Rock Your Trade Show

Trade show exhibitors, associations and industry suppliers all need to know the data about material handling and other costs to effectively influence change in our industry. Listen to this interview with  Sue Huff, Director, Global Conventions at Medtronic, who shares insights from her panel at HCEAConnect titled "Challenge the Status Quo: 19 Years of Data".  In this interview you will discover: The Impact of rising material handling costs on marketing budgets. Who is affected when exhibitors reduce their exhibit space size. What matters to the millennial attendee experience.  How one show organizer, NAB, changed what they charge for material handling and so much more.

The Attendee Shift

Demographics are changing for who attends trade shows.  The largest group of attendees today are millennials and their expectations are to have interaction, networking, hands on demos and immersive experiences in the trade show hall.  The positive experience for attendees is diminishing due to some of the costs of bringing the equipment and exhibit to the show.  As these costs are rising, exhibitors are decreasing the booth size or decide to bring less product to the show.

The Impact of Downsizing

Sue shared how at one show, an exhibitor went from an exhibit space of approx. 100' x 50' down to a 20x20. In the past they had a full OR suite in the exhibit and at this particular show, the OR set up was a miniature model displayed under glass.  The question posed Sue asked the show organizer was "how is that experience different for the attendee, when they no longer can touch the product -what is it doing to the overall value of the attendee".  Attendees want the experience of touching and feeling the instruments and products. 

A Look at the Consumer Price Index

In a 10-year analysis of the consumer price index on costs for conventions, the CPI increased by 20% and union labor wages went up 36% -37% compared to material handling which went up by 150%.  Material handling is increasing at a much higher rate than other costs in face-to-face marketing. 

Material Handling at Trade Shows

Here is a snapshot of how material handling is determined for ta show.  Often an association needs signage, aisle carpet etc. and they may ask if they can receive those items at a lower rate.  The general services contractor needs to cover those costs and it can be applied to material handling which is paid for by an exhibitor. Exhibitors often are unaware of surcharges on material handling until they receive an invoice after the show is over.  The challenge with this model is that exhibitors don't have predictable pricing for budgets. 

Case study: What is the true cost of moving one crate

Sue described an analysis of how many days it would take a fork lift driver to move one single crate based on the drayage rate.  If the material handling rate is $135 per hundred weight, the cost for a single crate was $1,500. Applying the union workers' wage of $47 per hour against the crate cost, it worked out to be 32 hours to move one crate or 4 days.  While it is understood that the crate may be handled multiple times and placed into storage, it is unlikely the time it takes to handle the crate would equal 4 days.

Impact on Show Organizers

Some associations are not aware they can negotiate rates charged to the exhibitor.  Organizers have the opportunity to negotiate the rates in the service kit.  In the discussion, Sue shared how

at one show material handling went up, and to compensate for the increased cost, the booth size decreased to offset that increase.  The costs to the exhibitor stayed the same, however the show organizer lost $36,000 with the decrease in exhibit size. 

NAB Implements a New Material Handling Model

This year, NAB tried something new and changed how they charged for drayage.  Instead of charging per hundred weight they charged by the square foot at a rate $3.85 per square foot.  Another show that did this model is Pack Expo several years ago.  For insights into how this works, check out the NAB Cares and watch the video about why they took this initiative for their exhibitors. The result was that exhibitors saved about 40% over the previous year in material handling.  Other organizations are looking at to help companies bring in product.  Especially for larger equipment shows.  

Non-Exclusive and Exclusive Rates

When looking at costs there are two types of rates.  The labor rate is an example of a non-exclusive rate-you can choose what company you use for Installation and Dismantle.  Exclusive rates apply to things like material handling, electrical, rigging, etc.

How Associations Can Help

Gregg Lapin, CMP Director of Meeting Services at American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) shared on the panel with Sue Huff how he learned about the attendee's decisions and how things like what day to hold the show impacted exhibitors.  AADE changed the timing of move in and move out to be on straight time which also coincided with when attendees wanted to attend the show - over the weekend. 

How to Impact Change

Exhibitors need to have a dialog with the associations and shareinsights about budgets and the impact on booth size relative to fixed costs on the show floor.  Take the opportunity to request the association negotiate material handling rates on your behalf.  In turn, associations should talk with convention centers and the general services providers about all exclusive rates including internet to help exhibitors offer attendees the best experience. 

