Rock Your Trade Show

Sometimes it can be hard to know how to go past cost per lead to demonstrate value you're your face-to-face marketing program.  If you struggle with showing leadership value for your program-this episode will help you focus on key metrics and help you become a trade show shero or hero!

In a recent interview with Melanie Neal, she said something that has stuck with me.  When Melanie receives a request for a new initiative she will ask the requester "What does the data tell us?".  Melanie, who is a Vice President at a large healthcare is on to something, and so often we shy away from data and rely on other factors like competitive advantages or FOMO (fear of missing out) which in face-to-face marketing is more like fear of what competitors and clients will think.

So how can we embrace data and start using it to our advantage? Here is a story to show why data is so important.  Our results division provides analysis and ROI modeling for trade shows.  In a recent project, Lynn Reves, our Marketing and Results Division Director shared that we are able to justify the spend for large trade show exhibit using ROI modeling that proves out the spend is paid for before leads are generated.  Sound good?

Imagine, if you could go to leadership and say "we need to be at this show-here is the data to show why, and by the way we have metrics that demonstrate how this show pays for itself"!  It is easy to overlook, or under-value key metrics that help deliver this message.  Here are five things to consider for your program and how data evaluation will help you move the ROI justification needle. 

5 Ways to Demonstrate Value with Data

1. Define show goals and objectives to go beyond cost per lead. What does your company need to do to achieve sales results?  If you have a long sales cycle-it easy to rely on that timeline as a reason why it is hard to show ROI.  But don't fall into that trap!  There are ways to move your sales and marketing initiatives forward even if it is a 6-18 month selling cycle. Establish milestones that demonstrate your face-to-face program helped sway the customer to "Yes".
2. Close the loop on post show follow up. Even if your company has the best CRM system in the world, if leads aren't followed up on-and no action is taken, the value of the long-term solution for that customer is diminished to a faded memory.  This is one of the biggest challenges for trade show marketers and also one of the keys to success. 
3. Align Sales and Marketing so that there is a common objective. Our free program assessment shows time and again that when sales and marketing making adjustments can be the key difference in achieving targeted goals.  When marketing and sales take the survey they can see visually on the results what they can do to improve together instead of in a silo.
4. Focus on four key areas of measurement at your next show: new business, customer retention, value of promotion and communications, and cost avoidance. Each area has strategies that require actions to be made onsite exhibit staff. The first one-new business is obvious and the reason most companies attend a trade show.  Customer retention is often overlooked and it can lead to missed opportunities to grow the business you already have.  Add a value to your promotion (this can be sponsorship and advertising outreach for a show) and it will help bolster the data to show the exposure you are winning by attending.  Lastly-the cost avoidance is the one area that when truly implemented can in some cases pay for the entire conference.  If for example, you have a global company and senior leaders will be at the show-creating internal meetings instead of traveling separately to meet at a different time can really add up and the efficiency adds to the overall bottom line for the company.
5. Go Beyond Cost Per lead. Measure these areas to really show results:
   • Executive Participation
   • Thought Leadership
   • Press and PR impact
   • Business development and competitive surveillance
   • Return on Objectives
   • Tech/Product Showcase
   • Cost-cost index to measure cost savings
   • Return on Investment-payback ratio

The last one on this list is the most valuable as it gives you the data you need to really measure the overall effectiveness of your program. 

Now that you have gathered the data you need a strategy to share this information you are ready to share it with your boss and leadership.  Hopefully as you embarked on the data journey you discovered what is the most important measurement for your company.  For some organizations, it could be as simple of staying ahead of the competition.  

Other companies have deeper strategic goals like increasing market share or increasing the sales prospect by expanding cross selling between products.  Whatever they are-they should be the cornerstone of your messaging.

In preparation for your presentation to leadership, keep it simple.  Don't rely a huge slide deck-but rather have one page that summarizes your findings.  Often your time with leadership is very short and the more concise you are, the increased chances of achieving your results.  Remember these three tips-prepare, share and end with a call to action.  Just like your sales reps on the show floor, ask for what it is you need to help you continue to be successful.  One of my guests, Christine DiDomenico shared that when she met with leadership she had three columns, must do, nice to do and out of the box initiatives.  If you prepare your call to action with this in mind it will help shape the conversation and you will achieve your results.

