Recently in Conventions Category

I don't know what a petaflop is, but I do know it's bigger than a teraflop.

How did I arrive at this limited amount of geeky wisdom?

Well, it's not because I'm smart. It's because I gleaned that factoid from a back-wall graphic among aisles and aisles of less-than-successful signage at a recent trade show for companies in the supercomputer industry. (In case you're interested, flop stands for "floating-point operations per second," so now we can all act smart.)

The show would make a great location for filming the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory." Attendees here were the kind of folks who send spaceships to Mars. Just about every booth in the place featured signage practically screaming at attendees about some technical aspect of the computing doohickey on display.

There were myriad oscilloscopes measuring electronic thingies, and signs pointing out the tech specs on the kinds of electronic gadgets I would be afraid to touch.

So, it's a good guess that many attendees not named "Bob Milam" actually understood what was going on with the oscilloscopes and the flop war being waged on back-wall graphics.

But before you assume those tech-spec key messages on back walls and banner stands were successful, consider this: The kinds of companies that buy supercomputers -- NASA, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, etc. -- usually don't just send the professor out to pick up whatever flop-crunching machine won't clash with his lab coat.

When spending that kind of money, decisions are generally made by a purchasing team: a user, an influencer, a finance guy, and maybe an executive. And I'm guessing not everyone on that list can operate an oscilloscope.

The same can be said in many industries. The guy or gal who buys a dump truck, for example, isn't necessarily the guy or gal who's going to drive it. And not every influencer at a food-industry show knows the difference between good and bad blowback on the breadcrumbs that coat chicken nuggets.

When deciding what information to put proudly on display in your exhibit, you need to determine who is going to read your message, what details they care about when making purchasing decisions, and -- based on those answers -- what messages you want those people to take away. Then, you need your key messages to be written in a manner that communicates something to the attendees you are targeting, no matter what their educational background.

Truth be told, the sins committed on booth graphics are many, from insider jargon to worthless slogans.

Here are a few examples of things you need to avoid if you want your exhibit and its graphics to be effective at your next show.

1. Our Ideas Are So Bright, We Shine Like Joules

Avoid words and phrases that are Greek to attendees who don't have a doctorate in physics. Sure, the guy in the lab coat understands what you're trying to say. But no matter the techie credentials of the show, there are probably people -- who are likely involved in purchasing decisions -- walking that show floor who won't. Save the confusing statistics and jargon for a product-info sheet that can be handed out (or e-mailed) and digested later with some help from a friendly computer nerd.

Determine who your market is, and explain in smart-but-understandable terms the benefit your product provides. Instead of spitting out petaflop rates on oversized, bold graphics, use more general terms peppered with some creativity. For example, if your key message is that your computers are faster than your competitors' offerings, create a NASCAR theme and boldly proclaim that in the race to crunch numbers, your computer always captures the checkered flag. That's a message even a pre-school kid could understand and retain.

Finally, let someone proof your graphics text to be sure it makes sense. If you're a techie person, let a layman read it. If you're a layman, call your IT guy and ask him to take a look and give you his feedback. Missing the mark on your messaging is an all-too-common mistake, so litmus test it before the show to avoid a crucial misstep.

2. Our Product is the Best Ever

The problem with this kind of statement is that it sounds like something the marketing department wrote. You almost expect to walk over to the competition and see its graphics read, "Nuh-Uh, Ours Is."

Everyone believes in the product they're selling, and that's great. But if you truly believe in your product, don't just say it's the best -- explain why it is the best. What specifically does it do that solves a problem for your clients? And why is your solution better than everyone else's?

At a food-industry trade show a few years ago, I saw the perfect example of this. A company selling plastic conveyor belts to the tortilla industry had a sign that read, "Eliminate Production Delays with the Power of Plastic."

Once in the booth, the staffer talked about how metal conveyor belts tend to stick to tortillas, causing the production line to be shut down. But the company's plastic belts did not stick to the tortillas, meaning the line kept going. Of course, the graphic explained it all, which is what a good graphic should do.

strong>3. Acme Widget -- Making a Difference

In the world of lukewarm, this might be the most tepid statement ever. I'm sure the folks at Acme Widget (or the people at the real company I won't name that actually had this graphic as the centerpiece of their booth) really are making a difference, somewhere. But it's not in the world of trade show marketing. Statements that don't actually say anything basically tell attendees that you don't have anything to say.

If your company is actually "making a difference," let attendees know how. Are you Greening the environment or donating money or goods to a philanthropic cause? Explain to attendees that you're "Cutting Carbon Emissions and Building Stronger Widgets." Then tell them why this is important to your company -- or better yet, why it is important to them: "Because You'll Breathe Easier With Acme's Stronger Widgets."

No matter what industry you are in, or what you want to say, make sure your graphics tell your story clearly, in words that can be understood and appreciated by any attendee walking past your booth. If you do that, your message will be heard loud and clear, like a 100-decibel note with no clipping of the waveform. (Just check your oscilloscope.)

