SOS! It's the Same Old Show

Breathing new life into an old event

By Rayna Skolnik

"A long-running show, no matter how successful, needs rejuvenation and regeneration or it can become stale." So says Will Little, President of George Little Management, who speaks from experience -- positive experience, that is. His company manages the New York International Gift Fair, which is about 60 years old and is held twice a year. Despite its longevity, "The show has never faltered once, even in recessions," says Little.

He describes the most recent rejuvenation: "Over the last six to eight years, we've created several specialty sections that brought in new manufacturers who otherwise might not have been interested in the show. These sections also create interest among attendees and attract additional high-volume buyers."

Successful show managers know the importance of the proverbial "ounce of prevention" in keeping a long-running show compelling for both exhibitors and attendees. It's often possible to "cure" a show's ills, but it is certainly more difficult than preventing them. So, before looking at some actions that show management can take when trouble strikes, let's consider how savvy show managers head off trouble.

Staying current with the industry is critical, says Peter Shaw, Vice President of Business Development for The Interface Group, producer of the Comdex computer shows. "We spend a lot of time talking with key exhibitors to find out about their technologies, their market focus -- how they would like to use the show," Shaw explains. "We read trade books, track technology trends and user trends -- we have specific groups in the company doing that." Each show also has an advisory board. "We use them as a sounding board for our own ideas. Are they current? Will attendees be interested?" Shaw recognizes that even in an industry that has a continuing influx of new products, the show could decline if show management was out of touch with the market.

Research is the key for Dan Weber, Executive Director of the Institute of Food Technologists. For example, the results of a recent postshow survey prompted him to do an in-depth study of the conference program. "We didn't have an attendance problem," he points out, "but there were some signs that we needed to strengthen the program." The signs: Attendees reported spending slightly fewer hours at the conference sessions than in the past, and didn't rate the conference sessions as high as the exhibits. Not one to wait for trouble to develop, Weber held focus groups with the various individuals involved in planning and presenting the conference program, mailed a survey to non-attendees to find out why they stayed away and queried attendees with an at-show electronic survey.

"From the research, we learned that we needed to broaden our program," says Weber. "A lot of it was geared to academia, not industry. We needed to add more industry trends and issues."

Ben Mold, Vice President of Boat Shows for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, explains how he avoids stagnation: "We think of it as being zero-based. We start over every year. Otherwise, with long-established shows, you can fall into a rut." One source of new ideas for Mold is a postshow survey of all exhibitors. They are asked to complete the thought-provoking statement, "If this were my show, I would..."

If a show falters, it can often be revived. That involves evaluating the name of the show, its focus, its venue and everything in between. Here are a number of specific ideas that show managers have found effective in solving or preventing problems that can beset a long-running show.

Form an advisory committee
If you don't already get regular input from exhibitors and attendees, this could be the time to start. That was the first step toward new vigor for the American Meat Institute.

In 1989, the year that its show was 85 years old, AMI noted a decline in attendance. "If a show is experiencing problems, management needs to review the programs and services to determine if they are relevant to the audience the exhibitors want to see," observes Haidee Calore, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Convention Management Group, Inc. In 1990, when CMG was hired to manage the show, it started by developing a convention committee composed of attendees -- the meat packers and processors -- and suppliers. "It was their responsibility to make sure that the convention programs were relevant to the industry," she explains.

Rename the show
A different name can give exhibitors and attendees a better understanding of the focus of the show, indicate a change in focus, or present a livelier image. All those elements apply to the new name for the former Nevada Hotel & Motel Association and Nevada Restaurant Association Show, says Tom Corcoran of Corcoran & Associates, a trade show management group in Chicago. He points out that each word in the new name -- Las Vegas International Hotel, Restaurant and Gaming Exhibition -- has its own specific purpose:

• Las Vegas -- Has more flair than "Nevada."
• International -- Intended to help attract participants from Mexico and Canada.
• Hotel -- The show offers a major opportunity for the hospitality market (and note that "motel" was dropped to upgrade the image).
• Restaurant -- There are many foodservice outlets in the area.
• Gaming -- To alert participants to a new element that had been added to the show.
• Exhibition -- This word was chosen rather than "exposition" because it is a European term and strengthens the international positioning.

