by Tessa Keough (Genealogy Writer, Speaker, and Postholder for Non-Profit Society)
Last week we covered tips 1-5 for Navigating the Exhibitor’s Maze. Most of those tips were all about making the decision and planning your exhibit. As promised, this week we cover tips 6-10 for Navigating the Exhibitor’s Maze. It is all almost go time and it’s about the conference!
- Figure out the best method for getting your booth materials to and from
RootsTech2016 – hundreds of exhibitor & thousands of attendees how will you stand out?
the Exhibit Hall. You might be able to fit everything you need in one suitcase (see Janet Hovorka’s article How to Create a Conference Booth With Just One Suitcase, April 12, 2017). You might decide to send your crate(s) or box(es) via a delivery service or as additional baggage. Check the costs of delivery (whether mail, airlines, or the service provided by conference organizers) and make decisions about your materials far enough in advance so you obtain the best pricing.
- Do NOT go it alone – determine the conference exhibit hours (most conference organizers require that your exhibit booth is adequately manned during all open hours – for most conferences that means eight hours each day for either three or four days). When you do the math, you realize you will be exhibiting for between 24 and 32 hours (this does not include set up and take down time at the outset, each day, and at the close of the conference). While it might be possible, you are not doing yourself or your organization any favors to think you can handle it on your own. Whether you get volunteers from your organization or you bring on volunteer or paid assistants – you need enthusiastic and prepared people who will showcase your organization for reasonable blocks of time. Some exhibitors are at the conference to sell product – they will be at their booths in full force often with employees. Other exhibitors will rely on volunteers – they might need an incentive, perhaps working the conference for 4-6 hours gets them a free or reduced pass to the conference. Be sure to get any volunteers on board early so you can explain the booth layout, what materials will be available, some suggested ice breakers, and possible FAQ they might encounter. Make sure your volunteers understand the goals, process, and timing of interacting with attendees. Having two people working your booth for no more than 4 hours at a time is the minimum for happy volunteers and attendees.
- The Conference begins at least two months before the doors open and
Prepare your materials far enough in advance to get the best prices and coordinate between vendors. Remember that every part of your exhibit tells the story of who you are and what you do!
doesn’t end until you have completed your follow-up contacts when you return home! Once you have signed up, paid for, and been assigned your booth, that’s the day you share the news with the genealogy community on social media. You want to spread the word early and often that you will be exhibiting, where you are located, what sessions, workshops, and/or activities you will be involved with OR suggestions of ones you think they might enjoy, any special pricing in effect during the conference, an any other exhibitors you recommend they visit. Be sure to use dedicated hashtags for your organization and the conference event. Contact any exhibitors you might want to work with (be sure to check out GBA’s Scavenger Hunt planned for RootsTech2018). About two months before the conference post something once a week to draw attention to the conference and your organization. Two weeks before the conference post something everyother day to increase the anticipation (perhaps something about your handouts, activities, giveaways, or who will be working the booth). During the conference post photos, share stories, show off your products, materials and mention any conference specials. Be sure to engage those who are not attending the conference with a special for the “stay at home attendees” to purchase product online or gain access to your handouts. If you offered to contact attendees after the conference, do it. The trade magazines state that 83% of exhibitors fail to follow up with attendee leads – that takes us back to Tip 1 (the reason why you are exhibiting). Think of that follow-up contact like a thank you card – it is just a nice thing to do.
- If you are selling items, acquire the necessary state or local vendor forms (the conference organizers can help with this). Make sure you and your volunteers understand the process for selling items and monitoring inventory. Be sure the pricing is clear on each item as well as any memberships or subscriptions. Those who purchase something from you should have a method of getting in contact with you AND you should have a method of getting in contact with them. Business cards are excellent for this and acquiring email addresses from those who stop by your booth is a must. What can you offer attendees in exchange for their information?
- Keep track of how things are going during the conference and thank everyone who helped you soon after the conference. At the end of each day record your thoughts about how the event is going. What questions do you repeatedly get from attendees? That list makes a great FAQ sheet for the next conference. Is there something that is going well? Make a note of it. Is there something that is not gelling and that you would do differently in the future? Have you walked the Exhibit Hall and seen anything that you especially liked or disliked and why? Are any of your volunteers struggling and why? Should you make changes to the schedule? Always be willing to be flexible. Are any volunteers outstanding and how? Be sure to thank them and mention their efforts in your blog or society newsletter. Are your giveaways popular? Did you bring too many or too few? Would you bring them again or did you find some new ideas from other exhibits? Are your display areas and materials being used? What interested attendees, what was unclear or unnecessary? It is easier to record these types of thoughts and then listen to them on the way home (I use my mobile’s voice recorder – I prefer recording at the end of the day to writing – and I don’t misplace my thoughts!). Once home, write up yourafter-action report, get your expenses together, do that accounting, check your inventory, and close outthe event paperwork NOW while everything is at your fingertips. It will make planning your next Conferencebooth that much easier!
Once you have a plan, you can navigate the Maze! Photo by Martin Reisch on Unsplash
A shout out and thanks to Jennifer Alford,Julie Goucher, and Jenna Mills – all of whom answered my questions and gave me great tips and advice when I ventured out the first time with an Exhibit for the Guild of One-Name Studies at RootsTech2016. I followed that up with an Exhibit at SCGS Jamboree2017. It gets easier each time and, contrary to Dante’s admonition, I maintain my hopeful nature!
Thanks for reading. If you have any tips that have made exhibiting easier, more organized, or more successful for your organization, I would love to hear them. Please post them to the Genealogy Business Alliance Discussion Group on Facebook or reply to this blog post.
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