Generating Daylong Hustle and Bustle on the Showfloor

By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 8/15/2005

Deserted. Uninviting. Boring. These are all terms that show managers dread hearing about their showfloor — both in their nightmares and within earshot of disgruntled exhibitors.

But instead of letting their anxiety fester, some managers take measures both extreme and common to ensure a full floor. From giveaways to celebrity demonstrations to good ol' cash, techniques for audience retention are endless.

For starters, situating the key-note address adjacent to the showfloor — or, better yet, in an area where attendees would have to trek the showfloor to get to the session — is a clever move, said Russell Roy, a Toronto-based corporate un-motivational speaker (and stand-up comedian).

In June, Roy spoke at a show that was set up that way: the Intl. Brokers Assn. of British Columbia Annual Conference & Tradeshow, at the TELUS Whistler Conference Centre in Whistler, British Columbia.

"They had one big hall for the annual general meeting and the exhibits, so in order to see the content they were providing, you had to walk past exhibitors. You can't avoid the exhibit hall if you have to pass through it to get to where you want to go," Roy said. "Much like any retailer does with the checkout lines: You have to run the gauntlet of candy and gum."

The ASI Show uses a similar strategy. The firm offers 30-minute power sessions in small rooms built at the back of the showfloor for its annual The ASI Shows! (in Orlando, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Chicago), according to Mary Upton, vice president of tradeshow operations.

But while sessions during exhibition hours work for some, they don't for others, including Howard Friedman, group show director for VNU Expositions' ASD/AMD Merchandise Group. "We avoid having conflicts during show hours. We try to make it as easy as possible for the buyers to buy," he said.

It's the same for Cristopher Levy, vice president of marketing for Shomex Productions. The company will make the most of its showfloor-adjacent Hollywood career session at its Oct. 4 Diversity Career Fair at the Radisson Hotel at Los Angeles Intl. Airport. However, the session will lead into the tradeshow.

Levy said the show's "custom content that (attendees) can't find anywhere else" will keep warm bodies on the showfloor. "We're not going to serve any food or make it pretty or anything like that," he said.

However, showfloor food — along with celebrity chef demonstrations — is a given for food-industry events, including Diversified Business Communications' series of Expo Comida Latina shows and All Asia Food Expos.

There, dishes and demonstrations keep the showfloors abuzz, noted Vicki Hennin, vice president of marketing communications for the firm. "Food and cooking involves a number of senses — sight, smell, taste — and chef demonstrations have been a way to create excitement on the floor and connect with our audience," Hennin said.

At The ASI Show! a food court plus end-of-day reception at the front of the exhibit hall help retain showfloor traffic, Upton said. "We always have a food court in the hall to keep attendees on the floor over the lunch hour."

Upton also employs several other strategies to encourage non-business showfloor lingering, including a Passport to Winnings program that requires attendees to travel to participating booths for a passport sticker. Once the passport is full, it is turned in for a free box shipment or parking reimbursement, and entered into a prize drawing.

Lise Puckorius, senior vice president of convention and tradeshow services for SmithBucklin, said the firm is careful about what showfloor traffic strategies it uses for the shows it produces for its client associations.

"The tradeshow should be a community environment, a non-threatening environment," Puckorius said. For example, several SmithBucklin shows use a trolley car to transport attendees between venue buildings. Showfloor e-mail kiosks, wireless lounges, cell phone zones and Segway rentals have also worked to keep exhibitions interesting for SmithBucklin.

However, Puckorius added, "We have to be cautious of (offering food and beverage in the exhibition) because sometimes that detracts from the exhibitors."

And when worse comes to worse, there's nothing wrong with giving exhibitors a few bucks for time well spent on the showfloor, noted Randi Misher, The ASI Show marketing director. Each ASI Show! holds a Scan and Win Drawing for $1,000 twice daily on the showfloor. Attendees are encouraged to communicate more with exhibitors, Misher said, as "the drawing is centered around having the distributor scanned by a supplier and then being present for the winnings."