Think attending trade shows is a waste of time for your business? Think again!
Trade shows can make a big difference to your company. Here are 5 reasons why your company should participate in these events.
Attending a trade show is a great opportunity to showcase your brand
Attending a trade show is a great opportunity to raise brand awareness and increase your brand reach.
No matter what industry your company is in, you can always find trade shows that are specifically dedicated to it.
All you have to do is acquire a modular or portable booth and showcase your products or services. Sounds attractive, doesn’t it?
Trade shows are an opportunity to study your competitors
When a trade show devoted to your industry is being held, a few or even several of your competitors will naturally show up to the event.
Instead of seeing it as a competition, use the opportunity to take a walk around the venue to see what other companies in your industry have to offer. Analyze what your competitors offer and look at what works and what doesn’t in their proposals or strategies.
This will help you draw inspiration for your projects, partnerships and more.
Growing your contact network is easy at professional events
As mentioned above, trade shows are an opportunity to study what competitors have to offer. But why not take advantage of this forum to expand your contact network?
While strolling around the venue, exchange with the professionals you come across and spend some time getting to know them better. Who knows, these new encounters may even benefit your company.
Building your customer base is a good reason to attend a trade show
When you attend a trade show, acquiring new customers is easy. Trade shows are an accessible way to talk face-to-face with new and potential customers. And these days, that interaction can make a big impact on your sales.
Another benefit of trade shows: getting real-time customer feedback
Finally, your company should attend trade shows because they are the perfect place to get feedback from your customers about your products and services.
This will give you an idea of what you’re doing well and what you need to improve. Nothing beats what your customers think, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones buying your products.
totm exposition: your partner for trade show success
These are 5 compelling reasons to attend a trade show. If the only thing you’re missing is a custom-made stand, contact us now and tell us about your project! At totm exposition, our qualified team can design your trade show booth to fit your budget.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/raisons-participer-salon-exposition.jpg6671000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2023-01-13 09:59:412023-01-13 16:11:545 reasons why your company should attend a trade show
Last year, around this time, we published a list of five trends we believed would define the events industry in 2022. And some of them proved accurate.
After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, events are back big time, but they look different from what they did before COVID hit.
Research by Skift Meetings shows that “meetings and events (…) use more technology, are planned with shorter lead times, have smaller attendance, and most include the option to attend remotely.”
That was 2022. So, what is in store for 2023?
Here are five trends we believe will be prominent for the meetings and events industry in the next 12 months.
Trend #1: Budgets are shrinking while costs are skyrocketing
ICE Annual Report estimates that event-related costs will increase by 83%. A sign of returned confidence in the events industry with large-scale in-person events back on the schedule, it is unfortunately also a consequence of numerous challenges: the costs of energy, F&B, and event production are on the rise, the labor shortage is still very real, raw materials prices have skyrocketed, etc.
Unfortunately, as shown in Skift Meetings’ latest report, budgets are still decreasing, as a total of 36.7% of respondents report a decrease in their 2023 budgets compared to 2019.
We believe this will affect how events are held with smaller and more local events (no air travel needed).
Trend #2: Experience-first events become even more critical
With the return of in-person events, planners might get excited that everything is back to “normal.”
And, yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have given many people a taste of what a better work-life balance feels like. And, as much as people missed the in-person connections, many are not quite ready to go back to attending large in-person events if the experience is not guaranteed.
It might seem counterintuitive to say that events and meetings in 2023 will be experience-first, as events are, after all, experiences, and we’ve been talking about making your event an actual experience for years now.
But there are parts of an event that can be experienced remotely without changing the perception of attendees that much (panels, learning activities, etc.), especially as digital events and metaverses multiply.
Remote work has lessened in-person demand, and attendees now need a good reason to leave the house, especially with inflation issues, rising fuel costs, and travel problems.
Indeed, the Skift Meetings’ report states that 73% of respondents reported lower attendance to their business events compared to 2019.
So if planners want people to attend in person, they will have to shift their focus on making the event worth it by including elements that can only be experienced live and in person.
Trend #3: Tech is used to enhance the experience
With the advent of metaverses, it’s likely that event planners will start to pay more attention to using tech to enhance the experience of their attendees.
While not a new concept, metaverses gained visibility when Facebook rebranded its corporate identity to Meta in October 2021.
Some of the technologies that provide access to this virtual world, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), have been around for a while but still need to gain traction at events.
Metaverses might open a whole world of possibilities for event planners, such as virtual conference centers, virtual booths, and shops. This could generate more interest in virtual and hybrid meetings and events.
Trend #4: Social listening is on the rise
Hootsuite defines social listening as “the practice of monitoring social media channels for mentions of your brand, competitor brands, and related keywords.”
Social listening can be used both for crisis and emergency, but also for social care.
Event planners can be alerted through complaints via social media about all kinds of potential crises: suspicious-looking people who need to be flagged and reported to security professionals, operational concerns such as loose sparking wires or slippery floors, health emergencies such as food poisoning concerns from people feeling unwell after having had food from the same vendor, etc.
Mainly, though, social listening will help with regular requests for help or information. A chatbot can help tremendously with that type of workload as people now fully expect mobile-friendly support channels with almost instantaneous response and problem resolution. Helplines are now things of the past!
Trend #5: Content creators are everywhere, and planners should use them
Events are a people business. Organizers and attendees, of course, but also the staff and volunteers needed to operate the booths, the doors, etc.
Almost everyone nowadays is the happy owner of a smartphone with a high-power camera. That means everybody present at an event can be a potential content creator.
