When it comes to IBC, what happens in Amsterdam most certainly doesn’t stay there. Our head of mediatech, Martin Izzard, is here to share some tips for communicating purposefully and maximising your impact at the show.
As marketers, the run-up to a major trade show like IBC can be hectic. From managing stand design and marketing collateral to sponsorship activities and events, there’s a seemingly never-ending list of things to do…
In the melee of deadlines and decisions, it’s easy for comms to take a back seat. That is until – right before the show starts – someone asks whether you’ve set up some meetings with journalists or entered an award (shoulda, woulda, coulda, right?).
With that in mind, we wanted to share some tips to help. After all, you’ve already shelled out thousands for your stand, travel and new business activities at the show, so why not go the extra mile to maximise your comms impact?
Use trade and industry publications
In media technology, we’re lucky that trade publications are still widely read and respected. This means they can have a real impact on your brand awareness. But this isn’t something to take for granted. With journalists spread increasingly thin, you need to take the time to engage with the media and tell your story.
As well as news and editorial ideas, we advise all our partners and clients to include at least some advertising or sponsorship spend in their exhibition budget. Ultimately, we need to support the publications we value to ensure the media landscape continues to thrive.
Third-party endorsement
Particularly at trade shows, comms can become a bit of a chest-beating exercise – whether that’s in how you speak about products or profile the people in your organisation.
However, the greatest impact doesn’t come from how often (or how loudly) you talk about yourself, but from third-party endorsement. The best way to get this at a show like IBC is by involving your customers, whether through a partnership announcement, joint media briefings, case study presentations, or even co-branded social media content.
Remember, customers and partners are valuable influencers for your business.
Don’t sell products – tell a story
It’s easy to think of a trade show like IBC as somewhere to showcase products in the hope the right prospect comes along. But with halls full of other exhibitors, you may find yourself getting lost in a sea of other solutions on display.
You’ll be pleased to know that the answer isn’t simply to invest in a bigger and brighter stand. Instead, a great way to stand out is by crafting a story that resonates with prospects. One that uses emotion (and even a dose of humour) to demonstrate that you understand their problems or to inspire them to think bigger and bolder.
We always tell clients that new product announcements and solution displays shouldn’t be about the buttons and the switches, but the benefits. By telling a story, you can better explain how your products help customers and improve their day-to-day operations and bottom line.
Another top tip: when crafting your ‘story’, it can be tempting to throw the kitchen sink at it. But simplicity and consistency are key to cutting through the noise (read: most of the time, no one wants to hear about your founding in 1991 and every company milestone since then). Your story should be your theme for the show and visible in everything, from your stand design to how your salespeople speak to visitors.
Get show ready
So far, so good. But how on earth are you going to get this all done before September? Maybe we can take something off your plate. The mediatech team at the lorries understands IBC inside out. We know who you’ll want to meet with, how to look after social media at the show, and how best to share news and customer stories.
So, if this is something we can help you with, get in touch. We have some specific show comms packages to make it quick and easy to maximise your presence at IBC.
See you in Amsterdam.
