Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com January 18, 2016 • Worcester Business Journal 31 W ithout a doubt, trade shows are the most boisterous marketing strategy available to a company's arsenal. Not only do you have the opportunity to promote your latest and greatest to a targeted audience of decision makers, but you can do so within a setting designed to overawe anyone who comes your way and leave them shaking their heads in pleasant disbelief. Plus, it costs on average 38 percent less in time and money to attract a sale at a tradeshow than in the field. Sounds great, right? The only problem is that it is not as easy as it all sounds. 1) Those who attracts the most senses wins. The human brain is attracted by stimuli, and it is our job to stimulate the senses. Sight, sound, touch (granular aesthetics) and smell (misting in a faint specific fragrance). All these done and done well will tantalize an attendee's subconscious to the extent that they will remember both their experience as well as your brand. 2) Ensure your booth attendees are top of their game. As an exhibitor, the more booth attendees understand the needs and wants of the prospective client, the more the message can be custom tailored to speak directly to that person. The more the message intrigues and resonates with that client, the more it becomes top of mind. Also, booth attendees who are engaging to the customer are priceless. Our advice is attendees stand near the aisle, make eye contact, have a smile and be friendly but not too pushy. Far too often we walk by a booth where the staff is sitting down, eating or on their phone, entirely disengaged and disinterested; those people are not going to make a positive impression and engage prospects. 3) Strategize how your brand will look in 3D. This is trickier than it sounds. How, for example, would you take a digital icon such as Facebook and make it into something that is both recognizable as well as physically tangible? Make sure that the exhibit design firm that you are working with understands your brand and its message so that they can incorporate both into the design of your exhibit. 4) Location, Location, Location You have heard it before, but this old adage is very important in a trade show. Show producers sometimes offer prime location booth spaces at an additional cost, and if it is within your budget, do it. But, unfortunately, most major trade show's prime locations sell out fast and are held from year to year, so get in early! If, for whatever reason, you miss out, there are ways to ensure that attention is drawn to your space. 5) Digital marketing In a world where 71 percent of global businesses utilize social media, having a digital presence at a trade show is imperative. The industry has responded accordingly, and it is now standard practice for events to have their own specific hashtags. The only problem is if your brand isn't socially engaged, it will miss the wealth of conversation that goes on in the digital realm and miss the opportunity to target and attract potential buyers. n Amadeus Finlay is the director of public relations for Worcester display design firm Blue Hive, which creates custom pieces for trade shows. Reach him at afinlay@blue-hive.com. By Michelle Drolet Michelle Drolet is founder and CEO of Towerwall, a data security services provider in Framingham. You may reach her at michelled@towerwall.com. 10 Things I Know About... Engage your core audience's sense at trade shows KNOW HOW 10. Everything is connected. As the Internet of Things adds more and more devices to our networks, it creates more doors and windows for cybercriminals. Keep them locked. 9. Ransomware is on the rise. If you don't want to end up paying to access your own data, then make sure that you protect it properly and back it up regularly. 8. Take care in the cloud. You need to have a clear picture of cloud services in use and put your cloud providers to the test to ensure that they meet your security standards. 7. Be wary of software. Open source and off-the-shelf software often contains known vulnerabilities that make it easy for attackers to get your data. Do your homework and choose wisely. 6. Always encrypt. Encryption should be mandatory for all of your data in transit and, ideally, at rest as well. Make it more trouble than it's worth for attackers. 5. Control access. If someone doesn't need access to a file for their work, then they shouldn't have it. A proper system of permissions backed by authentication can protect your business. 4. Log everything. A complete audit trail that establishes who accessed what and when can help you identify suspicious activity in real- time and trace the root of any problem that arises. 3. Educate and enforce. Create a security policy that educates employees about suspicious emails, smart password use, phishing and social engineering. Install automated protections, because tricking people is still the easiest way in for criminals. Ensure that systems and employees properly implement security procedures. 2. Test your defenses. You can spend as much as you like on a security system, but you won't know how well it works until you put it to the test. Third-party experts will help you find gaps and tighten things up. 1. Stay up to date. Most data breaches occur after known vulnerabilities are exploited. A stringent policy of patching and updating makes things much tougher for cybercriminals. E ncouraging employees to think creatively is more than just a feel-good, nice thing to do. It's a solid business practice that can improve your bottom line and help your teams work together more effectively. Here are three ways to get you and your team members thinking on a broad scale when it comes to solutions and strategies. Don't talk about it. That's right, don't. A direct turnaround of the usual way of approaching communication may seem counterintuitive, but the way you come at a problem can impact its outcome. At your next team meeting, cover the wall with large pieces of paper. An article at SkillsYouNeed.com recommends that the group draw the current situation, with its ideal future on the other side. "Next, draw a large semi-circular bridge between the current and future sides, and ask the group to draw what needs to happen to move from one side to the other," the article suggests. Removing words may open up possibilities. Don't immediately shoot down an idea. Leaders shouldn't give their opinion until last, and even then, should give three positives before the negative, says Lydia Dallett at BusinessInsider.com. "This will challenge you to think outside the box and model effective, creative brainstorming for your team," she writes. Create a safe space for ideas. Ensure colleagues, especially younger ones, feel comfortable sharing their ideas. Perhaps this means occasionally meeting with them separately. Keep the meeting moving along with equal participation. Heather Zynczak of FastCompany.com has this idea: "Everyone is given 10 pieces of paper and 10 minutes to create ad material for a specific topic. Then present everyone's concepts in less than 10 minutes," to be sure every voice is heard. n 101: FOSTERING CREATIVITY >> BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal BY AMADEUS FINLAY Special to the Worcester Business Journal Successfully sourcing IT talent

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