Unless they are prohibited from doing so, people will share exciting moments they come across. And with the prevalence of social media these days, this trend is likely to be stronger than ever.
So take advantage of it for your events, and encourage your teams to take pictures and videos that will pique the interest of potential future attendees or show your sponsors they were well represented at your event.
And don’t forget you can also use gamification to encourage content creation among your attendees by organizing, for example, a photo scavenger hunt with prizes.
In conclusion
These are both scary and exciting times for the meetings and events industry.
On the one hand, budgets are contracting while costs are expanding, and attendees’ expectations remain the same, if not higher. The COVID-19 pandemic is still around in many places, travel woes have made the headlines multiple times in 2022, and people are not as eager as they used to be to travel for days to meet in person.
But on the other hand, we believe exciting times are ahead with more possibilities available for social care, content creation, and tech-enabled experiences.
To help you navigate these uncertain times, you can count on the teams at totm exposition. Contact us today if you have a project you would like to talk about!
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/tendance-evenementielle.jpg5631000MLBWhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngMLBW2023-01-06 08:00:532023-05-24 13:53:17Five events industry trends you need to know about in 2023
One of the most effective ways to build brand visibility in your target market from people who already have a potential interest in your product or services is through trade shows. These large-scale industry events provide an excellent opportunity to network directly with potential clients.
This handy guide to effective trade show marketing will help you develop a strategy that will go a long way in making a big impact and generating leads for your business.
What is trade show marketing?
Trade show marketing refers to brands and businesses showcasing their latest products and services at an industry-specific event. These events not only offer businesses the opportunity to market themselves to attendees, but also provide the chance to gather competitive intelligence from other companies in attendance.
Trade shows have excellent marketing potential due to the sheer number of prospective customers that companies can target and communicate to. Most brands and businesses install trade show displays with video screens, printed signage, marketing materials and knowledgeable sales representatives to showcase their products and services.
The difference between B2C and B2B trade show marketing
The main difference between B2B and B2C trade show marketing is the target audience profile. B2C trade shows are intended to promote to companies that sell products or services to consumers, while B2B events are tailored for businesses that sell to other businesses.
B2C trade shows are primarily aimed at consumers, who are more inclined to buy early if certain products or services resonate with them. It can be difficult to build strong connections with any one person at B2C venues when there are hundreds or thousands of people in attendance. As such, it is all the more important to make your booth stand out from the crowd.
B2B trade shows are geared toward selling to other companies and typically require dealing with multiple contacts, which can take longer for final buying decisions to be reached. Exhibitors will often need to spend more time building relationships with different contacts after the event is wrapped up.
Trade show marketing plan
Creating an effective trade show marketing strategy requires some planning in advance. Take care of the following elements before diving into the marketing strategies you will use to engage your target audience.
Define your goals
As with any other marketing initiative, you will need to plan your strategy around a set of core objectives and KPIs.
Clearly defined goals will help you measure the impact of your show participation by tracking event data, ensure that you have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish and that all employees are firmly committed to achieving it.
Choose the right events to attend
Once your goals have been clearly defined, you will want to choose the most relevant trade shows to attend to achieve your objectives. Make a list of trade shows that target your industry or your ideal customers and narrow it down to the ones that make the most sense for different considerations:
Timing of a new product launch
Budget
Distance to travel
Staff availability
Prepare your booth
Perhaps the most important aspect of trade show marketing is your booth design. Your booth should be appealing to your ideal customer and displayed in a way that captures the attention of participants as they walk by.
There are many booth design options available including modular booths and portable booths so make sure you do some research beforehand. You will also want to consider details that are sometimes overlooked such as booth lighting and digital signage. The more your booth design stands out, the more likely you are to attract attendees and achieve your goals.
Choose your booth staff
A good team can make or break your objectives at a trade show. When choosing booth staffers, opt for team members that have experience in sales and customer interactions if you want the best results.
You will also want to ensure you have someone present at your booth at all times. This typically means having a minimum of 2 employees staffing your booth, with 3 or 4 being an ideal number of staffers.
Prepare trade show marketing materials
Allocate some of your trade show budget on marketing materials that will grab attention and keep potential buyers interested after the event. Here are some of the most effective marketing materials you can bring to a trade show:
Business cards
Merchandise or promotional items
Brochures
Samples
Banners and posters
Loyalty or rewards cards
Trade show marketing strategies
Now that you have clearly defined goals, know which trade shows you will be attending, have selected your staff and budgeted for marketing materials, you can start thinking about the most effective marketing strategies to use before, during and after the event.
Pre-show marketing strategies
Before the trade show is when you will want to promote your presence at the event. Here are some of the best pre-event marketing strategies.
Social media marketing: Organizers will surely make use of social media to promote their trade shows. Utilize hashtags for the event to promote your business and raise awareness of your brand.
Website and blog promotion: One of the best ways to let customers know you will be participating in a trade show is to announce it on your website. Create and share a blog post about the trade show you will be attending with links to the event registration page.
Email marketing: Promote your trade show attendance with a trade show invitation email to your existing customers. This will help you draw more traffic to your booth and generate more sales.
Marketing strategies during the show
There are various marketing tactics you can employ at the trade show to attract more attendees and help you achieve your goals. Here are some the most effective marketing strategies to use during the event:
Give out marketing freebies: Supplying attendees with marketing materials at your booth is an easy way to give them a memorable experience while promoting your brand. As mentioned earlier, these might include brochures, promotional items, rewards cards, free samples and more.
