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Blog posts in Exhibitions and events
Business-to-business exhibitions - why face-to-face networking is vital for SMEs
February 14, 2012
Why are business exhibitions still a good idea?
Exhibitions may seem like an unnecessary activity now that interaction with clients and business contacts are managed through social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn. However, face-to-face networking and raising your profile through exhibiting can have an impact and help you grow your business. Often businesses never meet their clients in person. Investing time interacting with the local business community can build long-term relationships and open doors that may not be achievable without attending such an event.
Transactional marketing is no longer enough, and organisations in all sorts of industries are geared more towards relationship marketing. Companies are looking for added value — not just a one-off transaction. A business-to-business exhibition is the catalyst for building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients.
Choose the right exhibition for you
Of course exhibiting at any old exhibition is not going to be something companies will do lightly in today’s economic climate. Businesses must be sure to attend events that will achieve their objectives and create a platform for new opportunities, not least to justify spending their marketing budget.
To ensure money is well invested and returns are gained, an organisation should research the show to understand if the objectives match that of their own goals. Being smart and researching extensively, you can make an informed decision to establish if the show is right for you. Some key things to ask yourself are:
- Will this reach the right target audience?
- How can I maximise my firm’s presence at the exhibition?
- What do I want to achieve by attending?
Get the most out of the show
Don’t just sit back and wait until the show to promote your business. Get on board with the exhibition organisers in advance and really maximise your experience at the show. This can be achieved through partnering and sponsoring an event or even just getting in contact with the marketing department and working with them on any promotional strategies. Be proactive! If you are investing money to attend then why not optimise the opportunity and take on promoting the event through your own organisation’s contacts, target audience and marketing activity? The more people you see on the day, the more contacts you make!
Achieving your objectives
To get the most out of exhibiting at a business-to-business exhibition you need to set out some key objectives and prepare! Get out there, get talking and build a rapport with other business people. Make your exhibit stand out and really show off your attributes — innovative ideas and interactive features are particularly attractive to visitors.
After show follow-up!
After the event has finished, it does not stop there. Relationship-building is a long term investment so make sure you record contact details so you can stay connected and follow up with conversations you have had on the day.
Melanie Shoesmith is PR and Content Co-ordinator at JobServe Events. Business South 2012 takes place on 22nd and 23rd of February at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.
Business success: your 2012 calendar launched
January 27, 2012
Surrounded by the brightest and best of the UK’s entrepreneurs, business minister Mark Prisk MP launched rather a useful tool for the UK’s small businesses at BIS HQ this week – a definitive calendar of events to help small business throughout Britain for every month in 2012.
Targeted at pre start ups as well as established and new businesses, the calendar marks the first time all Britain’s best business events feature on the same site in a searchable format. There are 600-plus events listed already – and Mark Prisk is aiming to get 1,000 online in the near future. He said:
“We want 2012 to be the year of enterprise, where entrepreneurs can unlock their business potential. Enterprise events don’t just take place on one day, or during one week, but they appear throughout the year and across the country.
“We need to make sure people know that there is support and advice available, that it is easy to get, and it is often on their doorstep.”
With shows, talks, workshops, schemes and local networking events listed, the calendar does just that. And the country’s diverse business support organisations – ranging from teachers who inspire primary school children to mentors of hi-tech start ups - are showcasing their event offers on the site too. Rajeeb Dey, one of the founders of the Government’s StartUp Britain campaign, said:
“The Enterprise Calendar is about helping businesses go for it. It will shine a spotlight on the broad range of plentiful resources that exist for people wanting to start or grow a business in 2012.”
The most up-to-date version of the calendar is online to search or download – and even upload your own event. Many events are free, so the calendar could well become an invaluable tool for you – and at the very least should benefit you with a couple of days of advice, inspiration and a range of handy new contacts.
Boosting rural enterprise - GEW works!
December 05, 2011
For anyone who questions the value and relevance of Global Entrepreneurship week, I would love to have been able to invite you to some of the events that ran in the Forest of Dean in November. A Forest Means Business initiative, the Forest Business Enterprise Week was a first of its kind locally, and many people said it would never work, that things like this had tried and failed before and that no real benefit could be achieved.
We are a small rural community with few large population centres and no obvious commercial centre. Staging 11 events over five days at locations and times to suit every potential business was probably a big ask — indeed we did attract some criticism for not staging events in every town in our district. However, what we did manage to achieve was an interesting and diverse programme of speakers and events, all aimed at encouraging and developing enterprise in this locality. And there were some unexpected benefits too that we couldn’t have anticipated but which vouch for the value of being proactive and celebrating entrepreneurship.
