By Jackie Gonzalez, Senior Vice President, Consulting Services, KHJ Brand Activation
At the recent HIMSS conference in Las Vegas, I witnessed the best and worst of the trade show experience.
The worst experience was a CIO who vowed not to come back next year: "Too many booths, too much information, not enough time – the whole thing was just too much," he said.
The best was a CEO who closed a deal with a venture capitalist in the foyer of the exhibit hall.
What was the difference between the CEO and the CIO’s experience? The CEO had a strategic plan.
But if this rule holds true for the conference attendee, it holds double for the exhibitor.
Granted, the main draw of an industry conference is a content-rich agenda. But if the conference program is analogous to a business meeting, then the exhibit hall is the golf course.
The exhibit hall is where interest is piqued and affiliations are groomed. It’s also where deals are made – or in the case of the CIO – not.
The golf course manager, like the exhibitor, delivers an ROI by drawing guests and providing a great experience. That means a meticulously groomed course, an esthetically pleasing clubhouse, a credentialed golf pro, and an attentive, knowledgeable staff. Sunshine’s good too. The golfer, like the trade show attendee, wants to get what they came for. That generally means a perfect day on a private course in a handpicked foursome. Not a hellish day on a public course with three strangers thrown together by a staffer whose last job was booking water aerobics at the rec center.
As an exhibitor, like the golf course manager, you need to think about the draw, and the experience you’re creating for your visitors. You can’t promise sunshine, but you can ask yourself:
- Do I have an integrated plan for how I’m going to optimize my opportunities? Activate my brand? Draw my target audience? Engage my VIP clients?
- Is my booth staff appropriately selected? Trained? Even the best field sales people need to be coached and equipped to sell effectively in this very different environment.
- Who follows up on leads, questions and concerns?
- Will this experience deliver an ROI for my company?
Bottom line: Your meeting planners may be managing logistics, but who’s managing your strategic engagement before, during, and after the event? Remember that for most exhibitors, trade shows represent your highest cost-per-lead. You need to think outside the booth.
So it’s not just about seeing and being seen. It’s about seeing and realizing what’s possible – for you, your company, and your brand. At the end of the day, the sun sets on the golf course, and the exhibit floor shuts down. Whether you’re the club manager or exhibitor, golfer or attendee; to have a great trip home you need to tee up early.
Because if you wanted a day in hell, you’d be doing water aerobics at the rec center.
This is the Brand and Beyond™ blog, a new resource for the medical device industry. Brand and Beyond™ is sponsored by KHJ, headquartered in Boston, MA. KHJ is a strategic brand activation firm that is passionate about helping people see and realize what’s possible for themselves and the world around them.