10 Tips to Turbocharge Your Trade Show Booth Staff (Part II)

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Ken Newman

I sat down with Andy Saks, Chief Sparkler at the presentation design and delivery agency Spark Presentations, to discuss booth staff performance. From our conversation came the Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Booth Staff Effectiveness, and last week we presented Nos. 1-5. The conclusion includes some incredibly valuable and concrete ways to get more out of your staffers and get better results:

6. Build trust: The relationship between a potential customer and a booth staffer revolves around trust. If you do nothing else during your five-minute conversation, just simply create a rapport with the attendee. No one is going to actually make the decision to “buy” while in the booth; it’s going to be a multi-step process. All you’re really doing is initiating that process and building trust. So, what two traits earn trust? Warmth and strength.

7a. Exude warmth: It’s essential that booth staffers understand that on the trade show floor, warmth always comes first. You must give the attendee ample reason to think that this conversation (and potentially working with this company) “is going to be a good experience.” That’s accomplished through humor and empathy and showing genuine interest. Help that person to feel relaxed and open up. Once you’ve established that you’ll have a fun experience together, you can move to the next natural question: Are you the right company for the job?

7b. Show strength: Once you’ve established rapport, the attendee is going to need to figure out if you know your stuff and if you can handle his or her needs. At this early stage in the process, it’s more about building confidence and having the command of language necessary to articulate all the amazing, life-altering ways this product or technology can improve that person’s life. Deliver answers to the customer’s questions with confidence. Stand confidently. Dress confidently. Again, it’s about the benefits for the customer; not the technology itself. When a staffer leads with warmth and follows with strength, it primes the customer to move to the next logical step in the acquisition process.

8. During training, ask for a volunteer: When it’s time to role-play, Rather than waiting for a reluctant volunteer to raise their hand, ask for the senior-most employee in your pre-show staff training to come up to the front and participate. Everyone else will want to see how the person in charge does it, and you’ll instantly have a rapt audience. And the person can’t say “no” and expect everyone else to participate. If you happen to get an upper-level executive on stage, you’ll have a riveting few minutes of training that staffers will remember and discuss long afterward. There’s very little you can do as a presenter or trainer that’s as interesting to staffers as watching one of their own in action.

9. Practice an exit strategy: When following the previous eight steps across these two blog posts, oftentimes the results of interactions with attendees will be dramatically different. In fact, it’s not uncommon to engage someone in your booth and then not be able to get rid of that person! Sometimes they get so comfortable and feel so cared for that they don’t want to stop talking and don’t want to leave. That’s nice and all, but as a booth staffer the time will come when you need to move on.

The key is for the staffer to engage in a directed discussion with a purpose, a goal and a rough time limit. It’s about efficiency of conversation without being curt. You simply can’t allow one conversation to go on for 20 minutes. So what do you do when that customer wants to tell you all about his last fishing trip? Ask wrap-up questions that would naturally flow into the end of a conversation: I’ve told you a lot, where are you with all of this? … Do you have any concerns at this point that I can alleviate? … Listen, I’d love to talk to you more in another forum when not on the floor. Do you have an hour next week to chat with me? Thanks so much for your time. Without an exit strategy, success can be a dangerous trade-show curse.

10. Pull new people into the conversation: When a 1-to-1 interaction is going well, oftentimes two or three others will begin to hover and listen in. Those hovering people attract more people who notice the crowd forming, and so on. The key is to pull those on the “outside” into the conversation where they feel a part of the interaction. That one moment of “I see you and I’ll be right with you” could literally be the difference between a million-dollar sale and someone walking away. People want to feel noticed and feel in control of the situation. When they’re ignored, they don’t feel in control.

Ideally, staffers should be mic’d so that attendees aren’t straining to hear. But more importantly, why repeat the same thing to five or 10 different people when you can tell them all at the same time! It’s about efficiency and conservation of voice and effort … and you might as well get 10 leads out of a single conversation.

This is all just logical stuff. Staffers know this from real life and regular human interaction. It’s just about bringing it onto the trade show floor. If you can do just a little bit more than the next guy in the booth one over—if you can just make a little more effort—you’ll really stand out. Then, your company stands out, too.