For more information about this topic, reach out to me, I love hearing from you!  And Check out Episode 36  for insights from Sue Huff about mergers and managing large teams.

A big thanks to Sue Huff for sharing this information on the show!

Check out HCEA for more educational information.

Credits:

As always thanks to Christy Haussler from Team Podcastfor creating editing magic on this and every episode of the show!

Thinking about how to take your career to the next level?  Whether you are new to face-to-face marketing, or an industry insider, you won't want to miss this interview with Taylor Urban, HMCC, US Conventions and Events Specialist at Abbott.  Taylor has a unique perspective having worked on the agency side of trade show events, and in technology and now healthcare.  She shares insights on what is like to embrace new career opportunities across different industries. 

This interview was conducted live at HCEAConnect, a healthcare trade show industry event for suppliers, associations and corporate marketers and planners.  Find out how you can gain experience, how to manage really large trade shows and work effectively with internal stakeholders.

Make sure you listen all the way to the end, Taylor shares how building experience can further the chance to plan for the future.

A big thanks to Taylor for this live interview and for inspiring our listeners to imagine what is possible.

If you have questions about this topic or any of the topics we talk about on the show, reach out to me at Rock Your Trade Show.

For more interviews like this one be sure to tune in each week for the HCEAConnect series.  You can also visit Rock Your Trade Show/HCEA

Editing credits: A big thanks to Christy Haussler and team podcast for editing this episode.

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What does happiness at work feel like for you?  I ask that because if you are a marketer in face-to-face marketing, our hours can be demanding, sometimes even grueling.  Whether you are new or experienced-doing trade shows gives joy to many people. And for the lucky ones-you not only like doing it-you love it.

I had an experience filled with joy that made me think of happiness and why culture combined with passion makes a great place to work and yes-even happiness.  We are working on a project requiring us to gather pet photos. In a brainstorming the creative around what we wanted to share-our designer Phoebe had the bold idea of emailing our entire company and asking for photos. 

Imagine receiving an email that said "send us your pet photos-in the next 30 minutes"! There had to be a time limit, both to encourage people to take action and also so the project could be completed.  Within only a few minutes sending that message, photos started flooding our inboxes. Phoebe and I were screen sharing and looking at each photo, laughing and commenting on how many pets our wonderful Exhibitus family has.  In just 30 minutes we had well over 90 photos…and counting.  There were cats, dogs, a bunny and even a hedgehog.

How does this relate to happiness?  In that moment of joy looking at the lives of people I work with, some of whom I hadn't met personally, I was awe struck.  Without hesitation, the entire company mobilized and sent their photos.  Even people who were out of the office in transit, stopped, and sent in photos.

And…in a small way, seeing a glimpse of people's lives, the passion shared for pets, our company people and ultimately the client we were doing this for, it was pure joy.

Now back to the question-what does happiness look like for you?  Do you feel joy in your work?  If the answer is yes-that is awesome!!  But if you wonder-would my company and employees drop everything and respond en-masse or mobilize the way I described here for a worthy cause-and you are unsure, it is time to open the door and create your own blissful experience at work.

Five Ways To Create Joy in Your Career

1. Find a cause you care about. Many of your companies already do social responsibility projects-or have days of service.  Exhibitus is super active in that regard, and it builds teams, and allows employees to meet each other when they otherwise would not.  Check out this live interview at a CSR project for HCEA.   If your company doesn't offer CSR-no problem you can create something new and start a trend!
2. Be grateful and share it forward. Gratitude starts not only by being thankful but also it is about paying attention.  Do one simple thing that brings joy to another person-take bagels in to work-invite someone you don't know to lunch.  Share your grateful sentiment with someone at work and watch how it blossoms.
3. Discover what you love best-and do more of that.Sounds simple enough but the reality is, we often focus on what we don't like and try to get better at it instead of doing more of what fills up our cup.  Close your eyes, imagine if you could do anything in your role right now what would it be?  Share that information with your team, your boss and others. 
4. Collaborate with people that have similar values.In our industry, agency partners like Exhibitus, we are proud of the experiences that we create and the journey it takes to achieve results for clients who are able to show that value to their leadership.  Our goal is to offer an experience for clients who appreciate being able to show results and having fun in the process. Finding joy happens inside your organization and also with the people you have the opportunity to work with on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.
5. Look back, look forward and be present. Thinking about goals-a lot of advice, and even interview questions, focus on "Where do you want to be in 5 years or 10 years". In our fast-paced world, instead of focusing on the years-take a look at the reality of the past, future and present. What in the past really fired you up and gave you enjoyment?  Can you see that same excitement when you look into the future?  And how about today…do you feel it?  If not, it is time to make an assessment and a plan.

