If you prefer to read instead of watching our short video, you can follow the transcript of the conversation between Sierra Reed and Jason Rubin on how to power up for SHOT Show 2022.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with Jason Rubin. And today, we’re going to be discussing SHOT Show. So Jason, tell me about your experience with SHOT Show. What do we want our viewers to know?

Jason Rubin:
So SHOT stands for Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show, and it also touches law enforcement, security, tactical, things like that. I can confidently tell you that this upcoming edition of SHOT is probably the most anticipated in history because unfortunately, 2020 was canceled.

Sierra Reed:
Of course.

Jason:
So you have two years of demand with this upcoming show. And for the first time ever, as I understand it, actually, the demand is so high, they’re spilling into a second hall. So not only is it going to be at the Venetian, it’s going to be at Caesars as well. So you can’t tell me that the pandemic has affected this show.

Sierra Reed:
Yeah. Okay, great. And what is most important in the design of your stand at SHOT?

Jason:
Well, look, you’re going to have 2,500 plus companies at this show.

Sierra Reed:
It’s a lot.

Jason:
50,000, 60,000 sets of eyeballs coming to walk the floor, and many of them are buyers with real money. There’s a lot of money in the sector right now. So you have to figure out how do you stand apart from your neighbors, many of which are going to be competitors. So there’s lots of monster booths at this show, lots of double decker booths, some of the latest and greatest you’ll ever see in the industry. I’ve seen exhibit coordinators that are scratching and clawing to re-up their space or get a different space at this show before the current edition has even begun. So it’s all about what’s the latest and greatest VR experiences, indoor shooting ranges, things like that. What’s going to set you apart from your competitors?

Sierra Reed:
Okay. And how do you start working with a customer at SHOT Show? What is the process?

Jason:
Well, it’s all consultative. I’ve been to five or six editions of this show. And really, we make new friends at trade shows. All the work really happens after the event. We’re sitting here in a beautiful indoor static trade show, our showroom here.

Sierra Reed:
[crosstalk 00:01:59] No, I love this. Yeah. This room is beautiful.

Jason:
No better place to talk right now. But after the show, after exhibit coordinators and marketing people have decompressed and done their debriefs, we’ll come here, figure out what worked, what didn’t work. It’s like a ball of clay that we’re slowly going to form and perfect to improve things for the next edition, figure out budgets and goals and things like that. So it’s a very consultative process. It’s a lot of listening. Yeah.

Sierra Reed:
So let’s get to it. What is the bottom line?

Jason:
The bottom line is bring it. If you’re in any of these tactical related sectors, SHOT Show is the event for you. It’s going to be considered your Super Bowl in the calendar year. The trade show world has officially learned how to function in a post-pandemic world. So this will be extremely socially distant and responsible. It’s the new norm. But if you’re going to be a chacho, we will see you there, and make sure you bring it.

Sierra Reed:
Okay, great. Thanks, Jason, for joining me today. And thanks for tuning into this edition of The Bottom Line at TTG, and we’ll see you next time.

For more thoughts on SHOT Show 2022 and help building your trade show program, give The Trade Group a call at 800-343-2005 or contact us here.

The post Looking Ahead at SHOT Show 2022 appeared first on The Trade Group.

If you prefer to read instead of watching our short video, you can follow the transcript of the conversation between Sierra Reed and John Lutton on how to power up for IEEE 2022.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with John Lutton, and today we’re going to talk about the IEEE conference. So John, how do you start working with a customer at IEEE, and what’s the process?

John Lutton:
The process for us is project discovery. This is the point where we learn about you, your company. We want to know where you are in the market, where you want to be in the market, what we can do to take you there in the market.

Then we move into the design phase. We’ve got some of the best designers on the planet with a huge track record of some of the most amazing exhibits in the industry. Then after the design process, we move into fabrication, and then we move into the launch, where we expedite everything. We have all the resources to handle everything turnkey.

Sierra Reed:
John, what is most important in the design of your stand at IEEE?

John Lutton:
That’s kind of a loaded question, because it really depends on the client. Do you want to bring product to the floor, or would you rather show it off on video screens in some type of way? Is it the product itself, or is it some type of data-driven software that makes the system run better? Clients can have more commoditized products, so we try to create a design that separates the company.

