Going Deep: How to Create More Value for Anchor Exhibitors

December 26, 2014

By Benjamin Rabe and Alexa Newman

Partnering with the right anchor exhibitor for your trade show can set the tone for your entire event. Dynamic sponsors bring excitement to the show floor. They attract other exhibitors and, most importantly, they engage attendees. Plus, the non-dues revenue streams boost your organization’s bottom line.

To grow your relationship with an anchor exhibitor, you’ll have to be willing to try new tactics, even take a few risks. We saw this recently when three of our client organizations set out to change their approaches. By thinking creatively, being flexible and breaking a few rules, the teams solidified relationships with their anchor exhibitors, resulting in deeper sponsorship commitments and more attendee engagement.

Power Boost

The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA), recently received a power boost from a longtime sponsor.

ASHE had a long-standing relationship with a Fortune 100 company. Sometimes they sponsored the event, sometimes they didn’t. The ASHE team decided to change its sales approach. First, they identified one key decision maker and sent a formal invitation for the leader to audit an upcoming show for free. During the visit, the team sat down with the decision maker and shared ASHE’s strategic plan and membership profile. Shortly thereafter, the company committed to a 400-square-foot booth for the following year’s event. 

But the work didn’t end there. During a monthly conference call with the anchor exhibitor, the team learned that the exhibitor wanted a fresh approach to its exhibit. Together, the team and exhibitor developed a custom package around the company’s current marketing campaign with a power theme. The result was offering “power smoothies” to attendees from the company’s booth. Meanwhile, ASHE was charged with driving traffic to the booth. They broke a cardinal rule and agreed to make six “Voice of God” announcements over the exhibit hall speaker system. The team also placed four floor decals in the aisles.  The campaign was so successful that the company doubled its sponsorship commitment and increased its booth size by 50 percent.  In turn, two other exhibitors also committed to more engagement, with each increasing their booth size to 400 square feet. 

Partners in Education

At the request of an exhibitor, the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA) created a program for exhibitors to hold continuing education sessions in their trade show booths. Sponsors partnered with SGNA to provide the ongoing sessions, giving nurses the opportunity to earn CE credits.

The program successfully drove traffic to the show floor and increased sponsorship revenue and square footage in the exhibit hall.  One sponsor told us, “Partnering with SGNA has enabled us to connect with our target audience and offer education courses to promote safe and effective use of our technology.”

Suspenseful to the End

American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), also an AHA personal membership group, partnered with an anchor exhibitor to create enough suspense to keep attendees hanging around the show floor until the very end of the show. 

The exhibitor participated in the event every year with a 600-square- foot booth, but the company would host a party off-site and independent of ASHRM. They also were not a sponsor.  ASHRM’s sales manager and exhibit director sat down with the company’s representatives, who described their company’s passion for having fun while networking with customers. Together, they created an exhibit and sponsorship package that reflected the company’s “fun” image.

The sponsor increased its booth size to 1,500 square feet, and ASHRM allowed the company to serve food and drinks at their in-booth bar during show hours. A brand package was developed for outside the exhibit hall. 

And then there was the major giveaway. The sponsor wanted to hold a drawing for a large gift. ASHRM also does giveaways. Working in tandem, ASHRM and the sponsor orchestrated their big drawings to be revealed at the end of the show, providing enough suspense to entice attendees to stay in the exhibit hall. The sponsor was happy with the results, and ASHRM is already seeing results for next year. So far they’ve increased their number of island exhibitors by two, and collectively, their island exhibitors are requiring an additional 1,000 square feet next year. 

 

By building a vendor relationship and digging deeper into what an exhibitor really wants, your organization’s event can net some solid results. As attendees and other exhibitors begin noticing, you will be measuring the residual impact for years to come. 

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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.