An expensive trade show display does not mean results

Date:

Friday, April 17, 2009 - 7:27am

The new Yankee Stadium has a price tag of $1.5 Billion! Opening day resulted in a 10 - 2 thumping. I bet that's not how they planned it.

If you don't execute your trade show strategy, and do it better than your competition, then you lose. An expensive trade show display does not mean results.

How much did you pay for your trade show exhibit booth? What did you get for results?

For those of you with a budget around $250,000 for your custom exhibit booth, I challenge you. I'll compete against your "Yankee" booth in a 10-by-10 portable trade show display, and CRUSH your typical results. We'll agree to the ground rules. If I lose, you get my training for FREE. When I win with our creative imaginations, you have to agree to change your approach.

Who wants to step up to the plate?

Topic:

Comments

Wed, 05/27/2009 - 1:24am — Trade Show Displays (not verified)

Thanks for this post

Sat, 04/18/2009 - 1:09am — Anonymous

Dear Jason, I think your analgy is a little short sighted. The Yankees will play more than 4,000 games at the "new" stadium. Do you really think one game is an appropriate analagy? Results can not be purely measured on the square foot cost of an exhibit and you know that in you heart my friend. It has everything to do with knowledge based on a set of pre defined goals for each show a company exhibits at. No two show are alike, exhibitors must have speified goals and defined expectations for each show based on the market segment, attendees, their buying mode and the economics of the environment. I don't know what you define as "typical" results but if that is all you hope to beat, good luck to. I will be happy to take your challenge. Introduce me to your clients and I will show them how to beat the "TYPICAL" results you offer. Mark Flinn (623) 444-7888

Tue, 04/21/2009 - 3:11pm — Jason Kallio

Mark, I apologize if it appears that I was bashing the exhibit building industry. That was not my intent. From the TSEA report, you know that 51% of exhibitors do not train their people. Yet, 1/3 of their marketing budget is for trade shows. So, spending a ridiculous amount of money on a custom display for those people is crazy to me. Just like spending $1.5 billion on a new stadium.

I liked the analogy because a stadium is a display. It might attract people in but it does not get you wins. It's the training of the players and how well they work together that will do that.

We agree about your strategy comments 100%, but most exhibitors just don't do it. If you train your customers on a complete trade show strategy, congratulations. If not, maybe you want to talk about how we might team up to help them not beat, but "CRUSH" their typical results.

Thanks for your comments.

Fri, 04/17/2009 - 12:24pm — Anonymous

Wow, you are really putting your money where your mouth is. Respect!