Episode 010 – Harnessing the power of improvisation at trade shows
Episode 010 – Harnessing the power of improv at trade shows (Part 2) – Interview with Roger Miller of Tues@7 Notes from an interview with Roger Miller (Part 2) Introducing Roger Miller - a right brain guy in a left brain world. Roger has a unique combination of background, working in the not very exciting health insurance industry, and being a special effects makeup artist! Roger has worked on many shows in both of his fields - insurance and special effects makeup. He draws inspiration from both to give you great advice and value and tell you how to do things differently at your booth to get better customer engagement and results. Improvisation skills: Train your team to answer the 20 most common questions they are likely to hear at a trade show booth o Have your team brainstorm 20 key questions and things attendees might ask o Then come up with valid answers to each question and give them…
Episode 011 – 4 Key Things You Need to Research
Episode 011 – 4 Key Things to Research Before Your Next Show For many of you listening to this right now, you are entering a busy trade show season, or perhaps you are in the middle of a trade show season. The best part is, no matter when your next trade show is, you can use research as your secret weapon to give yourself an edge both at the show and outside of it. Obviously, if your next trade show is still a long way off, then you have more time to research, but even if you only have a week, you can still do the research to give your company an edge! If you are going to see a brand new exhibition that you have never seen before, research is crucial. But research also applies to shows you’ve done before, maybe even multiple times. Here are 4 key things to research before your next gig: First of all –…
Episode 012 – Answers to your burning questions! Listener Q&A
Episode 012 – Answering Your Burning Questions – Qualifying Leads, Getting the Most Out of Your People, and Follow-up I get a lot of great questions from Trade Show U listeners. So I picked three of the most popular top questions and answered them in this episode. I'll feature more listener questions in future episodes! Don't worry - when you send me a question, I answer it right away. You don't have to wait for the next Q&A! Question 1: How do I determine Qualified leads vs. undecided leads? This is the million dollar question! I only wish more companies asked this question! · It’s up to you to identify qualified leads and undecided leads. Unfortunately, it doesn’t say “qualified leads” on your name tag, nor will it tell you on your business card or when you scan your name tag. · Since every company has different qualifications, this means you have to ask questions! o Participants must be screened…
Episode 013 – Showcasing your experience at a trade show
Episode 013 – Bring your own experience to a trade show! Special Interview Robin Sacks and Angie Polman of GroundedInClarity.com It’s not just about experiencing your company – it’s about your experience. · Does your booth have more than just brochures and other stuff? · People buy from people – they need to experience who you are. Robin's favorite quote from Maya Angelou is - "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel." exercise – You and your team are here, but none of your stuff has arrived. You are the only one at your booth. What do you do? If the box with your belongings doesn’t show up, can you do what you need to do? The key is to confidently say to yourself, "I know what I am talking about. I know what I need to know about the company. I'm going to take…
Episode 014 – Are you preparing for the Super Bowl or preparing for the catch?
Episode 14 – Preparing for the Super Bowl or the Improv? The Super Bowl is this Sunday, which got me thinking about trade shows. Shocking, right? I have a question for you - do you prepare for your next trade show like you're preparing for the Super Bowl, or like you're preparing for a neighborhood jam session? There's a difference! It’s called “The Big Game” for a reason. It’s the most important game of the year! Win and go home. Try hard and die. Here are some things I think of when comparing your next show to “The Big Game”: — How do you prepare? Do you prepare like a world-class athlete, spending hours a day in the gym or on the practice field? Or do you prepare like a championship coach, spending hours watching game film, reading scouting reports, and having late-night meetings with the coaching staff. Or do you treat your next game like a neighborhood game—maybe playing…
Episode 015 – 7 Pitfalls to Avoid That Could Ruin Your Investment Returns
Episode 015 - 7 Traps to Avoid That Can Destroy Your Results and ROI ********* Proudly introducing our new sponsors – Audiobooks! This episode is brought to you by Audible! Audible offers free audiobooks to Trade Show U listeners With a 30-day trial membership! Just go to audibletrial.com/TradeShowU ********* Here are the top 7 pitfalls to avoid at a trade show. These aren't mistakes -- pitfalls are things and situations you can get yourself into if you're not careful. These things may not even seem like a problem at the time. Pitfalls to avoid at trade shows: Trap #1 – Don’t compare your booth to other booths. — It’s easy to look at other booths and think they’re doing better than you. This can put you in a bad mood from the start and hurt your chances of success. — But at that point, you couldn’t do anything about the presentation, the lighting, the literature, the giveaways — nothing. —…
