Trade show booth perspectives

Seth Godin had a guest author pen a post on his blog (yes, the post is a couple of years old, but the information is as relevant today as it was then).

Read on to see how you'd respond to the questions posed by Michael Cader in his post, "On Trade Shows." Can you set your booth apart in someway? Can you set yourself apart so when someone stops at your booth he or she can pick you out of the crowd?

Interesting points to ponder as trade show season marches on.

Drawing in the crowds

You've been chosen to speak at a seminar during a trade show. Great, right? Of course, as long as you can draw in the crowds. When proposing a seminar title think of ways you can "jazz" it up a bit.


Would you rather sit in a seminar entitled, "White paper findings on... (fill in the blank)" or, "Exciting new trends in (fill in the blank)" (I choose the latter, personally) The content may be the same, but the "selling" of it is dramatically different. Can your topic be molded into a "Top Ten" or a "Hit List" ? Can your topic be a "cautionary tale" as in, "Want to make sales, then NEVER do this..."


Make the title of your topic intriguing. Let trade show/seminar attendees know what they will learn by the time they've walked away from your session. What are the take aways? Will they walk out with new knowledge or a new way to look at existing knowledge and practices?


With a little planning, your seminar session can be the talk of the show.

Flyers' bill of rights

Passenger rights activists say that airlines are attempting to threaten passengers by cancelling flights on the chance that bad weather is looming. The airlines threats have come down in light of new rules and regulations addressing situations in which passengers have been stranded on flights sitting on the tarmac for more than three hours without an opportunity to leave the plane.

As of April 29, airlines could face fines of up to $27,500 per passenger for flouting this new rule. As a way to push back, airline officials say they will cancel flights rather than risk the fines.

The Wall Street Journal's "Middle Seat" columnist Scott McCartney says the threats could foreshadow significant changes in air travel, making it even less reliable for millions of road warriors and vacationers. Passenger-rights advocates say airlines are trying to scare flyers. (Wall Street Journal; Travel Advance, March 11)

Prop 200 passage to add jobs, boost revenues

With the passage of Prop 200, which goes into effect on July 1, 2010, officials in Scottsdale say the area will see an increase in both jobs and revenues. Prop 200 boosts bed tax in Scottsdale from 3% to 5%.

In a press release, Rachel Sacco, president and CEO of the Scottsdale Visitors Bureau wrote, "Proposition 200 will mean new jobs for Scottsdale and additional sales tax revenue going to the city’s General Fund to pay for critical community services. It will mean a dedicated funding source for the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau to stabilize our marketing and sales programs. Plus, it means additional funding for new tourism-related capital projects and special events that will further enhance the destination and our appeal to future customers. "

The passage of the proposition also means a more dedicated funding stream for marketing and sales programs for Scottsdale.

Arizona remains a destination for trade shows and visitors alike.

Hotels sweeten the deal to lure visitors

In a time when hotels are seeing a downward trend in occupancy, hoteliers in the Arizona area are bucking the trend by offering deals during peak season, according to a recent article in the Arizona Republic.



That's good news for us, in the trade show and event management business, when we are helping our clients put together events and make them a success. More attendees and more visitors add up to more potential business for those exhibiting.



While the weather has been unseasonably rainy, summer time is sure to bring with it all the sunshine and warmth that Arizona is known for.

Opening the gates for international trade show visitors

It was a long time coming but on Thursday, March 4, President Obama signed into law the Travel Promotional Act.

The law, according to Roger Dow of the Travel Association, “sends a clear message that travel is a high priority to our nation, and that tangible steps must be taken to increase travel to and within the United States." Read the whole story here.

What does this mean for Associations and other groups looking to promote their shows to overseas attendees and exhibitors? A larger, more diverse audience and increased revenues for the venues at which trade shows are held.