B-to-B Events

For software company SAP’s retail division the annual National Retail Federation Convention is among the biggest in its trade show portfolio. Held in January at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City the show is a kickoff event of sorts for the brand which operates on a business schedule based on the calendar year.

SAM HOUSTON did it after the Alamo. J.R. Ewing did it after getting shot. And George W. Bush well who knows. Nothing can stop most Texans from showing their true grit even when the chips are down and this year the state’s tourism office is no exception.

Enthusiastic employees are integral to the success of internal and proprietary b-to-b events. And it’s up to the event team to get them stoked. Here tips for building the excitement.

Keep the branding consistent. Most folks remember faces but not names. So giving an event a face—or an image—can have a greater impact emotionally. For the Microsoft Dynamics CRM sales event in Toronto the message and image couldn’t be more on the money. Every branded item contained a picture of a Ferrari.

Rob Cross an associate professor in the management department of University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and co-author of the book The Hidden Power of Social Networks says “Traditionally the tools for finding key opinion leaders is like a shotgun and not a rifle ” he says. “It’s generally gotten you in the neighborhood of people that are potentially loud and talk a lot. But not necessarily those that influence others.”

Your trade show presence is a huge investment. You spend big bucks on the exhibit space. Then there’s airfare cabs meals. You need to increase sales and wow the competition. One way to do that is by capitalizing on the trade press for increased—and positive—coverage.

How can you achieve the kind of coverage you want? We checked with insiders at an automotive giant a hip apparel brand and a construction company for tips.