PROMOTIONAL MAILERS
 My company has been using the same direct-mail/giveaway strategy for years. It sends pre-registered attendees a relatively pricey direct mailer, which invites them to our booth for a similarly priced giveaway. Isn’t there some way we can dole out various-cost mailers and giveaways according to the quality of the lead?
 The type of mailer/giveaway program you’ve been using serves many purposes. It can drive traffic to your booth, impart a sense of gratitude for the time attendees have spent with you, and, if you chose your giveaways wisely, it can even extend your brand into attendees’ homes and offices for months or even years after the show.
It seems, however, that you want to focus on attracting qualified attendees and rewarding them accordingly, rather than drawing the unqualified masses. Facing this same challenge a few years ago, I developed the following direct mail/giveaway strategy, which I continue to use today.
I start by purchasing the show’s pre-registration list, and then I carefully cull through it to create a VIP list of roughly 25 to 30 top prospects and past clients that I want to target. Next, I send an inexpensive postcard-style direct mailer to anyone not on my VIP list. The mailer includes a bit of company or product information along with an invitation to our booth for a “special gift.” When these people present their mailers at the booth, they receive an inexpensive giveaway such as a branded pen. After a short qualifying process, qualified leads are handed off to salespeople.
For VIPs, however, I provide a totally different mailer/giveaway package. I send relatively expensive 3-D mailers to my VIP list. Arriving via Priority Mail through the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service of America Inc., or FedEx Corp., the 3-D mailers are bound to get noticed — and opened.
Inside the mailer, I provide a small giveaway linked to my exhibit program; sometimes I simply include the low-priced giveaway, such as a notepad holder, distributed in my booth to non-VIP visitors. However, the mailer invites people to the booth to receive a relatively-expensive giveaway, such as a leather satchel. While the low-cost mailer uses the words “special gift” to draw people to the booth, the VIP mailer fully explains the giveaway as an additional lure for these special prospects and clients.
Our telemarketing team follows up on all of the VIP mailers with a phone call or e-mail to remind recipients to bring their mailers to the booth. I also keep this VIP list in my booth, so even if attendees fail to bring their mailers to the booth, staff can quickly scan their badges and check their names against the master list to determine what kind of giveaway each person should receive. Usually, I ask staffers to use the phrase “Let’s see what you won,” which buys them a little time to check the list without being too obvious. As soon as staffers identify a VIP, via their mailer or badge scan, they immediately bypass the typical qualification process and hand off the VIP to the appropriate staffer or executive for more in-depth discussions.
After introducing this multi-tiered mailer/giveaway campaign, we’ve scored as high as a 30-percent return on the VIP mailers, which is much higher than the typical 3- to 5-percent direct-mail response. The strategy has also allowed us to focus our limited promotional dollars on our top prospects without alienating the masses, who might become VIPs in the future. And to top it off, the strategy speeds the qualification process at the booth.
— Bill Funderburk, director, marketing and public relations, Emageon Inc., Birmingham, AL
VERTICAL VS. HORIZONTAL
What’s the main difference between a vertical and a horizontal trade show?
Horizontal shows include a wide range of product offerings and draw a national or international audience. For example, the International Consumer Electronics Show, Global Shop, and ITU Telecome World are horizontal shows. CES product offerings include everything from cell phones to iPods to LCD screens, and attendees hail from all over the world.
Vertical shows, on the other hand, are generally local, regional, or national in scope, and they offer a narrower product focus than horizontal shows. For example, a typical vertical show might focus only on cell phones, cell-phone accessories (headsets, adapters, clip-on devices, etc.), and peripherals such as photo printers and PDAs.
— Jane Lorimer, managing director, Lorimer Consulting Group, Denver
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITING
I’m completely clueless when it comes to international exhibiting. What are the fundamental differences between exhibiting in the United States vs. exhibiting internationally?
An exhibit is an exhibit — or a stand — all over the world, but exhibiting policies and procedures vary dramatically from country to country and sometimes even city to city. So before you decide to hit the road, investigate the following major differences between exhibiting in the United States and abroad.
 Show Management: Most shows in the United States are owned, managed, and/or sponsored by an association, publication, or independent show producer. International shows, however, are typically owned and organized by the facility or fairgrounds hosting the event. For example, the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany, sponsor Drupa, the largest printing show in the world.
Space Selection: Show management in the United States uses a preset floor plan and usually assigns exhibit spaces according to seniority or a points list. However, international shows typically create a floor plan based on exhibitor requests — placing the largest exhibitors first and plotting the smaller stands around them. Thus, the final floor plan is often generated after exhibitors have purchased space.
Installation and Dismantle: I&D in the United States is governed by the regulations of local unions. While drayage is an additional charge, labor is generally reliable, a hall manger or service desk is readily available, and major exhibit components are often constructed off site and shipped to the show. At most international shows, I&D isn’t restricted by unions, and there are no drayage costs; however, there is no on-site show labor, and an exhibitor service desk is rarely available for help. Exhibitors generally use I&D labor from their exhibit houses or they use their own staff, and exhibits are often constructed from scratch on site.
Selling Activities: U.S. exhibitors focus on lead gathering, so shows issue scannable name badges for all attendees and provide exhibitors with pre-show registration lists. In comparison, since most international shows focus on relationship building, few issue attendee badges or provide exhibitors with pre-registration lists.
Hospitality: Compared to international shows, food and beverage are rarely offered in U.S. exhibits, and exhibitors are restricted to using the venue’s catering service. International attendees, however, expect food and beverage in exhibits, and management allows exhibitors to select independent catering services.
While exhibiting abroad may seem daunting, simply being aware of these differences will help you become an international exhibitor in no time.
— Jori Wilmoth, manager, international services, Derse Exhibits, Milwaukee
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