How valued do you feel your trade show program is within your organization?  Do you feel like there is a disconnect between sales, marketing and leadership?  Check out our free online assessment and discover gaps and how you can align all stakeholders together.

I hope you have found this information helpful, if I can be of any help to you as you demonstrate and validate your program, reach out to me at rockyourtradeshow.com/lets talk I love hearing from you!

Credits: A special thanks to Christy Haussler from Team Podcast for editing this episode.

Asking your connections for help can make some of us hesitate or worse not act on our instincts at all out of fear they might say no to our request.  It comes down to being prepared so that we feel confident when we engage both our network as well as new connections we are at ease and comfortable in what we want to say.  Senior leaders on this show have shared how their network served them well when faced with a difficult choice or job transition.  And let's face it.  Your circle of influence is there for you when you need them and ready for when you aren't expecting it.

If you want tips on how to be prepared for what to say-check out episode 08 with Robyn Sayles and episode 13 with Tara Lynn Foster.  This episode is going to go beyond the obvious statement that you need a personal network.  And it even past building your personal advisory board as described in episode 41 building your circle of influence.  This is what to do once you have people in your corner-one of the things people forget doing is asking their circle of influence to help them in powerful ways.

Now I have a question for you-what would you do if…you will fill in the blank:

You are standing in line at Starbucks and strike up a friendly conversation with someone-but it's like the experience on a plane when you meet someone and then never see them again and walk away without sharing information, or you take the conversation further and offer to potentially help that person, become LinkedIn and start a new connection with that person.

Maybe you are thinking-I don't see anyone at Starbucks I would want to know-hey I get it.  Sometimes you want your quiet time without interruptions.  But, chance doesn't happen.  Opportunities present themselves to you and when you see them-you need to seize that moment.

This experience happened to me just this week.  I was in Florida and all week, I noticed this Empowering women conference around the hotel.  I saw women who looked like business owners, entrepreneurs and one thing they all shared was a confidence about them when they walked by or like this situation-standing at Starbucks.

Standing next to a woman in line, we struck up a conversation and I asked: "Are you here for the women's conference?".  It turned out she was and after a few short moments, we realized that we shared a common passion for empowering women and I offered to make an introduction to one of my guests from this podcast whom I thought shared a common interest and would be helpful to her.

Now-you may be thinking- "that never happens to me."  But, I want to challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and try to meet one person you didn't know and offer to be of service to them.

If you are feeling stuck-don't work here are five tips to empower you to take action.

5 Ways Tips to Engage Your Connections

1. Decide where you need help. Look at the details of your career and program-there areas of your job that you feel confident and know how to execute.  Then there are situations you aren't sure how to handle-for example how to get executives to be more involved at your biggest show.  It may be in your organization that there are several layers between you and the President/CEO.  Navigating to that person can be a challenge.  Having a senior advocate in your arsenal will not only help give you access, but they can also help you create a plan and deliver a compelling story as to why the President's participation will help close business.  Know what you need before you ask.
2. Request introductions. If you need to engage a leader within your organization but don't know them-ask someone you know to help-preferably a sponsor or senior advisor.
3. Be of Service to Others. If you are looking to ask a leader for their help-know what is important to them before you ask.  For example, if increasing revenues at your face-to-face marketing is important-show how it will be mutually beneficial to collaborate together to have the President attend your next conference and interact with VIP attendees.
4. Follow up on your ask. If you received help, and introduction or other advice, thank the person who provided the assistance.  Share the steps you took following your conversation.
5. Share your success. Everyone feels good knowing they helped achieve results.  Be sure to not be shy, share how the steps you followed at their recommendation led to exceeding goals and objectives for your program.

 The most important thing you can do right now is decide where you need help and who can provide you with the assistance you need.  Take action today and you will make steps to being noticed and promoted.  Please reach out to me with any questions at Rock Your Trade Show I love hearing from you!

Credits: Thank you to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode!

Are you ready to make a move if an opportunity comes your way? For Ann Carter, Vice President of Purchasing and Supplier Management, being prepared is the key to advancing in your career.  Ann provides insights about why soliciting feedback is so important and offers actionable advice on best practices for collaborating with purchasing and how to solve complex challenges.  This interview provides so many insights you will want to listen to the very end!