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Personally, I have a big aversion to recommending most celebrity speakers for any franchise convention.

I think that there are very few 'celebrity status' presenters out there who get that they are being paid to actually connect with and serve their audiences. Too many times the strutting, peacockish, ego-serving celebrity will create a miserable experience for the planner, the hotel staff, the franchisor team and completely fail to genuinely and authentically connect with your franchise audience.

In fact, this kind of behavior is what inspired us to create our "No Diva" policy at Franchise Speakers.

Whenever we get a request from a client for a particular celebrity speaker, the first thing we find out is why is the client looking at this person and what do they hope that a keynote presentation by this celebrity will accomplish for their franchisees. That after all is the reason for the investment, isn't it?

The horror stories are prolific when you are in the inside of the speaking world. In fact, be on the lookout for our eBook - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Stories of how professional speakers can make or break your event.

Here's one that recently came to our attention - a $40,000 speaker who all in one engagement publically berated a waitress in front of a restaurant full of franchisees, was physically inappropriate and crass with the production staff, sold continuously and obnoxiously from the platform throughout his session and when told not to do it, proceeded to do it again the very next day! Wow! Yes, he had a well known name but at the end of it all, that's about all he brought to the engagement other than headaches and disspointment.

As a franchisee, I cared more about what I was going to actually learn that was going to help me run my business better than hearing someone talk about themselves.

So when a franchisor calls us and expresses interest in a celebrity speaker, I will find a gentle way to suggest we look at how we could maximize those investment dollars to create a more powerful and broad-based curriculum for the conference overall.

Using the same dollars to engage a fantastic, content-rich, keynote speaker, a selection of terrific, tactical, breakout trainers, a professional facilitator/moderator to create a positive, productive open forum or Panel of the Pro's session, a corporate comedian to enliven and create a 'WOW' awards event and some kind of experiential exercise like a Board Break Experience

We can stretch the franchisor or franchise associations dollars to create a memorable, fun and engaging learning experience for attendees.

Okay - at the end of the day, you still want that celebrity speaker?

Do yourself a huge favor and have someone who knows the speaking world talk directly to the speaker and check their references (recent and at least 3!) to get a feel for:

1. Were they more concerned about themselves than connecting to the group?
2. How were they to work with leading up to the event?
3. Were they prepared and on time?
4. Did they do their homework and put the effort into really understanding the business and the culture?
5. Did they spend more time promoting themselves and their products and services than they did connecting to the audience?

And if you still want to hire them, at least you will know in advance that you'll have your hands full through the process and can hopefully avoid some costly mistakes by including specific clauses in your contract that outline your significant do's and don't's before they take the platform.

Let me know if you'd like to discuss further. We are here to help! 720-304-3710.

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How do you know the right questions to ask to screen prospective speakers? Since you are essentially trusting your credibility with the speaker you put in front of your franchisees, pre-qualifying prospective speakers is imperative.

To help you make sure you are selecting the right match, use these three questions:

1. What's your experience working with franchise groups?

It's important that your speakers understand the delicate dance of the franchisee/franchisor relationship. Ask questions that really demonstrate that this speaker will not treat your franchisees as if they are employees. Keep your goal of having this person educate, inspire and connect with your franchisees top of mind and make sure that this person is not going to alienate them.

Be careful to phrase this question in a way that isn't leading. You want to know what they know, not what you hope they know!

2. Who have you spoken for recently that we can speak with?

Get three references from clients who the speaker has worked with in the last 6 months. When checking a speaker's references include questions such as:

• How easy were they to work with?
• Did you feel like they came from a position of service and supporting you or did you feel that the speaker was more focused on their own ego?
• Do you feel like they over- or under- delivered on what they promised?
• Did they do their homework and customize the content to genuinely connect with your franchisees?

3. What video clips do you have that we can circulate to our decision team?

Be cautious of speakers who have not invested in providing a variety of clips demonstrating their ability in front of a variety of audiences. Multiple clips will help you get a feel for the speaker's ability to consistently engage their audiences.

This has been a guest post by Katrina Mitchell, CEO and Chief Match Maker of SPEAK!

Give her a call if you'd like to brainstorm some creative conference topics and innovative ways to make your 2012 franchise convention the most memorable and effective yet! [email protected] or 720-304-3710.

We know the franchise world - it's all we do and we'd love to help

If you are a speaker looking for representation, please look at Speak!'s roster criteria.

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As a frequent speaker at events of all sizes, I've had a chance to observe some of the best practices conference organizers used to promote their events through social media. In most cases, these efforts cost little or nothing more than your time.

Here are some suggestions for leveraging social channels for event promotion. I'm sure I haven't covered all the possibilities, so please contribute your ideas as comments. We'll look first at tactics the can work for any event, then I'll propose a few ideas for large conferences covering multiple days and many speakers.