Meanwhile, the name of the International Exhibitors Association show was changed to clarify the focus, says Calore. The logo -- TS2 -- is a clever designation for the "Trade Show about Trade Shows." It's meaningful to members and those who recall when it was introduced. However, says Calore, "We found from informal telemarketing to exhibitors that newcomers didn't fully understand what the show had to offer." As part of the restaging of the show, the name was made more specific: The Exhibit Industry Conference and Exposition. But the TS2 logo was retained because many people were accustomed to it and expected to see it.

As for the American Meat Institute's show, "It had always been called the AMI Expo," says Calore. Using the key test, "We asked how that name was relevant to the attendee or exhibitor, and we repositioned the show as the International Meat Industry Convention & Exposition."

Broaden the promotion list
Corcoran cautions against mailing exclusively to the previous show's attendees. "Usually 50 percent of the audience at a mature show returns," he points out. "If you only mail to last year's list, you're losing half your audience." He recommends trade magazines as a good source of new names because they continually update their lists.

Exhibitors can also offer guidance, either by providing lists or by telling show managers what direction to take. AMI exhibitors wanted more middle managers -- plant managers and production supervisors, for example. "To attract those people, we needed to provide additional value so that they could justify attending," says Calore. That was done by adding a conference program and organizing it into tracks that corresponded to the job functions of those AMI was targeting. Next, the promotion list was segmented by targeted job function. Then, when promotional material was mailed, recipients were directed to the specific programs in the conference brochure that would interest them.

AMI also wanted more international attendees. "We did a lot of list development," Calore says. "We worked with international trade publications, especially in Latin America. We worked with foreign commercial posts and also with the International Trade Administration, which gave us demographics on what countries were buying meat-processing equipment. And we did trade-outs with show managers in Germany, France and Mexico -- trading exhibit space, media lists and portions of our attendance promotion lists."

The payoff for AMI at its 1991 show: Attendance rose 28 percent, and international attendance jumped 50 percent, with the major growth coming from the countries that had been targeted with promotions.

Revamp the promotional literature
"A lot of show managers will spend $25,000 getting exhibitors, but nothing on getting attendance," Corcoran observes. "You have to spend money on promotion. You must have well-designed direct mail pieces using color and highlighting the keynote speakers." And one very specific recommendation: "Use a maximum of two floor shots -- one overhead, and one of two people talking." Otherwise, he cautions, it's just another routine brochure.

CMG changed the look and the content of the promotional literature for both AMI and IEA. First, a new color scheme was created. For AMI, a lively combination of gold, teal and red replaced the traditional red and blue. IEA switched from blue and black to teal, fuchsia, purple and blue, and a new graphic design was developed.

For both shows, an additional mailing was created -- a "Focus on Innovation" tabloid. "We had been told that not much new was happening in the meat industry," notes Calore. "But the more we talked with exhibitors, the more we learned about component changes, equipment renovations and refurbishment. The new tabloid featured articles and pictures of what would be previewed on the show floor. Potential attendees could see actual pictures and product descriptions -- rather than just a list of exhibitors -- in the promotional materials. This not only helped exhibitors sell products, but also helped targeted middle managers justify their attendance at the show because the information was value-oriented."

A similar mailing was done for IEA, and its success prompted a major shift, says Calore: "The response has been so overwhelming from both exhibitors and attendees that we won't do a separate conference brochure this year. We'll continue to make the conference portion part of the 'Focus on Innovation.'"

Change the face of the show
Color, design and layout can all contribute to a new look for a show. When promotional literature is redesigned, it's effective -- and important -- to carry that redesign onto the show floor. "CMG did the graphic design for the promotion for IEA. Then we took the design and made it the show," says Harold "Butch" Melton, Director of Sales for the Atlanta office of Freeman Decorating Company. For example, he says, the aisle signs were suspended from the truss, without any banners. "It was like looking at the promotion piece with an aisle number on it." For extra effect, the aisle signs werespotlighted. And the registration area was constructed so that it looked like a three-dimensional promotion brochure, rather than a standard registration desk.

