In May DesignCrowd exhibited at CeBIT - Australia's biggest technology exhibition. Over three days we exhibited alongside 500+ exhibitors including Dell, Lenova, Panasonic, and spoke to hundreds of visitors (more than 30,000 visitors attend the event). We were invited to join the NSW government's Trade and Investment 'Technology Showcase' alongside other really cool startups, like
RecruitLoop (online recruitment);
GoCatch App (a taxi location-based mobile app); and
Roamz (social discovery mobile app).
Below is a summary of the highlights of the event. Thanks to
CeBITau's Flickr stream for permission to use these images.
1) Awarding Innovation - DesignCrowd was selected as a finalist in the
CeBIT.AU Business Award For Innovation.
2) Media Opportunities - DesignCrowd founder, Alec Lynch, was interviewed by a local TV business news channel about crowdsourcing. Alec said the event was the best one DesignCrowd has participated in to date and was an excellent opportunity to keep 'a finger on the pulse' of product perceptions", and was proud of the team work and comraderie on the stand.
3) Pitching DesignCrowd - Nathan Gazzard, business development manager, in foregoround, pitches DesignCrowd to booth visitors. Over the three day period, DesignCrowd had hundreds of conversations with qualified leads.
4) Pride in being a DesignCrowder. The team work was awesome, everyone chipped in - tech, marketing, sales and operations - manned the booth and engaged with visitors, it gave team members who don't experience much customer contact on a daily basis the chance to shine (Marketing will definitely be recuiting the tech team for the next event!) From left to right - Nathan Gazzard, Alec Lynch, Fletcher Bush.
In summary, here's what we learned from the event:
- ROI - Assess the value of participating according to your own ROI metrics and then commit resources and budget to the event - you'll need product information on the stand, lead forms, banners, presentations.
- Pitch - You are representing your company, so make sure all the team manning the stand have deep product knowledge, and have their elevator pitch ready (pain problem + solution).
- Staff engagement - an industry trade show is a great opportunity to maximise team bonding, learning and letting team members show off their passion for the brand. Bring 6-7 team members and colonise the space in front of your stand - a bit like a flash mob - people attract people and more people will stop by the stand.
- Lead generation - Learn how to ask open questions; create your forms and use them (you cannot remember every conversation); print your business cards and get ready to enchant passersby with your business and then aggressively follow up these opportunities. There's no point doing a trade show if you don't follow up contacts immediately after the event.
- Brand Dress-ups - Dress the part. Get a t-shirt designed, get everyone to wear it. Being visible at a trade show is one of the best things you can do to attract people to your stand.
- Media opportunities - Adopt a PR mind-set and generate media opportunities. Bring your founder/ CEO or spokesperson to the event in case a roaming journalist looking for a hot story turns up to your stand looking for an interview. Check which media are attending, find out the topic specialists relevant to your business and seek them out. Know the top three company messages you want to convey to the media, and make sure you're team at the event are in the loop so they can spot these opportunities.
- Networking - it will be exhausting but attend every networking event you can, or send your best team members along, you never know who you might run shoulders with at the cocktail icebreaker - a decision-maker at company who could become a customer and help grow your business.
- Be social - Have fun (or look like you are having fun) as visitors will respond to positive energy so smile, present positive body language, and step off the stand and strike up a conversation with a visitor.
What do you think of these suggestions? If you have more tips for making the most of trade shows, share them in the comments below.
Written by Jo Sabin on Friday, June 8, 2012
Jo Sabin is Head of Designer Community at DesignCrowd. She's led the company's public relations and social media programs since 2012. With more than ten years' experience working with Australian and international tech startups in the creative industries, Jo has been instrumental in meeting DesignCrowd's objectives in Australia and abroad. Get in touch via Twitter.