Run a contest or giveaway: A trade show contest is a great way to engage potential customers, promote your brand and collect contact info for post-event targeting. Giveaways of your merchandise or free products, services or demos are effective ways to generate brand awareness.
Interactive product demos: Another great way to drive traffic to your booth is with hands-on demonstrations that allow visitors to directly experience your products or services. This is where having friendly booth staff comes in helpful, since demos should be a guided experience that walks your guests through each step.
Post-show marketing strategies
Last but certainly not least are the marketing strategies you will want to employ after the trade show. Maintaining engagement with your leads and prospects after the trade show is especially important for post-event success.
Follow up with leads: After a trade show, follow up with leads to strengthen your engagement and guide them through the sales funnel to a purchase. This is most typically done with the help of an email campaign.
Measure your KPIs: As mentioned earlier, it is important to have clearly defined goals in order to measure your success after a trade show. When all is said and done, take stock of your KPIs so that you can adjust your marketing strategies for future events.
Trade show marketing with totm exposition
While trade shows can be intimidating (particularly your first event), your participation can have a meaningful impact on your revenues if you have a well-defined marketing strategy in advance. And since all trade show marketing efforts essentially revolve around your booth, it’s important to make sure that your design stands out from the crowd.
totm exposition is a global leader in trade show booth design and manufacturing and is always ready to create a stellar booth for your next trade show event. Get in touch with us now to discuss your needs or if you have any questions about our turnkey booth design services.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/mise-en-place-strategie-communication-salon-professionnel.jpeg6681000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2022-12-20 09:56:252022-12-20 09:56:25Trade Show Marketing: Definition, Planning and Strategies
When you organize an event, your main goal should be to provide the best experience to your attendees. But, unless you measure their satisfaction level in some way, how can you possibly know if you have attained your goal and if your event can be considered a success? Also, how do you improve your subsequent events if you haven’t measured attendees’ satisfaction at your most recent event?
So how should you go about it? No worries, we’re here to help! In this article, we will share five ways to measure your attendees’ satisfaction.
Measure the engagement of the participants
Engagement is one of the best ways to determine if your event resonates with your participants.
Indeed, people now have so many opportunities to have their attention snatched away from the experience you built for them that you need to make sure they don’t get distracted.
Measuring this engagement is an excellent way to determine the level of satisfaction of your participants, as there is a good correlation between engagement and satisfaction.
The more engaged your attendees are, the more satisfied with your event, and the stronger possibility they will attend the next time.
Check instant polls results for sessions
Whenever your event is based on content (think conferences, webinars, etc.), you need to assess the participants’ opinions regarding specific sessions and speakers.
Instant polls after each session can help you evaluate the reactions of your audience to a speaker or the session’s content.
These polls can be pushed through an event app and should be kept short and to the point.
Don’t be afraid to use them at any time during your event to get a good sense of your attendees’ state of mind.
The ratings of the different sessions and speakers will help you decide what you need to keep or toss away for your next event, as they will give you a strong indication of what’s of most interest to your participants.
Get actionable data from post-event surveys
Surveys are a type of active data tracking tool that will help assess your attendees’ opinions on the event. They are the ultimate way to give a voice to your attendees and see what worked and what didn’t for them.
They are an essential complement to the instant polls that you would have conducted throughout the event, as they will give qualitative insight into the state of mind of your attendees, as well as some quantitative data.
Use a mix of questions that ask participants to rate an item on a numeric scale,
Yes-No questions that are easy to analyze en masse and open-ended questions that can provide valuable qualitative feedback.
Don’t forget to include a question that will help you calculate your event’s Net Promoter Score (NPS=% of promoters—% of detractors). This question can be phrased like this: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this event to a friend or colleague?”
If you host events on a regular basis, you want to have this kind of data so that you can make changes to ensure the participants get the most out of your event.
Monitor the activity on social media
In this day and age, if you didn’t see something on a social media platform, it didn’t happen!
So make sure you take the most advantage of your social media accounts to spread the word about your event and what is going on and monitor the attendees’ reactions and inputs. Don’t forget to create a specific hashtag for your event, as it will make it a lot easier to track the activity related to your event across several platforms.
The number of shares or posts about your event can give you a good idea of the level of engagement of your attendees, and the monitoring and evaluation of the reactions will tell you what the attendees thought of your event.
This should ultimately give you an accurate idea of their level of satisfaction.
Also, don’t swipe negative comments under the rug! Instead, take the time to answer them so that people know their voice is being heard.
Evaluate repeat registrations
One of the best ways to evaluate satisfaction is to look at repeat registration numbers in the case of a recurring event.
If your event let down your attendees, it is doubtful they will come back. It’s also unlikely they will promote it to their friends or colleagues. Participating in an event costs time and money, and participants want to know your event will be worth their while.
So, if you get a majority of attendees to register again for your next event, there is a good chance they were highly satisfied with their experience the first time.
Consider personalizing your messages when sending invitations to repeat attendees, as this will emphasize the fact that you pay attention, and most people will think of it as a nice touch.
In conclusion
From huge trade shows to smaller-scale conferences, the success of an event is always measured by the satisfaction of the people who attend. This is why evaluating how your attendees feel about your event is essential.
You can go about measuring that satisfaction level in a number of different ways that we described above.
Analyzing the data you collect will then provide precious insight into what works and what doesn’t and help you develop efficient strategies for your next events.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/mesurer-satisfaction-client.jpg7501000MLBWhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngMLBW2022-12-08 08:00:582023-05-24 13:52:44How to evaluate attendees’ satisfaction at your events?
