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Farbest Expands Presence in Food Technologies Show
Trade Show Coach: Use Giveaways That Work
Small Booth - Big Impact
D&M Spotlight: Jim Pendleton
Eating Well on the Road
Decoded: Flat vs. Layered Files
Tied into giving visitors an incentive to visit your booth is the opportunity to offer a premium item that will entice them. Your giveaway items should be designed to communicate, motivate, promote, or increase recognition of your company. Developing a dynamite giveaway takes thought and creativity. Consider what your target audience wants, what will help them do their job better, what they can't get elsewhere, what is product/service related and educational. Giveaways should be used as a reward or token of appreciation for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest, or as a thank-you for qualifying information about specific needs etc.
Some of Jim Pendleton's favorite memories from childhood are of being out on the lake with his family. Now he enjoys giving his kids the same experiences. D&M's Production Manager and 20-year veteran spends most of his vacations and long weekends with his family and big yellow lab named Buddy, camping and boating on Rough River Lake in Central Kentucky.
Away from the cell phones and the concerns of everyday life, Jim and his family fill their days water skiing, tubing, wake-boarding and just floating out on the 19 1/2 foot ski boat. Jim's specialty is slalom skiing, shown above demonstrating his skills obscured by his own wake.
There are two keys to maintaining some semblance of a healthy diet while on the road: "Just Say No!" and plan ahead. After a long day on the show floor, hunger is your worst enemy. If you keep your hunger under control, it will be much easier to "Just Say No" to the tasty treats calling to you from the vending machine or the snacks in your hospitality suite.
When getting ready for your trip, pack healthy, high-energy snacks that will sustain you in-between meals, and keep your energy up for those 18-hour days. Make sure to select foods that travel well like granola or energy bars, apples, or dried fruit. Shelled nuts also make an excellent option; a small hand-full will quiet a growling tummy and their protein will provide long-lasting energy. However, remember to take your snacks with you during the day because they will do you no good if they are a in your room, a 20-minute walk away across a labyrinth-like Las Vegas hotel.
If you have any questions, about what you have seen here, or if you want to learn
more about us, visit our website or call 888-501-SHOW (7469).
One of Farbest Brands’ objectives for their expanded 30' x 40' island booth space at the 2006 International Food Technologies show (IFT), was more emphasis on hospitality. Inspired by stands at the Food Ingredients Europe Expo (FIE), the new design provides an open, welcoming environment with plenty of space to do business.
As a manufacturer and distributor of specialty food ingredients, Farbest Brands needed to showcase themselves and other ingredients manufacturers (their strategic partners) under the umbrella of Farbest Brands. For past shows, Farbest separated their strategic partners at individual kiosks, but with their rapid company growth, this arrangement was becoming cluttered. In the new format, eye-catching, poster-sized graphic panels placed around the exterior of the exhibit highlight each partner company without detracting from the overall look.
The new exhibit features neutral colors and indirect lighting creating a calm, pleasant, upscale setting. A reception counter provides space to greet and qualify visitors, distribute literature and samples. Cafe-style seating provides ample room for visitors to rest and enjoy slices of cake made with Farbest Brands' products. A "garden" on the back aisle of the exhibit creates the illusion of an exterior courtyard. Two conference rooms allow business to be conducted in private. An enclosed room behind the reception provides storage and serves as a preparation area for samples.
The expanded space and opportunity to taste samples in a comfortable, friendly setting resulted in larger numbers of customers and prospects.
Remember your Biology textbook from high school? Layered files are like those translucent pages showing the inner workings of a frog. Each layer has a part, and when viewed together you have a whole. Layered files allow each element of a graphic to be moved or edited without affecting the rest of the layout. Flat files are like a printed photograph, if you want to move a figure from the left corner to the right, it will leave a hole where it used to be. While layered files are larger, they are much easier to edit than flat files.
Just because you have a small booth doesn't mean you can't have a big impact. With careful design, even a tabletop exhibit or bannerstand can grab attendees attention and give your message power.
The main thing to remember is that your display should be more like a billboard than a brochure; you have only 5-8 seconds to capture an attendee's attention and convey your message. Covering your display in a collage of photos and bullet points makes it look cluttered and unfocused. Keep your images and your information simple.
Whittle down your message to its essential elements, and tier the information you want to communicate in order of relevance to your prospects. If you have a highly recognizable brand like Nike or Coke, your company name or logo can take center stage. This is also true if your company name explains what you do such as Acme Anvils. However, unless your prospect already knows who you are, splashing Acme Inc. all over your booth will do no good.
If you don't have a recognizable brand, you need to let your attendees know what you can do for them. Try asking a question or offering a solution in the headline of your exhibit like "Need a faster way to ship your Widgets?" or "Cut Widget shipping costs by 25%."
Using a single, large image creates visual impact. Remember that people sell, and using images with large-as-life (or larger) faces will engage visitors and draw them into your booth. Use an easy to read font for any text and make sure it is large enough to see from a distance. Make sure any copy is within a range of eye-level, because no one is going to stoop down to read about a feature of your product.
- Constantin Brancusi Romanian Sculptor (1876-1957)