96
Getting more out of exhibitions
Part 1
By Colin Turnbull
Colin Turnbull is a veteran of international trade fairs and says he has the scars to prove it.
His first involvement with the trade fair industry was at Photokina, Cologne in 1978. Since
then he has been an exhibitor, visitor or organiser at more than 500 trade fairs in European,
Japanese and US major venues. As an exhibitor he has managed blue chip companies with
trade fair budgets well in excess of US$1 million to SMEs struggling to find budget. He has
been involved in organising every Fastener Fair and has become a familiar figure to many
exhibitors and visitors. Hard as it may be to believe he still maintains he does it for the fun.
His passion and enthusiasm for trade fairs, he admits, is occasionally tinged with frustration
when he witnesses lost opportunities but he remains totally committed to applying his
experience to make shows personal, fun and successful for visitors and exhibitors alike.
At the end of an exhibition, why is it A market place is an arena for human Here are just some possibilities:
one participating company will tell you interaction, rich with opportunities, fraught
they had a ‘great show’, and another, with dangers, but above all, somewhere • Meeting with existing customers.
perhaps right next door, perhaps with very where people do business face to face. In • Contacting prospective new customers.
similar products, will grumble that it was that arena it is the best prepared and armed • Evaluating or researching the market.
a waste of time? Both were in the same gladiators that will always succeed. • Projecting brand/gaining visibility/
place, at the same time, able to meet the building image.
same visitors. So what happened? Preparation • Launching/promoting products.
Often, it is what did not happen – about Of course, you know why you are doing a
not systematically grasping the opportunities show…….….don’t you? Of course, there are many others. What
presented during and after the exhibition. matters is that the objectives set are relevant
The ideas offered here may seem Setting objectives to your company strategy, and are informed,
obvious - many of them are. Remarkably, So when and where does it all start? As realistic and measurable.
though, given the direct and indirect costs of with virtually every other business activity,
exhibition participation, they are too often exhibition participation benefits massively Informed?
not considered, let alone implemented. from planning and preparation. The more you know about the show,
So if, having read this series of articles, Setting and recording clear objectives is its market and potential visitors the more
you can say, “we do all of that and more”, crucial to defining everything you do before, precisely you can define your objectives - so
take a bow – you are amongst an exclusive during and after an exhibition – and to dedicate some time to research. You may
fellowship, which squeezes the maximum achieving the results you want. already know the event; you may have
from exhibition participation. So what are you setting out to achieve? attended it before.
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Organisers provide launch pads
The exhibition organiser is responsible for
providing a well-located and properly serviced
environment for the show. It is also its
“A market place is an arena
responsibility to provide the contracted stand
facilities to each exhibitor and to promote the
for human interaction, rich
event effectively to its target market.
As the proverb says, though, “you can bring
the horse to water, but you cannot make it
with opportunities, fraught
drink”. Once the market place, which is exactly
what an exhibition is, has been created it is
with dangers, but above all,
up to exhibitors - and visitors - to participate
actively and take full advantage of the time-
somewhere where people
limited opportunity created.
The minute the show opens your company
do business face to face”
is under the full scrutiny of every visitor - to
measure you, judge you, and most important
of all to engage with you.
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