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned veteran of promoting your brand at fairs, every trade show has its perks and pitfalls. There are a lot of moving parts to consider when planning and preparing for a trade show. Last minute issues and improper organizing can make or break your lead generation on the day of the event.
It’s important to know that mishaps can occur and to be aware of some of the most common mistakes to ensure a successful booth at your next trade show.
In this article, the trade show display experts at totm exposition share some of the most common mistakes businesses have made in promoting and planning their company exhibit at a trade show.
1. Choosing the wrong trade show
One of the most common and unintended mistakes for new businesses who wish to exhibit their brand at trade shows is in selecting the wrong industry or event. This is an innocent mistake that can have a large impact on your strategy and success.
Be sure to carefully research the trade shows you plan to attend to make sure they are a good fit for your business and that your target audience will be attending them.
2. No competitor analysis
Part of planning for an effective outreach for your brand at trade shows is to know your industry inside and out. This involves in-depth competitor analysis to determine the best possible strategy. Without benchmarking your own business to your competitors, you risk failing to stand out as a unique and innovative brand.
It is important to keep abreast of your competition’s products and marketing strategies. You can do this by analyzing the products, services and marketing materials of your competitors.
Competitor analysis should also be done at the event itself. Do not be afraid to wander the trade show floor and analyze what your competitors are doing well.
3. Improperly budgeting for the event
One of the first steps in planning for your next event is to budget for the trade show. Strategically allocating your funds and developing an appropriate plan based on your budget is crucial.
Failure to properly budget can lead to under or overspending in certain areas, which can hurt your return on investment and have a negative impact on your success.
4. Cutting corners on display booths
Having an outdated trade show booth can make it difficult to outperform competitors with a more modern design and layout. Cutting corners on design, materials, installation, and setup can be a big mistake.
Avoid the mistake of outdated installations by opting for custom booth designs that will significantly help avoid losing opportunities to competitors with more cutting-edge exhibits.
5. Lack of delegation and staff training
At your next trade fair, you need to prioritize appropriate delegation to key staff as well as plan for effective training of all staff and volunteers. Depending on your event, schedule the staffing hours effectively to allot time for breaks and additional staff during peak hours when foot traffic is high.
Choosing the right staff and making sure they receive enough training before the show is crucial if you want to generate as many trade show leads as possible.
6. Lack of marketing before and after the show
Your business should make full use of your own channels to properly market for your event. Failure to use your own channels to market, whether its social media or your own mailing list, is a big mistake. Do not rely on the trade show’s limited marketing avenue, this is one of many opportunities you need to be proactive with.
Having a dedicated staff or liaison with social media and marketing before, during, and after the event is crucial to effectively promote and stay in contact with attendees and potential leads generated. Ensure that you have dedicated time to do post-event marketing where you follow up with all leads and share your business’ experience of the trade show.
7. Using outdated graphics and promotional materials
Promotional materials – brochures, pamphlets, slides, displays, and so on – are invaluable for effective outreach at trade shows. Using outdated graphics or promotional materials with obsolete or inaccurate information can cause problems with lead generation.
As with your trade show booth, your graphics and marketing materials should regularly updated to represent your brand as effectively as possible.
8. Lack of planning for lead gen
When you attend a trade show, one of your core goals is expanding brand awareness and generating leads for your business. It is important to use SMART goals to facilitate the collection of client information and generate sales for long term customer retention. Without effective planning and tools to generate leads, you will have an incredibly difficult time meeting your goals.
9. Failure to leverage technology
Technology is intertwined in trade shows, especially hybrid trade shows where conference calls and digital programming are instrumental in reaching audiences effectively. It is important to leverage the many benefits of technology into your installation. From trade show lighting and audiovisuals to interactive designs, aim to create a wow factor for your attendees.
10. Failure to follow up with leads and networking opportunities
A common mistake businesses make when they gather information on attendees is in timely responses for lead generation. Following up is crucial to generate conversions effectively and doing so in a quick timeline is best. Effective communication is the building block to future sales and opportunities for partnerships.
After the event, collect and organize your leads, prospects and networking opportunities in a sales intelligence tool or a simple spreadsheet. Then follow up no later than one week after the event.
Choose the design experts at totm exposition for your next trade show
Trade shows are exciting opportunities to expand your brand awareness and generate leads in your industry. With the goal of engaging prospects and expanding your network, it is important to diligently plan for a successful trade show. Avoid the common mistakes many businesses make when promoting their brand at trade shows.
If you want your trade show booth to stand out from the competition, you can trust the innovative designs and creative builds of our custom modular booths and portable booths. Contact us today for a turnkey solution.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/choix-bon-salon-professionnel.jpeg5061000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2022-11-28 08:31:462022-11-24 08:37:1410 Common Trade Show Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
When you’re hosting a global event, you will likely encounter the issue of translation/interpretation at some point, as all your potential attendees might not be fluent in one common language.
But what is the difference between translation and interpretation?
According to Kent State University, “interpreting and translation involve different skill sets. Interpreters mediate languages orally, while translators work with written material. When it comes to language skills, translators need to have solid reading comprehension, transfer, and target language production skills. Interpreters need to optimize their working memory in rendering content much more quickly and with no extensive access to external resources for support.”
As you can see, you can use both during your event, as they will serve different purposes: interpretation for your live conference sessions and translation for all your written materials.
For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the interpretation side and explain why it’s crucial to consider adding interpretation to your next international event and what your options are for a seamless experience for your attendees.
Why you should consider interpretation for your next conference
When catering to international audiences, you want your event to be accessible to the greatest number of attendees, and language barriers can represent a significant impediment in the pursuit of this goal.
