Marshall Yard:

As Iran erupts into riots and chaos with their recent election (and by “election” I mean “perfectly executed exemplar of the democratic process in its purest form”), I thought I’d tally up the votes for and against virtual trade shows.

I’ve had a cruel fascination with virtual trade shows for quite some time. In fact, I have between 5-10 aborted blog posts wherein I abysmally attempt to analyze this topic. Too long winded, and a bit too “soap box-ish” when it came time to post, so I thought those subjects were better off in blog-limbo (”draft”).

Here’s how virtual tradeshows have been treated here in cyberspace (there seem to be 3 general arguments):

1. Tradeshows are so expensive that virtual trade shows will continue to gain importance: they’re the wave of the future, and super-duper-green to boot.

2. Virtual tradeshows may never quite overcome tradeshows, because business people need to meet face-to-face, hug, and cuddle over that freshly inked contract.

3. Virtual tradeshows are stuck in the social networking fluff-world - not conducive to replace the serious business that actually takes place at trade shows

Because this tradeshow blogger always thinks he has an exciting new viewpoint, I’m going to offer my own spin: (more…)

Online ads aren’t the only thing that marketers expect to increase over the next year. While an overwhelming 68.7% of marketers expect to increase their Online advertising, 37.6% also expect their Event marketing to increase, with 49.9% seeing no change in that figure. While that isn’t an overwhelming increase in Events, it does reflect an opposing trend to many other forms of marketing. Take a look here. Budgets for radio, broadcast, and outdoor marketing are down significantly, whereas Events, Direct Mail, and Telemarketing are modestly increased.

The trends of modest increases are paired with modest increases for marketing budget through the second half of 2009, and through 2010. Budgets were slashed across many different industries for the first half of 2009. This has greatly affected the trade show exhibit business, with exhibit houses lowering prices and responding with additional services. Even tradeshow organizers and convention halls have responded with stimulai of their own - reduced booth space pricing, and some early indications that services for things like I&D and drayage may be reduced from their inflated levels. Our “The Frugal Exhibitor” segment chronicals online sources keeping tabs on the ebb and flow of tradeshow values.

In an industry like any other, where every vendor proclaims to be “thinking outside of the box” and other jaded “-isms,” I have a complaint: Why does the procurement process always evolve around which furniture and styles should go into an exhibit display?

Not only do most interactions between exhibit houses and exhibitors start with furniture arrangements-they proceed to price and logistics. This is when my blood pressure rises and I start to mutter incoherently to myself… Why is our industry so fixated on this mode of doing business?

Can we agree that the reason exhibitors spend tens, hundreds, or millions on their exhibit programs is for the purpose of marketing and selling? Can we agree that it is not because they are trying to sell furniture, and it is not because they are overly fascinated by warehousing and commercial freight details? I’m going to go out on a limb that the boardrooms that approve marketing budgets do so on an understanding that it will increase their brand’s, product’s, or service’s exposure, and otherwise increase sales opportunities. Why do we start off the discussion by discussing the widgets we think ought to be crammed together in your booth? (more…)

Some would have you believe that saving money is why exhibitors shell out tens, hundreds, or even millions of dollars in order to exhibit at their next big trade show.

Aside from the absurdity of that statement, there’s the lingering fact that many approach their trade show exhibition program with the very premise: Above all else, we need to save money on this year’s show. Is that correct because we’re in a recession? Is it correct because trade shows are so darned expensive? How could that ever be true?

The sole purpose for your trade show booth is to attract attendees on the convention hall floor. That is the only reason an exhibit program exists, and all other reasons flow from that goal. Trying to sell widgets? You need to attract attendees to your booth.  Aiming to increase brand visibility? You need the attention of attendees to get that. Hoping to build relationships with new and existing clients? They need to realize you’re at the show. The attraction of attendees to your exhibit display is the underlying motive that should be exuded throughout your exhibit.

One good nugget that can be wrestled out of our “Frugal Exhibitor” post comes from Candy Adams, “The Booth Mom“:

“2. Never make a budget cut where an attendee will see it. Regardless of how much you have to pare out of your show budget, always keep in perspective that image is everything, and a tacky, outdated exhibit speaks volumes about your company.“ (more…)

A new Costco opened near my house this past weekend. Imagine how surprised I was that humongous bags of rice are for sale in unlimited quantities. I remember hysterical stories about the famines we should expect due to big box stores rationing such food staples earlier in ‘08. Since popular opinion has it that the sky is falling, I should have piled as many bags as would fit in my sedan, and crawled into my nifty nuclear bunker. Instead I bought socks - shades of olive, green, and brown.

For the past year or so, writing about “marketing in a recession” was all the rage. Everyone agrees that we’re in a recession, except for the rule of thumb on recessions. The rule of thumb guy is still giving me a thumbs up. Not enthusiastically, but still… I don’t know if I trust that guy anymore.

So what are people writing about now? In the ever changing one-upmanship that is online news, the hip search term for your business article is now “marketing in a DEPRESSION.” To be more precise, marketers are strategizing over marketing in a “pre-depression” (this is the beginning of the beginning of a depression). Hopefully, when this depression sets in, your company will be a-ok, and all due to your wise marketing department decisions. Depression becomes a career-advancer, and your true character will shine through (due to your having read a “snarky” blog post about it…). You’ll be the new CEO once this whole mess blows over. Sure you will.

Marketing in a depression seems to be a tough burden to undertake. My guess is, your company either has enough cash reserves, or it doesn’t. If they have the reserves, your job will be intact, and your task of conveying the company’s message in a competitive, rapidly evolving marketplace will continue. The market changes, but the task remains constant. But guessing whether this is a recession or a depression is probably NOT a part of your job. It isn’t mine, I’m pretty sure. What are your real options?

Option A: You guess depression, you advocate that the marketing budget gets gutted, BUT the economy goes all “fast and loose” on us. Then you will play catch up during the coming expansion, as competitors gobbled up your market share. Option B: If you guess depression and it’s a depression, you might be vindicated, but you will essentially be doing what you’re always supposed to do: Making wise decisions with your marketing dollars. What the heck were you doing before this looming recession or depression? 

If you think it’s a prudent time to stock up on rice, while all the fools buy socks and wide-screens, that’s fine. But bursting into your boss’s office telling him or her about the expected course of the business cycle - is that really a good idea? Understanding how to market in a different business cycle is important, but being the first to yell fire is something you’d be well served to avoid.