IMTS 2012 Marketing Planner

IMTS 2012 Marketing Planner

IMTS 2012 MARKETING PLANNER

Planning an IMTS show is no easy task Juggling budgets logistics exhibit planning demos and pre-show promotion can be an overwhelming task for even for experienced trade show managers

Use our IMTS 2012 MAREKTING PLANNER to help you plan an effective IMTS 2012 show Think of our planner as your IMTS Cliff Notes

IMTS Planning Guide Must KnowsShow Dates September 10 -15 2012

Booth amp Exhibit who is in charge of the show who is in charge of move in - move out who is in charge shipping who is in charge of the demonstrations who will make the hoteltravel arrangements who is in charge of the sales leads who will work the exhibit Booth amp Exhibit what is your show budget amp what is included booth size booth type (inline-island-peninsula) booth payment dateswill you rent build or use an existing exhibit who is your exhbit company Services amp Logistics pre-show service ordering dates name of trucking company used show move in date show move out date Machines amp Demos what equipment will be exhibited what are the machine demonstrations what services amp materials are needed for the demos

Most Important how will we draw exhibitors into our exhibit

Be sure to keep a budget on your IMTS expenses

Item costfloor space

general contractor

show utilities

exhibit

machinery transportation

pre-show promotion

hospitality

hotels - air fares

demo materials

McCormick Place IMTS HallsEast and West Buildings 900 am - 500 pmNorth and South Buildings 1000 am - 600 pm

IMTS Hotels

Trade Show Terms

Shipping is the cost to bring your exhibit and exhibited material to the convention centerrsquos loading docs

Exhibitor Appointed Contractor is hired by an exhibitor to perform trade show services independently of show management appointed contractors Dimension Craft is an exhibitor appointed contractor who builds ships installs amp dismantles exhibits

Trade Show Association promotes the trade show rents out the convention centers hires the show contractors and decides on the cost of the exhibit space and hotel rates The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT) is the association for IMTS

General Show Contractor is the company who manages trade show including leasing the exposition facility hiring official contractors and promoting the show Freeman is show contractor for IMTS 2012

Understanding the trade show lingo

Drayage (material handling) is the cost to bring your exhibit from the convention centerrsquos loading docs to your booth space The charge is normally based the weight cartons skids and crates

Convention Center is where the trade show takes place IMTS 2012 will be held at Chicagorsquos McCormick Place

Bill of Lading is an official document between the shipper and the carrier listing the items being shipped Most shows contractors will only issue your bill of lading once all your show expenses have been paid

Trade Show ServicesElectricians will install and dismantle anything electrical Be sure to provide an electrical layout plan when submitting your electrical request This will speed up the electrical set up process and save you money If exhibiting machinery for shows like IMTS or FABTECH its a good idea to leave the machine locks in your booth (oppose to storage) so you can lock up your equipment immediately after the show ends Pre-wiring your equipment and providing quick disconnects can also save on your electrical cost

Plumbers will provide the installation and dismantling of water air gas lines to your equipment and exhibit If your exhibit requires plumbing be sure to provide a location layout and valve fitting sizes when submitting your plan

Understanding the trade show lingo

Decorators will assemble (non-electrical non-structural) overhead signs and draping Exhibitors can now mount their own signs to their exhibit walls Be sure to bring in some Velcro when packing for a show if you plan on doing it yourself

Riggers will uncrateunskid crateskid and position your machinery and exhibit You can save on rigging cost by uncrating your equipment before the show If exhibiting machinery its a good idea to mark the location of your equipment on the visqueen carpet covering before the move in This will help the riggers spot your equipment

Carpenters will install and dismantle your trade show exhibit

1 not understanding drayage

2 not confirming ordered services ahead of time

3 showing bad body language

4 loosing your cool at a fellow employee or show official

5 waiting until the last second to make move out arrangements

6 not ordering carpet padding

7 wearing new shoes

8 poor exhibit lighting

9 cluttered or low quality graphics

10 handing out mindless give-aways

Common Trade Show

1 velcro

2 first aid kit

3 electrical extension cords and power strips

4 cleaning supplies Windex paper towel small vacuum

5 phone charger

6 business cards

7 tool kit

8 breathe mints

9 bottled water

10 promotional hand outs

to pack these items

Trade show events can be fun and exciting but also very stressful especially with larger custom or rental exhibits that display equipment and machinery Long days on your feet late night dinners and lack of sleep can create stress You can reduce your trade show stress by reading the following the advice

1DelegateDonrsquot do everything yourself Rely on your trade show exhibit company for your exhibit transportation installationdismantling service ordering and fellow employees for setting up product demos hospitality events and lead management

2 Confirm your services ahead of timeConfirm ahead of time with the show association show contractor and exhibit hall that your electrical and plumbing services card readers and other services and have been received Bring along a hard copy of your ordered services just case there is an unexpected issue

3 Have a company a representative in your booth for the move inBy scheduling a company rep in your booth during the show move-in you can avoid many potential problems The rep should also have the cell phone number of your trucker bringing in the exhibit and displayed products in case there is a delay or issue Your rep can also confirm that electrical plumbing and carpet has been laid before the exhibit and equipment arrives If exhibiting equipment the rep can show the riggers where it needs to be set in the booth

