Julie | November 30, 2011 | Events, Marketing planning, Trade Shows/Events

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.

Put your logo and key messages at the top of your display and add pictures or graphic designs at the bottom. The picture or graphic design should represent your corporate position. In some cases, using an action picture creates movement to your booth.
Include two to four customer benefits on your display. Don’t just list product features; clearly describe the benefits you provide for the attendees or prospects. Keep it simple and easy to read.
Make sure the area in and around your booth is neat and clear of cups, papers and other garbage. It’s a good idea to bring a bag or wastebasket to help keep your area clean. Most trade show events will provide garbage cans throughout the venue, but don’t rely on one being right in front of you. It’s also a good idea to inspect your backdrop for lint or debris and remove any wrinkles from your booth’s tablecloth.
Bring enough brochures, business cards, sell sheets and other marketing materials to pass out. Display your table materials prominently so people walking by can easily see what you’re offering. For example, stand up one of your brochures on the table, or use a picture frame to accent your flyer and place the remaining materials in front of or next to the displayed piece.
Open up a space in your booth to entice potential customers to enter and engage in a conversation. Place your table or counter near the center of your display and cover it with a tablecloth, leaving room for attendees to enter on either side.
Use complementary colors to coordinate your tablecloth, banner, flooring and staff’s attire. Many businesses use their corporate colors to accent their trade show exhibit, but you don’t have to. Consider using an attention-getting flooring option to distinguish your exhibit from the exhibits around you and encourage traffic into your area.
Your employees who are working the trade show should be dressed in similar clothing, whether they’re wearing suits or matching company T-shirts. You should be able to identify the staff by what they’re wearing.
Use giveaway items to promote your business at the trade show. If you give away a tote bag with your name on it, for example, attendees can use that bag to carry other items, and other attendees will notice your company name on the outside. Think about the items you would want when choosing a giveaway item. For example, I attended a home and garden trade show, and a lawn service company was giving away yardsticks. After I saw someone else walking around with one, I asked him where he got it and then rushed over there to get one for myself. I still have that yardstick and the name of the company that provided it.
Use videos or music to grab attendees’ attention, or use demonstrations to gather groups of prospects around your trade show exhibit.

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.

Get in tip-top shape for trade shows

Posted by: Dawn | May 24, 2011 | conference, Design, Events

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?

Virtual reality?

Posted by: The Simons Group | December 30, 2009 | Events, Trade Shows/Events

From the InXpo press room

Webinars are here to stay, it seems. They’re everywhere, and have proved to be great marketing tools for all sorts of segments, particularly b-to-b.

But what about virtual trade shows that are held entirely online? For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, this video, from virtual trade show provider InXpo, provides a good idea of what’s possible with these events. In short, virtual trade shows feature almost everything, minus the bad convention center food and scantily clad “booth babes,” that physical shows do.

While virtual events don’t seem to be as prominent as Webinars, their growth is on the rise. Virtual trade show attendance spiked 30 percent in the first half of 2009, while physical show attendance fell by 37 percent, according to a 2009 report from MarketingSherpa.

(more…)