Yesterday’s blog post had several nice comments on it.  The last one was from Dave Lutz, who said:

Joyce, your points are right on! The other thing that’s a turnoff is that they all seem forced into the same template by IAEE or their chosen supplier. The medium and control is stifling creativity.

Three work days this week equals 13 emails with the same subject line that begins – “Visit (insert company name) at Expo! Expo!” What’s even worse is that several of my clients are guilty of this sin. Ouch!

The week is not over, expect to get at least five more per day.

So I emailed Evan Shubin of Exhibitor Invites and questioned him about his services.  He responded with the following:

All of our email tools allow exhibitors to customize their outbound emails with unlimited text, links, product photos, etc. Sadly, the vast majority of exhibitors do very little customization. Although we serve as “email consultants” and stand ready to help them in any way possible, we also have an imperative to get the exhibitor to the finish line – we always run the risk of “drop off” – as exhibitors get busier leading up to the show, some just don’t get around to finishing the process.

It would “appear” that the exhibitors might not understand the offering or they are lazy and are trying to get by with minimal effort.

Somehow these exhibitors, who are in the trade show business, are clueless to the best practices of our industry and marketing in general.  Lazy or sloppy marketing does not win any business.  They must be totally relying on their sales staff to bring home the bacon!

Expo! Expo! Exhibitor Websites

In between my many activities today, I have been running the free service Grader.com on some of the show exhibitors.  I was curious to understand who had a good website using Grader.com criteria.  They provide a score from 1 – 100 on your website.  Let’s Talk Trade Shows has a score of 97 – today.  I consider scores in the 90′s to be good.

Come back tomorrow and see how some of your peers are ranking.  There are good ones, which I will name and the low score ones, well I will be kind, and just identify them by product type.

Well, this post is a personal one.  I am using my blog platform to point you to a new site and venture I have started today.  The idea for Letters You Treasure has been running around my mind for well over a year now and now is the time to bring that idea forward.

Kickstarter

A few months ago someone told me about a site where various individuals place their project efforts on and get funding from friends and strangers.  I was intrigued and started my investigation.  I found out the following:

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative projects.

We believe that:

• A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide.
• A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement.

Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands.

Kickstarter is focused on creative projects. We’re a great way for artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, illustrators, explorers, curators, performers, and others to bring their projects, events, and dreams to life.

The word “project” is just as important as “creative” in defining what works on Kickstarter. A project is something finite with a clear beginning and end. Someone can be held accountable to the framework of a project — a project was either completed or it wasn’t — and there are definable expectations that everyone can agree to. This is imperative for every Kickstarter project.

We know there are a lot of great projects that fall outside of our scope, but Kickstarter is not a place for soliciting donations to causes, charity projects, or general business expenses.

“Hmm… I can do this”, I thought and now I have!

Joyce’s Letters Your Treasure Kickstarter Project

The video below is one that I made for my launch.

If this resonates you and you want to find out more, visit this Kickstarter link and read the details of my effort.

On the Letters You Treasure website, I will have a stream of updates on how the project is going.  I am excited about this and want to thank you for letting me share it with you.

The eLearning event, From Conversations to Contracts, is being pushed out to the first week of November.  The numbers for this significant event need to grow in the next few weeks.  Additional information will be shared with you in the next few days.

If there are any questions, feel free to contact me joycemckee [at] letstalktradeshows [dot] com.

For those of you who do not know me, I am quite a dog lover!!  Those that do know me well should be nodding and saying – “yes, Joyce and her standard poodles!!”  I am crazy about dogs and know how they can support us, just by their presence.  So on this Memorial week-end, I am not talking about trade shows but focusing on one of my passions, dogs!!

Several months ago on Facebook, I was introduced to Dog Bless You.  Charlie Annenberg and his dog Lucky are special folks and I look forward to keeping up with them on Facebook.  They led me to the National Search Dog Foundation, an organization which trains search and rescue dogs.  In their recent funding raising, I have made a couple of donations as they were reaching their goal of $400,000 for the 2011 training teams.

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) produces the most highly trained canine disaster search teams in the nation. The job of these teams is to find people buried alive in the wreckage of natural disasters and terrorist attacks. To create these teams, SDF recruits rescued dogs from shelters and breed rescue groups, gives them professional training, and partners them with firefighters and other first responders at no cost to their departments. We ensure lifetime care for every dog in our program: once rescued, these dogs will never need to be rescued again.

Dog Bless You Challenge

Now Charlie and Lucky have announced the Dog Bless USA Grant, where they will provide a service dog to a veteran with PTSD.  See the picture below:

They are asking you to “like” them on Facebook – and so am I.  Would you go over to Facebook now and simply click on the “Like Button” on their site.  Here is the location:  Dog Bless You.

Below is a short video of Charlie and Lucky introducing the challenge.

After you have “Liked” them, help spread the word to your network of colleagues and friends.

Ember and I thank you for your help in supporting this worthy effort.

There is definitely excitement here in Boston.  The kind of excitement you can feel.  And I am so pleased to be a part of it.  Today the show floor opens and the IN Zone is where the action will take place.

Dana Doody from The Expo Group has worked to create this social media hub for the on site and off site attendees.  Many sponsors have come together for this moment.  One of the sponsors is 3 D Media Group.  They have been walking around filming “AHA” moments. and will continue that in the IN Zone.  You can check out what they have captured – thus far here.