Events of all sizes

• Set up a unique landing page for each event. You need a single Web address that people can refer to in their social channels. Use this page to describe and "sell" the event, not to gather registrations. Send visitors to a different landing page to register. If there are several events in the series, create a unique landing page for each.
• EventBrite is a great service, but I recommend against using it as your event landing page. Use a page under your own domain and use EventBrite (or similar services) for registrations.
• Publish an announcement on Yahoo's Upcoming or Eventful. They help you publicize to a local community. Also consider professional associations, which may give you a calendar entry for free.
• Regardless of the size of the event, set up a Facebook page or create a dedicated event sub-page under your Facebook page. It costs nothing and gives you access to the extended social networks of registrants and potential registrants. When people "like" your page, that action is shared with everyone in their network. The average Facebook member has 130 Facebook friends. That amplifies your message pretty quickly.
• Create a Twitter hashtag and promote it to your colleagues and registrants. Ideally, the hashtag should be unique to the event (#AcmeForum11), but it's OK to use your organization's hashtag if your main goal is to build your brand.(#AcmeForums). Use the hashtag in all your communications and always link to the event landing page.
• Schedule Twitter promotions to go out at different times of the day, including on weekends. Free clients like Tweetdeck, Seesmic and HootSuite make this easy. If you're trying to attract an international audience, don't forget to schedule some promos to go out during the local work day in those areas. If you can customize to the local language, that's even better.
• Ask registrants for a Twitter address and then follow them on Twitter. Retweet their messages from time to time. They'll notice you and are more likely to follow you and retweet your event-related messages.
• Use a unique tracking code with each promotion and make sure to use a different code for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and e-mail. You want to know which sources are sending traffic to your landing page so you can better focus your resources.
• Link to the event page from your e-mail signature line. Make sure others on your team do this, too.
• Create short-code URLs using a service like Bit.ly. Many services let you customize the short code to something that's easy to remember, like your event name or hashtag (for example, bit.ly/AcmeForum). Do that.
• Your speakers and fellow organizers are your best sources of social media promotion. Make it easy: Create suggested messages for them to use in each medium (For example, "Come see the latest in Acme widgets. Special discount if you use this URL http://bit.ly/AcmeForum"). It's better that they use your message than create their own. Create a couple of short messages for Twitter and a longer one for a blog or Facebook. Limit Twitter messages to 120 characters to allow for retweeting.
• Provide a suggested tag for attendees to use when posting photos or videos from the event. This enables you to assemble photo galleries by stitching together tagged content from a variety of sources.
• Create an event badge (right) that speakers can embed in their blog sidebars or on their websites. Link to your landing page using a custom URL. Don't send speakers an image, but post the image on your site and send them an embed code. This enables you to tell who's sending you traffic. It's a good idea to offer speakers a special discount code they can share with their friends and followers.
• Something that's rarely done but worth trying is to customize discount codes and offer a rebate to attendees who successfully recruit other registrants. All you have to do is give each badge-holder a unique registration code to promote, and then track who sends you customers. Then refund promoters a percentage or fixed amount.
• Create SlideShare and YouTube channels for your event. Post all appropriate pre- and post-conference materials there. SlideShare is a particularly good place to post speaker presentations as a way of raising awareness about follow-on events. Be sure to point to your event site from the SlideShare and YouTube profile pages. Embed media from your SlideShare and YouTube channels on your event website.
• Content from past events is your best promotion for future events. Record as many presentations as possible and post them as podcasts or video podcasts. Be sure to provide an RSS feed so that potential attendees can subscribe to new content as it's posted. If you can't record the sessions, set up brief interviews with selected speakers and post them as podcasts.

Large events

• Set up a branded Twitter account specifically for the event. This enables registrants to follow you to learn about developments in the program and it also creates a channel for post-event follow-up.
• Use the Twitter account to promote announcements such as new speakers, sessions, sponsors and parties. Ask staff and speakers to retweet these messages in order to gain followers. Don't forget to include the Twitter hashtag!
• Create an event blog. Ask speakers to contribute posts of 300-500 words. Space out entries so that there's a constant stream of new content. Focus speakers on writing about the topic of their presentations, not promoting their businesses. Promote each new entry on Twitter and your Facebook page. Post a description and link in relevant groups on LinkedIn.
• Create an e-mail newsletter with frequency of at least every other week. Make it easy for website visitors to sign up for the newsletter, even if they don't register for the event. Promote a newsletter sign-up page on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to post the content of each newsletter on a page on the conference website so that people can link to it.
• Create a series of pre-event audio and/or video podcast interviews with speakers. You can use VOIP services like Skype and inexpensive recording software likePamela to capture this audio. Post the podcasts on the conference blog and on a dedicated multimedia page on the conference website.
• Create a page to aggregate news media coverage of the event and/or topic of your event. An easy way to do this is to use Delicious link rolls. Embed a small piece of Javascript code on your Web page and whenever you bookmark an article on Delicious with the designated tag, the headline and link post automatically to your page.
• Create a "buzz page" that monitors mentions of your hash tag and automatically posts them to a comment stream. Here's an example.