We did the same kind of thing with a company called Aerometals. They build precision aircraft parts, mostly helicopter. They have products that a lot of other companies make, but they wanted to show off that they are the leader in precision instrumentation. So the design itself exudes that. It communicates that to the audience.                 So it really just depends on what the goals and objectives are of the client to lead us in what direction we want to go for the design.

Sierra Reed:
Yeah. I love that. Great examples. What might be different at IEEE in 2022 versus previous years?

John Lutton:
Ah, now that’s a really good question because certainly a lot’s happened in the last two years, for sure. IEEE only happens every other year. So realistically, I think that most people who exhibit at this show have not been in front of their customers in four years. I mean, a lot can happen in four years, government regulation, technological advances. That might represent opportunities for increased market share.                

Then, of course, there’s going to be a huge energy with-

Sierra Reed:
I completely agree.

John Lutton:
… with customer, with people being face to face. People are buying. All of our indications are saying that the quality of attendees at shows, even though attendance may be down some, the quality of attendees is way up. That means your buyers are there, your customers are there, and they’re ready to buy.

Sierra Reed:
Absolutely agree, yeah.

John Lutton:
We’re really excited about IEEE and can’t wait to start some projects.

Sierra Reed:
Okay, great. So John, what is the bottom line?

John Lutton:
The bottom line? Well, you know what? The bottom line is, you need to partner with a company that can take you where you want to go. We have 35 years of experience. Our retention rate with clients is well above 90%. What that tells you is that everybody gets our best. The bottom line is we partner with our companies to make them successful.

Sierra Reed:
Okay, great. Thanks so much. Thank you for joining this edition of The Bottom Line at TTG, and we’ll see you next time.

John Lutton:
Thank you.

The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.  

The post Powering Up For IEEE 2022 appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with Austin and today, we’re going to talk about HIMSS 2022. So Austin, what’s been your experience with healthcare shows in general?

I’ve worked with several clients across many different parts of healthcare. Owens & Minor’s a client of mine in the distribution. I’ve worked with Thermi who is in the aesthetics field, and SureSmile who was in dental. So, I’ve always kind of had an affinity for working in healthcare in those healthcare-type companies. So HIMSS 2022 was a natural fit for me to look at working in as well.

Sierra Reed:
Okay, great. What are you seeing so far this year with the healthcare shows?

Austin Montgomery:
Well, obviously with everything that’s happened, attendance has been down a little bit. HIMSS has been unique as it was being set up just as COVID hit back in, what, 2019, 2020? It seems like a blur at this point.

Sierra Reed:
It is a blur.

Austin Montgomery:
But we had a pretty good show in August, obviously down, but I know that clients that I’m talking to that are going to the show are jonesing to be back. What we’ve seen as this fall has progressed has been more and more people attending shows and those attendees are really, really good. So numbers are down slightly, but you’re actually getting better contacts while you’re there. So it actually, for anybody going to a show, they’re actually having more success right now and really good conversations.

Sierra Reed:
Absolutely great point. And what makes HIMSS unique?

Austin Montgomery:
For me, what my draw to it was with my experience with healthcare, and then likewise, some of my technology clients is we’re now combining those two together.

Sierra Reed:
Oh yes, true.

Austin Montgomery:
And so in our space, in the booth building space, there are a couple of sectors that are always on the forefront of design and pushing the boundaries and pushing the edges. Well, healthcare is one of those technology is another one, so we combine those together and as anybody knows, that goes to hand, some of the booths that are done, they’re absolutely over the top amazing. And so for me as a designer and helping our design team and working with them and sales and putting this all together, it’s kind of my dream scenario, two storms coming in at once.

Sierra Reed:
Right, perfect. And from an exhibit standpoint, what design trends are you seeing in the healthcare industry and really at HIMSS?

Austin Montgomery:
Well, as I just stated, they’re always cutting edge. And so we’re continuing to see that, a lot of AV walls, high signage has always been a big part of any of these shows, people that are trying to save some money just with what’s happened. And so seeing a lot more fabrics this year and people wanting to incorporate some lower-cost alternatives, maybe using a sign and keeping their structure a little bit lower to help save costs on labor drainage, shipping, and everything else that goes into putting on a show.

