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Staff

Gimmicks

Over recent years certain exhibitions and exhibitors have gained a reputation for a gimmicky use of girls: a disco-dance team to attract attention to the stand, for instance; or (at the Motor Show) topless models draped over car bonnets; girls on roller skates zooming around the exhibition handing out leaflets; and so on. These gimmicks can be useful and attract the attention of visitors but you must be extremely careful in their use. The gimmick has to be appropriate both to the exhibition and the exhibitor. In an exhibition open to the general public almost anything may go but at a trade show you need to be much more careful - you may put off as many potential customers as you attract. And remember -some gimmicks are expensive: you have to balance potential return against cost very carefully.

Used properly gimmicks can have a remarkable effect and have the additional advantage that they attract press and media attention, thus giving you some good free advertising.
In conclusion, good staff are vital to exhibition success. Exhibitions are not the place for the shy or retiring, nor for the clock-watcher. They are hard work, often tedious and always physically demanding.

The following paragraph should be engraved in the heart and mind or every exhibitor and stand staff member:

"It's five to eight and the exhibition closes in five minutes. You've been there since 9.30 in the morning and on your feet the whole time. Your head's throbb¬ing, your back's aching, your legs feel like jelly and you'd rather forget that you have feet. Then a prospect approaches your stand. He's been home, had his tea,probably a bath or a shower. He's called in at the pub for a quick jar or three on his way to the exhibition so he's happy and cheerful - as happy as you are miserable!
If you can make him feel that he is the person you've been looking forward to meeting all day, that everything he says is important to you, you'll make a good exhibition representative. If your only reaction is to mutter "Get lost!" (or worse), forget it -you'll never be any good in an exhibition."
Ensure that no areas of the stand are left unattended at any time nor allow grouping of stand staff under any circumstances. Remember staff cannot sell to each other. The visitor/customer comes first.

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