Episode 016 – Unleashing the Power of Happiness – with Christina
Episode 016 – Unleashing the Power of Happiness – Interview with professional happiness coach Christina Unrein Christina's goal is to empower people to find their happiness and achieve it faster! Q: Who is your ideal client? A: Weirdos, eccentrics, wannabes, workaholics, people pleasers. I also like to work with people who are brave and who love to be themselves - no matter what that looks like. Happiness is an ongoing choice, we must stick with it! Q – What experiences have you had at trade shows? A: I have been in almost every situation at a trade show. As an exhibitor behind the booth, in front of the booth, walking around the show, etc. Q: Do you think happiness is missing at trade shows? A: I think for a party to happen, it has to be intentional. It can't be forced. You shouldn't say, "We're just going to play music or have an ice cream social." It has to be…
Episode 017 – 9 tips for producing your own show SOLO
Episode 017: 9 Tips to Do a Show Solo – Succeed on Your Own! Whether you have an upcoming show going on alone or you’ve run a few shows on your own in the past, it can be frustrating. Going it alone won’t be efficient, won’t maximize your ROI, and won’t get you the best results. The biggest problem is that you can only have an in-depth discussion with one person at a time. Let me give you an important tip – don’t work alone! If possible, convince a colleague, trusted co-worker, family member or friend to lend a hand for a few hours or days. It will definitely be worth it! So, I’ve put together 9 tips to help you improve your results and give you the confidence you need. (1) Use other methods to help capture information and improve efficiency. Do what you can to keep multiple people at your booth, even if you only speak to one…
Episode 018 – Use freebies and promotions for powerful results!
Episode 018: Use Giveaways and Promotions for Powerful Results! with Anthony Gaudio At every trade show, we see promotional items at every booth! But which ones work, and which ones are a waste of money? Promotional industry expert Anthony Gaudio of Quality Logo Products joins me today to discuss everything you ever wanted to know about giveaways! Q1——What experience do you have with trade shows? At trade shows, I am more of a behind-the-scenes person. Most of my experience is with customers. Connecting with customers before and after shows helps me understand which products work for them and which products are less popular. I use this information to help other similar businesses/individuals target products for their respective markets. I don't just work with one auto body shop, I work with 30. If 24 out of 30 shops are happy with XYZ pen, then I will recommend it to the next auto body shop that's looking for a pen because actions…
Episode 019 – How to use marketing automation to achieve maximum ROI!
Episode 019: How to Maximize ROI with Marketing Automation! with Ryan Mansfield Check this out!!! Exclusive for Trade Show University listeners!!! ** Get Free Audiobooks (worth $20++) plus a 30-day free trial of Audible! ** Access www.audibletrial.com/tradeshowu ** Sending an email to follow up with the contacts you made at the last trade show might be a good idea, but you don’t want to send the same email to everyone. You also don’t want to manually send personalized emails to hundreds of people. Marketing automation can be the solution you need, meeting all your needs while making you more effective and efficient. Today's guest is Ryan Mansfield of Revolt Automation, who will give us some practical tips and tricks on how to increase your return on investment (ROI) at your next trade show, while saving tons of time! Most importantly, you'll get better results. Ryan also walks us through several affordable or even free tech tools to help you out!…
Episode 020 – Marketing Automation for Non-Technical People – Breakthrough
Episode 020 – Marketing Automation Bonus – Detailed Explanation In the last episode, Ryan Mansfield of Revolt Automation talked a lot about the value of marketing automation and gave you some great tools, 3 out of 4 of which are free! He also talked about how these tools can help you be more efficient and effective when sending follow-up emails. For those of you who are less tech savvy, I want to offer my thoughts and help break this down further. I want to give you some additional ideas on how to make marketing automation work for you. First, you need Email service required It can batch outgoing emails. What I mean by that is the ability to send emails to a group of people at once, rather than one at a time. Now I know a lot of my listeners are small businesses looking for ways to save money. I totally get it! So if you currently use your…
Episode 21 – 11 free giveaway tips to help you save money and get results
