Trade Show Exhibits Fit for a King- Part I

If you have not seen the Oscar winning movie, The King’s SPEECH, do so. It is an exceptionally well done film with superb acting. In light of the recent royal wedding, it was all the more interesting as it was beneficial in clarifying the lineage of the royal family and the Queen’s place in such. The opening scene returns us to the 1938 Empire Exhibition where, the then Duke of York , played by Oscar winner Colin Firth, is waiting in the wings to deliver the opening speech (which I will share in part II) as requested by his father, King George V. It sparked my curiosity regarding the event –being part of a Trade Show Exhibits family-so I did a little research.

The fourth of five great exhibitions to be hosted by Glasgow since 1888, the 1938 Empire Exhibition covered some 178 acres. Marking the fiftieth year anniversary since Glasgow’s first, the exhibition exceeded the original by more than 100 acres. It was to be ‘the most extravagant exhibition ever held in Britain’ and offered a chance to boost the economy of Scotland-then recovering from the depression of the 1930’s. Over 100 individual palaces and pavilions were constructed in BellahoustonParkin just over ten months time (though underground work had commenced a year earlier). Having 716 exhibitors, this last public showcase of the British Empiredrew slightly over 12.5 million visitors from May to October 1938. ["Exhibition Facts”. Empire Exhibition Scotland 1938. Digital Design Studio]

By comparison, The Consumer Electronics Show is North America’s largest convention, having some 2700 exhibitors with trade show exhibits spread over 3 million square feet of floor space. Drawing over 100,000 attendees toLas Vegas for the four day event in January every year (according to PC magazine, some 140,000 in 2011), it showcases the industries latest and greatest.

Certainly not an exhibition on the scale of that held at Glasgowor the ChicagoWorld’s Fair of 1936, but impressive when you take the temporality of the show into consideration. Installing and dismantling some 68 acres of Trade Show Exhibits in -let’s say a week’s time- is quite a feat. Just as we live in an electronics world; analogously, it was an industrial world in 1933, as reflected in several of the named structures (Palace of Industry; Palace of Engineering North/West). The Palace of Arts (the lone remaining structure) and the Concert Hall, attest to the ‘Art’ consciousness of the period, as does Fair Park here in Dallas. Having trod for decades through countless miles of disarray on tradeshow, convention and exposition turf, Exhibittrader.com understands the art and appreciates the industry it takes for both. Keeping pace with this electronics world, our new sister website, Exhibittrader2.com, offers customers a world of display products and services at their fingertips.

Trade Show Exhibits Fit for a King – Part II

Initially, I searched the internet for actual videos of the opening ceremonies of the Empire Exhibition of 1938, to compare against the scene of such portrayed in THE KING’S SPEECH. The movie does not show the Duke of York’s entire speech; it only reconstructs the difficulty he had delivering such due to his speech impediment. Dictating the speech, I felt need to share some of King George VI’s words with fellow Americans as we struggle to keep our economy afloat and the engine of capitalism of this great nation oiled and running:

…. The exhibition is an empire undertaking. We do well to remember that it owes its origins and to a great extent its execution to the people of Scotland. It is a significant act that the plans were being prepared at a time when this country was still under the cloud of a long industrial depression. For this reason alone, many people would have hesitated to embark on a scheme of so wide and formidable scope. But, in addition, the fact had to be faced that this exhibition would inevitably challenge comparison with those held at Wimberley, New Zealand and South Africa. Yet Scotland was not daunted; for that has never been her way. She believes that the best means of avoiding trouble is to provide against it; and that new enterprise is the safest insurance against the return of depression. It is in this spirit that the exhibition has been built. And I see in it, the symbol of the vitality and initiative upon which the continual prosperity of Scotland must rest. I have spoken first of Scotland; but I am well aware that without the generous help and support of the rest of the empire, this exhibition would not have been possible. It now stands before us to testify of that willing of cooperation which I would rejoice to think that is the hallmark of the Commonwealth of Nations. As confident as I am, that this great exhibition can make a real contribution to the general well-being, I have the greatest pleasure in declaring it “open”.
[Retrieved 5 May 2011: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=50494]

These words, spoken almost 75 years ago inspire ExhibitTrader.com to not stutter in providing quality Trade Show Exhibits for our customers, here and abroad. The tradeshow is a place where business starts and trickledown economics ensue. It is our hope that this speech-in some small way- will provide the same ‘industrial’ motivation for you and your company. We may not be a Commonwealth of Nations; but the common ‘wealth’ of our nation can best be insured-as The Duke put it- by new enterprise.