“Make sure the human beings you put in your booth who will speak on your behalf and represent your company with potential multimillion dollar accounts know what they’re doing, know the environment and are willing and eager to do their job well. If you do that, you could have an empty booth with nothing else in it but the carpeting, and you will sell.” —Andy Saks, Spark Presentations

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10 Tips to Turbocharge Your Trade Show Booth Staff (Part I)

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Ken Newman

So they’re in your booth … now what?

So much money and time and creativity is spent getting trade show attendees into a booth. Yet a shockingly large percentage of those same exhibitors fail to put equal thought and resources behind what staff should do when people get there. It’s enough of a problem that there are expert consultants to fix it. My friend and colleague Andy Saks, Chief Sparkler at the presentation design and delivery agency Spark Presentations, is one of the finest. I sat down with Andy to discuss his booth staff performance training program, “Booth Brush-Up: How to Stand Out, Sell More, and Have Fun on the Show Floor.” From our conversation came the Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Booth Staff Effectiveness, and I’m thrilled he ok’d publishing it for all of our benefit:

1. Tell Your Staff “WIIFM”: The most effective way to motivate your staff to adopt new behaviors that improve your booth is to answer the key question they’re silently asking: “What’s in it for me?” So start your training by teasing the instant, tangible benefits they’ll personally enjoy by following your suggestions. For example: “Show of hands: Who here would like your time in the booth to go by faster? Who wants to have more fun along the way? Who’d like to get better leads by talking less? Who’d like the chance to dramatically improve their prospects at this company in just a few days? Well, listen up folks, because if you follow a few simple suggestions, you’ll enjoy all those benefits.” Now that they like where you’re going, they’ll march eagerly in formation behind you.

2. Attract them with body language: This goes beyond basics like don’t talk on your phone” and “don’t stare at the floor.” It’s about understanding the dollar value of every single customer that walks (or doesn’t walk) into that booth and how your body language will impact that customer’s decision to approach you. What are you communicating with your facial expression, your posture, your location in the booth? How will that stranger perceive you from 30 feet away … and up close? Any customer could be a lifetime customer. Any account could be a multimillion-dollar account. You’ll never know if your body language deflects the attendee before he or she steps into your booth.

3. Shift your focus: Trade shows are about the prospects; not the products. This is your opportunity to learn about your prospects and leads to decide if it’s a good match for you and for them. It’s always about the customer—and how your products may help that customer get where they want to go. So where do they want to go? It’s much more useful to spend your time asking questions of a prospect and finding out about their challenges, needs and budget than to talk about your technology (which may not be a good fit). It shows you care more about your prospect than pitching your product. That generates trust, so it’s useful in both directions.

4. Stop showing off: Often when booth staff do demos, they’re very eager to show off their product and own level of knowledge of that product. The result is a dense, technical monologue. It’s almost certain that the person you’re talking to doesn’t know as much about the product and might not be as familiar with industry terms, so it’s very easy to talk over that person’s head by accident. They won’t tell you they don’t understand because it’s embarrassing to them. But inside they’re either panicking or mulling an exit strategy. Use the simplest language possible. Define terms and ask what needs to be defined. What do the letters in that acronym stand for? Care about making sure that person is “with you.” If they’re not with you, the conversation isn’t going anywhere.

5. Walk your staff up the “Benefit Ladder”: Customers buy benefits; not features. They’re in it for themselves. So the job of booth staff is to find the best and biggest benefits—life-changing benefits—and express them clearly and thoughtfully. They need to easily walk the attendee up that “Benefit Ladder.”

If your product has a feature that will save a customer time, that’s not the ultimate benefit, is it? What’s the benefit of saving time? More time for other projects. What the benefit of that? Getting more projects done quicker. And then? They’ll get noticed by their boss. Which results in what? They get a job promotion, leading to more money. Ultimately the top rung of this particular ladder is: “Better quality of life, overall satisfaction, more time with the family … happiness!” It’s not what this product will do for them tomorrow; it’s about what it means “in the big picture.” And in order for the prospect to really “get” that larger benefit, your booth staff must first understand the benefit of describing things in this way.