In addition, IEA and CMG increased the exhibit height limitation to 20 feet. "We wanted to give people an opportunity to show off," Calore explains.

Exhibitor response to the many changes preceding the show was positive, and the exhibit floor increased its size by 10 percent. But on-site, "People thought we had doubled the show floor because of the dynamic environment that was created," says Calore. "The contractor did an excellent job of delivering on the expectation that the promotional materials had created. The graphics and color scheme were consistent with the entire campaign."

Probably the biggest on-site change is redrawing the floorplan. "Show managers hate to do it," says Lloyd Yanis, General Manager of Boat Shows for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, "but there is no more dramatic way to change a show. People walk in the front door, and it's not the picture they had in mind -- it's more exciting." When Yanis redraws a floorplan, however, it's generally because of something major such as a move to a new building, or, as was the case with a show last year, because of an industry shake-up.

Move it
Surveys of exhibitors and attendees -- including past and potential exhibitors and attendees can reveal if a show is being held in a city that many of them consider inconvenient or undesirable, or if the show hours or days do not fit their schedules.

But the venue could also be a problem. That was the case with the National Beer Wholesalers show, Corcoran discovered. "They had let the show get too big physically," he says. It was being held at a convention center, perhaps because that seems more important than a hotel location. But the industry simply doesn't have enough potential attendees to fill the aisles, he explains. Because of what appeared to be poor attendance, exhibitors were dissatisfied. "The association had actually reached the point where they weren't sure if they would do the show again." Corcoran recommended relocating to a hotel. Despite the smaller space in the new location, the show drew more exhibitors than ever.

Add or upgrade seminars
Time and time again, show managers point to the educational program as a key to a show's success. "The conference program reflects the breadth and depth of the focus of the show," says Shaw of The Interface Group. As an example, he points out that an exhibitor such as IBM markets a vast array of products; an attendee might not know which of those products will be shown. However, the conference program offers clues because exhibitors show products that relate to the conference topics.

Exhibitors recognize that the educational program attracts attendees. In order to draw new audience segments to the AMI show, seminar tracks on operations/production and engineering/quality control were added. Says Calore, "The exhibitors were so enthusiastic about adding a conference that they even agreed to reduce exhibit hours slightly to allow for exclusive hours for the seminars."

The more timely the seminar topics, the more attendees will feel that they must attend. Last year, the National Restaurant Association show had a program about the hungry and the homeless, says Dick Gaven, Senior Director for the NRA. "It wasn't what you'd call a blockbuster program," he says, "but it was good stuff." One topic at the upcoming show will be bioengineering. "There's much controversy about that now," he explains. "People want to know more. They want the opportunity to ask questions of a knowledgeable person, rather than just read about it."

A conference program can also be important for public shows. "What makes a consumer show click is what we call the Three E's -- Exhibits, Education and Entertainment," says Wold of NMMA. On the education side, he mentions seminars on fishing and how to decorate your yacht. "We've had seminars with fishing pros that have attracted 1,000 people," he says.

Get great speakers
Top-level speakers attract attendees, increase publicity and can even minimize exhibitor rivalry, according to Gaven at the NRA. To take that last point first, Gaven says, "I've always been hesitant to promote new product sections. If you promote one exhibitor, you offend the others -- everybody thinks they have a new product." Instead, he creates awareness for the show by having well-known speakers -- newsmakers such as Norman Schwarzkopf, Ronald Reagan, Ted Koppel and Tom Brokaw.

There's a tremendous ripple effect of having such notables on the program. "Last year, there were four thousand people in the audience for Schwarzkopf, but another three thousand thought they were there," Gaven quips. That is, those additional people told their colleagues about having been there, because they wanted to bask in the reflected glory of the event -- and the word of mouth was that much greater.

The publicity value is also enormous. "Having a name speaker gives you a recognizable photo. It can get us on the front page of the newspaper, not buried in the business section where trade shows usually are. People see the picture and say, 'This show looks like big time.'"

Gaven avoids speakers who are strictly entertainers, preferring those who either are business-related or are relevant to everyday life. He has also featured management speakers such as Tom Peters and Ken Blanchard, and general-interest writers like Robert Fulghum.

