Exhibiting Styles: U.S. Firms Explore European Approach

By Heidi Genoist -- Tradeshow Week, 7/11/2005

A scene in the recent movie "Batman Begins" shows Bruce Wayne frolicking with two young women in a hotel fountain, in order to cultivate his millionaire playboy disguise. When a hotel worker tells him there's no swimming in the fountain, Wayne replies, "Sorry, they're European."

Among the long list of preconceptions Americans have about Europeans is the notion that they know how to live, and some companies are borrowing this savoir faire, as it's practiced at tradeshows, to build relationships with their customers on the showfloor.

"A successful tradeshow in the U.S. is when the right buyer meets the right seller in an environment ¡ª the booth," said Francois-Regis Picolet, managing director for North America of GL Events, a liaison between Europe and the United States for both show organizers and exhibiting companies. "In Europe, it's when the same right buyer meets the same right seller, but the environment is the show itself."

Generally speaking, European trade fairs last longer ¡ª five to seven days ¡ª and the exhibit hall has longer hours than in the United States. Move-in and move-out can take weeks, because most companies build hard wall exhibits that serve as physical extensions of their business. These exhibits frequently feature small caf¨¦s, lounges, and conference and meeting rooms.

U.S. tradeshows in recent years have seen an increase in the amount of hospitality offered by exhibitors in their booths. Particularly among large companies, more and more include lounge areas and serve food.

Still, American shows have some elements that are absent from successful European fairs: pipe-and-drape back walls, rows of 10¡ä¡Á10¡ä booths with product on tables, sales people that focus on handing out samples and swiping cards.

It's easy to write off these differences to culture: Europeans enjoy long, multi-course dinners and ancient castles built from stone; Americans are fast food junkies with a preference for stucco.

But, said Picolet, a more pragmatic explanation is found in the two economic models: "The American market is organized so that the general contractor gets 85 percent of their revenue from the exhibitor and 15 percent from the (show organizer) client. In Europe, it's exactly the opposite."

U.S. labor conditions, drayage and the exclusivity of general contractors, "basically puts the exhibitors in the hands of the general contractor," he added.

As a result, U.S. organizers can't afford to invest as much in decorating their shows, he said, and companies in Europe can put more money into their exhibit designs ¡ª and get more bang for their buck.

Despite these hindrances, some U.S. companies are looking for ways to reap the benefits of the European model.

"Our CEO came back from glee (the British lawn and garden trade fair) and said they have a whole new look there in how they do their booth," said Tom Hunsaker, director of North American training, promotions and events for Scotts Miracle-Gro.

The observation had an indirect effect on the design of the exhibit the company used in 2004 to re-enter the Natl. Hardware Show in Las Vegas after three years away. With no exterior barriers, a long counter in the middle where food was served all day, and tables scattered around an open area, the exhibit resembled a restaurant.

Hunsaker said the goal was to give people a place to relax ¡ª but there was a more sophisticated business strategy hiding behind this largesse.

"The purpose of the show for us wasn't to sell product," he said. "It was more of an opportunity for our management to sit down with retailers in a non-threatening environment

In other words, the exhibit was more about long-term relationship building than writing orders.

Gordon Roe, vice president of sales and marketing for Missoula, Mont. based high-end beverage container maker Planetary Designs, said that after a recent trip to Europe, he and his partner re-evaluated their tradeshow exhibit program. The company currently does 16 shows a year. "Now, we're contemplating a plan to do fewer shows, but have a bigger presence at each of them," Roe said. "We're going to completely rethink our exhibit ¡ª add more hospitality, do events around the show."

Entertaining is an important element of the European exhibiting style, according to James Schnauer, vice president of Button Group, an exhibit marketing firm that has offices in Cannes, France; London; and Los Angeles. It's a three-pronged approach that includes not just hospitality in the booth, but events around the show and lots of high-touch communication.

With wealthy, multinational clients like NBC Universal, that exhibit both in Europe and the United States, Button has no trouble selling the virtue of including certain European elements in U.S. shows.

But like Picolet, Schnauer pointed out there are some constraints.

"In Europe, there's a sense of pride ¡ª the people fabricating the exhibit in the workshop are the ones doing the construction," he explained. "In the U.S., you have a supervisor with a team of 10 people who have never seen it before."