The purpose of effective participation in the exhibition is to mark out your company among the great number of others for potential customers. And for this you should use the unique opportunities of event-marketing. Various events in the framework of displays have long ago become the key instrument for promoting all successful participants of the exhibition process. The main thing is to be able to use them correctly.
The number of event-tools at the exhibition is great and with a competent approach it can be quite an inexpensive affair. The lion's share of the exhibition events goes to those in the sphere of business – congresses, conferences, presentations, round tables. seminars for specialists, press-conferences, actions for the end event consumers, partners’ meetings are widespread. There are a lot of pure image events: charity events, concerts, anniversaries, awards, etc. Let us consider these tools in detail.
1. Seminars and conferences for specialists of the branch
At all big All-Russian and regional exhibitions, to say nothing of international ones, organizers carefully plan the business program. Today, congresses, conferences and seminars have become an integral part of any self-respecting display. The participation of the firm’s leaders in all these events as speakers allows declaring the company as an expert in its field and making some new acquaintances. Therefore by all means use this instrument to make a name.
Important nuances:
• When booking a conference hall find out from what moment the hall is considered reserved for your organization (from the moment of receipt of booking confirmation, from the moment of partial advance payment, etc.).
• Carefully read the contract on rent of a conference hall, as it can contain various penal sanctions, for example, for avoidance of the contract or for property damage.
• Plan the time for welcoming the participants at the beginning of the event. In fact it will take you a maximum of five minutes, but you will be able to start the event later to wait for those who are late.
• Don't make the formal part too long. The event participants are able to listen attentively to a maximum of 1.5 hours, after which a break is required.
• Do not regret time for breaks: people mostly come to the event to communicate in informal atmosphere. The optimal time, for example, for a coffee-break is half an hour.
• Prepare badges for all the participants of the event. Better if the badges of the organizers and speakers differ from the badges of the listeners.
• Don't be surprised if not all the registered participants come to the free event. The norm of attendance of such events is 60% of the registered number.
2. Activities for partners and clients of the company
The format is business activities, though not excluding highlights and entertaining component. The purpose of organization of such actions is to represent the company, acquaint the customers with a new product or service, share experience, and find new partners.
The company’s ‘open doors day’, an information tour or an excursion to the manufacture or the office of the company are successful and original examples of such event-format.
Important nuances:
1. When organizing an excursion to the enterprise pre-registrate the participants. It is connected, both with the rules of visiting the jewelry manufacture and some organizational aspects: transport, meals, etc.
2. In advance take care of transport for the delivery of guests and make a detailed transport map in the invitation cards.
3. Thoroughly think out the program of the event: who will speak, about what, and how long. If speaking about an excursion it is better that someone of the company’s top-managers holds it. Also think over the route considering stops for questions and taking photos.
4. Do not forget to inform the staff of the enterprise of the arrival of the guests: it would be strange, if the company's employees do not know anything about the held event.
5. Provide time for free communication of guests: better to do it in a relaxed atmosphere with refreshments and light music.
6. An important moment is seeing the guests off. It is unacceptable to send the guests on their own if they were delivered by the company’s transport, it can spoil the positive impression, created by the visit to the enterprise.
7. At the end of the visit it is necessary to give all the guests a package of information materials (pricelists, presents, etc.) and provide certain conditions for feedback.
3. Recreational activities at the company's stand
To enhance the image of the company and product promotion, you can organize a show with the participation of celebrities, contest, raffle or a concert.
Important nuances:
1. A well-organized event at the stand of the company is in fact a snowballing process; possibility to get a prize, to watch or participate in the show attracts customers. Other visitors, seeing increased attention to your stand, will get interested in what is happening.
2. To be a success the recreational activities need announcing on several exhibition and industry information channels.
3. If you plan drawings or quizzes, provide enough free space at the stand, and a special place for the leader.
4. Prizes should be more valuable than the standard souvenirs and gifts at your stand.
5. Famous people, undoubtedly, will attract attention to your stand. Of course, the invitation of celebrities is expensive enough therefore it should be carefully planned.
6. The event with music and elements of show can be organized at the stand as well as in another place: on the stage, in the conference hall, in front of the entrance to the exhibition, etc. In these cases, it should be agreed with the organizing Committee of the exhibition.
4. Presentation
If your objective is to represent the company, a new product or project, best of all is to organize a presentation and invite potential partners, loyal customers, and, if necessary, journalists. The presentation can be held either at the stand, or in a conference hall. Guests are invited as to a wedding in advance of two to three weeks, with invitation cards and personal letters. The presentation can be arranged in different ways: either in the format of a discussion or as a show with celebrities, again depending on the budget and the goals of the company.
Important nuances:
1. You need to define what and to what extent you will communicate to the audience with the help of the presentation. At a preliminary meeting you need to decide: what to report without fail, what you would like to report and what you would say if you have time.
