| p>While most trade show exhibits highlight individual | | | | 5. Built-In Follow-Up Mechanism |
| product presentations, there are times when an | | | | A live presentation contains a built-in mechanism to |
| exhibitor might do well to stage a live presentation | | | | educate and motivate attendees and prospects to |
| demonstration to better present, explain and | | | | take further action-from initiating a follow-up |
| demonstrate its products and services in the often | | | | conversation, to participating in a hands-on test drive, to |
| confusing trade show environment. | | | | taking action on messages heard in the event. |
| The idea of staging a live product presentation | | | | In addition, you'll want to evaluate the following to help |
| demonstration is not at all new. Many corporations | | | | you decide if there's a live presentation/demonstration |
| over the years have successfully used the live | | | | in your trade show future by considering: |
| medium to communicate complicated product | | | | 1. When your products and/or services are too |
| information to large audiences. There are many | | | | complicated and difficult to explain in the short time |
| products and services whose features, benefits and | | | | frame of a trade show booth visit, a live audio/visual |
| sometimes complex applications might be more easily | | | | presentation/demonstration can offer an opportunity to |
| and effectively communicated by staging a live | | | | present more in depth, technical and essential product |
| presentation/demonstration type show, rather than | | | | information to get your message across the first time |
| trying to rely solely on individual face to face sales in | | | | and every time there after. |
| an exhibitor's booth. | | | | 2. When your corporate public relations strategy wants |
| Studies show that sight is the most used human sense | | | | to expose most all trade show attendees to new |
| and that 75% of all environmental stimuli are received | | | | product developments, financial and corporate |
| through visual reception compared to 38% from audio | | | | advancement information or industry wide business |
| messages. According to a recent University of | | | | developments and they also want to provide an |
| California at Los Angeles study, 55% percent of what | | | | opportunity for informal two way communications. |
| an audience learns comes directly from the visual | | | | 3. When you need a totally controlled environment |
| messages. | | | | from which to communicate complicated, detailed |
| A Wharton Research Center study has also shown | | | | information to your prospects, customers, employees, |
| that the retention rate of verbal only presentations is | | | | dealers and/or distributors on a more selective basis. |
| approximately 10%. However, when you combine | | | | 4. When you want to combine light entertainment with |
| visual messages with verbal communication, you | | | | your product or corporate business communications to |
| increase the retention rate to nearly 50%. And a | | | | better get your message across in a more |
| cleaver use of audio, visual with an added feature of a | | | | professional theatrical type fashion. |
| light entertainment factor promises to increase | | | | 5. When it's time for your corporation to take a |
| retention even more dramatically. | | | | different route to trade show exhibiting and you just |
| A primary objective in deciding to embark on | | | | want to try something new, exciting, creative, |
| presenting a live presentation/demonstration at a trade | | | | memorable and fun to out distance the competition. |
| show should be to have enough time and | | | | Once you decide to design, produce and stage a |
| environmental control to cleverly and clearly | | | | professional presentation/demonstration you'll want to |
| communicate and deliver your information to more | | | | ensure that the people you hire are experienced and |
| prospects and customers at one time than you could | | | | totally capable of guiding you and your management |
| with the standard form using individual booth duty | | | | staff through the various stages of show |
| personnel. | | | | development. |
| There are many advantages and opportunities to be | | | | Your exhibit will need to be designed and constructed |
| gained by designing, developing and presenting a live | | | | just like a modern theater including comfortable seating, |
| product or business presentation at any given trade | | | | proper ventilation, adequate sound system, proper |
| show. | | | | staging allowing for front or rear screen projection and |
| According to Kristin Veach, VP of Marketing, Live | | | | appropriate lighting. You'll want to make sure that all |
| Marketing, Inc. (, ( there are 5 important reasons to | | | | rules and regulations of the trade show convention |
| consider producing and presenting a live presentation | | | | center are met before design and construction of your |
| demonstration at your next important trade show. | | | | theater begins. |
| 1. Maximize Your Visibility | | | | Before you begin the process of vendor selection, |
| A live presentation serves as a magnet to draw your | | | | you'll also want to create a document outlining your |
| target audience-prospects, existing customers, | | | | goals and objectives of the exhibit and live |
| strategic partners, consultants, investors and the | | | | presentation/demonstration to ensure that everyone in |
| press-providing many opportunities to retain key | | | | your company is on the same page and that there will |
| customers, reinforce a company's branding and | | | | be no surprises. This important document will also be |
| positioning, introduce new products and services, and | | | | used to guide the vendors you select and provide |
| generate qualified sales leads. | | | | them with a solid foundation on which to develop their |
| 2. Effectively Communicate Your Message | | | | proposals, plans, budgets and creative treatment |
| A significant portion of a salesperson's time at a show | | | | documents. |
| is usually spent presenting a company's products, | | | | The program material should be written, visually |
| services or solutions one-on-one with prospects. A live | | | | supported and produced to entertain, educate and |
| presentation uses the most effective communications | | | | inspire your audience while the key information |
| techniques to achieve impact, understanding, and | | | | messages are communicated, demonstrated and |
| memorability to deliver that message to as many | | | | effectively presented. It is reasonable to design and |
| people as possible. Attendees learn more in less time, | | | | create the presentation/demonstration to last between |
| and key prospects will more likely stay in the booth | | | | 15 and 20 minutes as long as it is cleaver, informative |
| longer to discuss their needs with booth staff at a | | | | and rather fast paced. The finished presentation should |
| higher level. As a result, the sales team is freed to | | | | be performed as written and produced time after time |
| directly address prospects' applications, answer | | | | leaving little chance for mistakes, omissions or |
| specific questions, and discuss the next step in the | | | | improvising. |
| process of making and closing deals. | | | | Most trade show attendees seem to welcome an |
| 3. Engage the Most Qualified Prospects | | | | opportunity to sit down in a comfortable theater |
| A live presentation attracts, educates, qualifies, and | | | | environment and be entertained instead of being asked |
| connects potential buyers with booth staff. After the | | | | to stand in an aisle or noisy booth while a dry sales |
| presentation, "tire kickers" usually leave, while key | | | | pitch is presented by various levels of competent |
| prospects are identified so sales staff can focus their | | | | sales/marketing and or technical people. |
| attention on those attendees having a committed | | | | It is also my experience to notice that most attendees |
| buying interest. The sales team benefits by talking with | | | | will simply walk by most forms of canned audio/visual |
| a constant flow of informed and pre-qualified | | | | presentations being indiscriminately presented with the |
| prospects, motivated to take the next step. | | | | inexperienced exhibitor's hopes of "grabbing" prospects |
| 4. Increase Memorability | | | | and customers in the aisle. |
| On the tradeshow floor, surveys have shown that live | | | | Your overall live presentation goals and objectives can |
| theatrical presentations and demonstrations are the | | | | be accomplished by combining modern audio and |
| single most powerful factor in increasing brand and | | | | visual technologies with creative entertainment |
| product memorability. 69% of attendees rated live | | | | techniques that promises to add a new and exciting |
| presentation strategies (product demonstrations and | | | | dimension to your trade show exhibit program. |
| stage/theatre presentations) as a factor in influencing | | | | When tied to effective at show promotional activities |
| memorability, compared to 64% for product interest | | | | and pre-show advertising and communications, your |
| and 51% for a well-known company. (Source: Center | | | | trade show live presentation/demonstration will |
| for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), "Most | | | | become a must see on the show floor and be |
| Remembered Exhibits: An Analysis of the Factors | | | | remembered by all who experience it. |
| Affecting Exhibit Recall," MCRR 5040.) | | | | After all, there's no business like (trade) show business. |