As the face-to-face events industry continues to stage a post-pandemic comeback, it’s time for planners to reassess their strategies and retool their toolboxes. A variety of aspects to planning a trade show or event have changed as exhibitors, suppliers and planners return to the conference rooms and show floors. And as for attendees, it’s not enough to be invited to meetings and events, they want a compelling reason to attend.

“With the start and stop of events post pandemic, now is a good time to replenish your toolbox and update your checklists,” advised Glenda Brungardt in a presentation entitled “My Toolbox Replenished: New Set of Checklists for Planning a Trade Show/Event.” Brungardt is now retired but was formerly a CTSM Diamond, strategic events manager at HP, Inc., a multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.

“Having an updated toolbox and checklists help you to prioritize what is critical for our success, helps you to be better prepared for any curves thrown your way and prepares you for setting expectations with your stakeholders,” Brungardt said.

She posed that with the changes over the past few years, it’s vital to pay attention to the fine print in contracts and planning, such as knowing how the floor will be laid out.

Brungardt noted that now planners need to double check costs on everything from drayage charges, which have changed over the past few years including new drayage package options, to the carpet needed for the size of the show floor.  “It used to be you were almost guaranteed that the show aisle carpet would roll up against your edge of your booth. But you can’t always assume that now, and if you have a miscalculation on your flooring and the aisles have gone wider or show management doesn’t carpet, you might have to absorb a little extra cost because of adjustment on the floor.”

Judy Volker, principal, Volker Marketing Services in White Lake, MI, who formerly worked as global event manager at XRite/Pantone, also emphasizes focusing on the fine print. “There’s not a lot of consistency from venue to venue, or vendor to vendor,” Volker said. “As an event planner or as a show manager, you have to really be on top of the fine print to know what is and what’s not included, so that when you’re doing your budgeting and planning, you aren’t missing something.”

Budgeting 

Budgeting is a hot topic in the current economy. According to Brungardt’s presentation, planners need to triple-check their budget estimates considering the rate increases in many sectors. She noted that if a planner’s budget is based on the time frame from the past couple of years, it more than likely will not cover the current rates being charged. It’s a good time to revisit what changes have taken place in the industry to avoid being surprised by hidden costs.

The costs she warns about include fuel surcharges associated with shipping items for trade shows and fuel charges, which can fluctuate based on the time of year and other factors. During her presentation, she said, “Be sure to find out if your preferred method of shipping has an added fuel surcharge, and if so, make sure you understand the details. Some may lock the rate up front, and some will wait and go with the current rate.”

Labor/Staffing

One area where costs have risen in recent years is labor charges, partially due to labor shortages as well as the departure of skilled workers from the industry. “We lost a lot of people during the pandemic. And at the end of the day, it’s taken longer to get people in those jobs. So, if you don’t have a labor team you used in the past, you really need to pay attention,” said Brungardt, who suggests planners can prepare by allowing for more time for work to get finished.

Another aspect of staffing that can impact an event is whether the facility is short-staffed, which could cause potential disruptions. “I never used to have to worry about whether I can run down to the food service station in the convention center and get a hot dog. Now, a lot of those labor shortages have changed their approach to what kind of food service options they have,” Brungardt noted.

What happens with your staffing if that isn’t available? Planners must think about what that does with their booth staff if they’re on lunch break and how much longer it’s going to take them. “When we talk about the labor shortages, it’s not just what we’re seeing when we’re putting the booth up, but it’s the whole ecosystem that affects how and what we need in that show or event to have a smooth operating model,” said Brungardt.

Along with being prepared for staffing shortfalls, it is critical that planners understand the venue’s rules as well as their contractual obligations regarding labor. Even in a state that does not require the hiring of union labor, planners should ask which workers are unionized. Sometimes, the union requirements can differ from city to city. There also may be different unions for different people hired, whether it’s an electrician’s union or teamster’s union, which means planners need to organize accordingly for scheduling and budgeting purposes.

When you’re going in and have jurisdictions in the city or the venue change, how will that affect you? For exhibitors, Brungardt suggests looking at the labor section of the exhibitor services manual to find out more about the unions’ jurisdictions. She also recommends reaching out to a show management’s operations manager if there is not enough information regarding what can or cannot be done. In her presentation, she offered the suggestion of searching for keywords such as “exhibitor Bill of Rights,” “union jurisdiction” and “guide to union labor for installation and dismantle of your trade show booth.”

Networking | Attendee Engagement

All the best planners are savvy networkers. The events industry is heavily people-driven and relationship-based. As for attendees, they are always in search of engagement before, during and after an event.

This was a primary topic discussed during a webinar presented by Richard Vallaster, director of marketing, industry relations and event experiences for Personify Corp, a technology partner to associations, nonprofits and event professionals, which has several locations. During the webinar, titled “Event Manager’s Master Class – A Tool Kit for Events in 2023,” Vallaster said attendees want a compelling reason to attend. “What is their return on time and investment? What is your why?”