2. When choosing the time think of journalists. They should be informed at least a week before the presentation by means of press releases; a day before it’s better to call them round.
3. Any presentation would not be complete without the main hero of the day, the product itself. It is necessary for the visitors, so to say, to feel or touch it. If it’s impossible, use illustrations.
4. Informal communication, as a rule, is accompanied by a meal (either a stand-up meal or a full dinner, it depends on the scale of the event, its duration).
5. Informal communication will be more comfortable if the organizer beforehand provides for communication centres, invites interesting persons.
6. When leaving the presentation, participants should be supplied with eye-catching materials about the subject of the presentation and souvenirs, somehow associated with it.
5. A press conference or a briefing
To represent the company, project or product, especially for journalists, organize such format events as a press conference or a briefing. Journalists should be invited 3-4 days before the event; earlier is senseless, as invitation-cards can be lost; but not later, as they won’t be able to include the event into their work schedule. Personal invitations are sent by Fax and e-mail; they should be duplicated on the telephone as well. At the press-conference the representatives of the company give the necessary information, present samples and goods, hand out informational materials and souvenirs, answer questions.
Important nuances:
1. The theme of the event and the participants of the press-conference should be interesting; and the press-conference itself should not overlap in time other federal or international activities, which will gain a significant part of the journalists over.
2. Correspondents are usually invited 3-4 days before the event. Experts recommend sending personal invitations and press-releases with the announcement of the event; as well as duplicating the invitation in a conversation with the journalist or editor on the phone.
3. For any press conference the press package should be drawn up. In fact, it is a presentation of the conference and the event, which it’s dedicated to. It includes advertising information of the event, photos, organizers’ business cards, souvenir-promotional materials with the logos reflecting the theme of the event.
4. It is important to correctly choose a conference hall, equipped with modern technique, in working condition.
5. It is necessary, in advance, not only to choose the place, but also to make sure that all devices, microphones, monitors and laser pointers are in good order, the furniture is presentable, the VIP-zone, and the reception area of the press are distributed, and proper security is provided.
6. At the same time you need to provide the conference with the main meal and coffee-breaks during the intervals, a final stand-up meal or a banquet which menu should be thoroughly considered. In other words, it is important to create comfort atmosphere, when nothing distracts from the main.
7. The day before the conference it is necessary to coordinate the functions of each employee: the responsibility and place, the appearance and the sphere of competence.
8. Especially stipulated should be the work of microphones: who, when, whom they are given to. Then work out the actions of people with portable recorders, whose aim is to record all the speeches.
9. Specify the objects of work, their location and the possibility of movement in the halls for photographers.
6. Sectoral competitions in the framework of the exhibition
Of special note is participation in sectoral competitions held in the framework of the specialized exhibitions. What does the participation in such competitions give the exhibitor?
Firstly, the increase of buyers and customers’ confidence. As a rule, the winners get the right to use the special symbol of the competition for putting it on the packaging of their products, as well as on the advertising and informational materials.
Secondly, unconditional attracting of attention to your company. Participation in the competition will attract the attention of market participants to novelties and other products, and new programs you have developed for their customers, due to the advertising-information support of such competitions. As usual the information about the winners is posted on the official websites of the organizers and partners of the competition. Specialized editions also get interested in such news and publish it in their news blocks and advertisement distributions.
Important nuances:
1. Before you take part in the competition, read the rules of participation and make sure that your products (the company) complies with the requirements of the event.
2. Specify the size and terms of payment for participation in the contest. Take care of it in advance, not on the day when the exhibition already started its work.
3. Do not forget to find out, what documents (certificates, medals, and awards) will be given to the participants (the winners) of the competition and how they can be used in the advertising materials.
4. In advance prepare samples of the goods for the contest, specify with the organizers the requirements to appearance, quantity, etc. of the provided samples.
So, we have described the most widespread formats of events used at exhibitions.
To effectively use the above-mentioned opportunities it is important to follow the general rules of organizing the events:
• to formulate the objectives of the event,
• to make the right choice of the format of the event, which would correspond to the general concept of the company's participation in the exhibition,
• to choose the time correctly,
• to think carefully of the program of the event,
• to select the command,
• to invite visitors in advance. Do it yourself without relying on the organizing Committee of the exhibition.
• to pay maximum attention to details.
Unfortunately, very often we face such an idea of the participation in the exhibition:
“To rent a place, to put a stand, to prepare the materials, deliver and arrange the products, ‘to see the people, to show yourself’”. That’s, of course, right, but you could hardly expect success with this approach to such understanding of the work at the exhibition. As a result, year by year, beginners as well as some of experienced participants step on the same rake and then severely criticize the organizers. So, is it probably worth reconsidering your attitude to the participation in the exhibition and to achieve maximum efficiency, using the whole potential of event-marketing?
Author: Tatyana MIKHAILOVA