Episode 21 – 11 More Giveaway Tips and Tricks to Help You Save Money and Attract Customers! We recently interviewed promoter Anthony Gaudio – Episode 18. The value and expertise in this episode is so rich! Some of the audience asked me some questions about some of the things we didn’t cover in that interview, plus I wanted to share some of my experiences and go a little deeper into how to use giveaways at trade shows. That’s why we have a Part 2 on the topic of giveaways and promotional items! It fills in a lot of gaps and answers a few more questions from our interview. I’m not going to tell you exactly what to give away. What I’m going to do is help you avoid some common mistakes so that your show is a success and your giveaway does what you bought it for! and not just become something to be thrown away or given to attendees’…
Episode 21 – 11 free giveaway tips to help you save money and get results
Episode 21 – 11 More Giveaway Tips and Tricks to Help You Save Money and Attract Customers! We recently interviewed promoter Anthony Gaudio – Episode 18. The value and expertise in this episode is so rich! Some of the audience asked me some questions about some of the things we didn’t cover in that interview, plus I wanted to share some of my experiences and go a little deeper into how to use giveaways at trade shows. That’s why we have a Part 2 on the topic of giveaways and promotional items! It fills in a lot of gaps and answers a few more questions from our interview. I’m not going to tell you exactly what to give away. What I’m going to do is help you avoid some common mistakes so that your show is a success and your giveaway does what you bought it for! and not just become something to be thrown away or given to attendees’…
Episode 022 – Coronavirus COVID-19, Trade Shows and You
Episode 022 - Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Trade Shows and YouWith the trade show industry hit hard by the coronavirus, I discuss how this affects your business and your options.Mentioned in this episode:Subscribe to the new Trade Show University YouTube channel!Check out the new Trade Show University YouTube channel where we offer a growing collection of training videos to help businesses gain more leads, more sales, and more profits through the power of trade shows! Many of the videos are exclusive to YouTube and won't be found on the podcast. Visit, subscribe, and watch to your heart's content!
Episode 023 – LinkedIn Mastering Performances and Events – Heather
Episode 023: LinkedIn Masters for Business and Trade Shows! Explained by Heather Taylor ——————————————- Special promotion offer!! LinkedIn profile optimization and overhaul Mention Trade Show University and Get $20 off!! ——————————————- Heather is the owner and social media chick of GlitterGirl Media. She works with business professionals and entrepreneurs to help them stand out in the massive social media crowd, understand the importance of keywords and creative content when posting content, and use LinkedIn as an unparalleled lead generation and sales tool. Q: What is your experience with trade shows? I help business people use LinkedIn to track their trade show contacts, create a proven, repeatable process for generating leads, and converting contacts into real-life, live customers. It is important to use LinkedIn to stay connected with prospects, clients and contacts. LinkedIn will help you get the most out of trade shows and events. Few people use LinkedIn the way it should be! It’s more than just a place to…
Episode 024 — Is this the end of trade shows?
Is this the end of trade shows?Will trade shows and events ever be the same?www.TradeShowU.bizMentioned in this episode:Subscribe to the new Trade Show University YouTube channel!Check out the new Trade Show University YouTube channel where we offer a growing collection of training videos to help businesses gain more leads, more sales, and more profits through the power of trade shows! Many of the videos are exclusive to YouTube and won't be found on the podcast. Visit, subscribe, and watch to your heart's content!
Episode 025 – Create real magic in your trade show booth –
Episode 025 – Create Real Magic in Your Booth – With Magician Scott Tokar! Scott Tokar is an award-winning magician who specializes in performing "corporate magic" at trade shows and sales meetings. He is the founder of the trade show magic group "Corporate-Fx". Since 1992, Scott has helped dozens of companies, large and small, consistently double their measurable exhibit metrics at trade shows around the world. Scott’s unique presentation style focuses on gathering crowds at booths, explaining the exhibitor’s sales message in a smart and memorable way, and then providing actionable steps to collect leads for follow-up after the show. It can be said that Scott’s real secret is to make the show the most memorable on the trade show floor. How to contact Scott: Website: www.CorporateFx.com Telephone: 1.800.Magic.13 Instagram @ScottTokar
Special – Prayer for the Trade Show Industry
Pray for the Trade Show Industry During this extremely difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic, all trade shows, events, conferences and expos have been cancelled or postponed, and many people have lost their jobs. They need our prayers. So we are praying. Please listen and pray together.