When planning the week, we desperately wanted to run a business start up taster workshop, knowing full well that for many, the option of self-employment is becoming increasingly the most likely way of becoming economically active. We didn’t known whether anyone would come to the event, but as the day drew closer, our numbers steadily climbed, and from a smattering of interest we eventually surprised ourselves with an expected delegate list of over 30. And it didn’t end there. As a direct result of that taster workshop, over 15 people have now joined a 12 stage business start up programme, hoping to take their seed of an idea and turn into a viable business proposition.
But what was on offer during our Enterprise week for existing businesses? Our themes throughout the week addressed exporting, employment, growth, marketing and leadership. At least one business will start to export for the first time as a result of the workshop we put on with UKTI. Other local businesses can expand and become first time employers thanks to the support and advice given in our HR workshop.
Great partnerships were formed with local business networks such as Forest of Dean Business Women’s Network, who hosted a morning event for women in enterprise, and The Leadership Trust whose CEO, Rob Noble, inspired and enlightened the audience with insights into his own experience of transforming an organisation. Again, after working closely with us in delivering Enterprise Week, The Leadership Trust have now committed to making their services as a world class leadership development organisation accessible to small business leaders as well as the larger corporates.
The Forest Means Business project hoped to engage with new businesses as a result of the Enterprise Week; we now have over 40 businesses wanting to work with us on our Business Action Programme, a six-stage facilitated action learning group process. Another 30 businesses have requested a visit from our Business Advocates via our Business Support and Advice scheme. Over 100 business people from across the Forest of Dean District engaged in one or more of our events, and judging by the feedback we received, people really appreciated and enjoyed the events they attended.
The true value of celebrating Global Entrepreneurship with our own Forest Business Enterprise Week more than likely extends beyond the information that was received from the speakers and presenters. The benefit and value of the new partnerships and relationships that were built and strengthened from the planning stages through to the eventual execution of the week are probably where the true value for the local business community lies.
As one participant said: “This week has given me new hope and new encouragement. Before coming along to the events I felt alone and confused with the options facing me. Having attended the workshops and met some other local business people I feel motivated and reinvigorated. This Enterprise Week has made a massive difference to me.”
I think that speaks for itself!
Miranda Jenkins is a business trainer and coach at Skills to Go.
The ten secrets of successful exhibiting
November 09, 2011
Having been established within the exhibition industry for 15 years and boasting a combined experience of 40 years (crikey!), we decided to spread the love and have put together some simple exhibiting principles.
- When considering your stand design, it’s a good idea to remember that open space is far more inviting. It makes visitors feel more comfortable about stepping onto your stand and having a look around.
- Never assume visitors know who you are and what you do. Any graphics must be visually clear and precise.
- Sometimes less really does mean more. Don’t be tempted to cram too much into your stand and overload it with unnecessary furniture and graphics.
- Reflect on your stand design — the older your stand, the less innovative you will appear to potential and current customers.
- Always take into account brand awareness when designing your stand.
- Consider AV — a fabulous platform for up-to-the-minute graphics and information.
- Don’t forget to invite your current clients. Exhibiting is a fabulous opportunity to not only build new relationships but expand on current.
- It’s worth taking into account that the more often you exhibit at the same event, the more likely you will be remembered and the more repeat customers you will have.
- Smile! You will be amazed at the amount of stand-holders I see who look like they have lost the will to live or have made me feel like they are undertaking a huge act of kindness just by speaking with me. Visitors don’t care how much “entertaining” you did the night before and whether you have the hangover from hell or not. It’s simple. If you don’t look happy to see someone, then you won’t be.
- Lastly but possibly most importantly and I speak from experience here — ladies, beautiful shoes generally mean uncomfortable ones…
Yes, exhibiting can be hard work but when done right it can be fun and incredibly rewarding too.
Paula Tenwick is the sales and marketing director of K&H Design. Find out more about making a success of exhibitions by reading Fiona Humberstone’s guide to what NOT to do at exhibitions.
Global Entrepreneurship Week - enterprise in rural areas is alive and kicking
November 07, 2011
What is the significance of Global Entrepreneurship Week to a small rural community in a frequently unheard of corner of Gloucestershire known as The Forest of Dean?
Squeezed between two rivers, The Severn and The Wye, The Forest of Dean enjoys the best of what rural life has to offer, whilst also having excellent links to commercial centres such as Cardiff, Bristol, Cheltenham and Birmingham.
And yet, along with many parts of the UK, the Forest has suffered at the hands of a wobbling economy, with increasing unemployment and small businesses failing. Not an affluent area, the Forest relies heavily on its small businesses for jobs with those seeking employment from the larger corporates having to commute to places like Gloucester and beyond. The daily commute isn’t possible for everyone, and as such, the Forest has always enjoyed a healthy business start-up rate for those wanting to go it alone. But failure rates have also been disproportionately high.
With the backing of the RDPE-funded Forest Means Business project, the first ever Forest Business Enterprise Week is due to take place during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Designed to encourage entrepreneurship and give support to existing small businesses, the Forest Business Enterprise Week has free events from Monday to Friday (14-18 November) to help those thinking about starting or growing a business.