Post-Event

• Send a summary e-mail to all attendees with referrals to conference materials on SlideShare and YouTube. Send people to a page on your event website that hosts that embedded content. The landing page should include calls to action to register for future events. A "repeat attendee" discount is a good idea.
• Set up a survey form to capture evaluations from attendees. Google Documents supports simple forms at no charge. Publish the best comments as validation of the quality of your content. Here's a simple form I use to gather feedback on my presentations. It took 10 minutes to set up.
• Continue to use the Twitter account to update attendees and provide fodder for future promotion.

What did I miss? Tell me what works for you and for conferences you've attended.

(Paul Gillin is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is a popular speaker who is known for his ability to simplify complex concepts using plain talk, anecdotes and humor. This article originally appeared at his site. Paul graciously gave his permission to reprint it to help franchisee associations use social media tools to plan their conventions.)

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I can't count the number of times I've walked the aisles at trade shows, only to happen upon companies that have brought seemingly every item in their inventory to display in their exhibits. They've pinned products on walls, scattered them atop tables, or otherwise displayed them in their booths based on the myth that attendees will be unfulfilled if they're shown the X-1000 widget in beige when they were really hoping to see the taupe version.

Every time I see these flea-market-like exhibits, I shake my head. A booth merchandised like a Spencer's Gifts store sends a certain message, showcasing a company's goods rather than any message about the company's key differentiators or dedication to its customers. This strategy might be great if you're running a truck-stop gift shop, where the emphasis is on showing off the goods. But it misses the mark in the trade show industry, where success often comes from making a memorable first impression that helps your brand stand out on the show floor.

A Star-Spangled Mess

One of the best before-and-after examples in the category of cluttered exhibits is the Valley Forge Flag Co. At a recent expo, Valley Forge Flag set up a 10-by-20-foot exhibit and filled it wall to wall with Old Glory. It had big flags, medium flags, flags that fit on your desk, fringed flags, all-weather flags, and pretty much every size of the Stars and Stripes available.

Attendees at the show included retailers looking for products to stock in their stores. At the Valley Forge Flag booth, those retailers found products alright, but nothing in the booth positioned Valley Forge's flags as better or more desirable than any other flag on the market. After all, it's presumable that every company in the flag-making business offers up an equally rich product catalogue. And Old Glory is what it is: 13 stripes alternating red then white from top to bottom and a blue field filled with 50 white stars arranged in rows of six and five. Even the length-to-width ratio is set. So, frankly, any two American flags, whether they are made by Valley Forge Flag or sewn by the living descendants of Betsy Ross, are almost exactly the same.

The worst part about Valley Forge's display was that the exhibit failed to tell attendees what is so great about the company's flags, as opposed to every other American-flag-making company. And, at least in this company's case, that story can make all the difference.

What you wouldn't have known by walking past the Valley Forge booth is that all the American flags on the moon are Valley Forge flags. Every flag on a military coffin is made by Valley Forge Flag. And the flag on President Kennedy's coffin, guess who made it? Valley Forge Flag, of course. And while other flag makers can use the same materials and follow the same dimensional instructions set out by Congress for making American flags, only Valley Forge Flag has been a part of these iconic moments in American history.

Now, wouldn't that be a great story to tell attendees? Wouldn't the story of Valley Forge Flag's place in history tell attendees that this company is about more than just making standard flags in all sizes? For a company like Valley Forge Flag, the difference between trotting out the inventory and telling its unique and compelling story would be the difference between trying to make a simple sale and trying to differentiate itself on a level that no other flag manufacturer can compete.

I Can't Believe It's Not Cluttered

There is nothing inherently wrong with displaying oodles of offerings. But if your exhibit focuses too much on merchandising and not enough on communicating with buyers and driving home your differentiators, you should ask yourself the following questions and think about the message that you are sending with all that clutter.

1. Is my exhibit cluttered? No matter how neat and clean your display might be, if you're showcasing more than a few versions of what is essentially the same item, there is probably more product in your booth than anyone beyond the most dedicated attendee will take the time to see.

If you're unsure whether you've got too many products on display, pay attention to how often each one is referenced at your next show. If it's not attracting attention, it's probably not essential.

2. What message am I sending? Stand back and examine your booth. What message does it communicate to passersby? If the bulk of doodads is overshadowing your company's key messages, or detracting from your differentiators, it's time to clean house. While you might think having the beige and taupe widgets on hand makes you look prepared, in reality, having too much product in the booth looks unorganized.

If you need to showcase widgets, doodads, and thingies, then bring one of each and let attendees know they all come in eight different colors. Or bring your product line on USB thumb drives and hand them out, letting attendees peruse all the features of each model of your products. Unless you're the only company to offer that widget in eight different colors, displaying all eight is unlikely to help you differentiate yourself from your competitors.

