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The number of trade shows in New York and New Jersey alone is astounding. From high-profile, well-known annual trade shows, to up-and-coming events for niche markets, there is something for everyone nearly every weekend of the year. So how does an event producer draw attention in such a crowded market?
You’ll need to not only secure the venue, attract attendees and book participants, but you’ll also need to provide a stimulating and exciting environment in order to truly stand out.
Hiring and working with a technical event production company can lift some of the load from your shoulders. They’ll help you to harness the power of technology to support your exhibitors as well as provide your attendees with a memorable and rewarding experience.
A technical event production company provides the equipment, expertise and experience that makes designing incredible trade show booths possible. Today’s trade show participants often require lighting, sound and video capabilities that are far more advanced than in years past. As technology continues to improve and evolve, the role of a technical event production company becomes even more crucial.
When engaging a technical event production company to support your trade show, the more in-depth information you can provide to them, the better they can plan, design and execute the technical requirements of your event.
Let’s look at five simple steps you can take to ensure that your technical event production company will provide exactly the support your trade show productions need to make them profitable events for your participants and a memorable one for attendees.
1. Know The Details
The more you can define all of the aspects of your event, the easier it will be to do pre-production planning.
- What is the focus of your event? If your event will be a combination of speakers’ panels and an exhibit space, each element requires a specific technical approach.
- Who will be attending? The technical requirements for a book publishers trade show may be entirely different than those required for a furniture design show.
- Where and when is the event is taking place? A show in midtown Manhattan in September is going to be much different logistically than a show held at the Atlantic City Convention Center in March.
Be able to define the why, what and how as well.
- Why are your guests coming and what will they expect when they arrive?
- How will they be arriving?
The more information you can provide to your team, the easier the logistical and equipment fulfillment will become.
2. Know Your Audience
A major part of planning the technical aspects of any event, whether weddings or trade show productions, involves knowing and understanding your audience, their needs and expectations. This means both participants and attendees. Some demographics and industries expect technological flash, bright lights, killer sound and staging, others not so much.
By having a solid understanding of your target audience both for attracting exhibitors and exciting attendees, your technical event production company can design and execute the perfect environment that can not only take care of the technical needs of each booth, but can also impress and astound attendees while maintaining your brand image and overall message.
3. Know the Details
Next, work out the details. Mapping out the time of the event can help clarify the chain of events. If the trade show opens at 9 a.m., what time should people start setting up? Do you know how long it will take to get everything in place? You might need to get started the day or even the week before. It just depends on what you are doing, how big you plan to go with the event, and the venue’s parameters. In addition to that timeline, you will need to coordinate when all the pieces will arrive. Consider who will be putting the equipment together, when personnel will arrive and, finally, when your guests will enter the venue.
4. Know Your Venue
Every venue offers a different set of logistical challenges. From where to park and load in, to elevator size and staffing, each space has it’s own unique character.
Pre-production includes thoroughly mapping the venue. Your technical event production company will need to do a site visit to determine how and where the equipment will enter the building and determine the booth layout in order to ensure proper equipment placement. As the producer, you will need to determine booth size and floor layout for your trade show participants.
Venue staffing is another area of concern. Some venues will provide technical assistance in terms of staff. Some will have equipment on site or have arrangements in place with rental companies that you may need to honor. Some venues are union houses and you’ll need to understand all that that entails. Fortunately, most technical event production companies in the New York/ New Jersey area will have experience with many of the available venues and can help you to understand the logistical requirements and get to know your venue.
5. Know Your Power…
… literally! You will need a power distribution plan for lighting, video and audio. Depending on the needs of each booth, you’ll need to determine if the venue can provide the necessary power where it’s needed and if not, how you can redistribute it for participants.
The power needed to operate trade show productions can be intense depending upon the level of technology involved. This is another area where the expertise and experience of your technical event production company can be a huge benefit!
6. Set Yourself Apart!
The competition in trade show productions can be fierce! In order to attract high-quality participants and attendees, you’ll need to design your show to really stand out from the pack. Working closely with your technical event production company, you should develop a plan that will take advantage of the staggering production elements available today. They will have the knowledge and experience to help you make choices that will match the interests of your audience, both participants and exhibitors.
Having the ability to offer the latest technology in terms of video projection, lighting and sound can be a huge selling point when attracting exhibitors. Inquire with your exhibitors to see what they’d like to see offered or need to have available. Discuss the possibilities with your technical event production company. They will have the experience mounting trade show productions to be able to offer solid advice on what works, what doesn’t and how to put together an event that will leave both exhibitors and attendees buzzing with excitement well after the doors close.
7. Measure your Performance
Finally, measure your performance – both for the event and as a company. Monitor how many people respond to your marketing, how many tickets you sell in advance, how many of those tickets are from corporate clients versus individuals, how many are actually used, and how many people come back the next year. By carefully analyzing the metrics of your trade show production, you can spot patterns that could uncover opportunities going forward – or highlight areas on which you need to work. Either way, the information is invaluable.
Mounting trade show productions in a market as competitive as New York and New Jersey can be challenging. The key comes from having a thorough understanding of your audience, both exhibitors and attendees, knowing the pluses and minuses of your venue and designing an event that will stand apart from your competitors.
Before mounting trade show productions, make sure to build an effective team you can trust. Choosing and hiring the right technical event production company can help you to define your event beyond simply providing technical support. A good company will leverage the technology available to get your brand image and message to resonate with your audience. Their knowledge, expertise and experience will make your show stand out from competing shows, while providing the behind-the-scenes technical support each of your participants need.