Episode 026 – Tips and tricks to make your booth selection stand out
Episode 026 – Tips and tricks to make your booth stand out Exhibition booth layout and selection is like real estate—it’s all about Location, Location, LocationBut isn’t there something more exciting than this? Absolutely! Here are some valuable tips for choosing and placing any size booth - whether you have a small 10 x 10 booth or tabletop booth, or a large freestanding booth. — As close to the main entrance as possible – or any entrance if there are multiple. This will increase your chances of attracting a large number of attendees — Know your options and be flexible. Let’s say you planned on a larger booth, but the only space left is at the back of the show. However, by choosing a smaller booth, you can get a better location. Is this an option for you? Maybe it’s worth it. — Other good options are to be near areas with a lot of foot traffic — food vendors…
Ep 027 – Give a Great Speech – From
Episode 027 – Great Speech – Bridgett McGowen’s Secrets to Great Speech Bridget is an award-winning, international professional speaker; a 2019-2020 Forbes Coaches Council official member; owner of BMcTALKS Press, an independent publishing company; and founder and owner of BMcTALKS Academy, where she helps professionals become the most engaging, dynamic, incredible communicators ever! ** special promotion!!** get 20% leave your sign A copy of any of Bridget's books: · Appear and show: 52 communication habits that will make you unforgettable · Real Talk: What other experts won’t tell you about making a great presentation · Rise and Hiss: Everyday communication and presentation strategies for sales, business, and higher education professionalss · Have a microphone: How 50+ of the World's Top Professional Speakers Launched Their Careers (and You Can, Too!)） access www.bmctalks.com/store and enter the coupon code strength Enjoy 20% off at checkout. Bridgett's top tips for Trade Show U listeners: — In your presentation, give everyone a reason to listen…
Episode 028 – Virtual Trade Show Options – Lockdown Period
Episode 028 – Virtual Trade Show Options – Lockdown Episode The world of trade shows and events has changed dramatically. We are in lockdown and trade shows have all been postponed for several months. You need to make up for lost opportunities due to not being able to attend one or more shows, what are your options? ————————————– If you are a small business, or you are looking for someone to share ideas or brainstorm with, contact me We can get together on a Zoom call. My years of experience can help you explore new and innovative ideas! Email me at jim@tradeshowu.biz Make a consultation or schedule a meeting! ————————————– First, you have to commit to not letting this hold you back! Yes, the opportunity to meet your clients and prospects at a trade show is temporarily taken away, but that means you need to get creative and come up with new ways to meet those clients and prospects! So…
Episode 029 – Tips for Networking Like a Pro – Interview
Episode 029 - Tips for Networking Like a Pro Interview with Kelsey Loushin, Owner of Eldercare Professionals of Ohio Contact Kelsey: Call Kelsey at 440-212-4987 e-mail kelsey@eldercareofohio.com You can contact her through her website, www.eldercareofohio.com. Facebook group and kelseyloushin on Twitter
Episode 029 – Tips for Networking Like a Pro – Interview
Episode 029 - Tips for Networking Like a Pro Interview with Kelsey Loushin, Owner of Eldercare Professionals of Ohio Contact Kelsey: Call Kelsey at 440-212-4987 e-mail kelsey@eldercareofohio.com You can contact her through her website, www.eldercareofohio.com. Facebook group and kelseyloushin on Twitter
Episode 030 – Sponsorship Done Right! What to Do and What to Avoid
Episode 030 – Sponsorship – What to do and what to avoid *** Sign up for the Trade Show U Weekly Newsletter to get special weekly pro tips that will make a difference in your business, be able to hear episodes before everyone else, and get notified about new tools, giveaways, and challenges! Go to www.TradeShowU.biz, scroll down the home page and enter your name and email! It's that easy!!*** Let’s dive into today’s topic: sponsorship done right! Before I start talking about the various types of sponsorship, you need to understand Why You want to invest in sponsoring an exhibition. How will your company benefit? What is your goal? Sponsorship opportunities range from cheap to expensive, but most sponsorships are usually quite expensive, relatively speaking. In fact, you may spend more on sponsorship than you do on your booth! So before choosing a sponsorship type, you need to figure out why. There are three main reasons why you should…
Episode 031 – Mastering Emotion and Facial Coding at Trade Shows
Episode 031 - Master and understand emotions and facial coding for trade show success! Interview with Dr. Dan Hill, owner of Sensory Logic, author of 8 different books, and mood expert who has appeared on Fox News, NPR, USA Today, and dozens of other media outlets. How to contact Dan Hill: https://www.sensorylogic.com (website) https://emotionswizard.com (Faces of the Week blog series) dhill@sensorylogic.com (Internal training) Tel: 651 434 9285 LinkedIn https://www.sensorylogic.com (website) https://emotionswizard.com (Blog Series) dhill@sensorylogic.com (Internal training) 651 434 9285 LinkedIn