Sierra Reed:
Yeah, great points. And why should an exhibitor work with The Trade Group? And what’s the bottom line?

Austin Montgomery:
Working with The Trade Group, we’re in a unique spot in that I have very talented designers that don’t stay in one lane. They’re very good at multiple different types of designs. So we can create something unique for any of the clients that we work with, even when we have multiple clients at a particular show. And then also with myself is that you do get somebody who manages everything from beginning to end when you work with me personally. So that’s a big plus on any of these shows. I think the bottom line, with everything going on right now, is that shows are back. We have great quality attendees at shows. And so the ROI is there for the companies that are going, so love to work with you, help you realize those goals and we can kind of go from there.

Sierra Reed:
Yeah, okay, perfect. Thanks, Austin, for joining me today. And thank you viewers for joining me on this edition of The Bottom Line and we’ll see you next time.

The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.  

The post HIMSS 2022 appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with Cole and Austin. Today we’re going to talk about the NADA show. So, Austin, what’s been your experience with automotive shows in general?

Austin Montgomery:
Well, I’ve been working at NADA for several years now. I love automobiles in general, so it’s kind of a nice natural fit for me. Worked with Liquid Motors, Dealer-FX, Zurich, just to name a few, and then, obviously gotten to know the major players in the industry and talk with everybody, so it’s a show I love. I love going to it every year and looking forward to it being in Dallas in 2023, as well, in our backyard.

Sierra Reed:
So, Cole, what makes NADA unique?

Cole Rolle:
What makes NADA unique to me is that it really is truly a one stop shop for that industry. You kind of have everybody from car manufacturers, dealers, finance, and insurance to marketing all in that industry under one roof. And with it this year being in Vegas, it’s going to be a great industry event.

Sierra Reed:
So, for the automotive shows that we missed, what are your expectations for this upcoming year?

Austin Montgomery:
Well, I think as a whole in our industry, we’ve seen this fall that shows are back to being very viable. We’re seeing fewer attendees, but the ones that we’re seeing are the buyers. They are the ones who really want to be at the show, not the tire kickers anymore. SEMA is a great example of that. My client at the show had a great show, but if you look at the numbers, it says that we were down on attendance a little bit, yet they’ve had just as good a show as they’ve always had because the people there were extremely serious. So, I see NADA following that same trend and having a great group of buyers ready to go at that show.

Sierra Reed:
So, Cole, from an exhibit standpoint, what design trends are you seeing?

Cole Rolle:
You know, from an exhibit standpoint with, again, NADA being kind of the industry leading expo, we’re seeing a lot of clients really want to make a bang with their exhibit. They really want their booth to be the best in the show, and then, on top of that, we’re seeing a lot of clients who are wanting to kind of utilize lightweight fabrics, some more backlit elements that we’re incorporating in designs to try to save some money on drayage, material handling, and overall shipping. And with that said, several clients that I have that are loving the hanging sign. Again, with it being such a large show, having that branding at the top is key to me.

Sierra Reed:
So, Austin and Cole, why should an exhibitor work with The Trade Group? And what is the bottom line?

Austin Montgomery:

One of the things that makes us unique and why you should work with both Cole and myself, is that we both manage our projects from beginning to end. We don’t hand anybody off, so here internally we’re project managing everything, and then, we’re with our clients all the way up to the show till that first day that it opens and sometimes through the show with them.

Cole Rolle:
So, yeah Austin, I agree with you completely and with the show being back and better than ever, clients are really looking to make a splash this year. We strive with our design team. Our designers will always make sure that the design we provide to our clients is unique and make sure that it helps them stand out on the show floor. And so, we’re excited. I think NADA is back, and it’s going to be a great show this year.

Sierra Reed:
Thanks again for joining The Bottom Line at TTG, and we’ll see you next time.

The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.  

The post NADA 2022 appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with Mal and Hillary, and today we’re going to discuss the Natural Products Expo. Hillary, what’s been your experience with food and beverage shows in general?

Hillary Hancock:
I’ve been working in the food and beverage industry for five or more years now. I mean, everything from NRA, IBBE, natural product shows, fancy foods, you kind of name it in the food industry I’ve done it. And I’ve worked with clients that need chef prep stations, ovens, fridges, offsite storage, everything that you need to make sure that a food show runs well. We’ve coordinated with them and everything has always runs smoothly.