Next week, we’ll present the rest of our Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Booth Staff Effectiveness. Until then, I leave you with this quote from Andy:

“The single most important element of any trade show booth is its people. Not the company name. Not the product. Not the signs. It’s the human beings. For any trade show presenter, it’s heartbreaking to make all that effort to bring in a large crowd, only to have them vanish moments later. It’s like running the ball 98 yards down the field and then sitting down to have a sandwich. Run those other 2 yards and spike the ball.” —Andy Saks, Spark Presentations

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What if You Were the Hottest Thing on the Trade Show Floor?

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Ken Newman

Today I have a question for all the smaller companies and startups I see on this endless trade show journey: If you were the biggest name in your field, how would you handle yourself?

I’ve talked before about timid exhibitors cowering in a small booth, spending most of their time staring at a bowl of Junior Mints. To a certain extent, it’s understandable. There’s a player to your left in a 70 x 70 with a putting green. There’s a big dog to your right, with more crowd gatherers than you have employees.

And then there’s you, in your pop-up booth. Small. New-ish. Unproven … as both a trade show presence and a technology. But what if you were the baddest company on the trade show block? What if you were a super-heavyweight among heavyweights. In the immortal words of Cheers, what if everybody knew your name, and they were always glad you came?

If you were truly the most important company on the trade show floor (and everybody knew it), you would walk differently. You would talk differently. There’d be a certain swagger and authority you’d bring to every interaction. Even contemplating that notion and conjuring the mental image creates a bit of a shift. It just feels different. And if carried through to the exhibit hall, it’ll look different to everyone around you.

It’s really no different than what you’d tell a socially awkward junior high student about that dreaded walk through the cafeteria: Just act like you belong, and soon enough, you will. In fact, act like a rock star, and soon you’ll have groupies of your own.

We spend so much time worrying about all the nitty-gritty elements that go into a trade-show presence—building the booth, selecting the signage and messaging, showcasing the product—that it’s easy to overlook the importance of attitude. The truth is, a good head game is often more important than a strong trade show ground game.

So, at your next trade show, when those attendees come tearing through the aisles, act like they’re there to see YOU.  Act like you OWN the joint. Don’t worry, those Junior Mints aren’t going anywhere.

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What if You Were Googled & it Came Up, ‘Never Heard of ‘Em’?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Ken Newman

If no one knew who you were, how would you present your brand?

It’s a powerful question for anyone to ask, but it’s especially potent for companies that have been around a long time. What if this was your very first trade show … What if no one knew a thing about what you do or what you stand for. Everything is brand new and shiny: The slogan is new. The identity package is new. The product positioning is new. Consider it a corporate time machine, and you’ve got the key.

Now, what would you do? What would look different? What would sound different? How would you want the public to perceive you? This isn’t just some team-building exercise; it’s an opportunity to see your company image honestly and reflect on what it might be. The road is littered with the wreckage of companies that got complacent. What does the startup in you want to do?

_________________

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

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What the Royal Wedding Can Teach You About Trade Shows

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Ken Newman

Viewing estimates for the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, at 11 a.m. British time on the dot, hovered in the three billion range, give or take 500 million. How could you possibly generate this kind of interest in your booth, short of having your Head of Marketing marry your Product Manager? Here are a few things you can do to take your trade show brand to new heights:

Generate interest. You may not have the built-in appeal of the royals, but you can still reveal what’s noble in your product or service.

Cultivate brand loyalty. Treat your subjects—your consumers—well and they’ll be there for you when you have something worthwhile to announce.

Write the fairy tale. Don’t give us a bunch of numbers. Don’t rattle on about facts and figures. Tell your story and give it a happy ending.

Create anticipation. Do your pre-wedding work. Build excitement BEFORE people start walking down the aisle.

Pick the right venue. Unless you anticipate tens of thousands of people storming your booth and helicopters flying overhead, you probably DON’T need to invest in the biggest booth you can.