As you listened today, was there an aha moment?  Here is your chance to take action.  I recently read a suggestion of keeping a note pad for a week and writing down what you love and what you don't on paper.  At the end of the week-take stock and move towards the things that you found inspiring, that will move your needle forward to that future you imagine.

It is my sincere hope that you really love what you do.  This podcast is dedicated to lifting you up and empower you to be bold and dream big. If you have a great story to share like the one I did here-reach out to me at Rock Your trade Show.  I am always grateful to hear from you and offer tips and advice.

Credits: As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler at Team Podcastfor editing this episode!

Are you looking to take your experience on the show floor to a new level?  Whether you are an association or trade show manager, IAEE-International for Exhibitions and Events-has the resources to boost your industry knowledge and enhance results for exhibitors, associations and attendees.  In this second interview with Randy Bauler,CEM and Corporate Relations & Exhibits Director at American Association of Critical-Care Nurses(AACN),we discuss how beneficial IAEE is and ways you can get involved.

IAEE has been around since 1928 when it was the National Association of Exposition Managers when it represented "the interests of trade show and exposition managers, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® is the leading association for the global exhibition industry. Today IAEE represents over 12,000 individuals in 50 countries who conduct and support exhibitions around the world."

Whether you are an association or exhibitor, Randy shares key insights in this interview.

5 Ways to Get Involved with IAEE:

1. Join a local chapter. Members have the opportunity to network, socialize and learn about the industry.
2. Get Your CEM. If you're an association, exhibitor or industry partner, IAEE offers great courses that will help you.  There are twelve modules and candidates need to complete 9 to receive the CEM.
3. Take a backstage tour. Local chapters offer an insider view behind the scenes at conference centers around the country.  Whether you are a veteran or new to the industry this is a unique opportunity to learn more about how events happen.
4. Take a Course.If getting your CEM isn't for you, take one or two courses.  Randy describes his course Exhibition and Event Sales where you will learn:

• Attendance marketing, contractor/supplier relationship programs. Specialty exhibit sales
• Tactics-to get people sign up for a show
• Help advance space selection
• General selling techniques
  • Overcome objections
  • Put together sales plan
  • Basics of selling
  • Specifics-how do you put together an exhibitor prospectus, whatever selling opportunities do you sell
• Attend Expo ExpoDecember 3-5, 2019 in Las Vegas.It is an opportunity to network, take CEM and more at the national level.

Favorite Resource:  Randy shares in addition to HCEA (Healthcare Convention and Exhibitor's Association) and IAEE, he recommendsCEIR-Center for Exhibition Industry Research, which is part of IAEE and is a tremendous resource for data. For more insights, check out Episode 57 CEIR Industry Trends with Nancy Drapeau.

You can reach Randy Bauler [email protected]and at AACN-check out the exhibits page.

If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with IAEE or have questions about any of the information here, reach out to me, I love hearing from you!

Credits:As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler at Team Podcastfor editing this episode.

Have you been wanting to maximize your results with a trade show association or if you are an association do you want to help your exhibitors get better ROI by exhibiting at your show?  In this interview, Randy Bauler,CEM and Corporate Relations & Exhibits Director at American Association of Critical-Care Nurses(AACN) shares advice about how to take your events to the next level in exposition education, booth space selection, sponsorship and how you can join an exhibitor advisory council (EAC).

Exposition Education:Opportunity to provide CE credit to attendees in a theater setting.