8 Best Practices to Implement in Your Career and Business

1. Use emotional intelligence - ask for feedback.If you feel there are obstacles in your way, it is important to ask for feedback and learn from it.  Listen to the feedback, coarse correct where you can be successful and remember to stay authentic to who you are.  Ann recommends to "go for it, don't look back and don't let ethnicity be a hindrance."
2. Be honest when you find you are stuck.It is important to remember you are the first person who can implement a change.  Talk to other groups across your organization, share your interests and be sure to let your boss know what you want to do.
3. Considering a pivot - your skills are transferrable.Ann made several career moves and she shares how leadership, analytical skills are all applicable in different roles.
4. Include face-to-face contact for global teams.  Ann shares at the heart people are the same no matter where they are located. In addition to using video technology, there is no replacement for in-person connections. 
5. Collaborating with purchasing should include these 3 things:
   1. Get purchasing involved as early as possible in a project. Remember that purchasing are stewards in selecting 3rdparty vendors and there to help.
   2. Make sure there is a clear definition of what it is you want. What is the product and service you need.  Ambiguity makes the selection process difficult.
   3. Understand supplier selection is a process. It starts with selection and interview suppliers that have the right services and then choose the right partner.
6. Purchasing is an integral partner of an organization especially when natural disasters strike. Ann tells a great story about how her company formed a SWAT team to fly supplies to Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria.
7. Be prepared for opportunities to come your way. Plan where you want to go and be ready for the chance to make a move.  If you take too much time to decide the role may go to someone else.
8. Leadership means having faith and being eager to learn. As long as you are learning, the experience will follow.

Favorite resource-"Leading at the Edge"by Dennis Perkins, Margaret Holtman and Jillian Murphy.  There are 10 leadership principles and the one she likes the best:

"Never give up-there is always another way." Ann Carter.

If you would like help with leading teams or any of the content covered in this interview, reach out to me, I love to hear from you!

Thanks as always to Christy Haussler and Team Podcastfor editing this episode.

Have you ever had a conversation that had so many insights you wanted to take notes? Then you will want to list to this interview with Melanie Neal, a Vice President who is a creative problem solver, inclusive leader, organizational innovator and customer advocate.  Melanie shares incredible wisdom that is not only uplifting but actionable and will immediately impact your career.

11 Innovative Leadership Tips To Move Your Career Forward

1. Look for variety in the roles you take on at work. Melanie shares how a willingness to learn and being open to what an opportunity might present is the best way to be seen as a versatile leader and gain transferable skills.
2. Seize an opportunity and choose not to have all the boxes checked.

"Why would you want to go for a job where you didn't have the opportunity to learn something new or for professional growth?"     – Melanie Neal

1. Timing doesn't always work the way you think it should. Be ready to adapt to external and internal conditions and "push towards something that is better and bring people along with you".
2. To be a good leader you must be willing to pause, listen and understand a situation. Followed by being open, transparent and proactive with communication to your team.  The worst thing that happens with change is no change at all and people questioning-why do we still have this issue.
3. When faced with a challenging situation be open minded and prepared and ask "What does the data show us". If you are presenting to leadership or stakeholders have the data to back up your recommendation.
4. If a problem comes up, remember not to take it personally. This takes practice and the more you can look at a situation without "natural bias" the more prepared you will be to see the full picture.
5. The only constant is change. Ask yourself if you are in a progressive company "Are there things I need to do to adapt" and find a way to be a leader during times of change.
6. Choose a word for 2019 and live it. For Melanie, she chose relevance because of the importance to be resilient and flexible ahead of time.
7. Change how people see you by understanding your company's goals. Determine if you are aligned with those goals and how can you contribute to achieving them.
8. Be proactive to increase your visibility. Set up weekly updates with your boss to demonstrate your contribution and strategic thinking as it relates to the overall goals of your organization.
9. Embrace advice through mentorship. Both the mentor and mentee have a lot to gain by working together.  A mentor can provide value to be there and support, push you out on that limb and provide safety harness, I believe in you, I know you can do it.

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." Mark Twain

Consider being a Mentor-it is an opportunity to share, give back and have a significant impact on someone's career.

