Posted by

Barry Siskind

Community Manager

 

Last week I attended the International Association of Events and Exhibits (IAEE) conference in New Orleans. One of the sessions I had the opportunity to present was to take 100 people on a tour of the show floor. This is not the first time I did this. I have used a similar approach at Fairs I have attended around the world. I call it my Expo Tour.

 

The principle behind the Expo Tour is that real learning goes beyond an understanding of the rules; it also needs to be seen to be appreciated. The focus of this particular tour was to teach the audience how to develop a display. I gave them twenty minutes of theory and then we headed out as a group to see what lessons they could learn from the exhibitors. What in effect we accomplished was to create an extra dimension for the row upon row of exhibitors. We were able to turn the floor of the exhibition into a “living laboratory.”

 

The idea behind the Expo Tour is sound and has many applications. Here are some examples:

 

You might set up a tour for first timers whether they are exhibitors or attendees. A guided tour might help them focus their time better by introducing them to the amenities of the fair.

 

You might run a tour for exhibit managers. One complaint I hear often is that the people who book the space and organize the exhibit are not the people who approve budgets and authorize participation. Perhaps a VIP tour of ten to fifteen key senior executives might help them better understand the real value of the exhibit program.

 

Perhaps you might consider a tour for prospective exhibitors or smaller one-on-one concierge tours to help individual groups make their time at the fair more productive.

 

The application of the Expo Tour model has endless possibilities. It is something you can arrange internally or with an outside consultant. Whatever route you consider, the Expo Tour has the potential of bringing an exciting learning experience to your next trade fair.