Sierra:
Hillary, what makes the Natural Products Expo unique?

Hillary:
So the Natural Products Expo happens twice a year, there’s one in the east and the west. Out in the east it’s in Philly in the fall, and then the west is in Anaheim in the spring. I think what makes it really great is especially national products west, how big the show is. So there’s 10 different halls, so whether you’re a huge exhibitor or you’re just a small 10 by 10 trying to get your product out there, there’s a space for you. And these buyers that are there have the opportunity to see everyone, so no one’s kind of pushed off, you’re too small you can still go to the show and make a big splash.

Sierra:
And now from an exhibit standpoint, what design trends are you seeing?

Mal:
Well I think everybody coming out of COVID and especially the food industry was hit really hard because those were spring shows, so it’s almost like two straight years of missed events, so I think there’s a lot of pent up excitement and demand. So I think a lot of people are going to be looking to make a big splash at the very first event. And I think what you’re going to see though is in the context of making that big splash, still trying to keep cost down as much as possible. So what we’re seeing in the industry right now, we’re seeing a lot of people going to fabrics that lower the weight and help improve freight trayage and labor costs to keep those as low as we possibly can. We’re also seeing back lighting be incorporated more than ever, and oftentimes the back lighting options incorporate those fabric elements as well, so it kind of ties in together.

Sierra:
Why should an exhibitor work with The Trade Group and what’s the bottom line?

Hillary:
The Trade Group as a whole for over 30 years has been working in the food industry, but me personally about five plus years, and our design team is absolutely amazing. I mean, we win awards for our designs all the time, and to be able to incorporate things that the food and beverage shows need, a chef prep stations and ovens and freezers and fridges, those get to be taking up a lot of space in the booth, but we work with our designers to make sure that we still have cool, awesome, eye catching elements, but still incorporate those necessities to make sure that the food and beverage show functions well.

Mal:
Yeah. And great design is a huge part of it. But I think the bottom line is NPE this year is going to be a really exciting event. You might have attendance down slightly, but the quality of the attendee that we’re seeing across all industries right now is at an all time high, and I think you’re going to have an amazing event this year.

Sierra:
Thanks Mal and Hillary. And thanks again for joining this edition of The Bottom Line and we’ll see you next time.

The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.  

The post The Natural Products Expo appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with Robin Dean. And today we’re going to talk about the International Roofing Expo. Robin, tell us about the IRE Show.

Robin Dean:
The International Roofing Expo, IRE, is February 1st through 3rd in New Orleans. It brings together roofing and exteriors builders in the community to learn about innovative new trends, products and services, technologies. There’s a wide array of future roofing professionals and students that get a lot of education. And it’s just a great show to further the industry and everybody on the same page as to the new products and services out there.

Sierra Reed:
Appreciate the explanation. Robin, in your experience, what makes the show unique?

Robin Dean:
One thing that makes this show unique and so valuable is the amount and valuable on this of the breakout sessions and educational seminars. They have an independent OSHA seminar to update everybody on the health and safety requirements, which is so very important right now. They have a training for foreman. So it’s for somebody higher up the echelon in the roofing industry. And they have this really cool hallmark educational competition.

Sierra Reed:
Oh, neat.

Robin Dean:
For students, for roofing students. And they announce the winners at the end and it becomes a little bit of a job fair.

Sierra Reed:
Yeah.

Robin Dean:
So it’s really, really a fun wide array and tons more. There’s tons more breakout sessions. But that just illustrates some of the different things that you can choose from.

Sierra Reed:
Yeah, it does. It definitely sounds like the content is unique for the show. So Robin, who attends the show in, and what’s the bottom line?

Robin Dean:
There’s a lot of statistics and demographics that you can lift right from the website. But really the majority of the attendees are contractors, remodelers and builders. Speaking with my client who attends that show, his number one person that he’s hoping to meet and interact with is a contractor with ties to a construction company that would spread his goods and services to other colleagues.

Robin Dean:
Overall, my client is looking for new connections and to strengthen the connections they already have. Quite frankly, The Trade Group has been working in this industry for over 30 years. I’ve been with The Trade Group for about 20 years. So there’s really a wealth of information for this show and to help you attain whatever goal it is that you want to achieve at this show.

