TSEA's MarCom Committee Offers Recommendations on Addressing Communications Challenges in 2012


We reached out to the members of TSEA's MarCom Committee to get their thoughts on Communication in 2012. TSEA's Marketing Communications Committee assists and guides our staff in the promotion of TSEA and its activities, working closely with the Membership Committee to market programs that attract new members and maintain existing members. Since they include some of the leading experts in trade show and marketing communications, we asked them to comment on the importance of communications, offer recommendations for improving communications, suggest tools for improvement, and for their thoughts on the intersection of social media and new technology. They responded with a range of comments, a common thread being an exploration of how communications have been changed due to new technology and social media in our ever-evolving world. Here's what our experts had to say on the topic:

David Brull is a National Account Director for MC², an industry leader in exhibit and event design and production. David has 14 years of experience in face to face marketing, marketing communications, event management, marketing collateral development, project management, business development and research. He is responsible for developing strategic client relationships, overseeing all aspects of clients' projects from start to completion, and creating new business development strategies.

Dave explained that "Communication is the key for any internal or external relationship. Without it, relationships cannot be built. The first key for improving in 2012 is to have a two way conversation. As someone once said, we are given two ears and one mouth, listen 2/3 of the time and only talk 1/3 of the time. It is very easy to talk over the answer to a question and miss the key points that will build a lasting relationship. The tool I would suggest that would improve the communication is the telephone. Not expecting that? It is too easy in today's world to reply via email, text, tweet, Facebook, etc., but when you pick up the phone you can truly get to know the person and understand what they need from you. You can also diffuse a stressful situation/challenge much quicker. Or try walking down the hall, schedule a meeting or Skype the person, and have a face-to-face conversation if that is an option for you. The world has gotten much smaller these days and technology can make what was once impossible, very easy. Social media is another area that needs to be explored in 2012 if you are not participating. Twitter, LinkedIn, foursquare, etc. may seem daunting or complex, but with a little research and by taking the first step, you can learn things that will advance you professionally and you may have a little fun too."

John Zeltin, CME, CMP, is Senior Manager, Event Marketing at American Express where he develops and executes the annual global event, trade show, and sponsorship strategy for their Innovative Payments Group. John forms strategic alliances with key industry organizations and negotiates high impact sponsorships to insure maximum visibility, a strong presence in the industry, and positioning against the competition.

John observed that "With all the social media, smart phones and technology, the capabilities and options for communication have increased exponentially and the opportunities to connect both personally and professionally. The ability to communicate face to face is still critical to success in the business world both as an individual contributor and in a leadership role. Focusing on improving and developing this skill will always pay off."

Jeanine Becker is a Kubik Account Executive with a wide range of experiences within the exhibit, event and environment businesses both domestically and internationally. She has extensive knowledge in developing strategies and budgets, implementing creative and cost saving solutions, and collaborating with creativity to offer the best possible design. Interested in what people really want and finding ways to deliver it.

Jeanine commented that "The technology we have today is amazing!! But in the voicemail, email, texting, etc., we have lost the art of face to face communications. Sitting down and listening to one another, superfluous chatter is replaced with eye to eye connections and conversations. Make a lunch date with your client, friend, etc., listen, and develop a better relationship with them. Learn to laugh more and to help one another. Brainstorming, discussing strategy and tactics, etc happens best when everyone can gather in one place. And due to the various locations everyone works at, utilizing WebEx or any other technology to bring everyone together still can provide synergy and achieve your mutual goals. Having regular meetings, once a month, helps keep everyone updated and connected."

Jason Ladner is the Exhibits Manager at TeleVox Software. His expertise in communication, writing, marketing .and technology helps him manage a busy show schedule and continually outwit the forces of evil. Working in the exhibit and marketing industry for the last eleven years has taught him that a skilled team, a solid plan and a roll of duct tape can accomplish just about anything.

Jason pointed out that "Communication has become more important than ever. With so many channels (direct mail, email, social media, blogs, etc), our reach has increased dramatically. At the same time, competition for an audience's attention becomes that more valuable and much more difficult to attain. Communicating is such an evolving social experience now, that it morphs instantly. A website can become a Facebook post and then a tweet and then a blog topic, all in the space of a few hours. The new dynamic of communication is more powerful and has more reach than ever."

Gwen Hill, Director of Business Development at ExhibitForce.com, is a power house in the event and trade show industry. As the leading provider of on-demand event and project management tools, ExhibitForce helps more than 30% of Fortune 500 companies drive over 115,000 events and projects worldwide.

Gwen told me that "Collaboration is so important that we continuously add new features to our applications to help companies improve the way they do business and how they communicate with their clients. Rather than just a string of emails, we've added tools as such as an interactive Scope of Work area so that companies can continuously update dialog to ensure focus on projects/events. We've also just recently added a Marketing Library which allows companies to share documents including exhibit renderings, rental options, graphic placement and much more; but, rather than a static email, it allows users to have the visual communication along with it (plus an approval process for easier decision making). We have found that offering online approval processes (for files, marketing communications, brochures, renderings, graphics, etc.) really does reduce mistakes and increases production due to the amount of time being saved."

"In the past, we have continuously surveyed our target audience and existing clients to ask what's important to them, and the number one answer has been Collaboration (see attached screen shot of measurement report below). On a personal level, I can't agree more especially because I have to maintain our internal Team's communications as well as we have several Team Members offsite. Collaboration is key in making sure everyone's on the same page in order to save time and reduce mistakes thus improving profitability."

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About the Author

Michelle Burbick is a Journalism Intern

Trade Show Exhibitors Association