This afternoon at 1:15 PM  Emilie Barta will be interviewing me on Event Apps.  In the IN Zone she will be “Continuing the Conversations” with eight of us.  The schedule is as follows:

Now for those of you not in Boston, register here be a part of the conversation.

Oh my goodness, TS2 is fast approaching and I hope to see you there!!  One of the new “hot” activities at TS2 is the IN Zone.  Dana Doody from The Expo Group and her team have created this fun, social area on the show floor.

The four areas of the IN Zone are outlined below with a few notes about what actually will occur.

Social Media Lounge—space for tweetups and meetings of social media groups including plasma screens with Twitter and Facebook feeds streamed live throughout the event. Use the Twitter Handle #inzone to discuss what’s going on directly from the hottest spot on the show floor!

TS2 and IAEE social media groups will meet here at 11:45: TS2 groups on Day 1; IAEE on Day 2. Throughout this area, Cort Furniture will create a welcoming atmosphere with furniture. Innovative Event Production is supplying the large plasma monitors linked to social media sites.

Cyber Café—computer stations allowing attendees to hop on the Internet quickly to update their status, blog and check on other social networks.

TS2 has incorporated the standard computer terminals into this space. MCCA and the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is providing all electric and Internet needs for the entire 40×50 space.

Video Connect Studio—on-site studio conducting interviews with speakers, exhibitors, partners and attendees to find out their AHA Moment of the week.

3D Media Group has brought this space into being. A video capture team will interview those coming by. All video will appear on the TS2 Video Connect website. Subjects of the video will be able to share it on Facebook and spread the word to their networks. A contest is being run by 3D Media to encourage sharing and viral marketing. I encourage each of you to also do a minute-interview in this area to promote your expertise. The website will go live July 6 at TS2.3D-Mediagroup.com.

Continuing the Conversation — industry thought-leaders provide tips and tricks live from the show floor.  Note: I am one of the eight.

Eight speakers will be welcomed into this space and interviewed talk show-style by Professional Tradeshow Presenter Emilie Barta. These conversations will be captured on video by The Expo Group and streamed to remote audiences, furthering the reach of the IN Zone. The video clips also will be made available to each of you if you desire.

All in all, this IN Zone is a place to Get INspired, which is the official slogan or marketing headline for the space. Those participating and those watching, as well as each of you I hope, will Get INspired in this space to take what they have learned and who they have met to improve their careers once they leave TS2.

Dana asks – “as the TS2 show approaches, I would like to encourage each of you to spread the word about the IN Zone and your efforts to your individual social networks. The time during the actual show will be especially important for promoting our joint efforts and the activities. You will see increased activity on the social networks, including live tweeting of activities, comments and goings-on via Twitter as well as Facebook posts.”

Soooo I am spreading the word!!!  I can feel the excitement building and hope you can too.

One of the agenda items from TSEA’s Red Diamond Congress was a discussion of trade show audits.  Applause! Applause!  Shows that audit themselves send a significant message to the entire industry that their numbers are verified.

Going Beyond the Audit

In my opinion audits are important.  However, I want to suggest another very critical element an exhibitor should request from any show organizer.  The audit shows the history for last year.  What marketing strategies and tactics are they deploying this year to create an audience?  Everything changes from year-to-year.  What worked last year may or may not be effective this year.

As an exhibitor you should know what your prospect audience segments are.  And you are relying on a show to draw those types of prospects into their event.  But how are they going about it?  Does the marketing plan have a sound footing and can it be achieved?

Normally they share their marketing plan in their Exhibitor Prospectus.  It provides a high level view of their marketing efforts.  I would suggest having a discussion and drilling down a bit.  Get to know their marketing person and ask some of the following questions.  This is not an inquisition but a meeting of two marketing minds where you are going to walk away and know that they are the right track or not.

• What had worked last year to draw the audience?
• What did they try and it may not have been totally effective?  How will they adjust or abandon that tactic?
• What new tactics are being considered for this year?
• What type social media efforts are they using?  And how deep are they into it?
• What type of money are they spending to generate their audience?
• What are their time lines for their marketing?

Use your own knowledge of general marketing to assess if they have a good plan put together.  You might be able to make a suggestion or two since you both are going after the same audiences, what has worked for you?

What is the Exhibitor’s responsibility to draw an audience?

It is my firm convection that exhibitors are equally yoked with show management to draw an audience to the show.  It is as much YOUR responsibility to bring the audience as it is the show’s.  So what are your plans?

Here are my questions for you:

• Are you taking advantage of free invitations the show offers and sending them to your target market?
• What direct mail or email campaigns have you designed to solicit the appropriate audiences?  Normally this is more than a one time occurrence.
• In your campaigns have you given the prospect a compelling message to have them be destination bound to your booth?  Please go beyond a post card that says – see us in Booth 123.  Put your mindset into the prospects mind and answer – what’s in it for me?
• Are you using this event to schedule meetings with customers and prospects?
• What social media platforms are you using to draw an audience to your booth?

Trade show success is the combined effort of the show and its exhibitors.  Each must pull their own weight to determine ultimate success.

Rich Erschik has a slogan he uses: Trade Shows Don’t Cost – They Pay!  As an exhibitor if you truly get this concept, then you understand how the show effort can pay off handsomely for your firm and your career if executed correctly.