Prepare. Events of this magnitude didn’t just get thrown together overnight. Be obsessive. Consider EVERY detail. Be a wedding planner.

Invite the right people. You know who they are. Contact them early. And give them a reason to show up, but don’t expect presents.

Don’t forget the ring. Have a checklist. Use it. The smallest details may turn out to be not all that small on the Big Day. (By the way, click here for a free checklist.)

Send thank you notes. Follow up, follow up, follow up.  Consider a postcard or hand-written note.  Although using a quill pen and sealing wax might be pushing it a bit.

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

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What Happens in Vegas … 10 Tips for Surviving the Vegas Trade Show

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Ken Newman

I am now halfway through a two-week stretch of trade shows: ISC West is just ending and NAB is underway. Both are in Las Vegas, as are two shows upcoming in May. Under the circumstances, it seemed only fitting to share some Sin City Survival Tips. Here’s my Top 10 “don’ts” that will make sure you DO have a great trade show experience. I hope it helps you one day:

10) Don’t be fooled. You’re in a desert.
With all the glitz, technology and marvels of architecture, it’s easy to forget where you really are … but your body won’t. It’s dry. Really dry, and your eyes and lips know it.  If you wear contact lenses, try to avoid wearing them all day and night, keep a Chap Stick with you at all times, and most importantly, hydrate! (I don’t mean the free drinks.) You need tons of water. Buy water when you land. Drink it before you even get to the hotel. You’ll never know how dehydrated you are until it hits you like a freight train. You’ll lose your voice, or maybe even consciousness! Hydrate.

9) Don’t go overboard.
There’s no sense telling you to avoid the Vegas nightlife. That’s part of the Vegas experience. But for your own good, all things in moderation! There are no clocks, no windows and seemingly no exits all for a reason: They don’t want you to leave … ever. So often people leave the trade show floor with the words, “I’m just going to play a little craps/poker/slots” and never return. Seven free drinks later it’s 3 a.m. when you need to get up at 7. Give yourself permission to have a good time, but make sure you can easily work and function in the morning. Ultimately, you’re a company representative—with or without a hangover.

8 ) Don’t break the bank at dinner.
It’s oh-so-easy to spend $500-600 bucks at dinner at one of Las Vegas’ amazing celebrity restaurants. Just know: There are equally wonderful eateries just off the strip at a much more reasonable price. It may not be as “glamorous” as that rock star chef’s destination, but it’s great food at a fraction of the price. Yes, you’ll find world-class dining right outside your door, but if a $500 meal is beyond your per diem, take advantage of amazing affordable places just out of the way.

7) Don’t stay in one place.
There’s much more to the area than just casinos. With just a short drive in your rental, you’ll find beautiful locations and activities away from the excess of the strip. A simple Google search will set you up with a daylong itinerary, if you like.

6) Don’t leave your casual shoes at home.
Comfortable shoes is the key to a successful Vegas trip. At the bigger trade shows, it’s not uncommon to wait … and wait … and wait for shuttle buses or cabs. And if you have casual shoes, you also reserve the option to walk back to the hotel. It’s a great way to de-stress when you leave the exhibit hall. This is a really crucial point: When in Vegas, you go from the din and electronics of the trade show floor to the din and electronics of the casino to the din and electronics of the hotel, with its slot machines and all. It’s never-ending, unlike anywhere else, where you can leave the trade show floor and find some peace and quiet. Walking back to the hotel will create some space and time between chaotic destinations.

5) Don’t exhaust your funds on high-priced entertainment.
We all want to see Blue Man Group. Most of us want to check out Cirque du Soleil. Some of us love those big-name magicians, um, I mean, illusionists. It’s understandable that while in the area you want to check out some of the very special acts that call Vegas home. Just keep in mind that some of the best entertainers you’ve never heard of are also just minutes away. Talk to the locals. Find out who’s worth seeing. There are magicians and comedians and entertainers of all kinds who put on amazing shows for a lot less than the big names.

