Know-How Exchange : Other

Sounds like the Destination Showcase at Rosemont.

For this event, you should focus on getting business cards....you're not likely to close a deal that day. You're brochure will be thrown in the bag with 200 others.

Few vendors will take the time afterwards to make contact. They'll wait for the phone to ring. You won't and you'll succeed.

They'll be attracted to your booth if you're simply AWAKE. Something that is all too uncommon at this event.

Michael

You should incorporate the vintage theme all-the-way into your marketing collateral for the show. Make the expo look like its being held in early colonial times with authentic posters (old fonts & lettering), cuisine, drinks and dress. Hire some actors to dress in the appropriate attire and mix with the guests. Have giveaways like antique vintage clocks and framed pictures. Hospitality and hotels have been around ever since man has travelled. The sky is the limit!

Having been at several HSMAI and CVB hosted events, the biggest mistake hotels and CVBs make is that they assume everyone attending is able and willing to host events in the area they are representing.

The majority of people attending will come for the nearby area. So, they may not be prepared to discuss other regions. Or, they may have a corporate counterpart in another region.

Attracting visitors to the booth with the above mentioned themes and promos is great. But, prepare your staff with a list of questions to qualify visitors.

Ask them if they plan meetings? Do they plan them regionally (meaning Chicago/Midwest) or do they hold them out of town? What makes them decide to hold them out of town? Who do they plan for (internal or external clients)?

In fact, if you hold a drawing or a giveaway, put those questions on the drawing form. Don't just collect business cards. Staple them to the form. Michael was right on in his response above. You have to control the process not the prospect. A couple of quick questions will tell you who's hot and who's lukewarm and who's never gonna buy.

Put the lukewarms on your mailing list and ditch the colds. Call the hots when you get home. In fact, make appointments for follow up on the spot. But, be a bit selective and ask good questions or you've just wasted all that time and that money.

Have a great show!!!