• AACN offers 51 theaters, 200 topics that are presented 650 times over the course of the show.
• Exhibitors that include KOL's (Key Opinion Leaders) to present content generate the best
• Conferences that offer CE credits on the show floor like AACN provide the opportunity for attendees to stay current (in the case of AACN, nurses can put CE credits towards renewing their licenses.
• Attendees want to learn and get education along with hands-on applications. Associations that offer CE credits on the show floor provide exhibitors a way to draw attendees to their exhibit and interact with them in a "non" sales format.
• Healthcare conferences for nurses enable attendees to become educated on the show floor and take the knowledge back to their hospitals and share it with other nurses.

Selecting an Exhibit Space:You can often select next year's space while at the show.

• Evaluate opportunities and consider a position near learning centers or special sponsored areas like the Rest and Relaxation area at AACN.
• How you bring traffic to your exhibit is more important than focusing on selecting a strategic location.
• Associations get attendees to the show-what do you do to drive traffic to your booth?
• Priority Point System is based on an accumulation of key criteria. Exhibitors earn points based on the size of the booth (1 point for every 100 feet of space at AACN).  In addition, history/loyalty points matter.  Points for advertising/sponsorship, year-round support also play a part.  AACN also offers points if you stay in their housing block.  

Sponsorship opportunities:You have the ability to explore options outside of what is offered.

• Customize a sponsorship to achieve greater exposure to the attendee. Most exhibitors say "let me see your list of opportunities- what can we do to customize" and work with the association to develop the best offering.
• Engagement with attendee is more important than exposure. An example Randy shared is that while nurses are waiting for their seated message at the Rest and Relaxation lounge, the sponsoring company has greeters to interact with attendees, getting to know them and work the line before the nurse gets their message.
• Receptions offer an additional opportunity to interact and engage with attendees and the host company is encouraged to mingle and make connections. At AACN, a sponsoring company is able to have senior management speak for a few moments.  Products can be on display at a sponsored reception giving companies a second opportunity to engage with attendees.   

Ways to Get Involved with Associations: Join an Advisory Council.

• Most shows have an exhibitor advisory council or committee-they invite representatives to talk about the event.
• Being on the EAC (Exhibitor Advisory Council) gives companies the chance to increase visibility in the industry and gain recognition.
• At AACN the only purpose is to make the experience better for exhibitors and attendees. 

Favorite Resource:HCEA-Healthcare Convention and Exhibitor's Association.

In healthcare it is a unique organization that includes exhibitors, show management and suppliers together.  The HCEA events enable attendees to meet with peers, customers, potential customers and suppliers to the industry.

If you have any questions about this episode, reach out to me, I love hearing from you!

A big thank you to Randy Bauler for doing a two-part interview!

Editing Credits:  As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler with Team Podcastfor editing this episode.

Are you a trade show event marketer?  If you have achieved something unique for your company in face-to-face marketing, now is the time to nominate yourself to be an EXHIBITOR Magazine All-Star!  Travis Stanton, EXHIBITOR Editor, shares insights in this interview about EXHIBITOR including the All-Star Awards, how to get nominated and how it can impact your career.

All-Star Awards Overview

The annual All-Star Awards celebrates corporate event planners who have contributed to their company's trade show program by doing something that made a big impact.  Award winners have all not only overcome a challenge, they have the data to demonstrate measurable results.

This is an incredible opportunity to shine a light on your own achievements or something a friend or colleague has done.  If you have never won an Exhibitor award and are a trade show exhibit manager or corporate event manager, this is the perfect award for you!   Not only will you be featured in EXHIBITOR Magazine, you also receive a free one-day pass to EXHIBITORLIVE 2020!

7 Insider Facts About the EXHIBITOR All-Star Awards:

1. Criteria to Win:The committee is looking for industry leaders who have achieved measurable results. Any challenge you faced-including the idea that "we can do better" and implemented a solution.
2. How to Evaluate Your Accomplishments:Take a look at what you have accomplished.
3. Past Winners Include:Trade Show Exhibitors who worked to create a measurement procedure, innovative event apps, overcome corporate mergers to create more efficiencies with their program.
4. How To Get Nominated:You can self-nominate or an agency can nominate a client, or have a colleague nominate you.
5. Who Wins:Your program doesn't have to be big to win."Small companies to big budgets and everything in between have been past winners.  "Clever, DIY solutions that not only save money or increase leads can win"-Travis Stanton
6. Being in the CTSM Program can help:You don't have to be in the CTSM program but it might help you to think of your best practices that you have done to apply.
7. How much does it cost:It is free to submit your awards entry.