Of course, you could just cater to people who speak one dominant language, such as English. Still, you will probably lose a treasure trove of attendees not fluent enough in that language to feel confident they can benefit the most from your event.
By adding language interpretation to your event, your international audience will feel included and, therefore, more likely to be engaged (which is the ultimate goal for most event organizers). Don’t forget your participants are already spending time and money to attend your event; it’s only normal for them to know they will get the most out of it.
And there are solutions, both human and machine, to help you with this interpretation issue and host the best global event.
Solutions for interpretation
Human interpreters
Human interpretation can be conducted in two ways: consecutive or simultaneous.
With consecutive interpretation, the interpreter relays the information the speaker delivered several minutes after the speaker has presented. Safety announcements during air flights are one of the best examples of consecutive interpretation.
This works mostly when you translate into only one other language, and the main drawback is that it substantially lengthens the presentation’s duration.
On the other hand, with simultaneous interpretation, the speaker doesn’t have to stop his presentation, as the interpreters will interpret in real time to attendees wearing earpieces. This configuration allows you to have as many interpreters as you have languages represented among your attendees.
This requires more skill on the interpreters’ side than consecutive interpretation as they concurrently receive information, process its meaning, translate it, and then relay it to attendees.
Simultaneous interpretation also requires costly additional audiovisual equipment, such as earpieces for attendees, microphones, headsets, and a separate booth for your interpreters.
This is, therefore, a fairly expensive solution that is not always feasible for many event planners who have seen their budgets severely restricted in the past few years.
That’s when some tech solutions might come in handy.
Tech solutions
There are a few tech solutions for interpretation. Some rely on human interpreters, while others rely on artificial intelligence techniques like speech recognition and machine translation.
As seen above, renting expensive equipment, such as specialized headsets, or paying for out-of-town interpreters to attend your event, can make a big dent in your budget. However, some apps can help you use interpreters from anywhere in the world without them having to be physically present at your event’s venue.
With these apps, attendees can tune into the interpreter’s audio stream through their phones and personal headphones, and interpreters can connect to the event remotely.
On the other hand, you can now find artificial intelligence-powered devices (such as intelligent virtual assistants, Google Pixel Buds, etc.) to help with real-time interpretation without the need for a human interpreter.
For example, with Google earbuds, the transcribe mode lets you hear spoken language translated right in your ear, accompanied by a transcript on your phone (you do need an Android phone).
It’s important to note that there are still a lot of issues with simultaneous interpretation when done by a machine. The future for machine interpretation seems to lie in neural machine translation, where the computer uses new methods to translate whole sentences rather than word-by-word, which is more effective. But this technology is still far from being widespread or accessible to every event planner.
In conclusion
As we’ve seen, the best solution by far to simultaneous interpretation needs seems to be a team of human interpreters. But having one interpreter per language on-site during your event can prove very costly.
Technology can help provide the same services remotely, lowering the price tag for that service.
The future might also lie in AI techniques like speech recognition and machine translation, but these tools are not quite yet ready to go mainstream.
Nevertheless, when you’re hosting an international event, interpretation should be part of your planning, or you risk losing the interest of numerous potential attendees.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/livre-de-langue.jpg5631000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2022-11-04 08:00:322024-03-08 14:05:07How to overcome language barriers at global events
Using lighting is a great way to attract visitors to your trade show booth! Illuminating your stand helps visitors locate your business, sets you apart from your competitors, and puts the spotlight on your displayed products.
Discover why you should invest in lighting for your stand, how to light up your booth effectively, and the ultimate lighting faux pas in this guide.
The benefits of trade show booth lighting
To make a statement on the trade show floor, you don’t have to invest in a sizable island installation. There are many different trade show lighting options available. From spotlights to LED strips, fluorescent lamps to backlights, there’s something for every brand image and company budget!
Discover the main advantages of trade show booth lighting below:
Helps you stand out from your competitors
Remember – the main objective of your trade show experience is to attract new clients and promote your business. Lighting can help make your trade show booth stand out from the rest of the pack and catch visitors’ eyes. Trade show attendees will automatically gravitate towards a brightly lit booth when walking the show floor. Adding lights to your booth will therefore attract more visitors to your trade show booth, helping to generate new interest and promote sales. Believe us when we say that anything that increases your booth’s visibility is beneficial.
Highlights your brand
Illuminating your brand name, logo, products, and message helps attendees quickly discover what your company is about and what solutions you offer. This is vital if you want to quickly attract your target audience to your trade show exhibit. Shining a light on your brand identity helps entice the visitors most likely to make a conversion and gets your brand name out there. It’s the perfect way to get your company noticed!
Looks aesthetic
As simple as it sounds, introducing strategic lighting to your trade show displayenhances its visual appearance. The right lighting products can make your booth more aesthetically pleasing, giving it a slick, professional feel. This will naturally drive visitors to your booth and build up your brand’s reputation. Investing in an attractive, modern booth will increase customer trust and show that your company is serious.
Types of trade show booth lighting
The following is an overview of the most common types of lighting used in trade show booth design, along with information about when they should be used.
LED and halogen lighting
LED light bulbs have a longer lifespan than halogen bulbs and use 85% less energy than their incandescent counterparts. Although LED lighting tends to be more expensive, its longevity and energy efficiency helps make it a good long-term investment. Halogen lamps produce more heat and use more energy than LED bulbs, while offering a standard light output.
Spotlights and floodlights
Spotlights mounted on adjustable arms provide you with directional light that is excellent for highlighting a portion of your exhibit that want visitors to notice the most. Floodlights can be used to illuminate a large area of your trade show booth. They are especially useful for illuminating graphics and text on the walls of your trade show booth.
