Imagine heading to the warm climate of Nashville, Tennessee, from your much colder home city on a frigid day in January. You were looking forward to packing lightly, but a few days before your trip, you hear rumors that a winter storm is heading toward your destination. Now, locals are suggesting you bring your winter boots and prepare for colder temperatures. So much for packing lightly.
As annoying as it might feel to bring boots to a place that hardly ever sees any snow, once it starts falling in Nashville, you feel glad you prepared accordingly. Even with just a dusting of snow, the precipitation turned the streets slick with ice and slush, and your boots came in handy when it came to maintaining your balance and keeping warm during your trip.
You might have had this very experience if you attended the American Bus Association (ABA) trade show at Music City Center in downtown Nashville earlier this year. And through the experience, you might have learned a few valuable lessons: Weather watching is an important part of preparedness when traveling, and thorough preparedness is key to helping make trips safe and productive. You might not have needed your boots the entire time you were in Nashville for the conference, but—odds are—you were extremely happy to have them for the times when you traversed the busy, frozen streets at night during the anomalous winter storm.
This scenario might seem like a small detail, but that’s the thing about proper planning—it involves both the big and little things. Trade shows are big events to prepare for, often taking organizers months and, in some cases, even years of planning. But even for those who attend as guests, planning is paramount. Of course, not everyone plans the same. Every organization has its own agenda, the things it wants to promote or inform about, the destinations it wants to market. Not all planning is created equal, but there are some initiatives from which everyone attending a trade show might benefit. Industry experts share their professional insights.
Plan Early
When Pam Williams prepares for a trade show, she tackles it from many angles. In August, Williams, vice president of tourism with the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitor Bureau, attended the Student Youth Travel Association conference in New York City and then geared up for her next event: The National Tour Association Travel Exchange Nov. 17-20 in her home city of Huntsville, Alabama. She appreciates what all trade shows offer organizations such as hers—the opportunity to gather and share common bonds with other tourism professionals. Not only is there energy at such gatherings, but there’s also a sense of synergy as like-minded people work toward similar goals.
A main goal of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) such as Williams’ is, as the title suggests, to market destinations. Trade shows are a great way to do that, because they get DMOs and potential clients together. “The face-to-face opportunities at shows cannot be beaten,” she says. “As a DMO, it is difficult, if not impossible, to cold call-sell a destination, no matter how good your marketing efforts are.
For Williams, planning for an upcoming trade show starts early. “When requesting appointments, I utilize the filter tools available through the appointment scheduling platform,” she says. “I search for my city and broaden my search from there to include Alabama, other cities/states in my region, and then specific interests.” She also makes “random requests, because it is always nice to meet new people,” noting, “you never know what can come from a good conversation!”
After an appointment has been set, Williams researches the client and reviews the company’s website. She takes copious notes, saving them for future reference so if she meets with the same client later, she can pick up the conversation where they left off.
One suggestion she has for show organizers: “I understand the reasons for having operator-only sessions/events, etc.,” she explains, “but the more time we can all be together, the better. If an association wants to schedule appointments by supplier type, that is great; however, please schedule over more than one day. Two is preferrable.”
Credit: Normand Huberdeau Group/NH Photographes
Focus on Relationships
“Preparing for a trade show is critically important,” says Sara Brish, program manager with Travel Wisconsin’s Office of Group Travel. “We start by determining the trade shows that are going to give us the highest return on our investment based on feedback from partners and our own experiences. We put extensive thought and preparation into the shows we attend, from researching our appointments and planning the booth design to building out the activation at our booth. Each of these components is essential to building relationships that will last for years into the future.”
Brish says Travel Wisconsin partners with Circle Wisconsin for all its group tour efforts. Her organization plans to attend the NTA Travel Exchange in Huntsville and the Ontario Motor Coach Association Marketplace, both in November. “These shows are part of our ongoing commitment to promote Wisconsin to the group travel industry—domestically and internationally,” she explains. “On average, we participate in over 10 group travel shows annually to showcase our state’s attractions and services.”
She says trade shows are a “cornerstone strategy to selling Wisconsin to the group market,” hence the importance of proper planning. “Our job at Travel Wisconsin, in partnership with Circle Wisconsin, is to increase awareness and improve perceptions about Wisconsin’s unexpected tourism offerings. By connecting directly with tour operators, we make the case Wisconsin should be at the top of their travel itinerary list. Trade shows are very helpful; they’re a key component of our sales strategy.”
The next trade show for Dawn Hopper, managing director of tourism and market development with Dutchess Tourism in Poughkeepsie, New York, is ABA. “ABA is most helpful as it is my annual one-on-one meetings with operators I know and those new to my destination,” she says. “We no longer attend large group leader shows.”
She prepares by partnering with ILNY (I Love New York), researching operators, and recruiting tourism partners to attend. A successful trade show for Hopper? “Attention to supplier needs as well as tour operators,” she says. Also, it is important to have a balance “between networking opportunities and business meetings,” and she suggests events lasting no more than three to four days.
Credit: Ontario Motor Coach Association
Have the Long View
Jennifer Grundy, coordinator of convention and visitor services with Tourism Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada, has a knack for networking and says she uses every tool at her disposal, including social platforms. “To prepare for a successful trade show or event, I start by figuring out what my mission is, like meeting new people and getting leads,” she explains. “Spreading the word using social media, sending out emails, and trying to reach out to my network to get people excited to meet with me.” She preselects appointments and familiarizes herself with who she is scheduled to meet. “Getting materials ready is important, too,” she explains, “so I make sure to pack plenty of business cards, brochures, and other promotional items. Sorting out logistics, like con!rming location details, travel plans, and necessary equipment, would be a priority.”
All the above might be well and good, but Grundy’s efforts would in large part be in vain if she didn’t have the long view in mind. “Planning for follow-up is very important,” she says, “so I plan for reaching out to leads and contacts after the event. Finally, keeping track of how things go and gathering feedback will help me improve for next time.”
Grundy appreciates what trade shows offer her—the chance to meet other people in industry, see the newest trends and products, and make new business connections. “It’s a chance to chat with potential clients and partners, build relationships, and stay on top of what’s happening,” she says. “A successful trade show is all about having a great plan, a standout booth, and really connecting with people.” For organizers, she offers this advice: Make sure “all logistics runs smoothly, and get the word out using social media and gathering feedback afterward.”
By Andrew Weeks
Main Image: ABA Marketplace 2024, Nashville, Tennessee; Credit: Nathan Zucker