Favorite Resource:  Travis shared the best way to find inspiration-go check out trade shows outside of your industry.  You can look at local fairs, festivals, museums and other places if you aren't able to travel to a show. You will be surprised how much you see can be applied to your program.

You can find Travis on LinkedIn and at ExhibitorOnline and EXHIBITOR LinkedIn group.  Subscribe to the e-newsletter and the magazine for news in the industry.

This is your time, if you have accomplished a measurable success for your trade show program.  Complete the online entry form and see where this will take you!  And if you have any questions about this episode, reach out to me, I love hearing from you!

Editing Credits: As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler with Team Podcast for editing this episode.

If you love the trade show event industry and want to have an impact-then Exhibitions Day is an event you should consider attending to have your voice heard.   Diane Benson, Diamond CTSM, shares her first-time experience at Exhibitions Day representing HCEA through IAEE in Washington D.C. on June 4thand 5th.  Find out in this interview what it was like to go to Capitol Hill, meet with representatives and have the chance to share important information about our 97-billion-dollar industry.

4 Key Pillars to Help the Trade Show Industry at Exhibitions Day

Exhibitions Day has four primary topics that they bring to Capitol Hill to help grow our industry:

1. Investing in America's Transportation Infrastructure: "According to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. ranks ninth in the world in infrastructure quality. Inadequate supply of infrastructure is one of our top 10 most problematic factors for doing business."- Exhibitions Day. The goal is to make it easier to travel within the United States for all using our roads, trains, and air travel.
2. Secure Travel Partnership Act of 2019 (H.R. 1996): "In 2017, 23 million travelers arrived in the U.S. from Visa Wavier Program countries and generated $190 billion in economic activity. Visitors from the 38 countries that participate help generates a $77 billion trade surplus for the U.S." - Exhibitions Day. Change the name of the current Visa Waiver Act to make it easier for 38 countries to visit the United States for business.
3. JOLT Act of 2019 (H.R. 2187): "Overview: Over 1.2 million jobs across America are directly supported by international inbound travel. For the U.S. to grow that number as well as regain and increase our share of the global travel market, it is important to improve and expand the programs we currently have in place."-Exhibitions Day. The hope is to increase the opportunity for more countries to visit the United States for our trade shows.
4. Protecting Brand USA: Reinstate the budget for marketing outside of the United States to help drive businesses to attend and participate in the trade show industry."The marketing ROI previously was 28:1-every $1 Brand USA spent on marketing generated $28 in spend by international visitors."-Exhibitions Day. 

2 Reasons You Should Sign Up:

1. Sign up-it is free! Each first timer is paired up with someone who has been before.
2. Get Involved and Have Your Voice Heard: It matters to get more attendees to our exhibitions and grow our industry.

Want to learn more? Check out HCEAConnectAugust 17th-20thin Miami, FL, where I will be interviewing Diane Benson live about #ExhibitionsDay!

Diane's Favorite Resources: HCEA, Exhibitor Magazine, CTSM

Where to find Diane Benson:Twitterand LinkedIn

A big thanks to Diane Benson for being on the show and sharing her insights and information to help empower our listeners.

Editing Credits: As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler and Team Podcast.

Exhibitus participates in Exhibitions Day and feels it is an important responsibility to share our support.

How consistent is your brand messaging in your trade show program? Whether you work for a large fortune 500 company or a startup organization, take a look at all of your trade show assets and ask yourself-are they consistent and what is the attendee experience?  

If you are like most companies, you may be hitting it out of the park with the large exhibit experience but when it comes to the banner stand or portables the messaging changes and the experience varies from sales rep to sales rep.  If you want to really stand out-and help your company differentiate itself from the competition-doing an audit of all assets and attendee experiences will catapult you to the next level in ROI.

