November 19, 2012
by Andy Saks
Most trade show exhibitors hire booth presenters to deliver a single product presentation script over and over.
Did you know a good trade show presenter can deliver vastly more for your investment? More presentations. More formats. More styles.
Volvo Construction Equipment is a mainstay at ConExpo
Here’s an extreme example from Spark’s own history. Through over 200 trade show presenter bookings spanning 16 years, no one’s ever gotten their money’s worth from one of our trade show presenters like Volvo Construction Equipment did from Spark owner Andy Saks at the ConExpo 2011 trade show.
ConExpo is the world’s largest construction show. It’s held only every three years, runs five days and fills up every exhibit hall and parking lot at the Las Vegas Convention Center and adjacent Las Vegas Hotel.
With just a few days to exhibit every three years, exhibitors need to make the most of every moment on the floor. Toward that end, Volvo produced a 6,400-square-foot booth in North Hall, and filled with massive machines, a catwalk, a giant presentation theater and even a gift shop.
Its booth producers had big plans to promote Volvo products at ConExpo, including:
1. PRODUCT UNVEILINGS: Volvo planned to unveil its new L250G wheel loader, MC110C Skid Steer Loader and MC135C Compact Track Loader to a gaggle of over 100 industry reporters. That meant finding an emcee to welcome the press, deliver key product specs, and introduce both The Volvo Group’s President and its Vice President of Sales for North America.
2. PRODUCT PRESENTATIONS: Volvo wanted to deliver a scripted product presentation each day for its C-Series Roller, D-Series Excavator, F-Series Articulated Haul Truck, L-Series Wheel Loader, and Volvo Financial Services. That meant a professional speaker capable of handling five separate presentation scripts each day for five days straight.
3. ON-CAMERA INTERVIEWS: Volvo also wanted to shoot on-camera interviews during the show with Volvo Construction Challenge winners, Volvo CE’s President, and various booth staffers, and show those interviews on its website and booth theater screen. That meant an on-camera host.
4. ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSIONS: Volvo wanted to run two daily round-table discussions in the booth theater, one on fuel efficiency and one on Tier 4 standards, each with an emcee introducing and interviewing a rotating slate of five Volvo staffers. That required a stage emcee.
5. CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENTS: Volvo wanted to announce the winner of a contest called the Working Iron Challenge and interview him or her in its booth theater. That meant keeping the emcee for the whole show.
6. VIDEO NEWS UPDATES: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited the booth during the show. The in-booth video crew shot footage and needed a voice over artist to narrate it on the fly so they could post it online minutes after they shot it. That meant voice-over talent.
Add it all up, and that’s three global product unveilings, five rotating product presentations, three on-camera interviews with Volvo staffers, two daily round-table discussions, one contest winner announcement and one video voice-over.
How would they ever assemble a professional emcee, trade show presenter, on-camera host and voice-over talent to do all that?
As it turns out, Volvo just needed one guy.
Volvo tapped its show producer, MC-2, for help. MC2 tapped Spark, just as it had at ConExpo 2008 to host game shows and give product presentations at Hyundai’s booth. Spark delivered owner and professional trade show presenter, emcee, on-camera host and voice-over talent Andy Saks.
Andy handled every single one of these assignments himself. First, he edited all twelve scripts before the show to maximize their clarity, flow and style. Then, he delivered each and every script himself by recording each one on an Earprompter tape and switching tapes as needed. See for yourself:
Andy unveils Volvo’s L250G Wheel Loader with Volvo Construction Equipment Worldwide President:
Andy unveils Volvo’s MC110C Skid Steer Loader and MC135C Compact Track Loader with Volvo Construction Equipment Worldwide President:
Andy interviews Volvo Construction Equipment President on camera:
Andy interviews Volvo Construction Challenge winners on camera:
Andy emcees Volvo Working Iron Challenge winner ceremony on stage:
Andy provides on-site voice-over narration for video of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visit:
What can you learn from Volvo? Seize every opportunity your booth presents, big and small, simple and creative. For example:
Unveil a new product or service (or three!) and invite the press to your party.
Pitch multiple products and services in your theater on a rotating schedule.
Put your best staffers on stage to educate industry insiders on issues of interest.
Interview your staffers and executives on camera and post the video live during the show to extend your reach to every prospect who couldn’t be there in person, and leave those videos up indefinitely, so they keep marketing for you long after the show ends.
Fit as much stuff into your booth as it’ll hold; it’s probably a lot more than you think. The more activity you generate, the more curious attendees you’ll draw, and the more value you’ll get from your show investment.
To keep your head from exploding along the way, put all the scriptwriting and slide design in the hands of one company, and all the performance in the hands of one person. You’ll save thousands in talent costs and streamline every process immeasurably.
And if you’re not sure where to find a person like that, well, we have one right here. 🙂
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