Episode 032 – Trade Show Scams and How to Avoid Them
Trade show exhibitors are targeted by scammers every day! If you are an exhibitor, know that you are a top target for scammers! In this episode, I discuss some common trade show scams and how to avoid them. Hotel Room Reservations Email List Sales Philanthropy
Episode 033 – 8 tips to improve exhibition efficiency and effectiveness
Episode 033 – 8 Secrets to Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness Do you want to get more leads, make more sales, do more presentations? Then be more efficient!! 1. Bring a handbag with your restoration items 2. Take photos of all performance files and save them on your phone, as well as the contact information of the performance contact person 3. Consider hiring a brand ambassador 4. Memorize the script From the opening question to a brief description of your company or product, you should know what to say and say it the same way every time. This will help you be efficient and not ramble on. Give short, quick answers to common questions. This takes planning and practice! It's much easier to give long, rambling answers. It takes time to create short, concise answers and statements. But it's worth it! 5. Ask someone for their name, then use it 6. Get to know your attendees first 7. Avoid small talk…
Ep 048 – Top Tips for Using Video in Marketing & Virtual
FOR THE SPECIAL VIDEO TIPS OFFER – Visit: ——————————————- NOTE: The transcription below is from an automated transcription service. I apologize in advance for any errors. On the podcast today are Kathie Zipp and Bill Baraona, owner of Flex Media. Kathie is a writer and producer with Flex Media with a decade of trade, publishing and marketing experience under her belt. With her journalism background. She combines technical writing and creativity to craft words that help companies tell stories and market messages. And Bill Baraona has over a decade of professional video production experience. And he along with his wife, Jackie founded flex media, but he’s not watching YouTube tutorials and listening to marketing podcast which constantly allows him to be trying new things like combining different production styles with emerging technologies to deliver clients type of live video event he loves spending time with his family. Tell us a little bit first about flex media and all the things that you…
Ep 071 – 6 Shocking & Powerful Lessons from Major Virtual
Ep 071 – 6 Shocking & Powerful Lessons from Expo! Expo! (00:00:00) So I attended a very, very large virtual event this past week. And I have to share with you six shocking and powerful lessons that I learned from attending this event. It was fantastic. It was eye opening, and you’re going to love it. So stay tuned. Let’s talk about Expo! Expo! It was just a phenomenal virtual event. It was supposed to be held live down in Louisville, Kentucky. And, it was, they were pushing and pushing and doing everything they could to have a live event. And just at the, really the last minute it was within about four weeks or so that they finally shifted and said, you know, we can’t do it. (00:03:27) there’s too much going on. Too much risk, eh, going on in the country to have people coming in for a live event at this point. So they switched over to…
Ep 073 – The ANTI-New Year’s Resolution Episode
Join the ANTI-Resolution Challenge at tradeshowu.biz/challenge This is the ANTI-New Year’s Resolution Episode. Yes – ANTI-Resolutions. Don’t do it for 2021. And if you already have them, just put them aside. This episode will give you the key to making 2021 your Best Year EVER! Why no new year’s resolutions? Here’s the facts. Here’s the facts, goals and resolutions. We set every year. We just don’t meet them. We just don’t meet them. Is there anyone out there who’s nodding their heads right now? Who’s gets to the end of the year and then looks back and goes. I, I can’t even remember what the new year’s resolutions I set last new year’s. There was a study done in 2018 by the University of Scranton. It said only 8% of people see their resolutions through to the end of the year. So that means 92% of the people give up at some point. And here’s, here’s another key point by the…
Ep 034 – The Potential of Account-Based Marketing
Episode 034 – The Potential of Account-Based Marketing for Better Trade Show Results! Carman Pirie is the co-founder of Kula Partners, an agency that helps leading B2B manufacturers create digital experiences that transform the way they engage buyers, serve customers, and outperform competitors online. He is also the co-host of The Kula Ring podcast for manufacturing marketers. With three decades of marketing and communications experience and a dislike for the mundane, Carman shares his unique perspective on B2B marketing and sales. Carman’s top tips: Before you start, know who you want to sell to – A trade show begins before the opening and ends after the closing – Don’t overlook digital lead generation and tightly coupled sales enablement and marketing automation – Adopting an account-based approach to trade show participation can reduce reliance on trade shows Carman summarized two key points for the audience: – Get good at attending trade shows so you don’t need them – Account-based marketing =…
Episode 035 – Answers to your questions! This is Listener Q&A #2!