Sierra Reed:
Great. Thanks so much, Robin, for joining me.

Robin Dean:
Thanks for having me.

Sierra Reed:
And thanks for joining me on this edition of The Bottom Line. And we’ll see you next time.

The post The International Roofing Expo appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra Reed:
Welcome to The Bottom Line at TTG. I’m here with Claire Phillips, and today we’re going to talk about the PDS Supercon Show. So Claire, can you tell us a little bit about the show?

Claire Phillips:
Yes. The Pharmacy Development Services Super Conference, a mouthful, is back live this year, and it is geared towards the medical and pharmaceutical industry. And it’s actually the largest gathering of independent pharmacy owners in the whole industry.

Sierra Reed:
So Claire, in your experience, what makes the show unique?

Claire Phillips:
What I love about this show is that it really is geared towards showcasing the trends and solutions for challenges that these pharmacists are coming up against. They have over 1600 independent pharmacy owners that attend. I also love that they have over 150 pre-qualified exhibitors who are bringing their products and expertise to the show. And it’s really geared toward promoting opportunities and success.

Sierra Reed:
Is there a specific attendee type that exhibitors are trying to engage with the show?

Claire Phillips:
It varies. They’re actually independent pharmacy owners, because the industry is changing and technology is changing all the time, it really is a great place for them to go and engage. And if your challenge is software, there is software solutions. If your challenge is not having the technology, there are people that are showcasing that technology. It’s also a great way for the exhibitors to meet with target buyers. Now that we’re back live, maybe attendance is down a little bit back at these live shows, but what’s amazing is that the people that are coming are targeted and they’re qualified and they are decision makers. They’re the ones that are able to make the sign off on, “This is the best piece of technology,” or, “This is the best service for our pharmacy.”

Sierra Reed:
Right, and so it’s a great way for the exhibitors to meet their target buyer as well?

Claire Phillips:
Yes.

Sierra Reed:
And Claire, why should an exhibitor consider working with The Trade Group at the PDS Supercon Show?

Claire Phillips:
Here at The Trade Group, we have an incredible creative team. They do an amazing job of creating these insane exhibits that really showcase client’s products and are cutting edge. We’ve got an amazing team that can coordinate logistics. We’ve got incredible production. And we do beautiful work, but at the end of the day, it’s about you at the show and what we want is for you to look your best on the show floor.

Sierra Reed:
Thanks for tuning into The Bottom Line at TTG, and we’ll see you next time.

The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.  

The post PDS Super-Con appeared first on The Trade Group.

Claire Phillips:
Thanks for joining us today on The Bottom Line today. We have Robin Barhydt joining us.

Claire Phillips:
Robin, tell me a little bit about the RSA show.

Robin Barhydt:
Sure. The RSA Conference is a series of IT security conferences held around the globe. The next one will be in February in San Francisco, and it actually was founded in 1991 as a small security conference and has now grown to over 45,000 attendees around the world.

Claire Phillips:
Wow! That’s huge.

Robin Barhydt:
Yes.

Claire Phillips:
That’s huge.

Claire Phillips:
In your experience, what makes this show so unique?

Robin Barhydt:
The cybersecurity industry is so rapidly changing, where I feel that the multiple series of events that they have around the globe is a really important platform for these industry leaders to come together. RSA is also known for having fantastic educational and network programs, and they have wonderful looking exhibits.

Claire Phillips:
Of course.

Claire Phillips:
Is there a key person that exhibitors want to engage with at this show?

Robin Barhydt:
In most instances I would say that would be the CISO, and that stands for chief information security officer, would be a key attendee to engage with.

Claire Phillips:
So Robin, what is the bottom line?

Robin Barhydt:
I would say the bottom line is, is the cybersecurity industry is such an exciting, changing, cutting edge industry that the trade group is a perfect partner to help you come up with some designs that are going to truly set you a part from your competition.

Claire Phillips:
Amazing. So thank you so much, Robin, for your time. Thank you all for joining us. We’ll see you next time on The Bottom Line.

