Web Design: Tradeshow Specialists

In 1997, Arran Coole and two of his colleagues were laid off from the London-based Web design company they worked for with the words, “there's no future in the Internet.”

Coole said all three ignored the prediction and with one of their top client accounts in their pockets, Reed Exhibitions, the trio launched their own company that specialized in creating Web sites for the tradeshow industry.

“We disagreed, and luckily we were the ones that had the relationship with Reed,” he added.

For the first two years, the new company, asp, solely worked on development projects with Reed, but once the exclusivity ended, Coole said, “the phone didn't stop ringing. We didn't even have a salesperson for seven years. It was all word of mouth.”

It was only a matter of time before asp decided to jump the pond and take a crack at the American market.

In 2007, asp opened an office in Las Vegas, and in December, Coole made the fortuitous decision to exhibit at the Intl. Assn. of Exhibitions and Events' Expo! Expo! at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

Kathyrn Rooks, Natl. Assn. of State Boards of Accountancy marketing specialist, also attended the show and just so happened to be in the market for a Web site designer. She needed a site put together for the launch of the association's event, The Natl. CPE Expo, Sept. 21-23, 2009, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

“I visited (asp's) booth, and from talking to them, it seemed like a perfect fit,” Rooks said. “We wanted an expert in tradeshow Web sites, and they did a demo and we honestly fell in love with their product right away.”

According to Rooks, one of the highlights of working with asp was the company stayed on schedule throughout the process and finished the project in two months. “We didn't have to hold their hand,” she added. “The customer service staff at asp was impeccable and friendly.”

Rooks said one of the key features asp offered was a content management system that allowed association staff to upload its own content directly onto the site. “We wanted the site to be fresh for visitors,” she added. “We needed to be able to get into the system and make changes.”

Rebecca Rodriguez, NASBA's business development manager, said they had a few other requirements for the design of the site. “We wanted something easy to navigate and not too flashy,” Rodriguez said. “We were looking for functionality more than anything else.”

The site launched June 1, and, Rooks said, it has received “nothing but praise” from visitors. “It was an amazing find (at Expo! Expo!),” she added.

Another show company that found asp in a more roundabout manner was earthNowexpo, which has a same-named show.

Bob Peters, earthNowexpo's show director, said someone made a sales call to his office looking for someone else, and he asked them what they did. It happened to be an asp salesperson, and, Peters said, “We were looking for a Web development company. I looked at their software and liked it, and I really liked that they had an office in Las Vegas.”

He, too, was launching his show for the first time, and, he added, was drawn to the fact he would be able to make his own changes. Another bonus, Peters said, was exhibitors also could upload their own content. “They can upload their own press releases, sales sheets and product demos,” he added.

In fact, Coole said, when the show recently ran in Las Vegas, video was taken of exhibitors' product demonstrations and soon will be made available on the show's Web site for people to view any time throughout the year.

“We should be providing resources to our industry all the time, and asp has the technology,” Peters said.

Even with NASBA and earthNowExpo and a few other U.S.-based clients, as well as 1,500 Web sites under the company's belt altogether, Coole said, “We don't expect (getting business) to be a quick thing here. We are the new kids on the block.”

In hopes of drumming up more business, he added, asp will be a sponsor at the Society of Independent Show Organizers Executive Conference this week and exhibit at Hospitality Sales & Marketing Assn. Intl.'s launch of its Event Technology Expo Sept. 10-11 at the Walter E. Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, and, since it was good luck the first time around, Expo! Expo! again Dec. 9-11 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.