Episode 035 – Answering Listener Question #2! This episode is presented by… My new podcast – Bizfire Business Focus! It's a unique marketing tool for great small businesses! Visit IWantTheSpotlight.com to see all you get and check out sample podcast episodes. Enter TRADESHOW in the promo code box to get 25% off!! —————————————————- Problem 1 – I’ve only been to the show once and didn’t get many real leads. I don’t think I want to try again. o Do you have any specific goals, and methods for achieving them? If not, this is where you need to start. You must have a plan, and you get what you measure! o Are you seeing the right show? Many times, we choose the wrong show and the wrong audience, and as a result, we waste precious time and money. If you've put on the right show, and set your goals, it's time to take stock of yourself and your staff. Are you…
Episode 036 – Coming out of COVID-19 – Tips and reasons for going online
Episode 036 – Coming out of COVID – Virtual event tips and why it’s important to resume in-person shows ** This episode is sponsored by Audible! ** Get the free audiobook and 30-day free trial by visiting www.audibletrial.com/tradeshowu —————————————— Let’s talk about what’s happening in the events industry right now. The events industry is taking a hit! If you think about it, there are a lot of businesses involved. A large national trade show can bring business opportunities to meeting spaces, catering, restaurants, transportation, hotels, airlines, parking, and more. If we want the economy to truly rebound, then we must get back to in-person trade shows, events, conferences, and expos! I've heard some companies say they really don't want to go to trade shows because they don't get results and they save a ton of money by not going to the show. If you're not getting results, it's usually not the trade show's fault. It means you're not planning or…
Ep 037 – Curious Culture: Your Secret Weapon –
Episode 037 – The Power of a Curious Culture – Your Secret Weapon Katherine Miracle MBA, award-winning keynote speaker and marketer, is the founder and CEO of Miracle Resources. Katherine and her team have created campaigns for over 100 brands that increase revenue and strengthen teams. Katherine is the author of 4 books that her 54 trainers use in the “Brand + Team = Revenue” national training program, including her latest book, Curious Culturewhich we’ll dive into in this episode. Get your copy of Curious Culture here: How to contact Katherine Miracle: Email: km@miracleresources.com website: Miracle Resources:
Episode 038 – 10 Must-Haves for a Successful Virtual Trade Show
Here are the top 10 must-dos for hosting a successful and engaging virtual trade show! ! 1. Know your audience — What are they looking for? What can you offer? ——What are they going through? Especially now! — Set the right time – Is the audience business or consumer? Local, regional or global? 2- Develop a strategy — First, think about how you typically run a trade show. Or what your best trade show has brought to the table. Make sure you try to incorporate as many of those aspects as possible into your virtual trade show. — Is it a one-time live broadcast or can it be replayed? — What do you hope people take away? — What do you want people to do? Call for action! 3- Set goals — What equals success? — Don’t just do something and say “Yeah! We held a virtual trade show!” There has to be something measurable. — If you invest your…
Episode 038 – 10 Must-Haves for a Successful Virtual Trade Show
Here are the top 10 must-dos for hosting a successful and engaging virtual trade show! ! 1. Know your audience — What are they looking for? What can you offer? ——What are they going through? Especially now! — Set the right time – Is the audience business or consumer? Local, regional or global? 2- Develop a strategy — First, think about how you typically run a trade show. Or what your best trade show has brought to the table. Make sure you try to incorporate as many of those aspects as possible into your virtual trade show. — Is it a one-time live broadcast or can it be replayed? — What do you hope people take away? — What do you want people to do? Call for action! 3- Set goals — What equals success? — Don’t just do something and say “Yeah! We held a virtual trade show!” There has to be something measurable. — If you invest your…
Episode 039 – What are hybrid trade shows? Are they the future?