3. What should my message be? Whether you've filled your booth with American flags or an array of widgets, you've essentially told attendees to focus on the variety of your product line. OK, that's not horrible, but in doing so, you've also taken the focus off your story. Why are your widgets -- in all their colors and with all their features -- better than similar products? Are your widgets cheaper? Are they higher quality? Are they used by large, recognizable clients?

Chances are, no matter what industry you're in, you have a competitor that makes a product similar to your own. If you're going to win the sales battle against that competitor, I guarantee it won't be because you have eight colors of widgets or 50-plus versions of the American flag. You need to find the story -- the compelling reason why your company should be trusted to deliver this product -- and let that take center stage instead.

Thankfully, Valley Forge Flag has learned its lesson and designed a new booth that tells its unique story through iconic back-wall graphics. But when I think back to the company's old exhibit, I'm awestruck by the fact that I wouldn't have ever known its story had I not badgered the booth staffer with questions.

To this day, every time I see an American flag, I am reminded of Valley Forge.

But I bet that to most of the attendees who visited the company's old booth, a flag is a flag -- and Valley Forge, much like its competitors, has them in every size imaginable.

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Six weeks, five countries, four conferences and a pile of travel expense receipts that desperately needs to be sorted.

In the middle of the activity, I received a call from a conference organizer seeking my participation in an upcoming big event.

As many of these conversations go, I initially felt complimented when hearing "You've been identified as a thought leader and someone we'd like to have as a key part of our event".

But as the dialogue wore on, I realized that I was being pitched sponsorship rather than be recognized for thought leadership.

The questions I was asked were intended to help me rationalize writing that big check for sponsorship and included:

1. Why do you attend conferences?
2. What's the value of the exposure if you present, exhibit, or sponsor?
3. What is the value of just one project that results from contacts made at the event?

You can see where it was all headed.

Yes, we attend industry events to learn, but probably the networking is most valued. I fully understand the model and realize that sponsorship dollars fund the event as well as generate a bottom line for organizers.

My revelation was that the conference business is increasingly becoming a game of haves and have-nots.

Sponsoring organizations shell out significant dollars to sponsor events and key speaking slots on the agenda are allocated to them as part of the package. That is reasonable considering the investment made.

Suppliers, agencies, and consultants are another matter.

I am fascinated by the message that suppliers or vendors are "bad" and can't be trusted to present without pitching their wares. Some ground rules are clear, that no presentation should be a sales pitch, veiled or otherwise. Adhering to this rule improves the content of the conference material and raises overall value for delegates. Anyone crossing the line too much or too often should not be invited back as there's plenty of time for selling during the networking and break times.

On the other hand, there are some highly informed people working in the supplier community that can be of great interest to a delegate group. For example, find the people who are talking about subjects on gamification, location based marketing, mobile payments and NFC, social media measurement, or coalition loyalty. Through their focus and passion for their areas of speciality, they can bring great value to an event.

There are some things in life you can complain about and then there are the ones that we can actually hope to change. I am hoping that the conference business will shift ever so slightly. For example, I would like to see that at least one speaking spot in a morning and afternoon of a typical conference event be allocated based on merit, not money. That means that out of approximately 16 speakers, 4 would be invited based on their material, not just the size of their supporting organization.

This 25% concession would probably not impact the overall sponsorship fees received by organizers. They might even be able to increase revenues through higher registrations or a higher price point.

There's a very good chance that the model will not change, mostly because it does not have to. Only a Wall Street style boycott would bring that level of change and, since most of us go to conferences for the networking, I don't expect we'll see much of an uprising.

At the same time, conference organizers should be on alert. Some brands are shifting attention to proprietary events, where stakeholders are brought together in high quality environments and an open exchange of valuable information takes place. As dollars in travel and marketing budgets stay tight, watch for these high quality privately organized events to become even more attractive.

Maybe that will create the impetus for the general conference industry to alter their approach to the business. We'll see.

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If I had a dollar for every time I heard or read the phrase "nothing will replace face-to-face meetings," I would be rich (er).

The sad truth is that in some cases they've already been replaced.

The recession, green movement, costs to exhibit, travel hassles, generation Y's social networking predilections (pick one) have opened the door to virtual events with good reason--they save money and environmental resources while attracting a new audience of exhibitors and attendees. Rather than run towards the exits with brains on fire fearing the cannibalization or elimination of live events by virtual platforms, it's time to take stock of the real opportunities that virtual event platforms offer to stimulate live attendance and grow face-to-face events.

The bad news

At the same time virtual events are on the rise, face-to-face trade show producers are experiencing their share of challenges. Many organizers are struggling to get a handle on how to grow their events in the face of increased competition from new media channels, continued economic volatility, and rising costs. Exhibitors remain irritated by labor practices and the ever-increasing costs to exhibit. The recent uptick in attendance numbers at some shows doesn't change the general lack of industry growth overall.

