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Bling's the Thing
3D Exhibits Inc. brings the "bling" with an interactive booth-makeover contest, generating nearly 41,000 votes and 60 percent more sales leads than expected. |
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Games People Play
Nine companies hit the jackpot with casino-themed trade show promotions, generating traffic, increasing sales leads, and more. |
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Oral Hijinks
Colgate-Palmolive Co. uses an inverted theater to "edutain" dental professionals about the benefits of Colgate Total toothpaste, attracting more than 5,000 attendees at the 2006 American Dental Association show. |
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Battle of the Bolts
Interlake Material Handling Inc. creates an in-booth activity that pits attendee against attendee, demonstrating its product, driving increased booth traffic, and exceeding lead-generation goals by nearly 70 percent. |
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Truck Stop
Plaisted Cos. increases booth traffic and doubles leads, thanks to a playful product display and a miniature fleet of Tonka trucks. |
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A Mute Point
With its booth strategy on mute, Derse Inc. uses a Peep-themed campaign to increase traffic by 49 percent and capture 30 percent more qualified leads. |
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Intel's Core Competency
Intel Corp.'s hands-on, make-it-relevant method simplifies its complex Core 2 Duo processor and attracts 85,000 attendees to its booth. |
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Marketing with Martians
Blue Telescope enlists the help of extraterrestrials and garners an out-of-this-world 317-percent increase in qualified leads over the previous year. |
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Music to Their Rears
Napster Inc. did good by doing bad, teasing customers with a strip show that drew in twice its goal of 500 visitors a day. |
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Natural-Born Killers
Astellas Pharma US Inc. uses a 'Natural Killer' campaign to retain 1,500 physicians in its booth for an average of 10 minutes each, twice the previous year's average visit. |
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Project Runway
BASF AG creates a slightly-irregular fashion show, complete with car manifolds, fishing poles, and a 95-percent increase in sales leads. |
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Risky Business
Tired of playing games at the biggest show in its industry, global risk-management, insurance, and consulting firm Aon Corp. created a battle strategy worthy of Sun Tzu. |
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A Panoramic Prescription
Amgen Inc. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals infuse their in-booth presentation with a little movie magic, nearly quadrupling booth traffic and increasing face time with attendees. |
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Health-Care Honky Tonk
Nashville, TN,-based Healthcare Management Systems Inc. tips its hat to the Grand Ole Opry, tripling leads and landing a contract worth $1.7 million. |
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How Green Are Your Giveaways?
From buying organic to recycling everything in sight, the whole world is going Green. But what about your giveaways? |
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Pack Mentality
Four Exhibitors Harness the Power of Partnerships |
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Choose Your Own Adventure
To demonstrate its key differentiator, MG Design Associates turns its exhibit over to attendees and allows them to create their very own space. |
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Presentation Pointers
Ten tips to help you make the most of your company's next in-booth presentation. |
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Exhibit in Overdrive
Florida Power and Light Co. goes full throttle, revving up 25 percent more qualified leads with a NASCAR-inspired video game and a racecar-themed redesign. |
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What About Bobbleheads?
