CHAPTER 11
§
Exhibitions and the Role of
Face-to-Face Marketing
LEARNER OUTCOMES
§
A. Describe the main types of exhibitions.
B. List the types of exhibition organizers/producers.
C. Discuss the economic impact of exhibitions.
D. Identify trends impacting exhibitions.
E. Outline the value of an exhibition within a meeting.
Chapter Summary:
The history of exhibitions go back to ancient Egypt and Greek civilizations and even the Roman Empire. The exhibition business was seen in the “world fairs” of Chicago and Philadelphia in the late 19th century, and was in full swing by 1914 with the development of the National Association of Convention Bureaus. By 1928 the National Association of Exhibitions Managers was formed and is now known as the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.
The myriad of organizations that are considered to be exhibition producers include: trade associations, other member organizations, private companies, entrepreneurs, multi-media organizations, and third party meeting/exhibition organizers. These exhibitions may be sponsored or produced by any one of these parties and are usually offered in conjunction with an annual conference or other large meeting.
Selling exhibit space has sales cycles that will vary from event to event. Selling exhibit space makes for excellent revenue opportunities for an organization. Other sources of revenue come from the sales of sponsorships, advertising, and registrations fees.
In the U.S., exhibit space is generally sold by the square foot. Internationally, space is sold by the cubic content. An exhibit organizer will produce an exhibitor prospectus that not only includes space needs for the exhibit, but the audience profile, prior to attendance breakdowns by category of space needs, and other data, dependent on trade, that will help the exhibitors make decisions.
The importance of knowing the exhibitions audience will provide attendees with product interaction and information they can take away from the show. Attendees and potential attendees should be surveyed regularly. The exhibition organizers can garner a myriad of information from surveying their audience. In addition the exhibition organizer should know the attendee decision-maker power, purchasing roles, shopping styles, learning styles, an overall audience profile.
Floor plan designs occur around a grid layout which includes exhibit space known as booth or stands. There are aisles, often referred to as gangways outside of the U.S. To keep the costs low in the construction of exhibit, booths can be constructed using interlocking pip and drape.
Floor layout factors of an exhibition floor flan are influenced by a number of factors. They include:
1.Utilities – electricity, eater, compressed air, etc.
2.Safety – local fire and safety regulations
3.Logistical Needs – ceiling heights, infrastructure, etc.
4. Facility Layout – physical makeup of the facility
5.Feature Areas – association booth, food service seating, customer service or registration
There are three basic types of booth/stand configurations:
1.Linear booth/stand - based on the 10 feet x 10 feet configuration, maximum of one booth deep and face just one aisle with the exception of corner booths
2.Peninsula booth/stand – generally includes a minimum of four booth spaces, with aisles on three sides, with the fourth side bordering other booth areas. An end cap is the equivalent of two booths sold as a peninsula.
3.Island booth/stand – this stand-alone configuration comprises a minimum of four booth spaces and faces aisles on all four sides.
The feature areas generally refer to areas on an exhibition floor and designed to help drive traffic, attract attendance, and meet the needs of the audience. These sample areas might be: demonstration areas, food and beverage services, internet and charging stations, member services booths, lounges and new product areas.
Many exhibit floors can be grouped together in Pavilions that have commonalities. These grouped pavilions help attendees shop a floor efficiently.
The pavilion organizer may purchase an area and coordinate the needs of the participating exhibitors by subletting space and coordinating the logistics. This is a common way for international exhibitors to to test an exhibition or marketplace.
The exhibition schedule is important for coordinating the exhibit hall traffic and maintaining the quality of the exhibit hall attendance. If this is not monitored exhibitors may not return for a future show.
The exhibition schedule, when held in conjunction with a meeting, helps to maximize exhibit traffic. The schedule may have non-competitive or exclusive exhibition hours. Some f the exhibition floor offerings may include, receptions, refreshment breaks, meal service, education sessions, and product or process demonstrations.
A co-location is a sharing of resources with another meeting and/or exhibition that complements the meeting/event. It may include sharing resources such as staff, suppliers, space, common areas, and social events.
The exhibition logistics ensures the success of the meeting and exhibition. The planning activities of the exhibit are the development of goals, site and venue selection, exhibition service providers, support supplier/vendors, and exhibition labor force.
The support suppliers/vendors are required to execute a successful exhibition. The following suppliers represent a small example of potentials participants.
1.Official Service Contractors (OSC) or General Service Contractors (GSC)
2.Audiovisual Contractor
3.Caterers
4.Security/Crowd Control
5.Telecommunications
6.Utilities
7.Photography
8.Floral
9.Temporary Labor
10.Rigging/Sign-hanging
11.First Aid
12.Shipping/Logistics
The measuring the Return of Investment is a form of recognizing the impact of face-to-face marketing, which is an important part of marketing mix. Potential exhibitors evaluate based upon the audience profile, total attendance figures, estimated cost of participation, the value of potential contracts, and general visibility and generated sales.
The future of exhibitions will be new technologies. The hosted buyer programs utilized technology for dedicated private pre-scheduled meetings. This form of exhibit is a way to guarantee qualified buyers.
Interactive communities also use new forms of technology by building excitement about the exhibit. These on line groups also provide additional educational and content sharing opportunities.
