[WRE | ADVISOR]
TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD How to make the most of your trade show events.
BY NICK BRUNO
gamify, products hands-on and utilize face-to-face interaction to make the most of each engagement. Any conversation could turn into dinner and a deal. But these events are called “shows” for a reason. Because each event is a performance. And there’s more to it than just showing up.
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“If you’re going be at a show, you have to get in front of people,” said Patrick Clark, national rental support manager at Lifting Gear Hire (LGH). Clark, for example, doesn’t believe in using traditional tables and chairs at his booth. “It’s not about the sales as much as it is about getting to know me,” he added, noting that he uses high-top tables to spur conversation. “If you’re talking to a person with persuasion, a decision maker, it’s silly to create a barrier that you sit behind. It sends the wrong message.” Clark, who has worked with LGH for 14 years, hits a trade show at least once a quarter. “We’re set up to invite people in,” he said of LGH’s booth space. “We’re set up purposely to get people into that booth for an experience.”
And an experience is exactly what Clark’s team creates at tradeshows. Once he gets people into the
booth, he likes to create a challenge with a manual or physical task that allows users to get a feel for equipment “… while also having a bit of fun.”
At recent trade shows, the LGH team has brought in a frame gantry, chain hoist, and weights. Attendees were able to race against one another—moving loads, and keeping a score. Other ideas range from straight-razor shaves, massages, golf simulators, and, of course, an open bar at the end of the show. “We like to stay away from stuffiness,” he explained.
In 2017, at Con-Expo in Las Vegas, LGH teamed up with NASCAR driver Blake Koch’s number 11 car. Using an air skate system, the car literally floated over the ground (think of puck on an air hockey table). Attendees were able to push, pull, or maneuver the vehicle around with relative ease using the controlled guidance of the air skate system. Tis engagement allowed LGH to showcase a product (Air Float) within their rental inventory in an unexpected way. “We tend to be the trend setter,” said Clark.
The Right Team and Tools Teufelberger exhibit at ConExpo 2017
Developing engaging booth concepts takes a team of talented and committed individuals. Executing an idea from beginning to end, consistent with the brand, and making the most out of each interaction takes a strategy. Tat’s where Robyn Davis and her company—When I Need Help (WINH)— can assist. Davis started WINH back in
rade show events offer exhibitors a unique opportunity. Unlike more traditional product marketing channels (email, displays ads, direct mail, catalogs, etc.), trade shows create a space for potential clients and companies to meet in a middle ground—a place to demonstrate, and even
Robyn Davis
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SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2018
WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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