Jim Brodo employs 7-inch-tall salesmen to create a tradition that increases leads by 1,367 percent. |
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Bait and Pitch
Fish Software Inc. baits its customers and takes them on an educational product demonstration using a high-tech lure once used to battle the Nazis. |
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Recipe for Success
ProQuest Information and Learning savors the flavor of success with an exhibit experience that tantalizes attendees' taste buds and generates an 86-percent increase in leads. |
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Lumpy Mail Gets Read
Are your prospects bored of boring, old postcards? Are they tired of two-dimensional tactics? Here are five examples of clever 3-D direct-mail campaigns, along with tips to help you take your company's pre-show mailers to the third dimension. |
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Time of Possession
Komatsu America Corp. uses a series of sports-themed activities to keep attendees inside its exhibit, doubling sales leads in the process. |
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The No-Surprise Party
1220 Exhibits threw itself a birthday party and got the best present of all: twice as many RFPs as compared to its 2005 exhibit. |
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Bell of the Ball
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. nearly triples at-show sales by pointing attendees' eyes to the skies at Heli-Expo 2006. |
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Everything Matters
3D Exhibits Inc. reinvents itself, jazzes its existing customers, and snags eight new big-budget opportunities by focusing on what matters most to trade show professionals everything. |
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Fit to a Tea
An in-booth tea party helps Impact Unlimited Inc. demonstrate its customized solutions and exceed its lead goal by 100 percent. |
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More Than S'mores
Exhibit Works Inc. cooks up a tasty booth experience to give attendees s'more and triples traffic compared to the previous year. |
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Prizes Out, Products In
Johns Manville quadruples its quality time with attendees by trading a car giveaway for a realistic product-demonstration game. |
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A Quality Education
Exhibitgroup/Giltspur educates attendees on the value of quality using a life-sized interactive board game and increases its top-quality leads by 50 percent. |
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Forget Me Not
From crackerjack staff to demos that dazzled, learn how six different companies earned memorable marks in Exhibit Surveys Inc.'s annual Most-Remembered Exhibits study. |
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Game Show
Following a recent acquisition, HP marries its conservative approach to trade shows with the bells and whistles for which its new acquisition is known. The result? Sizzle with substance. |
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Unplug and Play
With a product launch only months away, first-time exhibitor Hopscotch Technology Inc. turns a shoestring budget and a bad booth location into a backyard playground. |
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Multipurpose Mailer
Thanks to an innovative personalized mailer, XMPie Inc. generates buzz, qualifies leads, and demonstrates its software before even setting foot on the show floor. |
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The Intangible Experience
Challenged to bring its multifaceted software to life, Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. turns to an imaginary grandmother and doubles its leads from the previous year. |
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All-Star Awards A Model Plan
Thanks to his 'little' idea, Paul Shelton saves Astec Inc. big money at CONEXPO-CON/AGG and doubles sales leads. |
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All-Star Awards Buzz on a Budget
With a little creativity, Tracie Hugley drives 80 percent of show attendees to interact with GeoLearning Inc.'s brand. |
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All-Star Awards Feed the Bottom Line
Aj Thakker reinvents Farm Credit Canada's sponsorship to harvest a 50-percent sales increase and a literal hill of beans. |
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X Marks the Spot
X-Rite Inc. covered the PRINT 05 show wall-to-wall - thanks in part to a craving for pizza and a ''So what?'' attitude. |
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Saving Lost Customers: Inspiration from the Home Depot
After a 30-percent loss in revenue, Word Distribution takes a tip from The Home Depot and creates an exhibit strategy based on customer education. |
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When in Doubt, Use Penguins
To set itself apart from other furniture makers, Magnussen Home Furnishings employs a group of flightless African birds - and generates a 20-percent increase in exhibit traffic. |
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EXHIBITOR Magazine's Eighth Annual Sizzle Awards
Honoring red-hot trade show exhibit promotions |
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I'll Believe It When I See It
Six product demos that prove their claims right before your very eyes. |
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Press Pass
Tips from the press on how to get their attention at a trade show. |
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Start Spreading the News
Six ways to maximize trade show press opportunities. |
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The Incredible Shrinking Exhibit
To defray high exhibiting costs, hot-mix asphalt facility manufacturer Astec Inc. replaced its $6-million equipment with 1/8-scale replicas at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005. |
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How to Write a Post-Show Report
A trade show isn't over until you evaluate your success and compile a comprehensive report. Here are nine sections to include. |
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Monster: Here, There, and Everywhere
To market its services at an HR trade show, Monster did what any self-respecting, bug-eyed, B-movie creature from the 50s would have done: It grew to giant size and devoured the entire city. |
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Movers and Shakers
Want to blend out on the show floor? Try adding action to your exhibit with one of these 10 examples. |
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Anatomy of a High-Response Direct-Mail Campaign