5) Don’t leave your food situation to chance.
It’s easy to come back from a trade show trip feeling physically “off” because of how badly or irregularly you’ve eaten. Rather than settle for trade show floor food, bring your own each day! When you pass a place selling really nice Paninis, grab one and throw it in your bag. Then, just as importantly, try to find a soothing place to eat. Oftentimes you can sneak out a side door into a really pleasant, sunny environment to eat and breathe real air! Think of it!

4) Don’t allow your trip to be only about “excess.”
All around you are some of the finest health care and gym facilities anywhere. You don’t have to be a hardcore athlete; just bring some gym clothes, ride the bike and listen to your iPod. It’s a great way to create some balance before or after your time on the trade show floor.

3) Don’t believe what you read.
Vegas obviously offers things other than alcohol. You’re bound to end up with, shall we say, some very “compelling” promotional materials when walking around. Resist. What they’re selling is not what it seems … and even what it seems to be probably isn’t legal!

2) Don’t forget to remove your badge when you leave the trade show floor. There’s nothing like having a full conversation with a very beautiful person only to realize that wonky nametag was there the whole time. No wonder they were smiling!

1) ___________________________________

I know you’ve had some Vegas experiences in your day. Tell me what I’m missing. I’d love to post a follow-up with all of your No. 1 suggestions. We’ll can all benefit from the mistakes and lessons-learned of our fellow trade show adventurers. What’s happened to you? What do you always do now when in Vegas? Let us know!

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

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Tear Down Your Trade Show Booth

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Ken Newman

We all want a better trade show booth. We all want to be the hit of the show—the booth that has otherworldly magnetic pull and Gorilla Glue on the carpet keeping those attendees stuck in your space. And we all wish there was an easy way to make that happen.

Well, in some ways, there is!  Although it might mean having to be a bit brutal with your booth.

The trade show floor gives you the best possible opportunity to see what works and what you can change. It’s a virtual Petri dish of booth experiments taking place—and someone has just discovered that trade show booth breakthrough. You just have to step far enough out of your own booth to find out what it is. That’s the beauty of it: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; you just have to cruise the floor and see if there’s a better one out there.

Here’s what to do at your next trade show:

1) Get away from your booth. Literally back yourself against a wall if you have to, but get far enough away to be able to objectively observe attendees interacting with (or walking away from) your booth space. I know you spent a fortune on that booth or at least put a lot of love into it. But for a moment, disconnect yourself from your own brand. Imagine you’re just a random person walking the floor. Look at your booth. Do you have a clear idea what these guys do? Would you want to go in there? What are the people around you doing? Why?

2) Now walk around. But walk around differently than ever before: You’re not cruising for clients and prospects; you’re just an attendee strolling the grounds. Again, look objectively. Which booth looks most inviting? Where do you want to go? What’s pulling you? Is it interesting or entertaining? Is it a catchy message or flashy graphics? Is it a magician submerged in a water tank? What is grabbing you?

3) Keep walking. You’ll likely blow past lots of small booths with dispirited folks staring at their smartphones. No problem. Channel your inner tradeshow attendee.  Imagine you’re on a quest for the ultimate giveaway. But, in this case, the “giveaway” you’re looking for may be the one brilliant idea that will make your next booth better.

4) Return to your booth, reflecting on your experience. On the way back, pay special attention to traffic flow and location. Now, granted, you may not have your choice of the prime real estate at the show, but you should still do some reconnaissance. Does the booth by the main entrance get the most traffic, or do people blow right past it to get deeper into the hall? Check out the booths near the bathrooms or Food Court. How are they doing? Is it worth considering positioning yourself next to some of the biggest players at the show? Or just to get as close to the Starbucks as you can??

5) Review this checklist, circling anything that really leapt out at you during your journey:

•  Visual appeal (circle all that apply): The booth was eye catching. The lighting was visually stimulating. The activity drew me in. The live presentation was captivating.

•  Flow: It was as if I accidentally strolled right into the booth and stayed there … or once I was in, something about the booth kept me there.

•  Personnel: The booth staff members were engaging, smiling at me from afar, were interested in what I was saying and asked interesting, open-ended questions that kept me talking and learning.