The good news

When done well, virtual experiences stimulate immersion, flow, and presence--the primary reasons why virtual games like World of Warcraft (WOW) are so addictive. To a lesser extent, virtual trade shows and conferences perform in the same way. Like every great concert, sporting event, or cocktail party next door, watching and listening to the action from a distance only makes you crave being there when the opportunity comes along. Incidently, BLIZZCON, the live conference for WOW gamers, sells out almost immediately after the dates are announced every year!

The plan

To prevent the further shrinkage of live events, producers must develop a strategy that allows each of the two mediums--face-to-face and virtual events--do what they uniquely do best and treats virtual platforms like any other content strategy that adapts to address the various stages of the sales funnel:

Stage I: Webinars. Bring in live subject matter experts to deliver regularly scheduled, FREE, and interactive presentations to an audience that is both familiar with the live event (jazzed from attending the year before) and entirely new. Content delivered virtually at this stage should create brand awareness, pique the interest of newcomers and reinforce the loyalty of your customer base.

Stage II: The Virtual Preview. Use your live event speakers and keynote presenters to offer a glimpse of what's in store at the face-to-face event. However, lest you think you can get away with something brief, commercial-like, and only at 50% power, think again. This is the point at which you MUST go after potential live attendees with both barrels, offering original content for FREE with the understanding that the virtual attendees are in a buying mode.

Stage III: The Hybrid Event. Stream content live from the physical trade show and conference to the virtual audience. This is an opportunity to appeal to serious potential participants--remote attendees, exhibitors, and even sponsors--who want to learn about the event with the intention of participating the following year. This is your opportunity to showcase your product in a three-dimensional way. The best way to do that is to not treat the virtual audience as voyeurs or second-class citizens. You have to engage them, give them a voice, allow them to participate, and frustrate them (in a good way) so that they regret not having attended the live event.

Stage IV: The Live Trade Show and Conference. Reward loyalists who have made the shift from virtual attendee to live attendee with an experience that emulates the online environment but cannot be duplicated online--rich human interaction, unlimited opportunities to engage in small groups and intimate settings, information on demand, and plenty of tactile experiences. The content and engagement delivered by the live event must be so compelling and actionable that it pushes live attendees back into the post-event virtual stream to form the live event's virtual community.

The Takeaway: This virtual rescue plan forces live events to differentiate themselves from virtual platforms by offering a level of engagement that virtual events cannot deliver. The richness of the live experience drives attendance.

The online content (unique information delivered by live speakers, not archived presentations) recognizes where virtual attendees are in the buying (attending) cycle and delivers content commensurate with that stage of the sales funnel. It allows potential participants--attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors--to jump into and out of the content stream all year long. Yes, this is a long-term approach.

Yes, it requires deviation from conventional growth strategies and a level of investment on the part of the event organizer. But, some would argue, the only way forward for the live event industry is not to look back.

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The Las Vegas "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" meme has become well known and is used to attract visitors and curiosity seekers.

It may work for the Las Vegas CVB, but just the opposite is true of Franchisee Conventions!

One of the most important lessons we've learned from producing Conventions for a wide variety of Franchise companies is what happens at the convention should be shared and utilized after the convention is over.

The reason is because it can be invaluable as a learning and motivational tool.

Here are 4 points to consider:

1. Video

Film your convention. By having a good clear video of the major presentations you now have the opportunity to ensure that the messages can be seen and heard by those franchises who did not attend the convention while also providing the attendees with a great tool for holding staff meetings back at the office to brief their team on what direction the company is heading and what goals are being set for the local Franchise.

Highlight videos showing both the business and social activities are valuable tools to convince non-attendees to sign up for the next convention. Show them the fun and excitement they are missing. They are also perfect for showing at Discovery Days to give prospective Franchisees a great look at your Franchise culture.

Awards Presentation videos are a great way to further recognize the best of the best and motivate others to strive to be the best.

Another great way to use convention videos is to post links to them on your website - password protected of course - so all Franchisees have access to seeing them at their convenience.

Some tips: 2 cameras are better than 1 because it allows for more editing opportunities that will make the video more visually interesting and engaging. Also, editing in some PowerPoint slides that illustrate key points in the presentation will help drive home the message.

2. Networking

One of our mentors, the late Tony Martino, used to say, the real convention happens by the pool and in the bar. What he meant was franchisees need time to mingle and connect so they can share their stories, successes, problems and concerns. Friendships are forged and a network of support is created that will last for years to come. Camaraderie is critical to a successful convention.

Teambuilding events are another great way to create camaraderie at conventions. They have the added benefit of getting franchisees to meet other Zees from around the country and work together on a fun event.

3. Ride the Theme

A good convention theme should not be retired at the end of the convention. Use it throughout the year in updates on your digital media - emails, podcasts, digital newsletters and web-site portals. Post updates on progress, success stories and testimonials. If you promised something from the podium - products, programs, people etc, film and show a video when it is accomplished and frame it within the theme established at the convention.

