If you are in the telecommunications field, then you know fall is Trade Show Season. As the marketing specialist with ETI, I always look forward to this time of year. It’s a time where we can show off our software, meet and greet our customers, engage with prospects, analysts and journalists, learn about the latest industry trends and challenges … not to mention network with other professionals.
If you are the CFO for a technology vendor that participates in multiple trade shows, your outlook might be a bit different. What’s the budget? Why are we always over it? Where’s the ROI? What prospects and customers did we reach? Why are we sending so many employees to Vegas? (Not that ETI management has ever posed these questions, of course.)
From a vendor’s perspective, a successful show must be a combination of both views mentioned above. There must be valuable communication about our products to our target audience, but we don’t need to waste money in order to accomplish that goal.
So for this week’s blog I thought it would be fun to list the Top 5 Bad Trade Show Ideas that I’ve either done or actually seen done on a show room floor. (You’ll have to guess which ones are which.) But before I do, I must commit a blogging sin but a marketing must: I am going to give you a Shameless Plug for ETI, exhibiting at TelcoVision this week in Vegas – Booth 1008!!!
ETI is proud to announce that our next-gen product, Overture GIS, has been named a finalist for TelcoVision's 2013 Product of the Year Award. TelcoVision is the industry's largest conference and expo focused on broadband network service providers and is being held October 23-25 in Las Vegas.
If you are in Vegas this week for TelcoVision, stop by Booth 1008 to see why Overture GIS was chosen as a finalist and is being recognized as an industry game changer -- applying geospatial and database technology in new and creative ways to fundamentally improve how the telecos can monitor, manage and monetize their networks.
Thank you for indulging me. – I will now present the Top 5 Bad Trade Show Ideas:
5. Flash Mob! Gather your staff on the floor of a major show. Cue loud music and do a dynamic flash mob dance to “She Blinded me with Science.” Sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
4. Skits! Ok, I admit it. I was once with a company who was “chosen” to perform a skit in front of 3,000 conference attendees at the keynote session. Our “Gilligan’s Island” rendition was a huge hit. (Note sarcasm.)
3. Raffles. Now raffles are not a bad idea. But when you are supposed to be giving away something as a raffle, make sure you don’t dig through all the entries while on the show floor, looking for your “random” winner.
2. Trampolines. Jugglers. Mimes. Or other crazy stunts. They may draw a crowd, but it won’t relate to your product (most likely) and once the show is over, the crowd will disperse quickly without engaging with your staff.
1. Fake game shows. At a recent show, the vendor staged a version of “The Dating Game” where contestants tried to answer questions about their products in order to win a t-shirt. Asking attendees to go out of their comfort zones with the potential of looking silly is a no-go.
ETI will not be trying any of the above methods this week at TelcoVision, though we do need to campaign to get your vote for Product of the Year. (Vote onsite or download the TelcoVision app today!!)
In conclusion, I would like to ask a question. From a service provider’s point of view, what do you value about industry conferences and expos?