Recently we helped a client take a siloed approach for their trade show program and create a unilateral brand experience from modular displays to large islands.  Why was this important?  At the end of the day-even if you have the biggest budget in the world (which I suspect you are chuckling right now) you need to show value and maybe yes maybe reduce costs.  And if you are nodding your head saying-yes! I need to reduce cost. Then instead of looking at the individual line item costs and asking-how can I fill in the blank-reduce drayage, shipping, labor, onsite expenses etc.-take a step back.  Better yet-go to the 30,000 feet level and ask-will being consistent across all areas of my program help reduce cost?  The answer may surprise you-yes- it will in big ways!

This is your time to really make big strides, win friends in procurement, sales and even stakeholders.  Let's reverse engineer how you can reduce costs, increase efficiencies-and better yet-and perhaps most importantly improve the attendee experience.  Ready?  Let's get started.

10 Steps to Reducing Costs with a Consistent Brand Experience

1. Audit your current assets-is there clear identification, consistent messaging (use of tag-lines, graphic imagery, corporate hierarchy)?
2. Identify areas that are misaligned- include all levels of exhibit properties-do you have something that scales from banner stand to large island exhibit?
3. Leverage existing assets-fill in the gaps with rental assets. A hybrid rental will allow you to continue a depreciation  schedule- if needed on assets purchased - while adding in key elements that will enhance the brand experience.
4. Review budgets and look for hidden costs.  If you are a healthcare company or are in a regulated industry that requires multiple submissions for approval before a trade show-you understand the cost of those submissions.  From agency teams to internal reviews the total budget adds up quickly.  What if you had a template that everyone used and it reduced costs by 20-30% would that help your bottom line?  Of course, it would, but too often the focus is on drayage and things like agency content creation with new graphic templates and sizes, digital content that doesn't follow a system or template all adds up.  Look at the largest areas of spend-it may surprise you that regulatory reviews that require changes before every show could be the biggest hidden cost.
5. Conduct internal and external research. Find out from your internal stakeholders what they think of the brand experience and see if it is aligned with attendee impressions.  One key way to test theories on brand consistency is to conduct exit surveys of attendees.  This gives you candid information from the target audience and will help to validate the need to create a consistent brand.
6. Establish architectural brand templates. Cost reductions can be found in standardizing the overall hierarchy and messaging across every size exhibit from portables to large islands.
7. Create Efficiency and Cost Savings Analysis. Many companies have two budgets-a marketing budget that is applied to agencies and content creation and a trade show budget largely focused on logistics and execution.  Analyze the benefits and cost reductions/break even spend based on streamlining the brand messaging.
8. Establish guidelines for every sized exhibit.  Starting with the smallest table tops to the largest displays. This process takes time, however the payoff is simplification and eficiencies in usage and reduced attendee confusion on brand experience.
9. Include pre-show and post show data. Compare cost reductions, attendee experience and stakeholder feedback.
10. Evaluate, report and adjust. Establishing a consistent message is a fluid process that requires flexibility, and adjustments.  For example, it may be discovered that part of the inconsistency in attendee experience pertains to sales rep engagement.  A targeted training program for modular displays and each incremental size of your program may help the create a consistent experience at every level of your trade show.

These 10 tips will help you on your way to reducing costs and are the first steps to thinking outside of the box and generating value for your face-to-face marketing program.  Too often the first-place marketers go is slashing budgets with the intent that ultimately it will help the bottom line.  In truth, a reduced budget may or may not help the bottom line-although it does immediately lower the cost of execution it may not achieve the strategic goals for an organization.

Instead of focusing on a number or a percentage reduction, using this methodology of finding hidden costs, you will be surprised at the overall cost savings available while retaining the integrity of the marketing and sales plan and establish a consistent corporate image.

For more insights or if you have questions about the process of creating a consistent brand, reach out to me.  I love hearing from you and sharing tips on how this strategy can help you get promoted.

As always thanks to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.

Have you been wondering how to demonstrate value past the obvious metrics of your program so leadership, and more importantly your boss sees your contribution to the organization?  So often marketers are truly the unsung shero or hero of their trade show program. 