If you are looking to gain visibility with your marketing program and want to get promoted reach out to me, I love hearing from you!

Melanie's Two Favorite Resources:

Women's Leadership: The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

Daily Leadership News: HBR Daily

As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler and Team Podcast for editing this episode!

Want to really differentiate your marketing program this year? Check out how Marcia Deem, CTSM recently won two big awards, MeetingsNet 2018 Changemakers award for Leaders, Innovators and Disruptors as well as the Exhibitor All Star Award and how it differentiated her marketing program.  Each award included doing something truly disruptive in the trade show industry and Marcia demonstrated innovation, taking risks and more importantly finding ways to think way outside the box.  Marcia taped into her creativity to win stakeholder buy-in, achieve measurable financial results and establish new customer evangelists at a new industry vertical show.  Discover how you can rock your trade show program and become an all-star like Marcia by implementing her strategies.

6 Power Tips To Stand Out and Win Buy-In

1. Involve Leadership: Invite key executives within your organization to be speakers and stay involved in the event.
2. Show Value: Marcia shares how she showed ROI for each event using a dashboard that was shared with decision makers within her organization. Leadership were so impressed with the results that they increased their participation from 2 to 70 shows.
3. Create an Online Meeting Hub: Realizing that having information centrally located, Marcia created a single location where employees could gain access.
4. Find a Cheerleader Who Will Encourage You. Marcia shared how Robyn Davis recommended she submit her name for the Exhibitor Magazine All Star award.  Having Robyn's support made the difference and Marcia to reach out to her boss and write up their success story.
5. Enter a New Market and Attract New Customers. Marcia shares her 3-part strategy to convert potential new prospects to become evangelists for her company in a new vertical by implementing an advisory panel of new customers, create buzz before, during and after the show.
6. Become a Speaker at an Industry Conference. If you really want to differentiate yourself, try speaking at a conference-and it can be a panel like Marcia is going to do at ExhibitorLive in her Peer2Peer Improvement Panel.

If you want to achieve results like Marcia mentions in this episode, check out our free Results Assessment or reach out to me, I love helping you achieve your goals!

Favorite Resource: "You are a Badass How to stop doubting Your Greatness and start living your Awesome Life" by Jen Sincero.

Marcia shared two favorite quotes from this book:

"Because so often we say we are unqualified for something, what we are really saying is that we are too scared to try it, not that we can't do it"-Jen Sincero

Final words of inspiration "You need to go from wanting to change your life, to deciding to change your life"-Jen Sincero

Special thanks as always to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode!

Are you planning out your 2019 year?  If you are in the throes of planning goals and the path to achieve those goals think about this…You can 10x your success if you do this one thing.  Make a personal intention of creating your personal brand.  Don't worry-if you are thinking "I have no idea how to do that-you are not alone!"  Today we are going on a personal journey together, using Roz Usheroff book "The Future of You: Creating Your Enduring Brand" as the blueprint.

Before we embark on this project-remember we are striving for progress-so that when we look back we can think-yes!  I did that!  Don't worry you got this.

Conduct Your Own Personal Market Research.

For marketers familiar with focus groups-understanding habits, experiences and perceptions directly impacts the way brands plan strategies.  It is no different for our personal branding-we need to first know where we are to go forward.  This is the hardest part of the process-don't let it stop you.  Survey what you think is your perceived personal brand and then compare it against what the truth is.  Roz says something so true "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it!"  Remember – knowledge is power.  Harness what others think and if you don't feel the feedback is aligned with your own perception the good news is that we all have the chance to course correct any time we choose to do so. 

Create Your Personal Mission Statement

Just like a company who has a mission statement-yours will help remind yourself and express to colleagues, leaders, and your boss-this is what I aspire to be.  Roz identifies that "The mission statement helps you identify and articulate your beliefs and core values".  Here are her tips to develop your mission statement:

"Who? Describe yourself…talents, gifts, and attributes"

"What? Outline your goals for the use of those talents"

"How?  Describe the outcome, including the impact that you want to make and the impression you want to leave behind".

