An Overview of the TSEA 2011 Red Diamond Congress

Issue: 
Vol 3, No 5
Author: 
John Zeltin, CME, CMP

The TSEA Annual Red Diamond Congress is clearly the place to be to network with the leaders in the trade show and exhibit industry and keep abreast of the latest trends and issues. This year's Congress was no exception in TSEA's 45-year history and included exceptional sessions presented by authorities and thought leaders in the industry. The new interactive and innovative approach implemented by TSEA's President & CEO Margit Weisgal proved to be a great success. With this new model, there were no PowerPoint presentations; the participants learned from one another, and there was wide participation.

The sessions that I facilitated, "Global Exhibiting" and "Selecting a Vendor," were well attended with a good mix of exhibit managers and suppliers. The sessions became more interactive when we changed the seating from theater to circle.

There was rich content available for all involved and a diverse group of attendees which made the networking particularly valuable. The online networking afforded by Zerista enabled attendees to communicate with one another and set up advance meetings. Everyone loved Zerista.

Here are highlights of two sessions that I attended and some of the key issues addressed:

Negotiations 

Jon HoweJon Howe

Jon Howe, a lawyer specializing in event contracts, negotiations, and meeting-related issues, presented the session. Some of the lessons that I learned or was reminded of were:

 


  • It is important to research cultural differences if you are working in a different country. Information is power in negotiations, and it is important to identify what is important to the other side.
  • Never offer to split the difference. Wait for the other side to do this. Find out if the individual you are working with has the authority to make a decision, and, if not, ask to work with that individual. 
  • Prior to negotiating, divide up the items into needs (must haves), wants (some flexibility), and interests (nice to haves). Take notes during the discussion. 

Industry Trends 

Skip CoxSkip CoxSkip Cox, an industry consultant and well known authority on measurements and industry trends, presented the results of recent research and data on trade shows in the US. Some of the highpoints included:

 

 

 

  • Based on a recent Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) survey, 44% of companies were planning an increase in their event budget from 2010. The real explosive growth is in online marketing where 78% of companies were expected to increase their budgets over 2010.
  • The outlook is positive in exhibitions with an increase in attendance but showing differences across industries. Approximately 80% of attendees are at least influencers on buying decisions and 33% are decision makers or have the final say. The quality of the attendee is improving and more are attending the entire show rather than coming for one day only. The number of virtual events is up but not significantly. Face-to-face marketing is still strong and playing a major role. Costs per visitor are increasing and bear watching. They have been going up 9.3% during the past few years.
  • There is a real opportunity for exhibit and event managers to add value by becoming purveyors of content. It is important to keep in mind that active engagement drives results and should be the focal point for process improvements.  
  • The indicators are that the trade show industry is clearly emerging from the downturn and showing improvement across the board.

The Groupon Model 

This was a fascinating session presented by Gary Slack, CEO of Bizy, and developer of one of the first B2B deal sites. His company developed a Groupon style offering that was used at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) exhibition in Chicago. They offered one deal a day for nine days and started prior to the show opening. The deal was marketed to the 50,000 attendees who were signed up for the show.

Only exhibitors could offer deals and the recipients had to visit the exhibitor's booth to pick up the item. Exhibitors participating got free visibility which helped drive traffic and create a buzz on the show floor. The program was so successful that the NRA leadership plans to expand and repeat next year.

Other Sessions and Information of Interest

Here is a summary of key points made in other sessions I attended or facilitated:

  • Multi-channel Marketing and Strategy – There are many channels to choose from including social media. Offering white papers is a good tactic but not requiring a lot of information upfront to receive them. Dynamic strategy is forward looking and is often implicit. The process should include defining assumptions and developing a way to test them. 
  • Use of RFID Technology – Operates using a transmitter in the name badge and receivers in the booth. The use of RFID technology enables the tracking of behaviors in the booth and the capturing of data which can be used for analysis and reporting purposes. It is possible to do this on your own by imbedding a transmitter in a preshow mailer. Privacy issues make it advisable to have an opt out option. 
  • Global Exhibiting – I co-facilitated this session with Bob DeFacci, General Manager and Director of International Sales and Service for Czarnowski. There are major differences in exhibiting outside the US including some related to cultural differences and even different terminology. In some countries hierarchy is important and interaction is only conducted with the most senior person present. VAT is a complex issue and important as it impacts budgets. In the UK they call an exhibit booth a stand. It is advisable to gain a familiarity with the culture in advance of exhibiting and try to learn some phrases in the local language.
  • Selecting a Vendor – I facilitated this session which was lively considering the mix of vendors and buyers that attended. The consensus of the attendees was that approximate budgets should be indicated in RFPs. The increasing role of procurement is evident, and the importance of educating procurement on the many facets of exhibiting is essential to focus on service as well as price. Vendors often receive inadequate information in RFPs and elect on occasion not to bid if too much time and expense is required. Working the public sector is a particular challenge.
  • Other sessions – People in the exhibit industry are testing different models and focusing on ways to reduce costs. The successor to Six Sigma was mentioned and is coming to the forefront in some larger companies. Exhibiting competes against other marketing channels and there is now more focus specifically on I&D and drayage costs which haves increased 21% to 25% over the last six years. The Exhibit Industry Council is an umbrella industry organization which is focusing on these and other issues.

About the Author

John Zeltin, CME, CMP is a member of the ABOUTFACE Editorial Committee and has been with American Express for 20 years directing trade show,
event marketing, and sponsorship activities which he currently directs
on a global basis for the Emerging Payments Group of American Express.