Five pre-show promotions that take the guesswork out of direct mail. |
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Five Ways to Make Your Small Exhibit More Effective
Industry experts weigh in on how to give your small booth a competitive edge without breaking the bank. |
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Gentlemen, Start Your Mowers
Gold Eagle Co. turns a lawn-mower racing stunt into a kick-grass, 12-year media event raking in 25-million media impressions annually and a 4-to-1 return on investment. |
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The Selling Power of Retro
A car-stereo manufacturer creates an authentic gas-station exhibit and even gives it a name Sid's Garage. The result: a 50-percent increase in sales at the Consumer Electronics Show. |
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Banking on Ben
To drive its brand to its clients, Bank of America created a traveling country club and hit a hole in one. |
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Sizzle Awards False Alarm
A fire-alarm direct mailer sparks a smokin' 95-percent return rate. |
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Sizzle Awards Graffiti by the Foot
Ride Snowboards Co. uses graffiti artists to attract more than 3,000 retailers to its booth, wow industry press, and polish its brand image |
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Sizzle Awards Mirror, Mirror
Matrex Exhibits uses image consultations to lure attendees to its booth for conversations averaging 12 minutes each. |
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Sizzle Awards Turf's Up
New to the golf market, Georgia-Pacific shoots a 12-percent return with its shady direct mailer. |
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Sizzle Awards Twist and Tout
An old game offers a new twist on product demonstration, and scores 236-percent more leads than expected. |
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The 'No Respect' Tour
Milwaukee Electric Tool's road show draws 1,000 visitors per day making its blue-collar customers feel good about themselves. |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: 40,000 Square Feet of Face Time
Hewlett-Packard Imaging and Printing Group Executive Briefings and Solutions Demonstrations - Silver Award, Performance Tier, Hospitality Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Best Foot Forward
GES Exposition Services, GES/NDA Grand Opening Mixer - Silver Award, Innovation Tier, Direct Mail Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Hogwarts and All
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' DVD and Video Launch - Gold Award, Innovation Tier, Dιcor Design Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Invasion of the Geek Snatchers
AMD Area-64 - Judges' Choice Award, Performance Tier, Product Launch Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Living Large
Heineken International, Amstel - The World's Biggest Living Room Judges' Choice Award, Innovation Tier, Dιcor Design Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Night Shift
Banc of America Securities - Gold Award, Innovation Tier, Dιcor Design Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Press Run
Hewlett-Packard Co. Impressions Road Show - Silver Award, Performance Tier, Mobile Marketing Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Scare Tactics
Lincoln Ballistic Protection Series Launch - Gold Award, Performance Tier, Product Launch Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Shock and Awe
Tenneco Automotive, Monroe Ride Safe Tour - Silver Award, Performance Tier, Mobile Marketing Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Spider Attack
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' DVD and Video Launch - Silver Award, Innovation Tier, Direct Mail Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Start Your Engines
Audi AG Frankfurt Sports Night - Silver Award, Performance Tier, Media Event Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Test Flight
Tablet PC Airport Demo Program - Gold Award, Performance Tier, Product Launch Category |
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Corporate EVENT Awards: Village People
Hyundai Motor Deutschland GmbH, 2002 Dealer Meeting - Gold Award, Innovation Tier, Venue Selection |
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It Was Bold. It Was Daring. It Required Tuxedos.
How the not-for-profit Bluetooth Special Interest Group used models, flowers, and a famous heist movie to drive attendees to its members' exhibits. |
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Wheee!
''Ladies and gentlemen, step right up. Welcome to the Exhibitgroup/Giltspur fun house, where you'll find the latest and greatest in interactive exhibit experiences.'' |
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Seeing is Believing
Acuvue caught the eye of the most important market for colored contact lenses with pizza parties, product samples, and personality tests. |
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The Gravy Train
Siemens built a train to carry its technology to its customers and ended up with a runaway hit that picked up 700 passengers a day. |
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Inventive Invites
Ditch the all-occasion invitations and standard white envelopes. Here are six eye-catching invites that will make your guests want to RSVP. |
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The Misery Tour
Doctors Without Borders gives guests cholera, diarrhea, and famine and they come back for more. |
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Exhibitor Lounge Act
What do you do when your best prospects at a trade show are the other exhibitors? Sponsor an exhibitor lounge. |
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It's Hard to Ignore a Man on Fire
Extreme trade show demos can be dangerous. They might fail. But the greater the risk, the greater the payoff. |
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The Great Texas Panty Raid
L'eggs ran a mobile tour across the Southwest to sell its new line of Body Beautiful hosiery. Sales jumped 37 percent in a story of sheer success. |
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Giveaways That Keep on Giving
The difference between a giveaway and a throwaway can be as simple as a jalapeno jelly bean. |
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The Games People Play Tour
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Sports Illustrated went in search of the games that made us great. |
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The Cookies n' Crime Tour
It's no mystery how Court TV used the public's fascination with forensics to increase a show's brand identity by 33 percent. |
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Caution Filling is Hot!
