How to get 3X the Attendee Engagements in a 10 x 10 Exhibit? Recipe for Success
The 10 x 10 exhibit rental is the smallest on the floor, but that does not mean that it will not make an impact. There is a sweet spot in suggestive marketing, lead up email blasts and personal invitations, creative promotions, and gimmicks, and Deckel & Moneypenny Exhibits hit it during the 2014 EXHIBITOR show. This exhibit house had a unique challenge. It is one of the oldest and most recognized in the business with clients that included Chevron and General Electric, but they had no brand recognition because quite simply, they did not advertise. 2014 EXHIBITOR Show would be an announcement to their industry and introduction to their capabilities. This case study is the cinderella story of marketing on a shoe string budget and getting maximum recognition and brand awareness.
Deckel & Moneypenny Exhibits Case Study
Budget: $10,000 – $24,000
A budget of $10,000- $24,000 is not a lot to work with and this particular year was in the midst of a recession. Deckel and Moneypenny also had only exhibited 2 times prior in 1984 and 2004, so they were building a booth from scratch, HOWEVER they are an exhibit house with something to prove so they had a lot of resources, such as creative that money could not buy piecemeal. A booth of this size is deliverable easily within this budget with the specifications that they had, we could recreate the messaging and booth display for $7,000 in 30 days or less. The creative and marketing roll out was the stroke of genius.
Pre Show Marketing Plan and Visual Communications Messaging
A landing page for the exhibit was created by the marketing department was created with a cupcake that read, sorry we didn’t make enough for anyone. A scarcity message is always effective in peaking client interest and this was at the bottom of each invitation sent by all employees of D and M. A large ad space was taken out in the brochure and digital space with a similarly cryptic message prior to the show, and it introduced the key visual communication which was a riff on Mastercard logo and read, What you Want in and orange circle, and What they Want in a green circle, and Sweet Spot, in the intersection of circles.
Exhibit Construction and Promotional Method and Materials
D and M made a 10 x 10 open exhibit with a circular focal desk for cupcake decorating with sleek bowls and zero visual communications messaging other than the central message in PVC on the back wall. The method for interaction and drawing more people to the booth was simple, Let them eat cake. Remember the “Sorry, We didn’t make enough for everyone” pre-show marketing message? It was reinforced on oversize boxes for the decorated cupcakes, which did not fit in welcome bags and needed to be carried, and they read “They had one for me.” Here you have three really clever plays on the human psyche, curiosity, scarcity, inclusion, and the basic sweet tooth. If you took away this brilliant marketing, this is a really simple exhibit that could easily have been constructed from PVC graphics, a printed back wall, custom flooring, and central custom stand.
Results
Having only attended two other shows, but with over 50 years of industry experience delivering shows and working with some of the best marketing departments in the country, D and M had some real advantages. However, this exhibit is a great example of a 10 x 10 exhibit that took center stage with the correct brand positioning. The visual communications message that is nowhere in the visuals is a huge risk and if you do not have the full marketing plan from pre-show to advertising to promotional tie ins and staff training, we would absolutely not recommend this approach, but when properly implemented, the results are beyond show-stopping.
Having only attended two other shows, but with over 50 years of industry experience delivering shows and working with some of the best marketing departments in the country, D and M had some real advantages. However, this exhibit is a great example of a 10 x 10 exhibit that took center stage with the correct brand positioning. The visual communications message that is nowhere in the visuals is a huge risk and if you do not have the full marketing plan from pre-show to advertising to promotional tie ins and staff training, we would absolutely not recommend this approach, but when properly implemented, the results are beyond show-stopping.
Goal from Previous Shows:
- 82,000 Brand Impressions
- 190 Attendee Pitches
- 20 Qualified Leads
Results:
- 134,000 Brand Impressions
- 291 Attendee Pitches
- 132 Qualified Leads
If you are looking to exhibit with a 10 x 10 exhibit rental in Las Vegas or Orlando, contact our team. We work with your marketing departments to deliver your visual communications message seamlessly, every time, whether your booth is big or small.
Photo credit and data credit Exhibitor Magazine