When a trade show, event or program goes flawlessly, it is taken for granted that it is as we like to say at Exhibitus-Easy as Pie.  But you know how many moving parts there are-and want to share that without feeling like you are bragging right?  First-it isn't showing off if you are successful at your job-it is giving your organization something they need a way to boost the bottom line.

And yet-why is it that you might feel stuck, not able to get traction and recognition?  Here are some possible reasons and then 5 ways you can remove obstacles and break free to move up in your organization. 

3 Common Pitfalls of Perception:

1. Busy doesn't mean efficient. In an interview with Jodi Devlin, who is now a CEO, she perceives constant work as evidence of not being able to get work done efficiently.  While it may be perceived that leaders appreciates hard work-are looking for streamlined processes.  Look for ways to reduce those late-night hours.
2. Meeting job requirements isn't reason enough for recognition. I once had a boss say that he was raised with the belief if you are doing your job that is meeting the baseline of your job-and doesn't earn a promotion.  It is doing the exceptional over and above that gets recognition and not before you high vault above that bar.
3. I don't need help. If you are resistant relying on team members, or your partners for support because you believe it somehow shows your organization that you are mindful of budgets-guess again.  Going back to the first item on this list-using resources make sure you are using available resources to increase your efficiency so you can focus on ways to demonstrate the value you add to your organization.

Not all of you fall into these traps of wanting to show value-and that is great!!  If you said this is not me-high five!  Now for the part that you we all need-how can we can we increase value and elevate our contribution within the organization.

5 Tips to Boost your Visibility and Get Promoted

1. Link all goals and objectives for every program to the corporate goals. For example, in an interview with Marcia Deem, the Exhibitor Allstar winner-she had specific sales goals for the company and devised an innovative solution to reach those goals.
2. Level up the conversation. Meet with finance, procurement and other areas and find out what they need to shine-helping others within the organization show results will not only boost impressions it also makes you more marketable for cross functional opportunities.
3. Identify and Solve challenges. Every marketing program has challenges-whether it is budget reductions, lead management follow up, attendee targeting, there are always one or two areas that come up on post event internal surveys.  Look at trends and devise a solution.  Unsure how to do this?  Tap into your network and ask for advice.  If you aren't yet a member of the Exhibitor Online community-join the LinkedIn group-or you can join our Rock Your Trade Show LinkedIn group and ask the experts in our private group for advice.
4. Track successes and demonstrate to your boss. Many of you have one on one's with your boss.  In those discussions make sure you always take examples of how you solved a challenge and stakeholder feedback.  Remind them of your initiatives and how they help improve key goals-efficiencies, value, increased sales whatever they are show that your program is aligning to the overarching goals and solving key challenges faced by stakeholders.
5. Find your blue ocean and own it. Recently there was an article about the exhibit industry that stated there really aren't any new trends to share.  It was an interesting observation but it also raised the need more than ever to look for a new innovation and set the trend.  If you aren't familiar with "Blue Ocean Strategy" there is an excellent book that highlights how to stand out and create a market innovation in an unexpected way. 

A favorite story from the book is about Cirque du Soleil.  That company changed the conversation and elevated the circus experience, moving away from animals and focusing on people.  The result-a hugely successful entertainment enterprise that commands high priced ticket sales in multiple cities. 

That example has stuck with me and was a contributing influence for this podcast.  Before Rock Your Trade Show, there wasn't a podcast that focused on empowering women marketers in the trade show industry.  Market research, interviews with onsite exhibit managers, directors and product managers showed that there was a need to help you specifically in your career. 

What do you think would be your blue ocean-it doesn't have to be a huge life altering change?  It can be something simple that relates to market share and how you are increasing the piece of the pie for your organization.  If you are a destination booth-meaning your brand is iconic and attendees will automatically come to you to see what's new-think about how you could change the experience unexpectedly for your staff and attendees that fosters collaboration for example.

 Even if you are a known brand-going into a new vertical may present you with being the unknown entity.  Perhaps you are trying out the waters in an inline whereas in the primary market you have a large island how can you create your blue ocean-that makes people talk about their experience and encourages them to talk about you?  For insights about how to do this-check out episode 59 with Glenda Brungardt.

And if you are looking for help on any of the tips mentioned today, reach out to me, I love hearing from you and helping you achieve success with your trade show program and career.