The trade show industry is moving towards hybrid trade shows and events, but what are they and are they our future? Welcome to Trade Show University! I'm your host, Jim Cermak, and we're going to continue our discussion of the virtual world as the entire trade show industry continues to transform and reinvent itself. Eventually, we will return to live events - and we need to return to live events! A large portion of the economy relies on live events happening. In fact, there’s a new initiative afoot called “Go Live Together” (led by the leaders of some of the largest trade show industry associations!) In a few weeks, I’m very excited and honored to bring you a special episode featuring interviews with some of the people behind Go Live Together – you won’t want to miss this very important show! So be sure to subscribe to Trade Show University on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever…
Episode 040 – Livestreaming and other virtual tools launched by big brands –
Ben Thomas currently serves as Senior Publishing Director at MarketScale, a B2B publisher and strategic marketing firm overseeing 16 publications. He has over a decade of award-winning experience in visual direction and media creation for events, Over The Top and live platforms, marketing, network TV and social media. Ben decided on his career path at the age of 7 and to date has led billions of content interactions for some of the most influential brands in the world. Important Tips from Ben: – Think about what your audience wants to see or learn. – Remember to educate, inform and inspire! – Try live streaming! Grab your phone and do a live Zoom call, or if you’re too nervous to go live, record a video and chat during the “live” session. – Don’t repeat what you do at traditional trade shows. It will look like you haven’t made any effort. You have to do more to attract your audience! – Have…
Episode 041 – Live Streaming Together – How Industry Leaders Are Trying It
Go Live Together is a significant and evolving initiative that has the potential to generate an economic impact of over $1 trillion, while also positively impacting the millions of jobs around the world that are part of the so-called “live events ecosystem”. Today, I am honored to have the following three leaders as my guests: Cathy Breden – CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation (CEIR) – Executive Vice President/COO, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) During her time at CEIR for over 12 years, she has led major research demonstrating the effectiveness and efficiency of exhibitions as a marketing medium. She and her team then use these findings to enhance the image, value and growth of exhibitions. Sue Sung – Senior Vice President of Strategy at Freeman, a global brand and leader in the live events industry If you’ve been planning exhibitions for any length of time, chances are you’ve worked with Freeman at some point. In her…
Episode 042 – Your Mindset and Your Story
Eddie Thomason is a bestselling author and motivational speaker who helps teens and young adults break free from self-limiting beliefs and pursue a life they love. He is a bridge between people and understands the importance of mindset. Eddie’s best advice: – To better engage with your audience, share your story. Your story helps build relationships, which is crucial to sales. – Product Storytelling – Stories sell! – In life you don’t get what you want…you get what you expect! At a trade show, if you expect your show to suck, your show will suck. Expect great things! – Always think, “How can I help?” – Leave a legacy! What is your brand? Get Eddie's book Unlock Yourself: Go buy Eddie's book: Unlock Yourself: How to Become Natural Success bit.ly/unlockyourselfbook Additionally, there are free workbooks available for download@ where they can apply what they have learned from the book. Contact Eddie for more information: Call or Text: (607) 624-4168 Email:…
Episode 043 – Industry trends and advice to double your show
Welcome to TSU. This is going to be an unusual episode, but we are in different times now! I’ll give you a quick update on what’s happening in the trade show and live event industry, share a comment from an industry leader, and then give you some words to help drive your results. If you’ve been listening to some of my shows over the past few months, you know that I’m a big proponent of resuming live events. I’m also a big proponent of getting results! I know that for the vast majority of people right now, virtual is the way to go. That’s why I’ve been covering tips and methods for getting better results from virtual events. I’ll continue to do so and cover new platforms and initiatives in the coming months. However, I want to reiterate how important it is to resume live events. Cancelling live events will affect many jobs and will also wipe out many economic…
Episode 044 – What a five-star restaurant taught me about trade
Join me at Hall's Chophouse in Charleston, South Carolina! Hall's Chophouse is a family owned and operated 5-star restaurant in downtown Charleston. They are known for their steaks, service, and overall great food. So how did this amazing restaurant teach me how to do better at trade shows and business events? Let me revisit my experience and give you some powerful lessons you can learn from it. As I waited in line outside, one of the owners—a member of the Hall family—popped out the door and greeted everyone in line. — How would you greet customers at an exhibition? Do they feel special? Or are they the same as everyone else? Or do they feel like they are bothering you? Be happy and excited! If you knew this would be your best customer, how would you greet them? — If you are running a promotion like a prize wheel, or a promotion that requires a line, send someone to greet…
Ep 045 – 9 Creative Ideas for Finding Sponsors for Your Virtual Event