•  Location: I ended up in the booth because of what it was near. What was it near?

•  Clarity & power of messaging/signage: The message made me stop in my tracks. It was as effective and memorable as a great highway billboard.

Go through this exercise.  Pay attention.  And you just might walk away with something that will make your next trade show the best one you’ve ever done.

I’m going to end this post with asking something of you: Post comments with your booth observations here. What did you see that worked? What can you change next time? What have you changed already that made a difference?

It could be after trying this exercise or just based on past experience. My goal is to compile a list of your responses and post it for everyone’s benefit. With your help, we’ll create a magical list of specific ways to improve your next booth.

Do you have an industry-related question you’d like answered on “Hey Newman”? Send him an e-mail and get your inquiry answered on the blog.

Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

The Value and Power of Audience Polling

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Ken Newman

What do your customers really want? If you hesitated for even a second before answering, we’ve got a problem. And what do your customers think about you in relation to that? If you don’t know, it can really hurt you.

Any trade show exhibitor should be able to instantly spit out 20 things that are driving their attendees (their potential leads and customers) crazy. I’m talking about real pain points, real needs and real solutions. It’s simple enough, but it’s shocking how difficult it is for many trade show exhibitors to respond.

The problem often is a disconnect between the people running the trade show and the sale personnel in the trenches who find out what people really want. Exhibitors know what the latest, greatest product on the floor does, but what is the relationship between that and the actual needs of the audience? And how can you know for sure?

The reality is, many companies’ trade show presentations never really get at what people are actually thinking.

What if every time a professional or product expert took to the trade show stage, they presented with the consumer instead of at the consumer? What if we dynamically gauged and engaged the audience to gain real knowledge and real market research data? What if we actually asked the important questions: Why are you here? What do you want? What do you really need? And what’s making your life miserable? What if we let the responses drive the presentation and post-show follow up?

It’s always more engaging to ask, “What do you think?” instead of “Here’s what we have.” People like to talk about themselves and express their needs. And the more you ask, the more you’ll be surprised by the answers. From there, you can begin to develop a marketing strategy that’s really based on what people want rather than what you’re trying to sell.

The bottom line is, attendees go to trade shows to find solutions for the things making their lives difficult. What better opportunity to really find out what they want!

Now, it’s not realistic to get up on stage and ask a million questions while taking notes and then go back to the office to tabulate it. But it’s very possible to take 3-4 key questions and get responses that will not only help you now, but also help you follow up later. Rather than cold calls and general pitches, you’re talking to consumers about their specific needs and offering specific solutions.

I have some ideas about how to do this in an affordable, elegant and fun way. In fact, the trade show world is my laboratory right now. I’ll have much more to say about this in the future. But for now, let me know what you think. Would you be interested in a process or technology that would help you poll or survey your audience in real-time from the trade show stage? Can you really be sure you know what your customers are thinking without one? I’ll be reading and responding to all your comments.

Posted in Booth staff, Going green at trade shows, Lead generation & follow up, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations, Trade shows & social media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How a Bunch of Has-been’s Took Over Sundance (Part II)

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Ken Newman

This is Part II of a guest post by “Nominated” director/writer Dan Pavlik. If you haven’t read Part I, click here.

Soon after, I was in a shuttle with an Australian reporter whose wife had a documentary in the festival. We struck up a conversation, and when I mentioned Nominated, he said, “Man, I’ve heard a lot about that.”

It was definitely the soft sell. We weren’t shoving swag or DVDs in people’s faces. It was a grassroots effort where the attendees became the advocates of our concept. And as the festival went on, the time we had to put into “selling” was reduced every day. It began to feed on itself, so after four or five days, our people were getting recognized for wearing the “Has-Been” logo and people were stopping us and asking if we had any more of those “Has-Been” t-shirts.

