There was a detailed programme with a bevy of presenters and panel discussions from 08:30 to 18:15 including an open exhibition of a limited contingent of various exhibition organisers and suppliers plus lengthy refreshment and luncheon breaks. Entitled: How to get the best out of a trade show this first gathering was hosted by the Ticketpro Dome.
From the show of hands it was apparent about 40% were marketing agencies primarily seeking tips for their potential clients to get more from exhibiting than at previous attempts. Besides media and supporting allied trade associations, the majority of the remaining attendees were EXSA members of stand designers, builders and other peripheral services.
Real highlights for the Academy were: MC Frank Tilley – a master on branding and training the sales team. His pearls of wisdom for stand-manning can be summed up with short yet explicit comments such as:
- Sales people talk too much
- Spend as much time as possible diagnosing (the potential customer)
- Lead with the need
Other interesting highlights were from Thebe Reed Exhibitions‘ Carol Weaving on behalf of AAXO:
An Aaxo-approved organisers badge which would signify:
- Visitor number verification
- Market research pinpointing (1) trends and (2) ROI
The Academy would have preferred a hard-hitting 08:30 to 13:00 session concentrating on the highlights.
It’s early days and possibly a strong funding nest-egg needs to be built-up. Be that as it may – the AAXO board is well-advised to zero in on the issues highlighted which set their fledgling association apart from the existing and established trade associations.