Front-lit and back-lit lighting
Front-lit signage is an efficient way to draw attention to your brand name on channel lettering, whether or not the venue has dim lighting. Back-lit lighting can be used on booth walls or graphics to add dimension and visual interest, creating a professional look that will easily be noticed.
Trade show lighting do’s
In a busy trade show exhibition hall, effective lighting can help draw the crowd’s attention and increase your brand’s outreach.
Follow the 3 tips below to incorporate strategic lighting to your booth and make the most of your next trade show event.
DO think outside the box
Many companies attend trade show events so it’s important to be creative and bold with your lighting to distinguish yourself from your competition. Consider matching your lighting to your brand’s colour scheme, using innovative patterns and shapes, and creating an exciting experience for your guests to enjoy. You want people walking past your trade show booth and doubling back to check out your stall. Entice them with something new and creative!
DO invest in good quality lighting
The cost of high-quality lighting equipment might be a little high but investing in these kinds of lights is the best move if you want to save money in the long run. Investing in good quality, energy-efficient lights like LEDs may cost more than standard lights at first, but they will last much longer. You won’t have to worry about replacing them as often and you’ll be helping to save the planet at the same time.
DO check equipment beforehand
Glitchy lighting can be worse than no lighting at all! Make sure to check your lighting works properly before the trade show event to provide your guests with a smooth, clear experience. Think about it – if you turn up to a trade show event and the first letter of your brand name isn’t lighting up, what impression are you giving to your visitors? This will not only make you look unprepared and unprofessional, but it will also create confusion around your brand identity. You don’t want people remembering your company for the wrong reasons so ensure your equipment is ready to go beforehand.
Trade show lighting don’ts
Although trade show lighting can attract clients and increase brand awareness, if implemented poorly without considering strategy and aesthetics, it can have the opposite effect.
Here are 3 things to avoid at trade shows in terms of lighting:
DON’T include too many lights
Having an excessive number of lights in your trade show booth can interfere with your brand message. Consider placing your lighting in specific areas of your trade show booth to attract and hold your guests’ attention effectively. Instead of bombarding your trade show booth with millions of lights, you should aim to direct your visitors’ eyes to precise areas and objects you’d want them to notice. This is called strategic lighting.
DON’T handle equipment carelessly
The last thing you want to be doing in a trade show city is hunting for a replacement bulb because you dropped yours. Even though it can seem simpler to pack everything into a large container and ship it overseas for a trade show, there is a good possibility that your belongings will arrive broken. Individual boxes, ideally in the manufacturer’s original packaging, should be used to properly store your lights. You should also wrap your lights in foam padding to give them an extra layer of safety. Taking the time to care for your products will save any last-minute stress.
DON’T go overboard with colours and effects
Avoid making your booth overly colourful or including pointless flashing lights. Instead of distracting your audience, you should be trying to grab their attention. On a health and safety level, dazzling lighting effects could trigger certain medical conditions such as epilepsy. Note here that it is important to check the trade show rules and regulations regarding lighting beforehand to ensure visitor safety.
totm exposition can design your trade show booth lighting
As well as attracting trade show visitors to your booth, strategic lighting can help promote your signature products and brand message, generating more trade show leads in the process. As you have seen, your trade show booth can benefit greatly from a well-thought-out lighting strategy. Check out our trade show booth design service and contact the totm exposition team today to make your next trade show a lit experience.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/eclairage-stand-exposition.jpg6671000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2022-10-23 10:45:562022-10-25 09:18:31Trade Show Booth Lighting: Importance, Types & What to Avoid
Trade shows and trade fairs are important networking and business opportunities you need to take advantage of as a company. It’s a very important undertaking to balance your workload and to budget appropriately to make the most out of each event.
The trade show display experts at totm exposition share with you some budgeting tips and tricks to help guide you for your next trade show.
Trade show budget template: categorize your expenses
When you are budgeting for a trade show, a good template to use is breaking down your costs into 5 categories. The first category is your base amount because a general rule of thumb for budgets with trade fairs is to multiply your venue cost by 3.
For example, if your venue rental costs $10,000, you should allocate $30,000 overall. With the remaining funds, break this down into 4 other categories which make sense for your business’ structure, size and capacity.
These are five common budget categories for your trade show expenses:
Venue space cost: The amount of allocated funds to rent the space for your booth
Exhibit cost: The amount of money you spend on the design and manufacturing of your custom trade show booth
Services cost: All costs associated with your technical and logistical services rendered
Promotion and marketing: Any costs connected to your own marketing including paid ads, programming or graphic designing
Staffing: The amount you use to employ staff during the event and the time they spend in the booth
Use a pie chart to budget
Once you have your base cost for the venue rental, add the other 4 categories together and place these into a graph or chart. This is a great template method to visualize your budget to break down your expenses.
For example: If your venue costs $10,000, your total budget should be $30,000. You need to break down the extra $20,000 into 4 other categories to account for all the smaller expenses that will be incurred.
Venue space: $10,000
Exhibit cost: $10,000
Services cost: $4,000
Promotion and marketing: $2,500
Staffing: $3,500
A pie chart can look like:
Break down your expenses
With the categories of your expenses, it’s important to break down what each category entails. Some of the smaller expenses range from staffing expenditures to logistical services.