Attendees are expecting organizers to help create a sense of community. According to Vallaster, “Event communities start with involving your audiences in your event, planning and design.” The event organizers need to facilitate relationships and engagement year-round, as well as use digital connections and tools to maximize the on-site experience. “Your younger audiences expect it. But old-school networking is still paramount. Harnessing community can also create additional revenue sources.”

For that and many other reasons, planners need to create unique experiences that cannot be had in the office to draw attendees. Getting to know the attendees and exhibitors beforehand is key in delivering what the audience wants. “Continuous market research about your audiences is critical as you move forward,” Vallaster said.

One of the biggest challenges for Volker’s clients today revolves around engagement strategies. “In order to engage them, we have to be very creative long before we get to the event — knowing, understanding and gaining their attention before they ever get there,” Volker said. “That includes pre-scheduled meetings and pre-scheduled events.”

Volker added, “We’re all vying for the attention of the attendee, whether that’s a trade show, a conference or whether we want them to come to our presentation, our session, our booth, or whether we want them to come to our dinner that night. Where are we best able to leverage our investment? Is it in an event sponsorship or is it in engagement strategies that we might do on our own?”

As an exhibitor, Deanna Krause, event marketing consultant and trade show coach of Trade Show Warrior in San Diego CA, focuses on engagement. “Although it has always been important, I’ve put a renewed focus on interactivity in any booth I plan. Trade shows are like speed dating for businesses. Attendees are walking the aisle trying to figure out if they should do business with you. Building in interactivity is a great ice breaker to start a conversation and when done well reinforces key messages.”

One of her tricks is to check with Pinterest to find ideas for how to build interactivity. “I think it is an idea goldmine. For example, museums have unique and interesting ways that they are bringing interactivity into their exhibits,” she said.

Krause also noted the importance of lead tracking at trade shows for exhibitors. “One of the things that I feel has come a long way in the past few years is traffic tracking capabilities at trade shows. This can tell you not only how much traffic, but how engaging different areas of your booth are. The tools vary widely — some track bodies; others track eyeballs —  but these tools are now much more cost effective and in reach of many exhibitors.”

The education aspect of meetings and events also needs to be adapted to the current needs and wants of attendees, according to Vallaster’s webinar. He said, “84% of exhibitors believe that education is the critical driver for event attendance. Therefore, blurring the lines between show floor and education is vital.” Keys to success include shorter and more interactive sessions, as well as integrating crowdsourcing. Exhibitors and sponsors are also valuing education and should be included in educational offerings.

Vallaster suggested planners check the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) quarterly reports for data-driven analytics and insights that might be relevant to their event.

Health & Safety

While the pandemic-specific health and safety measures may not be as rigorous post-pandemic, there are still new aspects to pre-event preparation planners need to consider, including what the hotel’s policy is if somebody tests positive for Covid and needs to quarantine.

“Flexibility and collaboration are key,” said Brungardt. “Some of our most important responsibilities have nothing to do with money, and everything to do with risk management.”

Some questions planners should be asking with regards to risk management are basic procedures — medical devices, staff medical training, locations of the nearest emergency room, trauma center, urgent care and police and fire departments.

Other questions to consider are: What plans do venues have in place for natural disasters? What are their plans for other types of hostile actions — i.e. bomb threats or active shooters or demonstrations? What about power failures? Cybersecurity? With wars in Ukraine and the Middle East affecting the whole world, this should be on planners’ minds.

In terms of health and safety, a planner must compare what the show or venue will cover and what the exhibitor needs to cover. With that in mind, planners must check exhibitor manuals, which may be updated to include components of an event’s safety protocols and guidelines with specific details of what exhibitors need to execute regarding all safety and hygiene measures.

Brungardt stressed in her presentation, “This single source of information should be the go-to guide for referencing frequently asked questions; standard operating procedures and any new, enhanced measures to ensure an event’s customers, including exhibitors and attendees, are protected.”

The political environment of an events’ location can also be a source of concern for planners. Brungardt noted she would be watching how trigger laws might affect shows moving forward, specifically relating to the location’s abortion laws, as well as rulings regarding gun rights, LGBTQ+ rights, etc.

“Many of us are juggling multiple responsibilities, including new tasks associated with planning virtual and hybrid meetings, which is why your toolbox and checklists must be adjusted, updated and refilled to navigate this new norm,” said Brungardt.

If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed in the world of meeting and events, it’s the potential of things going wrong. It’s Murphy’s Law! And sometimes you never know what it will be until the day of. More reason for planners to be prepared by sharpening their tools, all the while being flexible to adapt and encapsulate the ‘go with the flow’ attitude required of every professional planner to overcome challenges and have success in the events planning industry.  | AC&F |