Present special events
This is an area of vast opportunity -- and need. As much as people may want to see new products, they'll be more eager to attend if there's something happening or something to do.

This is particularly true for public shows, which are a form of entertainment as well as a marketplace, and compete for people's attention with numerous other events. That is why Gold mentions entertainment as a requirement for a successful public show. But he says very specifically that he's referring not to some type of performance, but rather to participatory events that relate to the boating business -- for example, a casting contest or a winching contest.

One event that's effective at the boat shows is a "family day" promoted in conjunction with a local grocery chain. The day would be called, for example, "Vons Family Day." If a family presents either a check-cashing card or a register receipt from a Vons supermarket, only the head of the household pays the admission charge. "We usually do that on the Friday of a 10-day show, and it stimulates attendance on a slow weekday," Mold explains. "Then we have features on that day that match the family concept, for example, a father-daughter fishing contest." Wold points out that the family day promotions attract young families that often become first-time buyers. "The exhibits remain the primary focus," he says. "But with the events, we create a better show that's more conducive to selling."

Yanis notes that NMMA owns the world's oldest boat show, the New York Boat Show, which dates from 1907. Many of the association's other shows are more than 50 years old. "We're searching for something new and innovative on a regular basis," he says. "We hope it will be something new for the industry, but certainly it will be something new for that show." At the last New York Boat Show, there was a fashion show. "Clothing is a big part of what we do," Yanis says. This year, there won't be a fashion show -- it's no longer new. But there will be a wooden marina dock that was constructed for the show. "We're trying to promote the boating lifestyle," he explains.

"At public shows, don't forget about the kids," Yanis urges. "They're your buyers of the future." This year's New York Boat Show will have a remote-control race pond for children. Another popular event has been a trout pond where children can fish. "The kid who caught his first fish at the boat show will remember it," says Yanis.

Of course, special events are also important at trade shows. "We have lots of things going on around the show to maintain excitement," says Gaven at the NRA. One that worked particularly well was the American Culinary Classic, a competition that was held in 1987 and again in 1991. Fifteen teams from around the world demonstrated their culinary skills at the show, and the closing ceremony was held at Chicago's Field Museum. "We got international publicity as well as much local coverage," says Gaven.

The NRA show also features ice carving demonstrations by carvers who have won international championships, and a Chefs' Stage where well-known chefs give demonstrations in a theater setting. "If you didn't have all this, would people come?" Gaven asks, and then proceeds to answer his own question: "They would the first year but then the show would start to fade."

When AMI exhibitors feared that attendees at morning seminars might leave the building for lunch, CMG suggested serving lunch on the exhibit floor, but went a step further and turned the lunch into an event. "We learned that as much as people enjoyed seeing the packing and processing equipment on display, they rarely had a chance to sample the end product at the show," Calore explains. "We provided a restaurant area featuring meat and poultry products, many contributed by the AMI member companies."

Create specialty sections
A specialty section is a kind of show-within-a-show that highlights products or product categories that are either new or of particular interest. Promoting those sections draws both exhibitors and attendees who might not otherwise have participated, as Will Little explains.

One section that worked well at the New York International Gift Fair was titled "Accent on Design." "It emphasized packaging and display, as well as quality," says Little, "and helped to turn the gift show into a bit of a high-end housewares show."

In the "American and International Crafts" section, he continues, "Craftspeople displayed distinctive crafted items." "Just Kid Stuff" presented good-quality juvenile merchandise that could be sold in gift stores and upscale department stores. And the "Museum Source" section featured museum reproductions.

Specialty sections can also help promote the next show. At the 1992 Chemical Process Industries Exposition, popularly known as The Chem Show, one area spotlighted products for plant automation -- a primary focus for the upcoming 1993 show. "Plant automation is an area where real changes are being made," says Clay Stevens, Associate Manager of the show. "We felt we could attract more exhibitors and attendees with it. We also want to position the show as the place for the latest developments in the industry."

Although these ideas require creativity, they also require management's commitment and willingness to reinvest in the show. "Managers often feel that if they're selling booth space and making money, they're doing a good job," Corcoran observes. "But they must put that money back into the product."

Otherwise, the show will get old as it grows older.