4. Enthusiasm is Contagious

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, share your enthusiasm. You want your attendees to leave the convention proud of the Franchise and their decision to buy a franchise and pumped up about the prospect for the year ahead. Make sure that they are told to share that pride and excitement with their employees. Enthusiasm is contagious and enthusiasm leads to better performance and greater achievements.

So what happens at your convention is a mother lode of information and inspiration.

Don't leave it at the hotel or resort when you head home.

Use it - your convention is a great asset that will pay big dividends on your convention investment.

What are your franchisees saying about your convention after it's over?

Are they filled with renewed energy? Are they excited by new information and new programs?

Are they motivated to achieve greater results? Or...do they say it was irrelevant and a waste of time?

The key to ensuring the positive results and avoiding the negative results is careful upfront planning. I'm not talking about all of the logistics and details that go into a smooth running event which are critical to success but a factual evaluation of what needs to be addressed and achieved at the convention. Laying a solid foundation is the most important first step and at Aranco Productions we call this process The C.I.G.A.R. Audit:

Culture...Issues...Goals...Actionability...Results

Understanding the Culture of a Franchise company is important in creating a convention that hits all the right notes in messaging while avoiding the missteps that can create dissonance with the franchisees. Is your company's Culture family orientated? Is it a very structured hands-on Culture or is it a more relaxed environment that encourages individuality? Is it bottom line driven or focused on growth? Some companies have a strong faith based Culture and some are committed to serving their local communities. All these factors need to be understood in developing theme, content and programming that is in tune with the Cultural mindset.

Issues can be a more delicate topic to discuss but they have to be faced and addressed. Usually, the key Issues are obvious to the management team - lack of uniformity in the chain, poor customer service ratings, use of advertising funds, inadequate training etc. However, some issues are not as obvious and careful dialog with regional managers and zees who are peer leaders can expose some erupting or festering Issues that should be dealt with prior to or at the convention.

Setting Goals is essential for creating a convention that is on target in its messaging. All content components from PowerPoint, Videos, live presenters, skits and even planned supporting events such as teambuilding should be focused on the delivering or enhancing the communication Goals

To get the most out of your convention, you should list the specific Actions that you want to see the attendees execute after they return home. Whether it's a different approach to customer interaction, new use of social media, executing a price increase or implementing a new merchandising system, they should be well equipped and enthusiastic to get started when they get back to work. Be sure to follow up to make sure these Actions are carried out.

The last checkpoint is to list the desired Results. Be realistic in setting goals and benchmarks that you want your franchisees to achieve. Is it sales growth vs previous year, Increased lead generation, gain in market share or improved customer satisfaction score? Whatever Results you are targeting, be sure they are fair and measurable.

Our experience is that once a C.I.G.A.R. Audit is completed, a clear framework is in place to focus the creative elements that go into a successful meeting production.

It acts as a guideline for ideas and techniques that bring the Wow Factor to the convention.

It also creates a solid relationship between the production company and the Franchise company which keeps all parties focused on making the convention productive, memorable and the best one ever.

Are you ready to light one up?

Contact us at www.arancoproductions.com for help in planning your next franchisee convention.

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If you've ever been to a Cold Stone Creamery, you know that eating plain vanilla can be a bit boring. After all, when you order your frozen treat, the first thing the person with the scoop will ask is, "What else do you want with it?" You can add another ice-cream flavor or indulge in anything from candy to fresh fruit.

Setting objectives for your trade show or event should include the same "What else do you want?" discussion. Sure, you want to collect sales leads (that's the vanilla), but if there is a chance to add another layer of ROI, why not make the most of the marketing opportunity and toss in a few mix-ins?

Now don't get me wrong, collecting sales leads is a valuable goal. (And according to EXHIBITOR's 2010 Sales Lead Survey, 98 percent of exhibitors do it.) However, building awareness, conducting market research, educating attendees, and finding partnership opportunities can affect profitability just as much as collecting leads. Adding the right goals at the right shows can increase the value of your program and help you defend your spend.

1. Educate Attendees - Measure Before and After the Show

A couple of years ago at EXHIBITOR Show, I attended a session where the presenter talked about the importance of measurement. Suddenly, one of the attendees raised his hand and said, "I don't know how this applies to me."

His problem: He worked for Florida Power and Light, and his goal at shows wasn't to sell electricity, but to get customers to conserve energy.

How, he asked the class, could he measure his exhibits' ability to help attendees understand the need for, or methods of, energy conservation?

What the session leader and I pointed out was that his goals revolved around educating attendees on conservation. With that in mind, he needed to build his exhibiting strategy around education and assess his success just like a teacher would with his or her students.

Rather than just swiping badges and reporting lead counts, he needed attendees to listen to his message. He then needed to test their retention of that message with an in-booth (or post-show) survey/quiz. High scores would indicate that attendees retained his key messages, while low scores would mean he had to craft a better lesson plan. Furthermore, those quiz scores would become an important part of his metrics for each show.