The Trade Group designs custom trade show displays that boost your brand’s trade show performance and provides full turn-key solutions to your event needs. Discover what we can do for your next event by contacting us here or give The Trade Group a call at 800-343-2005.

The post RSA Conference appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra: Thanks everyone for joining this session of The Bottom Line at TTG. Today I have Mike and Mal. We’re going to be talking about experiential elements, so Mike, we hear the word “experiential” bantered about in regards to consumer events. But the heck does that mean?

Mike: Well, you know, the brands figured out a while ago that in order to sell their product more effectively, they really need to connect with the consumer on an emotional level. Not just say, come taste my product, but create a really cool experience that leaves a memorable impression on that client. So you see that all the time now with the B2C world when they go and they activate at events they don’t just give you a sample of their product, you know if it’s a Skittles campaign, they’re going to have some kind of a experience that immerses you in the world of Skittles right to where you know you share it on social media. You’re talking about it with your friends and you know, we just see that a ton now in the world of business to consumer marketing. 

Sierra: Well, thanks for that explanation and now what are some examples of experiential elements that we’ve done? 

Mal: Well, we’ve done a ton within the trade show space with that are either at a show or connected to a show. I think probably the coolest activation I’ve seen us do was the one we did with Riftwalk and we did that in partnership with a company called Fish who could do the data analytics as well. It was really exciting. League of Legends was looking to have a big thank you for their fan base and we created this traveling event and walked through the Riftwalk part of their game experience. So it actually looked like you and as you walked through this experience you would have a different elements that you could stop at. Get your picture taken, interact with. It was really cool. We did one with a tank. We have a company called World of Tanks that we work with and we actually brought in an old Sherman tank and they had a campaign where they reached out to their audience and say, “hey, what are some cool things that we can do that we can run over?” You guys can see live. It was really pretty funny. We’ve also created a huge full-scale dinosaur that people could get on and have their picture taken with it.

Mike: And in the lines, by the way, you see these lines of people. I was at PAX when we did that one. I mean just a line that’s like an hour along with people dying to come. And of course when they do that, they’re not getting the picture taken and just being, you know, sending it to mom. I mean, they’re posting it right on social media and so it has a huge viral impact as well. 

Mal: We did a booth for Facebook, Oculus and the same thing. They had a photo areas where you can go and get your photo taken and instantly post them to Instagram so it’s really cool and those get tons of views. It’s really exciting. We also did an exhibit where we had a three-story exhibit with a slide and people could slide down which was really cool as well.

Sierra: Yeah, sure it’s marketing without marketing. You’re getting people to market for you. So Mike, should this be considered for a B2B event? And what are the benefits? 

Mike: You know, I think you’re starting to see it and absolutely it should be considered for B2B events. You’re starting to see that in some of the larger B2B conferences: Dreamforce, Salesforce.com’s big event. 

Mal: You know today’s audience is made up primarily in the business world today is made up of millennials. There’s a ton of millennials and it’s been proven that millennials react much better to these experiences. They expect these experiences a much more tactile engagement with the product than just looking at it. And it’s really important that as marketers, we recognize that and try to hit them up with that.

Mike: And I think we can do it so that we take a core value of the company and reinforce that core value in a really fun and engaging way. And I think by the way that what we did at Bitcoin with a lot of now that was sort of on the edge as to whether you’d consider that a B2C or B2B event. But these were business people who were there having a good time playing basketball. Or they were watching Tony Hawk, sumo wrestle, sumo wrestlers. You know, it’s an experience. And so you know, I think you know at the end of the day, as Mal pointed out that where there’s many millennials in the business world and at the end of the day we’re all human and we want to have fun. 

Sierra: Yeah, so what’s the bottom line guys? 

Mike: So I would say that the bottom line is: people are coming out of a pandemic and if ever there was a time to try to offer a memorable experience at a show, now is the time, you know. Let’s engage people. They’re coming out of their shell. They’re getting out finally to a trade show, and I think it can be more than just, you know. Here’s what we want to sell you. I think we can help deliver a solid message experience. 

Sierra: Yep, well, thank you so much, Mike and Mal. Thanks, everyone for joining this session of The Bottom Line at TTG and we’ll see you next time.

The Trade Group designs custom trade show displays that boost your brand’s trade show performance and provides full turn-key solutions to your event needs. Discover what we can do for your next event by contacting us here or give The Trade Group a call at 800-343-2005.

