| Theater is theater, but when it comes to trade shows, | | | | simple. Capitalize on business theater. |
| business theater is high drama. | | | | It has a human agenda, provokes thought, and, with |
| By injecting the theatrical into your company's | | | | business theater, you also provoke sales. |
| presence at a trade show or industry convention, you | | | | There are a variety of types of trade show |
| are gaining added value to your trade show exhibit | | | | presentations from spectacle, educational, and |
| appearance. | | | | visionary types. The narrator follows a script, the public |
| It takes a special skill for business presenters at trade | | | | relations person pitches the audience like an evangelist, |
| show exhibits or at a convention keynote address to | | | | the CEO of the company motivates and inspires, the |
| capture an audience and mesmerize them with a | | | | demo jockey is a knowledgeable professor -type who |
| persuasive message. Properly staged, your trade | | | | demonstrates how to use a particular product or |
| show booth can add excitement and drama to your | | | | service. |
| product story. | | | | It would be ideal to have a bit of all these types in one |
| The most effective trade show booth personnel | | | | person. A presenter who can engage, entertain, inspire |
| require an actor's flair for the dramatic and an ability to | | | | and add flair to your sales story at your next trade |
| win its audience. Similarly, if your company's top guns | | | | show display. |
| are to deliver the convention's keynote address, they | | | | So start at the beginning. First ask, "What is my |
| need to be groomed to perform like a Broadway | | | | company's purpose for exhibiting at a trade show?" |
| actor. | | | | If the company wants to show it presence as part of |
| A case in point would be Microsoft's Chairman Bill | | | | the industry, but has nothing new to say, then a |
| Gates at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas | | | | magician, a comedy act, pool players, or battling robots |
| in January 2006. Gates gave the keynote address and | | | | can often suffice to dress up its act. But if the |
| was also able to highlight features of the new version | | | | company needs a platform to educate the trade show |
| of Windows designed to appeal to the average | | | | attendees and generate sales leads, then the smart |
| consumer. With engaging and inspiring articulation, | | | | move is to hire a professional presenter at your trade |
| Gates demonstrated new photo-editing tools and a | | | | show exhibit. The trade show is where business |
| revamped media player designed to improve the way | | | | theater consultants attract, engage and inform the |
| that Windows software tackles the most commonly | | | | conference attendees at the trade show booth. |
| used media files. Gates personally demonstrated the | | | | If you are looking for a truly professional business |
| improved remote-control experience that will be part | | | | theater presenter for your trade show display, Hall |
| of the Media Center edition of Vista. | | | | advises that you consider the following characteristics. |
| Using humor, | | | | They are: |
| Gates began his keynote speech by noting his recent | | | | First, the presenter at the trade show booth needs to |
| appearance, along with his wife, Melinda, and U2's | | | | look comfortable, confident and fit into your company's |
| Bono, as Time magazine's "Persons of the Year." He | | | | image. |
| quickly added there was another major contender for | | | | Second, the presenter needs to give a fresh show |
| that high visibility award. "Probably if there had been | | | | every time. Trade show visitors need to feel that they |
| one more hurricane, Mother Nature would have been | | | | are seeing the show/demo for the first time it has |
| on the cover," he said. "For a lot of reasons I'm glad | | | | been given at your trade show exhibit. |
| that didn't happen." | | | | Third, the professional presenter needs to vary their |
| Gates was natural, engaging and compelling. He was | | | | voice pitch, rhythm and use of story telling techniques |
| thus able to inspire trade show attendees with his | | | | to thoroughly engage the trade show visitors. |
| vision of the digital future. He also mesmerized his | | | | Fourth, the presenter's body language needs to |
| audience when he talked about the digital gadgets | | | | reinforce the company's brand. That means that the |
| becoming such instrumental parts of our future. The | | | | presenter has done their research and have a solid |
| attendees lapped it up. | | | | understanding of the company they represent. |
| But what do you do if your company chairman is not | | | | Brands such as Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, Apple Computer |
| Bill Gates giving a dramatic keynote address? How do | | | | Inc. in Cupertino, eBay in San Jose, Google in Mountain |
| you find a business presenter to attract attention to | | | | View, Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, Oracle in |
| your trade show appearance and give inspired | | | | Redwood City, and Sun Microsystems of Santa Clara, |
| information on your new product launch at your next | | | | all use professional presenters. |
| trade show? | | | | Remember if you do it right, you can use the power of |
| According to William Hall, Founder of the Fratelli | | | | theater to drive your company sales at industry trade |
| Bologna company of San Francisco, and a noted | | | | shows. |
| professional trade show presenter, the answer is | | | | |