Autumn is conference season, and during this time of year
many marketers and business representatives find themselves in 8’ x 10’ squares
hoping to attract interest to generate sales or admissions. Having spent a lot
of time in exhibit halls (some much more suitable to be parking garages than
professional display areas), I’ve seen how companies can effectively market
themselves—or not. Below I describe some of my trade show hall pet peeves. Some
marketers can control; others they can only grumble about. I suspect you’ll be
nodding your head in agreement.
Reps who eat at their
booth. During a conference we are usually starving, and it’s oh so tempting
to grab one of those muffins in the morning or sample the appetizers offered
during opening receptions. Yet we all know we shouldn’t talk with our mouth
full, and plates and napkins at the booth are very unsightly. Emily Post would
not approve of this behavior.
Reps who are never at
their booths. Exhibit space is not usually terribly expensive, but there
are substantial costs for shipping a booth and materials, covering a rep’s
expenses, etc. I’m continually amazed by empty booths in which the rep never
shows. Why not just pay for a literature drop in that case?
Attendees who “shop”
the hall. I’ve seen conference registrants snag five bags, take a handful
of pens, and otherwise view the exhibit space as an opportunity to restock the
office supplies.
Chatty announcers. Every
conference needs a “voice of God” to remind attendees about prize drawings,
upcoming sessions, etc. But once the needed information is conveyed, I’d much
prefer the announcer silence his/her mic, as it is difficult enough to hear the
person next to you in a noisy hall.
Halls open all day.
8-5 hall hours are brutal, especially on the reps having to man their booths. I
much prefer conferences that open their hall only for dedicated hours so
everyone can get more work done and not have to man a booth in an empty room
(and guard all the conference swag!).
Conferences, of course, are a great place to network and earn new business, but we all need to vent now and again about those things that make it sometimes frustrating to get work done. Now that I’ve shared my grievances, what are some of your
conference pet peeves?