The post Experiential Elements appeared first on The Trade Group.

Sierra: Welcome to this session of The Bottom Line at TTG. Today I have Mal, and we’re going to talk about hanging signs, so now what are the benefits of hanging signs? 

Mal: Well, you know when you first think about hanging signs. The most obvious thing is you don’t use a hanging sign unless you have at least a 20 by 20 space, which is 400 square feet. But when most people do who don’t use a hanging sign when you think about it from 10 feet up, that 400 square feet is part of that, and you’re missing out on all that space. So, to me, the great benefit of using a hanging sign is that you maximize the space given.

Sierra: And when does it make sense to consider one? 

Mal: Well, you know, as I said, anytime you have an island, I think you should consider one. But objectively, what you’re trying to do is get a lot more attention. You’ve got that extra space. You’re up to over 20 feet when you use a hanging sign. So anytime you’re looking to be seen in a crowded show floor space, a hanging sign is great.

Sierra: Great, higher visibility makes sense. So what options are there in the world of hanging signs?

Mal: You know there were many options in hanging signs as there are exhibits you know you have every size imaginable. You have circles, squares, diamonds, everything in between. We can take hanging sides, then making look like your logo in the same shape. We also, if you look around the showroom here, have large swooping curves. We have hanging signs within hanging signs which is really cool. And then, of course you can do things like complete LED panels that make up the hanging sign. Or projection into the hanging sign as well. So an infinite number of ways you can do hanging signs, all of which you know, gather a lot of attention. 

Sierra: So speaking of drawing attention to hanging signs actually work, do they produce results?

Mal: 100%! For years, you’ve been saying to our customers that the things you have to do at a trade show to grab attention are used large format graphics, backlighting, or motion. Hanging signs can do all of that, and there’s actually a really cool study. Deloitte and Touche. This study at the Mall of America up in Minnesota took a hanging sign, a large hanging sign, and placed it in the middle of the mall America. This was huge, probably a 30-foot diameter and then as people left the Mall of America, they interviewed them, and at first, when it was just a hanging sign, they still had a 36% retention. They could remember the name of the company 36% of the time. Pretty good, pretty good. When they then took that same hanging side and lit it, so it was backlit, that retention level went up almost 20% to something around 55%. But they then took that same backlit hanging sign, and they rotated it. And because of that rotation and movement combined with large format graphics and backlighting, their retention rate increased almost 90%. 

Sierra: Wow. 

Mal: So it absolutely works. And again, with all the visual noise in a trade show hall, getting that extra bit of awareness from your customers is huge and be able to get that extra bit of awareness from your customers is huge.

Sierra: And to be able to stand out, for sure. So what challenges are there around hanging signs?

Mal: Well, you know whenever you’re using hanging sign, first of all, you have to make sure that. You’re allowed not all venues, especially small ballrooms, don’t always allow hanging signs. In that case, the big challenge will be cost because hanging signs, you have to hire the rigging union to come in and hang the sign for you, which costs a significant amount of money—depending upon how complex the sign is, the use of the fabric signs that we’ve talked about. We’ve shown it here in our showroom. Those are going to be much less expensive because, in some cases, they only require one pick point, some larger signs when you get beyond a certain size you then have to have truss-supported hanging signs, which becomes even more expensive because you have to hang truss first. But also remember that you can use a hanging sign that’s ground supported, meaning that we can create beams that go up to the sign that can support it from the ground, and then you avoid all those costs.

Sierra: OK, great, a great work-around as well. So, what is the bottom line? 

Mal: Well, the bottom line is hanging signs work, you know? And if you’re going to have an island space utilized, the whole space doesn’t just utilize the bottom level of the space. Go up, get creative, use custom hanging signs. Use backlit hanging signs. Use motion. All these things will help you get a lot more attention. 

Sierra: Mal, thanks so much for joining me today. Thanks, everyone for joining this session of The Bottom Line at TTG, and we’ll see you next time. 

The Trade Group designs custom trade show displays that boost your brand’s trade show performance and provides full turn-key solutions to your event needs. Discover what we can do for your next event by contacting us here or give The Trade Group a call at 800-343-2005.

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