After a long and intense trip supporting a trade show, you many times find you are fried or somewhat brain dead. While the experience was positive, it was intense and takes you from the norm, which isn’t always bad.

However, fatigue does set in and getting back to normal isn’t always easy. Case in point is my friend and colleague Peggy Keene of Korry Electronics. PK is a sometime contributor to this space. She has been on the trade show treadmill these past few weeks and when I asked her for some feedback on NBAA, she reported on her Facebook page: Read More...

Walking the NACS show the other day in Las Vegas, I came across this cool tower. Catch the eye from across the hall and it leads the visitor to your booth.

Now, I’ve gone on about hanging signs and towers before, but this one was unique enough to catch my eye and have me look closer at the rest of the exhibit.

This is also a good example of a rental property that works well. Read More...

Every trade show manager needs a set of these: folding wheels.

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In order to kick off a great show, you need to hold a staff kick off meeting in the booth before the start of the show. My colleague, Doug Fick of Retalix, is one of the best at it.

The meeting usually takes place in the booth a few hours before the opening of the show.  Mandatory, the meeting is a place to set up the expectations to the staff and give the team a complete understanding of what is happening.  The elements are: Read More...

The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) trade show and conference opens today at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thousands of visitors are expected over the 3-day show to meet and connect with the hundreds of exhibitors.  The show takes up two large halls at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the attendess occupy nearly a dozen hotels.  The show alternates cities–last year in Chicago, next year in New Orleans.

We’re here with our client, Retalix, a provider of retail management software (from point-of-sale to supply-chain management) and hardware (their internal unit, StoreNext, supplies hardware and software solutions to smaller chains and standalone grocers and C-stores).  Retalix uses this show and the sister show, NACStech in the spring, to reach out to their existing and new C-store clientele.

Retalix uses a custom-built exhibit with a moudlar approach to showcase their solutions.  The six-station exhibit also includes a conference area for short meetings.  A second, rented space also serves a a meeting space for one day of the show. Read More...

During set up the other day, I ran across this cool idea.

The electrician was taping down cables, which is the rule here in this hall (Las Vegas Convention Center).  After he had laid out the cords and routed power, he got out this device. Read More...

It used to be that there were certain things that exhibitors could do and other things-clearly defined-had to be done by service contractors. Today in Las Vegas, I learned of another hair-splitting agreement that is generating revenue for a previously unlikely vendor.

When I arrived at the hall today to run CAT 5 cables for my client, I learned from Smart City that they are, apparently, the “designated cable provider/installer” for the LVCC. Hmmm. Read More...

Here’s a report from our colleague, Sheri’ DuMond. Sheri’ is the Associate Director of Business Development for Pacific Biomarkers, Inc., in Seattle (full disclosure: PBI is a client of Zachry Associates). Sheri’ is at the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP, http://www.rheumatology.org/annual/index.asp) show this week and files this report:

Going to shows is all about preparing and setting yourself up for success. It is so can’t important to reach out to your customers before an event to set up important appointments and dinners. Your contacts have hundred’s of other vendors trying to get their attention and by setting an appointment you ensure that you’ll get the time you need with them. Read More...

A lot has been said these days about the demise of trade shows as a marketing device and method. “They’re dying” and “I can find customers cheaper” and all those other phrases we hear all the time.

To that I say bullfeathers. Read More...