We felt our way through it as we learned the ins and outs of Park City, but it was definitely working. The “Has-Been” logo didn’t even have the name of our movie on it, but proved to be a successful icebreaker. And once in conversation, people would ask us, “What’s that about?” We just led with a provoking question rather than pushing our film. Ken said he felt absolutely fearless going up to anyone. And it was because he wasn’t desperately trying to sell; he was hanging out and having a good time. We talked to Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Greg Kinnear, Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Cheryl Hines, Julia Ormond, Andie MacDowell, Elijah Wood, Ed Helms and James Franco, and at least half walked away with “Has-Been” buttons pinned to them.

Coldest Rock Band Session Ever

I did a corporate event a week and a half before Sundance. At that event, we played Rock Band. It was a fun sendoff for the group, and those people had a blast. So, we decided: That’s what we’ll do. We’ll set up Rock Band and invite people to play and never even mention the movie. We found a spot outside in the 14-degree temperatures, did our best to look like we belonged there and set up a 9-foot screen projecting the hit rhythm video game.

Two things happened:

(1)  We got tons of foot traffic, and we’d just give people buttons and t-shirts as they left. We had this incredible stream of people coming to play and have fun—and we weren’t selling anything at all.

(2)  As they left, they were going out into the city telling people about what was going on. So, as the night went on we continued to get more and more people, who in turn became our button- and shirt-wearing marketing team throughout the grounds.

We were able to make our audience active participants as well as the entertainment itself! And because we were asking nothing of them, there was no resistance. It just worked.

Dan Pavlik is the director/writer of Nominated, which also co-stars Ken Newman of “Hey Newman” fame. For more information about the film and director, click here.

Posted in Booth design, Booth staff, Trade show giveaways, Trade show news & trends, Trade show presentations | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How a Bunch of Has-been’s Took Over Sundance

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Ken Newman

This is a guest post by “Nominated” director/writer Dan Pavlik.

If I could only offer one piece of advice to a trade show exhibitor, it would be: Figure out a way to get people leaving your booth to tell other people on the floor about you. You only have a finite amount of floor space. If you’re depending on foot traffic into your booth alone, it’s not going to work. You need to figure out how to get that one person who leaves and walks to the complete other side of the trade show to talk to a friend and say, “You’ve got to go over there!”

That’s what we did at Sundance.

Let me back up and start from the beginning. When our film, Nominated, didn’t get into Sundance, we decided we’d go anyway and just act like we were in. We came armed with swag, but we agreed from the outset that if we “pushed” our movie, we’d be viewed as irritating outsiders. So, we decided instead to push a concept: “Has-Been.” Our film is about a former childhood TV star who has become a has-been. So, we decided we’d create commotion, attract people to us and give them “Has-Been” buttons and t-shirts before they left. If it worked, the Sundance attendees would become our sales force.

It did work, because it was something fun that flew in the face of what was expected. We were literally handing “Has-Been” buttons to amazing actors like Paul Rudd. And what could be more mortifying for an actor at Sundance than to consider the moment when he crosses into the category of “has-been”? It’s the last thing they want to be. But it was playful, and people got a kick out of wearing them. And it created an opportunity to give our 30-second pitch about our movie as we created context for the “Has-Been” button or shirt. We never led with the movie; we led with humor … and it caught on. Soon people started recognizing the logo and began conversations with us, which inevitably led to discussion of the film the swag was for.

Location, Location, Location

We also took our concept to the locations everyone hung out at. We realized:  Why try to hand out this stuff to one person at a time? It was much more efficient to give buttons and shirts to the bartenders of the local hotspots, to the doormen of the popular clubs, to the shuttle drivers and coffee house baristas. Soon, they were all playfully declaring themselves as “Has-Been’s” and in doing so, promoting us. It was the equivalent of going up to support staff at a major trade show and having them put on our buttons and shirts. All over Sundance, people were seeing our stuff and our logo and then would come up to us and ask us about it. And in each of those locations, we just made sure our group was the life of the party. After about three days, I looked at Ken and Brian and said, “You know what? This is catching on!”

Note from ‘Newman’: Dan had so much good stuff that we had to break it up into two parts. Part II will go live Tuesday morning.

Dan Pavlik is the director/writer of Nominated, which also co-stars Ken Newman of “Hey Newman” fame. For more information about the film and director, click here.

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