Speeding through a Tradeshow

By Hanif Muljiani
As I sit on a plane reading a book entitled “The Age of Speed” by Vince Poscente I realize how the need for immediate communication is taking over our lives. To be disconnected from the outside world for a few hours is painful. This realization made me think of tradeshow attendees and the time-stressed environment they live in. As they walk a tradeshow floor they are not only distracted by various communication devices but also by the desire to maximize their time and see as many exhibitors as possible. So what can exhibitors do to help attendees deal with their external stresses and ultimately entice them to visit their booth?

Vince Poscente states in his book, “In our attempt to go faster, to solve the problem of speed, we must eliminate all of the tools, processes, technologies, ideas...that are developed to speed things up but that aren’t aligned with our authentic purpose...Simplicity is needed to achieve and maintain speed. So the act of pursuing speed in life and business results in an environment of simplicity. This is counterintuitive, because we tend to think of slow as simple and fast as chaotic; but fast can be the surest way to simplicity....By its very nature, fast is simple, so simplicity is one of the foundations of success in the Age of Speed.”

According to Vince, a strategy of eliminating all of the unnecessary steps and obstacles to a prospect getting the information they require would result in the attendees need for speed. To achieve this, the exhibit design should be simple and all internal processes aligned for speed. Lead Retrieval software, 30-second elevator pitches, quick headlines in your booth, easy booth access and location, etc all support efficiency. The next time you exhibit, you may want to observe tradeshow attendee behaviour and see if the booth experience tests their patience. If so, start thinking of ideas to simplify your pitch and get them moving faster.