Find Ways to be Memorable

For introverts-and I feel you-as an extroverted introvert-the thought of putting yourself "out there" can feel overwhelming.  But remember whether you intentionally or unintentionally want to express your personal brand-you are and will be expressing it…so why not create your personal brand the way You Want to Be Remembered?  Roz shares a quote from Seth Godin "Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable".  If you don't know that book, I will have a link in the show notes-everyone needs to stand out like a purple cow!

Roz reminds us that "your personal brand is 'the sum of every experience others have of you'".  Think about how others experience you-if you are a marketer-do you pitch your idea for product promotion?  How was that experience for you-and more importantly how was it for your team, the target audience, your boss?  Did you make an impression and rock the meeting?  If people came up to you afterwards asking you for advice-you know that you made an impact.

Ready to take your memorability to the next level?  It is so important to be visible.  Recently, I had someone suggest it is important to network across divisions.  If you work in a large corporation and the headquarters are not in your location or if the company you work in is very large-what steps do you do daily weekly to gain visibility.

Roz shares many examples of people getting passed over for promotions even though they surpassed financial goals and expectations.  This is at the core of why having a strong personal brand is so important.  Don't shy away from raising your hand to be seen-volunteer for opportunities that stretch your comfort zone and may not directly relate to your job. Ask yourself throughout the process-do people seek out my advice?  If yes then your visibility is memorable-double bonus points!

One of my favorite questions Roz suggests you ask others to help establish your personal brand is "If you were going to open up your own company, what position would you offer me and why?" and then follow up with "What qualities do I possess that make you see me in that position?"

You may be wondering, even after you receive their feedback-whether it is the right stuff to make you stand out, be both visible and memorable.  Here Roz offers an important lesson about finding your unique ability.  Often, we overlook our unique ability because it comes "easy to us".  Do you think if something is too easy-it cannot be enough to make you stand out and be memorable?  Quite the opposite is true. 

Consider finding what makes you unique by examining talents you have right now that which people ask you about the most.  Think about colleagues and co-workers who seek you out for help on projects.  Do you have a pattern of something that comes up over and over again?  Create that as your enduring differentiator and expand on it.  For example-personally I am passionate about helping empower women.  When I attend a conference or an event and see familiar faces, I am often approached and asked to grab coffee and help provide career insights.  In fact, this is the reason I started Rock Your Trade show and yet—I often overlook this unique ability because it is something in my DNA-I enjoy serving others and helping comes naturally.  I could overlook this or leverage it to create something that stands out.  Now think about a similar scenario for yourself…anything come to mind?  Use the first thing that pops up as the starting point to truly create something that will help you stand out.

And if you really want to take being memorable-and increase your visibility even more-try adding in servant leadership. Why?  Because when we offer others our help with no expectation in return it will draw people unexpectedly towards your unique ability.  Roz highlights the key qualities of a servant leader "listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth, and building community".  We don't have to use every single one of these to be a servant leader, but you should try to use at least 3 of these qualities on a regular basis and discover the rewards of helping others.

We have up to now focused on learning about ourselves, what makes us unique and how we can be memorable and visible.  Now what?  It is time to become our own PR agency.  This doesn't mean to brag about our accomplishments-which is often why many of us do the opposite and hide behind them.  In fact-many of us grew up with the notion that it is somehow "bad" to talk about a goal we achieved and so we should not acknowledge it.  How many of us have said when asked about reaching a milestone as "it was nothing"?  This doesn't serve you in your career. 

So how do we achieve recognition without seeming to brag about it?  Roz points to changing our definition of PR to be "the means by which you can share how your unique ability can assist those you seek to serve in terms of getting them to where they want to go."

This is where servant leadership can really help you to highlight your success.  How have you helped a colleague, leader, volunteer, client, mentor or even sponsor shine?  When you take an interest in helping someone else, there is gratitude expressed by the recipient and they are happy to share appreciate for your help. 

Several years ago, I took a course called Courageous Confidence by Chalene Johnson.  One of the key things I learned was to keep a confidence file-whereby others who had shared their positive thoughts about something I did could be used to help me whenever I had doubts about an ability.  Your unique ability is something others really value-and sharing how it has helped others will help you to have the courage to keep using it.