Rental costs
Marketing
Staff
Exhibition stands
Logistics
Show services
Food and beverage
Rental costs
When you find the perfect trade show to attend as a vendor, contact the association to learn about the venue’s layout and pricing of each booth. Some areas may have higher costs due to their locations and others may be placed in adjacent corridors or annexes. Pick a location that suits your business needs with optimal foot traffic.
Marketing
The marketing of your booth is essential. If attendees don’t know where you are, your networking outreach will be hindered. A great way to invest in the best ROI is to market yourself through your own channels. Use social media and place paid ads or use other avenues in your networks like email outreach or offline techniques like postering.
Exhibition stands
With your venue’s location selected, rendering a perfect booth for your business is the next largest expense of a trade show. Customizable booths, portable booths, and dynamic displays are all great designs that will appeal to attendees. Use a turnkey booth designer for the manufacturing and installation of your booth.
Logistics and staffing
With the designing and space allocation of your booth, the technical logistics and scheduling of the event are important to account for. It is necessary to consider the in-house technical skills of your employees and whether you need to outsource this labour. The technical software and hardware you use, including lighting or laptops to display your brand and programming may be rented or purchased.
Show services
Smaller expenses that arise when you vend at a trade show include the costs of photography, security or cleaning. The set up and installation of the booth may cost you some hidden fees, as well as the tear down. If you would like professional photography completed, allocate this in the budget. You can use these moments for future marketing and outreach within your networks.
Food and beverage or product giveaways
Another slice of your budget is to allocate the money used for enticing attendees and participants to your booth. It’s not just about your brand, it’s also about the outreach and gestures of welcoming them to your brand. Having free samples or products to give away is an expense that needs to be considered outside of the mandatory expenses of staff overtures.
Booth designs and visualisation
A major expense to budget for in a trade show is the design and layout of your business’ booth. This is a core expense that requires time to plan, manufacture and install during the trade fair.
Opting for a manufacturer of venue booths who offers a range of different designs tailored to your business in mind is key to funneling your budget. With a turnkey designer of your trade show booth, you can easily manage and facilitate the logistics of your booth in record time while staying within your budget’s criteria.
At totm exposition, we offer three types of booths for your next trade show to fit any budget: custom designed booths, modular trade show booths and portable booths.
Trust the experts at totm exposition for your vendor booth
The layout and design of your next trade show booth is a big undertaking that needs a clear and well-defined budget. There are many moving parts to account for when you want to promote your brand in your industry’s trade fairs.
With your budget in hand, it is easier to delegate your roles and responsibilities to have a successful event.
Contact us for your next trade show’s booth design, manufacturing and installation.
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/budget-salon-professionnel.jpeg7501000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2022-10-12 09:34:352022-10-25 09:50:31How to Budget for a Trade Show
When you are planning to exhibit at a trade show, there are millions of things to think about: reserve the spot for your booth, pay all the fees, the conception of your booth, the Internet access you will need, electricity outlets, furniture, screens, and the presentations that they will display, swag, etc.
One item often overlooked or left until the last minute is the team you will send to represent your company. And really, it shouldn’t, as your team members, more than anything else, can convey the right (or the wrong!) message. They are your biggest brand ambassadors, so you must pay extra attention to who you send!
In this article, we will share some tips to help you get the best team on the road for your next trade show.
Tip #1: Pick the right people for your team
The team you are sending will be the face of your company during the trade show. It is, therefore, crucial to pick the best people for the job.
First, you will need to decide on the size of the team. This is highly dependent on the size of your booth, as you don’t want it to look overcrowded by salespeople on the prowl or empty and understaffed.
Another consideration is the number of people you expect to stop at your booth. If you send too few people, they run the risk of being exhausted and not at the top of their game, as they will have to run around taking care of everything. As you know, almost nothing goes as planned during an exhibition, and a million things will need to be taken care of. You don’t want your team to start snapping at potential clients or miss valuable opportunities just because they are burnt out.
Then, you need to pick the appropriate profiles. For example, if you are presenting technical products, you need people who know all the specifications and can explain them in layman’s terms. But these people might not always be confident when dealing with people they don’t know. This is why you obviously need your best salespeople there too. They will ensure the prospects are taken care of and introduced to the relevant technical staff.
You might also need, depending on the size of your booth (and your budget), one or two hosts who can welcome visitors and offer them a beverage while they wait on a salesperson to be available (that is, if your booth is extremely busy, which we definitely hope will be the case!)
Tip #2: Train them
You might think your people don’t need further training to represent your company properly. After all, they’ve been with you for what seems like forever.
But in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget what you’ve known for years!
So make sure you create support documents that will give them all the details about the upcoming event: what trade show you are sending them to, where it is located, the purpose of your presence there, roles and responsibilities of the team members, and all the supporting documentation about the company you can gather, as well as the products/services they will be presenting.
Create an “elevator pitch” that your team can use to grab the visitors’ attention quickly. Don’t forget that sales at a trade show are fundamentally different from interacting during a business dinner or at the prospect’s office. Your salespeople need to be able to attract visitors to your booth and retain them for a more extended presentation of the company and the products/services you offer.
Also, start the training phase at least three months before the event so that your team has the time to digest all the information you are going to throw at them. Furthermore, they might be able to point at some potential problems that you can then address before the event.
Tip #3: Support them before and during the event
Aside from the information about the company and the products/services, you must ensure your team has all the relevant information regarding the trip beforehand. This includes travel information (flight number, boarding pass, seat numbers, car rental, etc.), accommodation details (name and location of the hotel, distance from the trade show venue, etc.), meal allowance, etc.