How to make money with a virtual event? You’ve still invested a lot of time, money, energy and resources, and right now you’re not completely familiar or comfortable with this new platform. So you might need to recoup some of your costs, or even make some money? Some of you may be a company that is considering hosting a virtual event in hopes of reaching an audience. Others may be trade show organizers that are experimenting with the move to virtual events. But speaking to some first-time virtual event goers, they're finding it hard to get vendors and companies that have sponsored live events in the past to sponsor virtual events. Some just don't understand what they're getting for their money and what kind of exposure they'll have—and as an event organizer, you need to educate them on that. This is your only chance. 1. Demonstrate value to sponsors 2. Make the amount reasonable. Your costs may be significantly lower,…
Episode 046 – Emerging Trends in Virtual and Live Trade Shows and
Five months ago, we never imagined that we still don’t know when live events will fully resume. We thought it would be a month or two at most, but we were wrong – and not in a good way. So where do we go from here? What are the emerging trends in the industry? I’m going to talk about 5 trends I see, all backed up by industry research. But before I get to them… Over the past few months, I’ve been asked if I would continue doing my podcast since COVID-19 devastated the trade show industry. I have to tell you – I wondered about that myself at first. A lot of people stopped listening, but when I started doing more shows about virtual events and how to get the best out of them, a lot of new listeners came. I never stopped because so many people are relying on the return of trade shows. I know that live…
Ep 047 – Display Builder Tips for Going Virtual
Adam Sublett is an account manager at Benchmark Craftsmen, a trade show display builder that has been working with some of the largest brands in the U.S. for decades. Adam talks about pivoting to survive during the pandemic. Adam started working at Benchmark full time in 2007, but as a third generation in the industry he has always been involved in the industry. He began his career on the service side, overseeing the installation and teardown of trade show booths and other exhibits across the country. Adam has since applied what he learned on the road to nearly a decade in production management. Over the past several years, he has been responsible for managing key accounts for the company, including Diebold Nixdorf in North Canton, Ohio, and Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More recently, Adam has been focusing on the overall operations of the company. Adam’s top tips: Tip #1 – Stay calm and be nice. What we do…
Episode 049 – 4 Key Things to Do to Improve Your Virtual Events
Are you frustrated by the lack of results and ROI when you transition from live trade shows and events to virtual events and webinars? Here are 4 important things you must do, shift, and focus on to maximize your results!! (1) Raise your expectations and change your mindset! Changing your mindset is the first thing you need to do. No, virtual events are not live events. Yes, it’s harder to engage with attendees. But that doesn’t mean you won’t go into an event with higher expectations! Shift your mindset to a positive one and make sure your team does the same! (2) Set firm goals This is a must for any event – virtual or in-person! Choose the right metric and then go after it with all your might! But if you don’t have any goals, you’ll never achieve them. (3) Participate! Participate! Participate! Just like a live event, engaging with attendees will result in more leads, more demos, and…
Episode 050 – Using Funnels to Attract People to Your Virtual Events –
What is a funnel and how is it the secret weapon for driving traffic to your webinars and virtual events? Cory Carter is the COO of Hindsight Hacking Media and co-host of the podcast Hindsight Hacking. At HHM, they provide business coaching, sales funnels, graphic design, logo and branding work, Facebook ads, social media content and execution, and all things podcast related. Find partners the right way and leverage talent and other businesses to complement your offer Whether physical or digital, online or in-store, let’s talk about how to increase your visibility, traffic, and sales Join Cory in his upcoming challenges: Sign up and learn more! How should people contact you? About the author JimJim Cermak has over 30 years of experience exhibiting, planning and operating trade shows. As a professional trainer, he helps companies transform their performance at trade shows, expositions, events and conferences.
Episode 051 – Using Systems and Focus to Grow a #1 Podcast –
Kate Erickson is the host of Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award-winning podcast where John Lee Dumas interviews inspiring entrepreneurs who are truly on fire. She is also the host of the podcast Ditch Busy and co-author of Podcast Diary: Launch an Idea in 50 Days. Her goal: to help entrepreneurs break free from the busyness and achieve financial and lifestyle freedom. Kate's Tips: Have this right system In place to increase efficiency so you can grow! Key Points Focus on one thing at a time. Of all the programs, courses, and membership sites that make up the Entrepreneurs on Fire universe, they never create more than one thing at a time. Plan, create, launch, and measure before moving on to the next thing. Consider starting a podcast to gain credibility! Visit: freepodcastcourse.com Watch the Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast with host John Lee Dumas: Check out Kate's Ditch Busy podcast! Today’s Sponsor – DesignPod Studio! A non-traditional marketing, branding and design…
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