Still unsure where to go for inspiration-think about LinkedIn.  It is the perfect platform to recommend a colleague-not just click on the recommend a skill but really write a recommendation.  In turn, by helping others you will find that there is a reciprocal effect whereby colleagues and professional acquaintances are happy to take the light you shined on them and shine it back.  As Roz calls this "…true PR and personal branding is one of drawing attention to what others can achieve with your help and expertise."  By helping others achieve success you will "become indispensable" and your personal brand will reflect who you truly are.

Now that we have taken these 4 keys steps-it is time to take action.  After all, a plan without execution remains only a dream.  The last step-for you to truly make your brand known is to network.  For some of us, networking comes easier than to others.  Remember-it wasn't always easy, like any skill it takes practice!

You have your mission statement, and all the tools in your personal branding kit, it is time to create your elevator pitch.  I highly encourage you to listen to two episodes focused on elevator pitches-Episode 08 with Robyn Sayles-how to share your personal brand in 9 seconds and Episode 13 with Tara Lynn Foster-How Marketers Can Discover What Makes You Great.  Both will help you create your elevator pitch.

Identify where you can share your story-at networking events, industry events, as a speaker and even guest commentator on a blog or industry publication. Visibility to who you are will help perpetuate your brand.

As a final note about this book and Roz Usheroff, she is truly someone who exemplifies her personal brand.  I have had the honor of knowing her, speaking with her on a panel and she was a guest on this show.  One of the things she says in the closing of her emails is "Always Be Amazing".  Her uplifting spirit and incredible dedication to serving others is an inspiration for all of us!

At the beginning of this episode I said there would be a challenge at the end.  So here it is-create your personal brand-your mission statement and elevator pitch and share it with me.  I will be honored to feature them here and in the Rock Your Trade Show LinkedIn group.  And for your courage- you will be entered to win in our Exhibitus drawing for a full registration pass to ExhibitorLive 2019.  So don't delay, include your personal brand as part of your goals for 2019. 

As always, if I can help you in anyway as you start this journey, reach out to me at rockyourtradeshow.com/let'stalk I love hearing from you!

Special thanks to Christy Haussler and Team Podcast for editing this episode

When is the right time to develop a new pitch?  For Jay Bonansinga, author of "The Walking Dead" books, film director and HCEAInnovate Session Speaker, it starts immediately with the idea.  In his 90 minute session, Jay immersed attendees in the creative process that started with picking an idea and then developing the plan to sell it to the audience.  So much goes on when developing ideas that will win over the audience and Jay shares secrets in this episode that will help you with your next pitch.

In this episode you will learn key elements to include in your next presentation.  Whether you need to win over stakeholders, gain leadership support or win an RFP the ingredients for creating a pitch are the same.

6 Steps to Creating a Pitch

1. Know your audience. Before you even come up with an idea-decide why your audience needs the solution you are going to pitch.
2. Collaborate with others.  The best pitch happens when there is a creative brainstorming process where you share ideas and develop a strategy.
3. Develop a clear marketing plan. When delivering your idea, it is important that you include all of the elements and keep it simple so the audience
4. Tell a compelling story. In the pitch "competition" between the two groups at HCEAInnovate, one of the elements that helped the teams was communicating the solution via a story.
5. Anticipate questions during and after the pitch. When developing the overall strategy, include possible objections, or barriers to the solution and be ready to offer alternative ideas.
6. Ask for the Order. During a pitch, it is easy to get caught up in the details and omit the most important last step-asking the audience to choose your solution. This happened to both teams at HCEAInnovate in part because of the time limit and it was a helpful lesson to learn for all in the audience.

In addition to discussing the pitch, Jay shares so many great insights on how he got started as a writer, the creative process, and more.  Be sure to listen to the end for insider information on where you can meet Jay at upcoming events. 

If you missed Part 1 of this series, listen to Episode 60 for what it was like to participate in the pitch experience.

Would you like help winning leadership buy-in for your trade show program?  Reach out to me, I would love to help!

A Big Thank You to Jay Bonansinga for hosting the interview in his office!  

Resources:  Jay Bonansinga   

Series about how to do The Pitch on AMC

Credits: Thanks as always to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.

