International Trade

Putting On A Good Show

February 2007
Joseph Baron, International Trade Today

There are literally hundreds of books detailing the art of successful exhibiting, covering areas such as how to increase stand ‘stickiness’, provide the best giveaways, and avoid a trade fair becoming just a big haemorrhage of money and time.

Interestingly, though, there isn’t very much information on the flip side of the coin: on the art of how to make visiting a trade show a success. And this is despite the fact that, if it isn’t done properly, it can lead to similar levels of financial loss for a company, especially in far-flung destinations.

So I talked to Susan Friedmann, based in Lake Placid (NY), about how visitors to a trade show can maximise their time and money, as well as avoid falling into some common traps.

As well as being a consultant specialising in the trade show industry, Susan, who is originally from London, is a successful author whose books include the three volume Secrets of Successful Exhibiting, and her latest, Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies.

‘The main thing is preparation,’ she said. ‘When you go to Olympia, the NEC, or some of the bigger shows in Chicago, Las Vegas, or Frankfurt, you really have to do your homework because the size of these shows can be overwhelming. A common mistake is not planning enough, and ending up trying to make up for this lack of preparation.

‘The result is that visitors overcompensate and attempt to do more than they physically can, working 25 hours out of 24.’

Lack of preparation can also lead to the increasingly frustrating tramping up and down of endless rows of aisles in the hope that a familiar name or familiar face – preferably one... continued on page two >

 

 

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