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ASK
OUR EXPERTS...
I am taking my business to a tradeshow. Can you suggest a
formula for allocating my preparation time?
By Donna Dahl of MaKoYe Marketing
Always give yourself the gift of time, however time is not the only
measure to go by. Carry over from previous shows, the amount of space to
design and decorate and the number of new staff to train are but a few of
the variables to take into consideration when allocating your preparation
time.
Avoid stress by giving yourself a long timeline. Three months is not out of
the question when you are starting from scratch. Some regular exhibitors
know that they will be back at the same show next year and they begin their
preparations for that show even before this show closes. A year ahead, you
ask? Yes.
Another way to look at prep time is to think one square foot equals one prep
hour. This means that a standard 10 x10 booth translates into 100 hours of
preparation. “Last-minuters” might be able to stuff ten hours a day into the
last ten days before the event but what about all the “outsourcing” you will
need to complete your prep? What if your sign maker needs ten days of
production time and wants “print-ready” files to begin your “job?” Your
first choice for a sign will not work, so what will you do?
The 1/3-1/3-1/3 Formula often works well for experienced exhibitors. A
three-day show could easily amount to 30 hours of on-site display. That
means spending a minimum of 30 hours preparing and 30 hours doing show
follow-up activities.
Well thought out marketing programs take time to create. Add to that the
time it takes to develop and manufacture the program’s support materials.
Don’t make the mistake of confusing tradeshow marketing with booth
baby-sitting by simply occupying a rented space. If you were holding a
dinner party, you would be making a “host” of decisions about the meal - the
format (buffet or seated, homemade or catered, theme decorated or not) being
just a small part. Attending guests only see the result of your caring
endeavour. Like an iceberg, the 10 percent that is visible to the visitor
does not contain any hint of the 90 percent that lies beneath the surface -
the part that is the time and work invested in making your display
profitable. How much lead time would you give yourself to prepare?
Indeed, give yourself the gift of time!
For more advice on tradeshow marketing, contact Donna Dahl of MaKoYe
Marketing at 403.720.9876, email
donna@makoye.com or visit
www.makoye.com
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