Do you ever feel stuck trying to come up with a pitch?  This live interview with GE Healthcare's Eva Streich and Faye Jermyn Faye offers firsthand insights into what it was like to be a participating attendee at HCEAInnovate. They describe why they joined a team in the session "The Art of the Healthcare Pitch" with Jay Bonansinga, author of the Walking Dead book series. Eva and Faye take us on the journey of coming up with all of the components to create a live pitch in only 10 minutes and so much more!

Experience firsthand in this live interview what it was like to attend HCEAInnovate, finding their people and why they are both considering embarking on their CTSM certification through ExhibitorLive. 

6 Key Elements to Doing a Group Pitch

1. Establish roles quickly. When you have only 10 minutes to develop a pitch it is important to figure out who will be delivering each element.
2. Determine personas for the product. Establish who will want to buy it and why.
3. Identify the product benefits: Review how will the target personas benefit from using the product.
4. Create a marketing strategy. Figure out the right marketing channels from print, t.v. to face-to-face marketing at trade shows.
5. Invent a story to tell for the pitch. Imagine each persona and describe how their lives will be impacted by the product.
6. Ask for the business. Even though you are in an imaginary scenario, remember to win you need to ask the group to choose your team.

If you need help pitching your ideas for your trade show program, reach out to me, I would love to help.

Be sure to catch Part 2 of the "Art of the Pitch" with author, director, Jay Bonansinga.

Resources:

HCEA

ExhibitorLive

 Credits: A big thanks as always to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.

Wishing you could attend all of the sessions at #ExhibitorLive?  This interview is with session speaker Glenda Brungardt, CTSM, Global Event Manager at HP.  Glenda shares amazing tips that span budgets, measurement to working with unions.  Glenda describes "...it's no longer about a demo on the show floor, it's about figuring out what is the customer experience like when they visit HP."  She describes what it's like being a destination exhibit, hosting user conferences and being new to a market.  The key is to find time saving strategies that will help you focus on what really matters for your trade show program.

5 Tips to Advance Your Event Marketing Strategy

1. Be true to your brand. Think about what is your brand solution, and what it is that you want the attendee to interact with so that you can have a conversation with that person.
2. One size doesn't fit all. The biggest thing you need to do is listen to stakeholders so you can come back with a solution that fits their unique need.
3. Decisions need to be more than cost per lead. Look at other areas that show return it isn't only about sales sometimes it is about exposure and how attendees experience your brand.
4. Develop a system based on the history of your program. Streamline 80% of the tactical side of the event so the focus is on the 20% that creates an individual experience.
5. Understand the union jurisdiction in the venue city.  Glenda teaches people what an "exhibitor bill of rights" can do and the benefit to organizations when they know the potential of what is in their power to do.

Final thoughts: "You have love what you do, knowing you are o.k. with the travel schedule…and this is an industry that is all about relationships."  

Ready to take your program to the next level?  Reach out to me I would love to help.  For more interviews on #ExhibitorLive visit www.rockyourtradeshow.com

Resources:

HP uses this Smart Sheet

Glenda can be contacted on LinkedIn.

Credits: Thanks as always to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.

Have you been thinking about how you can take your trade show event program to the next level?  Kimberly Kee, Event Marketer at Jeppesen, a Boeing company, shares insights from her CTSM sessions at #ExhibitorLive.  Find out how you can re-think your approach to budgeting, find ways to leverage your negotiated contracts to offer incentives for sales reps and more. 

Kimberly provides stories about her personal experiences from being an exhibit manager, becoming a consultant and going back to corporate event management. If you missed going to ExhibitorLive, Kimberly describes the tips and tricks from her 5 sessions this year.  Listen to this interview and walk away with actions you can take today in your trade show event program.

4 Tips In This Episode:

1. Leverage Contracts: Look at what you have negotiated for hotels and use the perks for your sales team.
2. Evaluate Your Budget: Review how effective your participation is and if you are reaching the right target audience.
3. Enhance Corporate Events: There are no set rules, re-imagine what your corporate experience can look like.
4. Become A Speaker: Leading a session at #ExhibitorLive offers the unique opportunity of getting training and gain recognition in the industry and within your organization.

Find more interviews like this on at www.rockyourtradehso.com and if you have a question or would like help with your trade show program, reach out to me at www.rockyourtradeshow.com/letstalk.

Credits: A big thanks as always to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.