Once they are on-site, make sure they have a way to get in touch with you or somebody at HQ if they run into a (big) problem. They should be self-sufficient enough that they don’t need hand-holding, but sometimes an issue they won’t have the power to solve on their own will arise. So be sure to be available for them by giving them all the contact information of the people who can help them if the need arises.
Tip #4: Follow-up/debrief with the team
One thing that is very often overlooked is getting the team’s feedback on the event. They should be able to point out the things that went well and the ones that could be improved. For example, you picked what looked like the ideal location for your booth from the floor map the organizer sent you. But you didn’t see that your booth would be partially blocked by a pillar which hindered circulation around it during the event. Or you might have thought it would be a great idea to be as close as possible to that conference room. Still, you didn’t realize that the alleys were relatively narrow, and people attending the conference couldn’t actually see your booth properly because of the stream of people blocking the path.
You can also send your staff members a survey to share feedback about their experience at the trade show. That should help you determine if they felt they received enough training to make them feel confident, what could be done better or differently, etc.
Finally, it’s crucial to follow up with the sales team to ensure they do something with the collected leads. Too often, the leads just gather dust as your salespeople go back to their daily activities and promptly forget to follow up with the prospects they talked to at the trade show.
In conclusion
There are a lot of parameters to consider when building the team that will represent your company for your next trade show.
Don’t forget your team will be the face of your company! They should be given all the necessary tools to be able to handle the situations that can (and will) arise during a trade show. They should also feel valued and supported.
But if you pick the right people and give them the right tools and help, your exhibition will be a success!
To help your team attract visitors more easily, totm exposition can make your trade show booths unique and attention-grabbing to interesting prospects. Contact us if you have a project you would like to discuss!
https://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/choisir-equipe-salon-professionnel.jpg5631000Brigitte Fortinhttps://totmexposition.com/wp-content/uploads/totm-exposition-logo.pngBrigitte Fortin2022-10-06 08:00:282022-09-27 17:04:14How to choose the best team for your next trade show
The arrival of a global pandemic forced many trade show venues to move into the virtual realm. With the global situation improving, there is renewed demand for the return of physical trade shows. A middle ground solution was therefore devised by savvy marketers: the hybrid trade show.
Hybrid trade shows are a mixture of digital and in-person conferences and programming. A hybrid trade show can be an extremely valuable platform to expose your brand and receive valuable business opportunities.
These are several factors that vendors should consider when planning for their business to exhibit at a hybrid trade show or exposition. In this survival guide, the experts in trade show displays at totm exposition share ideas about how to stand out at a hybrid trade fair.
What are the benefits of a hybrid trade show?
With hybrid trade shows, your exhibit is accessible to all kinds of people from around the world and comes with numerous benefits that traditional trade shows cannot offer.
Convenience and accessibility
With the ongoing effects of the global pandemic, guests of trade shows may feel wary and uncomfortable entering into crowded spaces. Hybrid trade shows provide guests with the option of attending virtually if they do not feel comfortable attending in person.
Increased accessibility also translates to a larger audience that can attend no matter which time zone they are in from any part of the globe.
Cost-efficiency
In-person trade shows involve planning costs for large venue spaces often in a different city. This includes expenses for travel, parking, accommodations, set up and dismantling, manpower, etc.
Since hybrid trade shows mean that a substantial portion of the audience will be attending virtually, exhibitors can easily cut costs related to planning since they require less physical presence at the venue. Exhibitors can also use a portable trade show booth, which is easier to transport and set up for a smaller team.
Better data insights
Virtual attendees make it easier to track event data at a trade show. With the help of a virtual event platform, exhibitors can access detailed reports to help accurately measure ROI and determine where adjustments need to be made for future events.
Hybrid trade show best practices for success
Now that you know how hybrid trade shows can be beneficial to your business, we will dig in to the top tips to keep in mind when preparing for your next trade show.
1. Provide on-demand content
Prioritizing the audience with hybrid conferences and trade fairs means partial programming will be accessible online. For increased accessibility, you can make the content of your business’s program available both before the conference and after the conference.
Oftentimes, trade show attendees are delegates on behalf of other businesses who are seeking advantages to better their own work. On-demand content provides these attendees immediate access to your product and service offering.
2. Customize your booth
One aspect of trade shows that remains just as important for offline and online events is the design of your booth. Having a custom trade show booth will significantly increase brand recognition and engagement, whether your audience is physically present or attending virtually.
Associations and organizations use trade shows to increase brand awareness with educational aspects as well as network with prospects to generate sales and sponsorships. The networking process is incredibly important for exhibitors since generating quality trade show leads is the main objective for most vendors.
Both on-site and virtual attendees can engage and establish connections with your brand, participate in trade show contests and provide feedback on programming. Be sure to take every opportunity you can to network with attendees that may be interested in your products or services.
4. Embrace technology
As a vendor at a hybrid trade show, you will need to consider the logistical aspects of technology with technicians and skilled professionals before, during and after the event. Be sure to coordinate with your team and the event organizer well before the event to avoid any technical support issues.
Here are some engagement-boosting ways that technology can be integrated into your exhibit:
Enable live chat capabilities for easy interaction with virtual attendees
Host live webinars that can be accessed by virtual attendees during and after the event
Incorporate an online store into your exhibit to facilitate direct purchases
Work with totm expedition for your next hybrid trade show
Hybrid events offer a bridge between the offline and online world. Partnering with an exhibit booth designer is an invaluable decision when your business sponsors or exhibits at a hybrid trade show.
The experts at totm exposition can design, manufacture and install trade show booths that will make your brand stand out in-person and virtually. Contact us today to bring creativity and innovation to your next trade show.
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