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Guest Speaker "Teasers" for: The Source Conference

- Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Source Conference 2012 will introduce the Boston area to the newest trade show technologies on September 13th from 2-5pm.

Held at The Exhibit Source’s newly redesigned show room in Newton MA, guest speakers will regale you with ideas on how to optimize your trade show experience.

Want to know more? We asked our speakers to summarize their presentation, here’s what you will take away.

Steve Robbins:
How to Live an Extraordinary Life - Who wouldn't want that? Technology makes it possible to approach our lives with tools and opportunities we've never had before. Yet the way we map out our lives is largely unchanged.

Steve will expose the cultural myths that form our approach to our careers, goal-setting and how we invest in our future. Challenging each myth, he designed a three-year experiment for living his life in defiance of all of the conventional wisdom. He'll share what's happened so far, and leave you with the provocative questions: what worked? And which aspects can you apply to your own life and career.

David Strand:
Dare to make them think (and engage) at your next trade show. Having been regularly tasked by his client, to come up with traffic-building show promos on a shoestring at microwave engineering shows, David has begun integrating some of today’s more innovative tools to create a buzz. In Baltimore in 2011 and Montreal this year, Strand Marketing integrated Facebook, Twitter, smartphones, e-mail marketing and badge readers in two different viral ideas that had the entire microwave industry talking before, during and after the shows. In this 45-minute presentation he’ll demonstrate how it all came together.

Todd Schenck:  
Are you looking for new ways to add that “WOW” factor to your trade show exhibit or event? Tired of boring PowerPoint presentations for your clients? Monster Media utilizes the latest technologies including: 3D Projection, Motion/Gestural Interaction, Multi-Touch, Social Media Integration, Interactive Games, Surveys, and Augmented Reality, to engage users like never before - and have them walking away with a positive association with your brand!

Todd will present examples of some of the newest and coolest projects that Monster Media has worked on, and will be able to answer any questions about how you can incorporate these technologies into your next event.  With so much new technology out there, you will not want to miss this!

For information on The Source Conference 2012, contact Megan Connor: @ 781. 449. 1600 ext: 210

Trade Show Basics

- Thursday, August 23, 2012

Trade shows take a lot of work. There is extensive time spent on planning, preparation and setup and the last thing you want is not getting noticed! But worry not, for there are many techniques to access this targeted traffic of visitors and exhibitors and it is actually quite straightforward to succeed.
 
How do you make sure you stand out and get noticed? Start with the basics with these three tips.

Tip 1:  A Professional Printing Job

You want to look like a professional, your printing needs to look professional. Part of making sure you stand out is making sure everything from your banners to your handouts to your promo materials all look great.

For your banners, posters, and backdrop in your trade show booth, go for high quality large format printing. While almost every exhibitor will be handing out leaflets and brochures, great large format printing can really help you stand out and catch attention, just as a sloppy printing job will leave you blending in with the crowd.

Tip 2:  Don’t Forget Promo Items!

You want to give people extra incentive to visit your trade show booth. You can do this with a raffle or contest where allowed or by giving out promotional items. These promo items are great because they serve more than one purpose. Not only does it help get people coming to your booth where you can engage them in a conversation, but you can also have your giveaways printed with a logo, website, phone number, or whatever else you want. This type of branding is a great way to make sure they remember you even after leaving the show.

Tip 3:  Personality!

This last necessity may be one of the most important aspects of getting noticed at a trade show and that’s an outgoing personality. Get up and start greeting people, invite them in for a conversation, ask questions, and get them interested in what you have to offer! It is very easy to overlook this piece of trade show preparation.

You aren’t going to get many visitors sitting in the background and waiting for people to approach you, you need to be proactive. Once you’ve started the conversation, you have earned the opportunity to acquire their contact information or even make a sale. Even if you don’t, you can give them a brochure and promo item to make sure they walk away remembering your company.

Remembering these trade show basics and contact the Exhibit Source for help designing, planning and creating your trade show exhibit.

Marketing 360

Small Retailers Embrace Trade Show Marketing

- Tuesday, August 14, 2012

One of the biggest challenges for retail businesses is getting the word out to customers, something that’s now even more important during a still struggling economy.

