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Using and Choosing Hired Talent
Why you shouldn't clown around with booth entertainment
volume #1, article #5
By Dianne Smirl, CME-Designate
When used appropriately as part of an exhibit marketing program, entertainment can draw welcome attention to your booth and enhance your return on investment. Used ineffectively, it can be a major expense with no benefit. So how do you decide whether – and what kind of – hired talent is the right drawing card for you? The first step is to know your exhibit marketing objectives. Booth entertainment can open doors, but only you can make sure they’re the right doors for your business.
Consider All Your Options
Many different forms of entertainment are suitable for trade shows. Your choices include magicians, game experts, celebrities, musical acts and professional presenters. And don’t forget models. Anyone who is not an employee of your company but is hired by you to boost the number of visitors to your booth is considered entertainment.
Know What You Want To Accomplish
If one of your exhibit marketing objectives is to increase your booth traffic, or to expand your database of contact names and numbers, then entertainment is a beneficial option to consider. Remember that your entertainment should reflect your booth theme or messaging. Hiring a clown when you have a golf-themed exhibit is probably not the best choice for you. If you have an original idea or message, make sure you have original entertainment.
Learn To Scout The Best Talent
A good starting point for your talent search is show management in the city where you are exhibiting. Most will be able to provide a list of local entertainers who fit your requirements. You can also contact the local chapter of the Special Events Association to get recommendations. And, of course, there is also the wonderful Internet, which is a researcher’s dream and allows you to do your own searching. Once you have short-listed the candidates, make sure you check their references. Remember that the person, or group, you hire will be representing you and your company, so place huge importance on qualifying them.
Teach Your Talent Well
To effectively promote your business, your booth entertainment must have a complete understanding of your company and offering. Experienced performers and other hired entertainers will ask for information about you before the show. They’ll want to know about your messaging, your theme, your objectives and how they fit into your program. The more questions they ask, the better they are. Spend as much time as necessary educating and, if required, training your entertainment.
Correct Mistakes Immediately
People can only fix what they know is broken. Watch and listen to the first presentation of the tradeshow carefully. If something isn’t right, take immediate action to correct the error and move on. All professionals will ask for immediate feedback so they can make modifications for the next show.
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