Top 11 Exhibitor's Essentials

There is an element of competition around the exhibition halls as to who is giving away the latest innovative freebies. And we can all spot those delegates whose sole purpose for appearing interested in your organisation's product/service is scattered neatly on the pristine white table at the front of your exhibition stand.

It seems to be obligatory to offer something for nothing - even if the chances are it will end up in the back of your top desktop drawer, the back of your partner's top desktop drawer or, your child's pencil case. Promotional freebies are a great option if you can afford the high risk of ineffectiveness that comes with your give-aways being, well, subsequently given away so that they fall into the hands of delegate's partners and children.

Do they really work and is the role of freebies frightening the frugal fraternity? A question perhaps for another day as we ditch the measurability of exhibition freebies question and guide you in a way that is more authentically successful.

Of course, when one thinks seriously about exhibition must haves surely the list should go something like this: -

1. Eye catching / engaging stand to: -
   - reflect the organisation
   - set great first impressions
   - encourage greater number of visitors (and therefore leads)
   
2. Good use of exhibition space; show your 'essentials' & offer a comfortable discussion 'zone'
   
3. Secure use of any I.T.

The above may make for a robust framework but few exhibition stands really work without real life human beings. Therefore here is a quick top 10 of essentials to ensure you get it right every time. They're in the order of where you may 'fall down' if you do not follow them, however number ten is just as important as number one, if not more so.

1. Immaculate appearance every time - Sleep! Hydrate! Be clean and well groomed
2. Smartly dressed - appropriate for your sector
3. Genuine smile - remember people do know the difference
4. Friendly greeting - greet everyone who walks by, whether they stop by or not
5. Fresh breath - essential
6. Pleasant odour - not too much
7. Demonstrate complete product knowledge - always
8. Be helpful even if you feel that 'no sale' is imminent
9. Find a way of engaging with every person that pauses at your stand (even momentarily)
10. Ask visitors about themselves (and their business if appropriate)
    Read Dale Carnegie's 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'
11. Keep as many conversations on your stand using 'open' body language as possible
    Read Andy Bounds' 'The Jelly Effect - How to make your communications stick'

Of course there are loads more. Books have been written about this subject. But these are the basics of what will prove to be effective and successful human interaction. They cost a lot less than freebies and in an either or situation would be far more effective than using such gimmicks.

Harrogate: Bayer Stand at Endocrinology Society

Pictures just in of the touch screen kiosks hired for use on the unsurprisingly impressive Bayer stand from the Society for Endocrinology's BES 2009 Exhibition that took place at Harrogate International Centre in March 2009.

The stand had been designed and erected by one of the UK's leading exhibition creation and design companies - Skyline Whitespace - and was equally as impressive as the stand that they created for Bayer at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference (SECC Glasgow) documented in one of our former blog entries.

The impressive page turning software designed by the team at Net-Paper - again documented in a former entry was well utilised by visitors to the exhibition.

Touch screen kiosk hire is becoming increasingly popular at exhibitions outside of the capital, due to the benefits it provides in terms of visitor engagement - especially during busy periods, giving stand organisers the ability to show multi-media on a single secure platform without having to leave laptops hanging around.

It is thought that the many recent examples of security and data breaches coupled with a spate of thefts from exhibition halls have caused a surge in the hire of more robust and appropriate exhibition stand equipment.

Touchpro Media Ltd were delighted to have been provided the touch screen kiosks for both the Glasgow and the Harrogate events and on behalf of Net-Paper Limited.

Touch Screens for Diabetes Professional Conference

Photos are just in of the two touch screen kiosks that we are delighted to have supplied for the Bayer Pharmaceutical stand at the Diabetes Professional Conference in Glasgow. The pods and dynamic software application will also make an appearance in Harrogate for the second leg of their mini tour at the British Society for Endocrinology Annual Conference between the 16th and 19th March.

The amazing software application that allows visitors to glide through the pages of Bayer's Diabetes and Erectile Dysfunction related medical information documents has been created by creative design experts Net-Paper who were our clients on this occasion.

The kiosks look the part on Bayer's mighty and impressive exhibition stand and the level of touch screen interactivity provided for this application by the team from Net-Paper is maximised by touching, sliding, dragging and dropping; making great use of the touch screen's abilities.

Other technology that Net-Paper neatly
incorporated into the application was giving visitors
the ability to order copies for themselves by selecting for them to be emailed post event.

Net-Paper is one of the UK's leading providers of on-line magazine style publications and brochures and is currently populating their Net-Paper website.
We hope that this type of content will proliferate for use on touch screens kiosks at exhibitions. It's ease of use coupled with the benefits of the ability for the same content to be hosted on-line make this a great application for exhibition touch screen pods and kiosks.

Don't use your laptop on your exhibition stand

Thinking of using your laptop on your exhibition stand at your next exhibition? Think again. Laptop theft is up 45% in some areas of the UK. There is evidence (BBC) that thieves are targeting exhibition halls where there are few CCTV cameras and, where cameras do exist, there are many blind spots due to the constantly changing layout of the exhibitions. At one exhibition that recently supplied our services to, two Nintendo Wii and a 32" LCD television were stolen whilst the exhibition was in 'full swing'. The following video clip is in fact an advert for a UK Insurance company offering laptop insurance - despite the slightly American feel to the advert - it neatly summarises the eyebrow raising numbers; 34,000 laptops stolen in the UK per year 7% overall increase 45% increase in some areas. Watch it for your self here Think that's too cheesy? Then check this out; actual footage of a perpetrator at an exhibition stealing a laptop in under 75 seconds. He was caught in the act by sheer chance by the working CCTV cameras of the security company exhibiting on the next exhibition stand. Using a touch screen pod that has been loaded with your PowerPoint slides, video, Office documents and/or connected to your website will eradicate the risk of losing your laptop to theft in the exhibition hall. Pods are smart, professional looking tools and can be business branded to set your business apart from the rest. Pods are 'public computers'; visitors are much more likely to approach and interact with them - it's unlikely that anyone other than a thief would interact with your laptop at an exhibition! For a FREE fact sheet on how Touchpro Media exhibition pods can help you increase visitor engagement and successful leads contact us at http://www.touchpromedia.co.uk/contact.html