EXHIBITOR magazine's sixth annual Sizzle Awards serve up nine sure-fire exhibit and corporate event promotions. |
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I Was Abducted by Aliens!
To promote a new TV show, the Sci Fi Channel brought alien abduction down to Earth and got results that were out of this world. |
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Goodwill Gains
Companies that combine philanthropy and exhibiting are getting a lot more back than warm fuzzies. |
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Hot Mail
Toss that plain white envelope the latest invitations to corporate events are all about getting noticed in a competitive market. |
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Real Tattoos And Other Extreme Promotions
Four exhibit promotions that blur the line between reality and virtual reality. |
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They Don't Write Songs About Toyotas
Chevrolet wheels in customers with nostalgia, rock and roll, and the cover of the Rolling Stone. |
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Trade Show Planning Guide
Organize the details of your show planning activities with these worksheets from EXHIBITOR magazine |
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RSVP
Invitations that sail past the mailbox clutter. |
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Different Strokes: A Low-Cost Small Exhibit Makeover
Industry experts offer 10 options to improve Northland Putting Greens' booth. |
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Lost in Space
12 ways to overcome a bad booth location. |
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Trends in Giveaways: What's In What's Out
Time to give up those bubble pens. Promotions aimed at specific markets are replacing trinkets and trash as the trade show giveaway strategy of the hour. |
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When Lead Counts Drop
Falling lead counts are a signal that something is wrong somewhere. The trick is to pinpoint the real culprit(s) from a world of possible causes. |
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2002 Sizzle Awards
Seven winners for excellence in trade show promotions set fire to attendance figures, audience feedback, and leads. |
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The 12 Dumbest Things to Do With Giveaways
And smarter things to do instead. |
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Sizzle in Action
This year's winners of Exhibitor's annual awards for trade show marketing are honored not so much for novelty as for great execution. |
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Boost Your Booth Traffic Electronically
Use the Internet to draw pre-qualified crowds at your next show. |
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Demolition Demo
Rubbermaid beats the living daylights out of its own products to show it doesn't just talk a good game. |
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What's the Right Giveaway?
Freebies evoke responses. But how do you get the ones you want? |
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Adventure Exhibiting
Inventa's Everest Environmental Expedition creates a rock-solid exhibit marketing theme. |
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In-House or Outsourced?
Use this formula to determine the most cost-effective way to create your next promotion. |
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Everywhere, But Nowhere
Beatnik's non-exhibiting strategy creates a hip scene and show-wide visibility. |
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Lead Forms You Can Count On
Improve your trade show results by creating a better information-gathering card. |
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Lessons Learned The Hard Way
Learn from three marketing missteps to avoid strategic mistakes. |
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2000 Sizzle Award Winners
The jury's top picks for this year's outstanding trade show marketing promotions. |
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Interactive Integrated Marketing
Take your Web events pages to the next level. |
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Mission Possible
Integrate Web-based promotional strategies into your next campaign. |
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Intel's Integrated Assault
Events pages are invaluable in creating a buzz before and after the show. |
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Promoting Your Presence
Understand your marketing options with this guide to pre-show, at-show and post-show promotion strategies. |
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Direct Savings on Direct Mail
21 tips for saving money on your next direct mail campaign. |
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3M's Nine-Part Promotion
3M's powerful integrated solution creates quality response and product punch. |
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Developing a Presentation Plan That Works
Solidify your next presentation by exploring your options and fashioning the right message. |
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Four Trade Show Myths Dispelled
Focus on the facts to keep your trade show program rooted on solid ground. |
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Web-Based Promotion Strategies
How Muse Technologies uses the Web as the "ultimate branding tool." |
