Avionics News April 2014 - 48

MARKETING REPORT CARD
Continued from page 46

right, remember 1,000 details and
be as prepared as anyone possibly
could be. But then, something
happens - some weird glitch no one
anticipated and all those thousands
of right things are forgotten for
the one screw up. It's tough to get
an A in trade shows, but if you
did, congratulations. If you're still
learning, here are some ideas on
how to improve your grade.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Rather than thinking of a show
as one huge event, divide your
responsibilities into before, during
and after. It's easier to remember

all the details of three smaller
components than one big one. If
you start with before, your tasks
come easily to mind: reserve booth
space, sign contracts, make travel
arrangements and accommodations,
prepare booth graphics and signage,
distribute invitations to spur traffic,
produce collateral material and
prepare media materials. This is not
an inclusive list, but it will get you
started. It's also a good idea to have
one master document with all the
details, contacts and contracts at your
fingertips.
Subsequent to this, work on booth
maintenance, show advertising,
special events, booth duty and other
tasks during the trade show. As you
plan for the show, anticipate it in

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48

avionics news

*

april

2014

your head. Remember, too, that no
detail is too small to manage. It's
far easier to get something changed
or fixed three months in advance
of a show than three days out. Your
stress levels also will decrease as
you observe yourself organizing the
details of the show.
Trade show prep also is a good
time to trust your instincts. If it's
a company joke that your chief
executive officer always wants some
extra tickets to an annual show event
at the last minute, why should this
year be any different? Research your
options. Some shows may even let
you buy tickets now and return them
prior to the event if they are not
going to be used. Along the lines of
trusting your instincts, this also is the
time to clarify anything in your head
about this show. If you don't know
how something works, fix it now. If
you think something's wrong, you
are probably right. Again, there is no
detail too small to address.
The third segment - your postshow activities - is often neglected.
In the rush to get home and back
to your office routine, it's easy to
put the show behind you. Many
companies survey the employees
to evaluate their performance at a
show. Now is the time to look at
the goals of the show and determine
whether you accomplished them.
Make copious notes for yourself.
Right now, you know 84 people
came to the media luncheon,
but a year from now, you won't
remember. Assess the wear and
tear on your booth. Where does
it go next? When does it have to
be there? Before you move on to
your next project, follow up on
promises made and new contacts.
Send your vendors thank-you notes
if they performed well, suggestions
for improvement if they didn't.
It's a great deal of work, but an A
student's work is never done. q
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