Support for the Enterprise Week has been encouraging, with local speakers stepping forward to run seminars and venues keen to provide hospitality for events. A local printer offered to print promotional flyers for free, and local organisations have offered to help promote the week’s events. It seems that The Forest has an inner determination to help itself and to do whatever it takes to turn the corner of the economic downturn we are all experiencing.
Bookings are already pouring in from those wanting to attend Monday 14th November’s business start-up event. Interest in self-employment as a viable way of moving off benefits or into employment following redundancy is high and with the right support and advice, this could become a reality for many local people.
There are also seminars on exporting, becoming an employer and planning for growth. A series of marketing master classes exploring PR, marketing on a budget and social media follow the regular Grow Business Breakfast session on Friday 18th November. The week also boasts a networking event for local business women, run in partnership with the Forest Business Women’s network and a leadership evening seminar with Rob Noble, CEO of The Leadership Trust.
So back to the question — what significance does Global Entrepreneurship Week have for the Forest of Dean? It has given the business community a chance to work collaboratively on an initiative that will provide free help, support and guidance. Minimal resources were available to fund the week of events, yet no fewer than 11 events will take place throughout the week, and thanks to the existing RDPE-funded Forest Means Business project, a continuing programme of support and advice will be available once the week is over.
It has often been said that entrepreneurs hold the key to the future success of the UK economy. For this to be the case there needs to be a proactive approach that involves and consults with the local business community. And that is exactly what Forest Business Enterprise Week is all about.
Miranda Jenkins is a business trainer and coach at Skills to Go. You can find out more about GEW events in the Forest of Dean at Forest Business Enterprise Week.
We’ve got lots more coverage of Global Entrepreneurship Week on the Donuts.
How to make an exhibition of yourself
June 02, 2011
The first buds of spring also herald the beginning of the conference and exhibition season, with many companies wasting a small fortune trying to promote themselves to uninterested visitors.
It is not cheap to exhibit at a trade show. The stand space itself is expensive, and then there is the cost of building the stand, developing new marketing materials, plus the considerable staff time involved in just being there.
I often find myself speaking at exhibitions when the organiser’s business model is to sell stand space on the premise that thousands of visitors will be attracted to the event by the top quality keynotes and free workshops on offer.
When I visit the stands, I receive many complaints about the aggressive sales techniques of people selling exhibition space. They complain that these commission-only salespeople provide inflated estimates of the likely visitor numbers and can be very persistent and unpleasant.
My advice to any potential exhibitor is to leave any decision to the last minute, and always to offer a small percentage of what is quoted on their rate card.
But if you do decide to exhibit, it is always good practice to make the sales messages on your stand as obvious as possible. An interesting exercise is to walk down an aisle at a trade show, trying to guess what the exhibitor does just by looking at their stand.
It is clear that many of the stands have been designed by amateurs trying to do their own marketing. Alternatively, they have engaged a marketing agency whose brilliant idea is to deliberately make the messages of the company as opaque as possible. They argue that this will generate curiosity in the causal observer, encouraging them into visiting your stand to find out more. Sadly, this rarely happens in the real world.
People who attend trade shows are looking for someone to solve their problems or meet their needs. If you clearly state those problems and needs and then explain how you can address them, you stand a good chance of attracting a potential customer.
There is also one last hurdle before your company achieves an acceptable return on its investment in stand space, and that is the hapless people on the stand itself. Working at trade shows is an extremely dismal and tiring process. The people you do want to attract will studiously avoid eye contact, while those who deliberately engage your attention are often time-wasters, competitors or students, often with poor social skills.
In my experience, very little business is gained from people causally wandering onto your stand; the key to success at a trade show is in the pre-event preparation. Experienced trade show exhibitors train their staff in good stand technique and do most of their work in advance of the event, contacting potential customers to make specific appointments.
Any spare time at the show is used in scanning the other stands, eyeing up the competition and looking for new leads.
If you do spot a potential customer working on another trade show stand, it is poor etiquette to try and engage them in a sales conversation there and then. They want to sell to other people, not listen to your sales pitch. You should just ask for the name of the key decision maker for contact after the event, and take as much of their sales literature as possible for your pre-meeting research.
You can also drop into the keynotes, seminars and workshops and learn something new. If they have one on how to exhibit successfully at a trade show, then that would definitely be worth a visit.
Originally published in The Financial Times. Copyright ©Mike Southon 2011. All Rights Reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission in writing. Mike Southon is the co-author of The Beermat Entrepreneur and a business speaker.
For more information on what not to do at exhibitions, read Fiona Humberstone’s guide to the 12 reasons why companies fail to make a success of exhibitions — which is full of positive suggestions too!
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