SIZE DOESN’T MATTER AFTER ALL!
Whilst at a logical level, the majority of people can easily see the positive benefits that are derived from attending the right show; it can still present a dilemma for some. A few years ago I was working with a successful organiser of a quarterly event aimed at parents of small children and young children. One exhibitor manufactured beautiful hand carved, wooden rocking horses, which took him a month to finish. He worked alone and had no apprentices or any other way of sharing the workload. His attendance was so successful he secured five orders.
As the next event was three months away and he felt unable to attend because he would be turning orders away or have such a long waiting list that prospective buyers would not want to wait. In addition he felt he would get behind with his workload and lose a minimum of five working days, which he really couldn’t make up. Working closely with the organisers, he took a stand that was a replica of his workshop and he sat in the middle of an island site, working through his orders, wood chippings flying into the aisles, turning out masterpieces in wood. He placed a sign indicating the current waiting list and the suggestion that for a premium, new buyers could jump the queue. He contacted his customers who had previously placed orders and if they agreed to a later delivery time, he offered to split the ‘premium’ with them. He took three ‘premium’ priced orders and one for a customer who was prepared to wait six months!
Often a creative solution can result in having your cake and eating it. Sole traders and smaller companies can equally face this sort of dilemma. A common rationale offered for not participating is the fact that an organisation is so small that the owner cannot be in two places at once – for example in the shop as well as at the show. Most organisers have lists of professional stand personnel who can be hired by the day to staff your stand. This is very useful if you need demonstrators or data collection on a scale that you cannot normally resource. In some circumstances this solution may not be ideal due to the technical nature of potential enquiries or where only the owner can handle such technical enquiries.
In this case reverse the destination of the temporary staff, and engage the services of a temp to staff the shop or office and any enquiries that are urgent can be faxed or telephoned through to the owner on the stand. In order to maximise the opportunity it would be prudent to invite your existing client base to visit you at the show and make them aware of the temporary cover for the duration of the event.
Most organisers are sympathetic to logistical issues and are flexible enough to develop a solution that will meet most eventualities. I guess the old adage is true – where there’s a will to exhibit, there’s a way to exhibit!