The Impact of Making an Impact

Recently I have been looking into the potential effects an exhibition or similar event has on the local community, and found an interesting development from Edinburgh University.

They have developed a toolkit that determines the impact an event has on the community by looking at factors such as transport issues and crowd noise.

Personally I think this is a great idea. In this day and age, it is important to analyse the effect your business is having on the environment, and a by product of this is that you will appeal more to a consumer's green standards.

It is important not just for the event organisers, but the individual businesses to work closely with the local authorities in order to minimise the disruption holding an event can have on the surrounding area.

Something I would focus on, is what could the business do FOR the local community. Be it hiring local people to help out setting up the show, to free tickets for the event. Even something as little as giving out your promotional 'goodies' can leave a lasting impression on the community. At the end of the day they are potential customers too!

A Display of Power: The trade show industry's fight-back against the recession

I have had several conversations recently where people tell me, matter-of-factly, that the display business must be suffering.

Obviously I ask what proof they have on this, and this is where the conversation usually quickly changes tack.

Of course all businesses have been affected to some degree by the economic downturn, but from personal experience, and watching the market, there are strong indicators to suggest that the fallout isn't as bad as first expected.

I think this idea comes from the fact that most businesses, when faced with a gloomy economy, initially look to cut costs across all departments. They then quickly learn that they can't afford not to spend money promoting their product. There's very little point in having a product with minimal overheads if nobody is aware of it!

My resolve has been strengthened by the report that Gamescom has just finished and attracted 248,000 visitors, becoming the largest games fair in the world.

Reports from other areas of the world report that attendees to trade shows and exhibitions are better than expected for the current climate, and the general consensus is that this industry is in a excellent position to recover from the impacts of the global recession.

We are doing our bit for the industry at Discount Displays. Through publishing guides and promotions we are doing all we can to help businesses realise that exhibiting doesn't have to be as costly as they first fear.

The Rules of Engagement

A brief guide on the importance of interaction between you and potential customers.

So you've bought all the components needed for attending a exhibition, you've spent time creating a design to make your stall stand out from the rest, and you've meticulously planned the logistics of getting to the event itself.

All this is great, but where many exhibitors fall down is that when it comes to crunch time, they do very little to actually interact with potential customers, and are content to let them just walk on by.

It is perplexing, and surprising, as a regular attendee of trade shows and exhibitions, to not be engaged even when I'm looking at the product or service on offer. To know how much effort has gone into exhibiting and to then not capitalise on it is a crying shame.

There are obvious, yet simple, ways to maximise the conversion rate of passers-by to potential customers:

• Make eye contact - I'm not talking about staring here, just catching somebody's eye can lead to them engaging you in conversation or for them to take a second look at your stall, enabling you to start your pitch.
• Preparation - a well known saying states "luck is where opportunity meets preparation", well this is your opportunity! Before you set off to your event, make a note of the key benefits of your product/service, any special offers for this event, anticipate objections and how you can overcome these, and if they aren't willing to commit instantly what measures do you have in place to follow-up with them (e.g. mailing list, contact details database, brochures/catalogues to take home).
  
• Mentality is the key - some people are gifted sales-people, but perhaps this isn't your forte. The key here is to change your mentality to 'what have I got to lose', or more importantly 'what have I got to gain'. If you see somebody walking past your stand without taking a second glance, and you don't actively engage them, the chances of them becoming a customer are roughly zero. If, however you take a moment to announce your product to that person, you never know what the outcome will be, hopefully a new customer, or at least a sign-up to your mailing list.
  

If you recognise yourself as one of these exhibiting culprits I hope this guide can serve as a useful reminder on the importance of active selling, and increase the return of investment on your exhibition displays.

Bought to you by Discount Displays

Slatwall Displays; an exhibitor's friend

In the present climate, marketing budgets are tighter than ever before. There is increasing importance on being able to justify costs, and buying a versatile piece of equipment like the Slatwall Display, might be just what is needed to keep the accounting department at bay.

Being able to hold poster frames, literature racks and product hooks, they are equally at home in retail environments, trade shows or reception areas.
They are also double sided meaning they have double the impact of regular wall mounted Slatwall displays.
Made from an anodised aluminium profile, and with optional LED lights, they are at the height of modern display design.

They come pre-assembled, which means you are up and ready in a matter of minutes. These Slatwall display stands are a versatile solution for displaying and promoting your business.

Visit www.discountdisplays.co.uk for more info.