Local companies are finding new ways to market their products and services, through trade shows and events.

At shows, many small businesses will say that for independent stores, the hands-on selection process, from a variety of regional and national vendors helps make each trade show booth unique.

You can walk around to find different styles and brands that you like, and you can place really small orders. Trade shows let you choose things for your store that you like and that are the best fit for your atmosphere.

On the other end of the system, hoping that such local shops — and even big-name décor stores like Macy’s or Target - will pick up small designer lines, small designers head to trade shows too.
 
Small designers find that trade shows are a great investment. “Think about how many outlets go to trade shows to find new lines they want in a store. Trade shows are a great investment."

In the coming years, one designer in particular plans to take her products to trade shows throughout the United States.

“For us, right now, trade shows are definitely the way to go because our reputation is growing,” she said. “After opening right at the very wrong time nearly six years ago, we’ve survived and are moving forward. It’s definitely a new chapter.”

For information on how to take advantage of trade show marketing and making a big impression for your small business, contact The Exhibit Source.

Business Examiner

Plan for the Next Trade Show

- Tuesday, August 07, 2012

For many business owners, exhibiting at trade shows is considered a competitive sport. If you want to be the one who wins the game, now is the time to start planning how you’ll innovate –and integrate –the trade show. You should be working on ways to:

Customize your message. Your customers are different from your prospects, so design different conversations for each. Use insights to individualize your messages and bolster your appeal. Remember: Customization is essential to effective follow-up, as well.

Listen. When you’re at a trade show, don’t just sell. One of the most important things you can do at any event is listen. Engage with our audiences and get their input.

Connect before, during and after. The B2B buyer’s journey has changed. It’s no longer linear; it’s circular; and digital technology allows you to maintain contact as buyers move around this new path. Use social media networks, email and apps to help you discreetly fit in, providing information that’s relevant before, during and after the trade show and before, during and after the sale, as well.

Measure value. Carefully assess your trade show strategy's strengths and weaknesses. Consider all trade show exhibiting expenses as you calculate cost-per-contact, cost-per-lead and ultimately, overall ROI. With the longer B2B selling cycle, it may take months for you to reach that final number, but even so, you’re still responsible for thorough records, data and analysis.

B2B marketers must adopt a customer-centric approach that’s compelling, customized and consistent –whether they’re at a trade show or back at the office, designing campaigns. Success at trade shows today depends on a well-oiled strategy and you’ll need systems in place for data collection, automated analysis and targeted distribution.

Start planning now.

For information on your trade show exhibit, contact The Exhibit Source.

B2C

Trade Show Exhibits Can Help Your Business

- Thursday, August 02, 2012

Given that we live in an age where social media and digital marketing techniques are dominant, it is all too easy to lose touch with traditional marketing. But these traditional marketing methods are a pivotal part of any integrated marketing strategy because they help you to reach the widest possible target audience.

A fusion of contemporary and traditional marketing techniques proves that face to face promotion remains a valuable commercial tool in 2012.

Trade Show Exhibits: The Art of Face to Face Sales
With this in mind, which traditional marketing methods should you be embracing to move your business forward? The prevailing trend is for real time and face to face communication, which marks trade shows and trade show exhibits as genuinely viable marketing opportunities in 2012.

Meeting Consumers in Person: Operating a trade show booth and addressing the consumer face to face negates allows you to have a conversation with your customers. It provides a far more natural environment for real time communication. The effect of this is often a far more memorable and enjoyable customer experience.

Getting Better Understanding of Competition: When you choose to set up a trade show booth, you are embracing a unique opportunity to interact with competing brands.

The Bottom Line
These benefits highlight just how important the traditional methods of networking and communication are to contemporary businesses, especially when used as part of an integrated marketing strategy. While a trade show exhibit may require some initial investment, this provides good value when you consider the advantages of meeting consumers and competing brands within a single space.

Attending trade shows and showcasing your goods at an exhibition stand are becoming increasingly popular, especially among product driven brands that are keen to engage their customers.

B2C


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