Remember that despite 1938 being one of the wettest summers on record, the Exhibition still attracted 12 million visitors. As you attempt to build a successful marketing campaign; we feel confident that partnering together can create trade show exhibits that will help increase attendees to your booth, no matter the economic forecast. As the King overcame a speech impediment with the help of a coach and friend; we can overcome impediments to a growing business climate with the same.

If you wish, you can view an interactive map of The Empire Exhibition of 1938 at http://www.empireexhibition1938.co.uk/html/map.html. The Digital Design Studio, a postgraduate and research centre of the Glasgow School of Art specializing in 3D visualization, created a 3D model of such in 2005 with research funds awarded them by The Arts and Humanities Research Council. As you view this electronic reproduction of an impressive work of industrial art, remember that our modern day tradeshow and the trade show exhibits they house are in part, spinoffs from these magnificent events created by human beings persevering under trials and facing the ensuing threat of war. It is our belief that that same fighting spirit has followed man (and woman) into the 21st century.

Successful Staffing of Trade Show Booths

By definition, a booth of any type usually denotes a structure -whether temporary or permanent- for the purpose of vending something. Food booths at a fair; toll versions on highways; and the ticket box office at a concert, all dispense something to the consumer in exchange for currency of some type. Trade show booths are analogous to the aforementioned, in that the objective is to provide information about a product or service to potential customers.

In the past, Trade show booths were often custom built displays occupying large floor spaces on a convention floor; not so much today. The large and traditional, custom-built exhibit is giving way to custom modular exhibits due to their flexibility and cost savings. Driven by economic woes, many of the giant trade shows have been greatly reduced in size or split into smaller shows as well. Recent years have also seen an expansion for the use of traditional trade show components into unconventional venues.

Smaller, quainter exhibits put even more focus on the interaction between exhibitor and attendee; contributing to the importance of a well-trained staff to interact with potential customers. While both a tradeshow tool kit and a well stocked supply kit might prove as crucial to your success as a well-designed exhibit. (Your staff’s focus should be on potential customers not scrambling to find office supplies, electrical accessories, or a screwdriver); all is mote unless you have well-trained individuals to staff your booths. Linda Musgrove, The TradeShow Teacher, resonated this truth in her article, Booth Staff Superstars:

Did you know that your booth staff plays one of the most important roles in forming an opinion about your company in the minds of attendees? No matter how well you organized everything else, your booth staff- their behavior and their techniques -will be the single biggest factor in making the show a success or a failure. You will need to make sure your booth staff understands that physical appearance, choice of words, general demeanor and their level of knowledge and enthusiasm are what determines the impression attendees will have about your company.

Outlining key steps to follow for selecting and training individuals to man your exhibits, Ms Musgrove’s lesson includes advice for creating highly effective booth staffers:

Booth staff training is extremely important to the success of your trade shows. There is no such thing as too much booth training nor is there any employee that knows it all. You should either hire an outside consultant to conduct this training; or develop your own training program. In either case, the training needs to prepare staffers to sell and function in a trade show environment, with competing sights and sounds.

As it may take a few minutes to collect all of the items for your tool/supply kit; it will take extra effort to ‘ready’ your employees. But having both in your booth bag could save the day or ‘deal’ respectively. Look to The TradeShow Teacher (www.tsteacher.com) for booth staff training; leave it to us to ‘ready’ the display you choose. At ExhibitTrader.com, we understand that Trade show booths are more than backdrops. They need proper lighting, a sense of depth, and a well-designed layout. Our Chief Operating Officer, Chad Rogowicz, sums up the characteristics of such, “A great booth must be functional in its application, eye catching, and budget friendly.” Our exhibit designers understand these principles and specialize in creating environments that will amaze visitors at your next trade show. Allow our tradeshow expert staff to create one for your well-trained, tradeshow staff.