4 Store items important items in your booth or close by For example if you exhibit machinery keep a set of tools and machine locks inside the booth or in easy access storage Once the show closes you can start packing up your equipment right away without waiting for crates to come back from storage

5 Donrsquot wait to the last day of the show to make your move out arrangementsStart making your move out arrangements at least two days before the show ends The last day of the show is always chaotic as people are eager pack up and leave the show Move out arrangements include paying your show invoices at the convention hall service desk obtaining your bill of lading (which is your pass to get out of the show) and scheduling company personnel to pack up your machinery or exhibited products

Secrets for a Stress Free Trade Show

Make sure you avoid the following points when exhibiting at your next trade show

1 Having too much fun Your raspy voice red eyes and tired look are a sure sign you had too much fun last night However yoursquoll never be at your best since the only thing you care about is going back to your hotel room and taking a nap There is no worse place to be hungover than a trade show Take it easy and make it a goal to be back in your hotel room at a reasonable time

2 Loosing your coolTrade shows can be stressful especially for the trade show manager During the show someone will ask the trade show manager ldquowhy didnrsquot you do it this way or you should of done thisrdquo Instead of responding the lyrics from Cee Lo Greenrsquos recent top music hit remain calm and let it roll off your back Knowing ahead of time that someone will probably get under your skin will make it easier to remain calm

3 Talking loudly on your cell phoneThink you look important yapping loudly on that cell phone in the middle of the booth When attendees come into your booth make them feel like they are the center of your attention and talking away on your cell is not the way to do it If you have to be on you phone be discrete by moving to a part of the booth where its less noticeable or consider text messaging

4 Bringing people who canrsquot talk the talkYou need bodies to work your exhibit but bringing in employees who donrsquot speak the product lingo is not a good idea Because an attendees time is limited you may only have one chance to connect and impress them Engineers product managers and of course salesman are ideal people to work your trade show event

5 Having a messy boothGarbage cans filled to the brim coffee stained carpet and soft drink cans scattered around the exhibit do not give a good first impression Make it a point to keep the exhibit clean at all times because you never know what the show attendees are thinking

5 things

to do at a Trade Show

Cool web20 Marketing TipsThink all your marketing is done once the show begins Think again its just getting started With todayrsquos 20 marketing tools and the growing popularity of smart phones you can now also market your products or services during the show Irsquom not talking about handing out trade show bags or expensive on-site advertising but rather these inexpensive 20 ideas you can do yourself

1 Twitter Tweeting is good way to reach trade show attendees who are not your Twitter followers Send out Tweet updates during the show Be sure to add showname in your Tweets so they are found in the Twitter real time search stream Tweet about your new products demonstrations contest or raffles

2 Facebook Facebook updates can be used like Twitter but your post reside on your FB wall Posting FaceBook info to your wall is a good way to engage with your Fans who may or not be at the show Your FB post will show up on your followers (Fans) wall post This why itrsquos important to build your FaceBook following

3 QR Tags If you really want to engage with a show attendee add a QR tag to a pop up banner or product ID stand When a QR tag is scanned by the attendees smart phone you can link them to a website which could further explain your exhibited product or bring them to a RFQ page The attendee can then share the link with fellow co-workers or their social network (If you know of any customers with a large social network or blog following ask them if they would mind posting some kind words about your product)

4 Blogs Blog posting about your show or event can be done before during and after the show Your post can include new product announcements or your take on the show Be sure to addtag the name of the show in your post Since blog post are indexed within hours (unlike web pages which can take up to 12 days) many of your blog post can appear in a search engines while the show is still going on

5 Adwords Google Trends show that searches for trade show names ramp up before and during the event and drops off a cliff when the event is over Consider running a Google Adwords campaign before and during the show Most trade shows names have little adword competition making the keyword affordable Your advertisement can announce new products specials raffles contest and your booth number

KOMET IMTS Exhibitdesigned amp built by Dimension Craft Inc

EROWA IMTS Exhibitdesigned amp built by Dimension Craft Inc

bedra IMTS Exhibitdesigned amp built by Dimension Craft Inc

YAMAZAN IMTS Exhibit

designed amp built by Dimension Craft Inc

BUCCI IMTS Exhibitdesigned amp built by Dimension Craft Inc

About Dimension Craft IncDimension Craft is a nationwide family owned and operated Chicago tradeshow exhibit and display manufacturer We build and rent trade show exhibits for small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations Our team of professionals work towards your companyrsquos success and to making you a great exhibit that will set you apartfrom the competition while keeping within your budget

The primary reason clients continue to work with us year after year is the family atmosphere and hands-on ownership of the entire Dimension Craft family

Design Construction Installation amp Dismantling Storage Graphics

Contact us at

2600 W 50th StChicago IL 60632 ph 7739256500 wwwdimensioncraftinccom infodimensioncraftinccom

Click here for a IMTS exhibit quote

Our Chicago based headquarters is located only 7 miles (15 minute drive) from McCormick Place Exhibits are built and stored in our 130000 square foot warehouse

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