I know it’s mid-July, the temperatures have been locked in the 90s for days and the 2014 SHOT Show is six months away, but it’s not too early for exhibitors to start planning. SHOT Show exhibitors invest a lot of money and human capital by exhibiting at the SHOT Show and we want to help you get the most out of your experience by sharing insights from trade show industry experts. This post by my friend Rachel Wimberly, president of Trade Show News Network (TSNN), is the first in a series of posts that focus on exhibitor planning and preparation. If you find this information helpful, Rachel also recommends this free TSNN webinar.
A Primer for Exhibit Managers on Exhibit Staff Orientation
by Rachel Wimberly
A lot of time, energy and dollars are invested when a company decides to exhibit at a show, but what’s sometimes overlooked is training the staff in the booth to engage effectively with potential customers.
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research recently released its latest Guru Report – “A Primer for Exhibit Managers on Exhibit Staff Orientation”- written by Candy Adams, a well-known exhibition industry veteran and owner of ‘The Booth Mom®’ Trade Show Consulting.
The report takes a look at why exhibit training is so important to having a successful show, what topics should be covered in a training program and what’s the best timing to hold the sessions.
“I like analogies, especially the ones that help me to focus on better exhibiting,” Adams said. “My favorite analogy is that as exhibitors, we are all in ‘show biz.’”
Adams suggests that prior to every trade show, booth staff receives a refresher course on how to really connect with people coming into the booth.
Here are a few of her reasons why a refresher course is necessary:
Staff members may not perform this “acting” function often enough to be comfortable or as “in practice” as they are in the booth environment, and this affects the entire exhibit’s efficiency.
Even though they are well-versed on the products they represent, they do not know everything about the exhibition, the attendees, the exhibit hall, the target market, and the finer points of the exhibit layout and promotional props available for their use (depending on their involvement with planning and the amount of information that’s been shared with them).
“CEIR research consistently indicates attendees are looking to have meaningful face-to-face interactions with exhibit staff, the people behind the products showcased at an exhibition,” said CEIR Research Director Nancy Drapeau.
She added, “To enable exhibit staff to do their jobs well and attain an organization’s goals for exhibiting, staff training is key. Candy Adams has written a practical, hands-on report that frames the issues to consider when building a training program and specifics on what to include. This is a ‘must read’ for staff who have this responsibility.”
Click on the report to order: “An Exhibit Manager’s Guide to Exhibit Staff Orientation”.
The CEIR Guru Reports are a series of reports focused on helping exhibition organizers and exhibiting companies achieve better results and gain value from exhibitions.
The complete series is available here and is made possible by a grant from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation.
Rachel Wimberly is President and Editor in Chief of Trade Show News Network, world’s leading online resource for the trade show, exhibition and event industry since 1996. You can follow her on Twitter @TSNN_Rachel.