If education is an important goal, consider pre- and post-show surveys to gauge attendees' knowledge of your subject before and after they visit your booth.

By measuring what info attendees retained after the show, you can demonstrate how effective your educational efforts were in the booth.

2. Build Brand Awareness- within your demographic

At the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, the U.S. Army exhibit was swarming with attendees.

Now, before you ask why the Army was so busy at the show, you have to wonder, what was the Army doing at an auto show to begin with?

The answer is simple. Auto shows are filled with consumers who love cars, including a large number of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25. These are the same folks the Army would like to recruit into its ranks.

Of course, there was no actual recruiting going on at the auto show. And while the Army scanned badges of anyone interested in receiving more information, the real goal for the show was for the Army to show off military life and build brand awareness.

Brand awareness is a goal that works well if you have a way for attendees to interact with your company through its products or services.

The Army did this by getting attendees involved in various challenges. The booth's hands-on attitude kept attendees engaged with Army-related activities throughout their visit.

Like education, brand awareness is also measurable via pre- and post-show surveys.

By demonstrating that 20 percent more attendees know about your company or your products -- or have a more favorable impressionof your brand -- after the show, you've proven that your exhibit helped build awareness and improve perceptions.

3. Search for Strategic Partners at the Trade Show

At a construction show a few years ago, one small booth caught my eye. The exhibit displayed a new process for making windows.

The system,the company claimed, could be applied to any window manufacturer's assembly line, making it faster and more efficient.

The guy in the booth told me his goal was to demonstrate his method for making windows quickly so a larger company would buy his patented process.

What made his booth different from any other on the show floor was his messaging. The exhibit, with graphics claiming a faster manufacturing process, was not geared at all toward the construction crowd that only cared about the finished product.

Instead, the messaging was meant specifically for window manufacturers that might be in the market for a better process.

Like the window guy, if you're looking for a partner at a show, you need to focus your messaging for those folks, who may or may not be the show's attendees.

In addition to targeting the show's attendees, contact exhibitors that might make good partners and set up meetings where you can demo what you bring to the table. Attracting even a small handful of potential partners can make the show a success regardless of how many sales leads and badge scans you bring back to the office.

4. Conduct Marketing Research

When I worked for Kerry Americas, a food-ingredients company, we attended several large franchisee trade shows every year.

While the franchisees were not our customers at the show, they were the end-sellers of our products. Collecting leads from among the franchisees may not have been a priority, but getting their feedback on our products was vital to helping us better serve our customers, the suppliers who sold food items to attendees.

So we asked those franchisees which products didn't perform as well as they'd hoped. If something was not working, or there was a need for a new product, those folks were happy to tell us, but only if we asked. Gathering feedback adds one more deliverable to your exhibit-marketing objectives, and helps diversify the value your program brings to the table.

While collecting leads may be the most common goal at trade shows, remember that shows are filled with a variety of attendees, some of whom can help you achieve other objectives. Look for ways to squeeze some value out of your next show by educating attendees, conducting market research, finding strategic partnerships, and building brand awareness. The added results will be the cherry atop your exhibit-marketing sundae.

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A few months ago, I was a guest speaker for ABWA. My presentation was Speak Powerfully Sell More: Speak Your Way to More Business.

One woman in the audience asked a question about how to handle a celebrity who is hired to speak and doesn't deliver. This woman went on a rant about how many of these celebrities are not good speakers and yet meeting planners continue to hire them. I explained that the reason for that was event planners want to sell tickets. An event will sell out when the keynote speaker is a celebrity.

This made me reflect on my own experience at conferences and I had to agree. I recall one convention where I signed up for the lunch event for an additional charge. The guest speaker was a well known television personality. And he was late! We had already been served the main course before he cavalierly sauntered on stage in his jeans and pec-enhanced tee shirt. I enjoyed his stories but I couldn't get past his lateness. He never made mention of it. The woman sitting next to me had booked celebrity speakers in a past job and told me that they don't care if they're late. They expect everybody to wait for them.

It seems that some celebrities don't prepare or don't know the audience. One woman media personality gave a presentation about herself and her career path. Who cares? Can you spell BORING? Some celebrity speakers trade on their name and expect to be paid just for showing up.

A number of years ago, I was hired by the National Basketball Association when they launched the NBDL (minor league team). My job was to media train the team presidents and media relations people of these newly formed teams. The media training was well-received. One woman thanked me and said that she had recently been part of the Olympic committee.

The committee brought in the "big gun" media trainers who were television anchors. She confided to me that these anchors "Just showed us videos and told us stories. But you showed us how to do it."

Once again, it's all about perceived value. I'm sure I made a fraction of what they paid these anchors. But because of their celebrity status, they were considered excellent media trainers.

So what is the solution? How can meeting planners and speakers bureaus ensure that the celebrity speakers can deliver? They can't. Some guest speakers have a good reputation for consistently delivering a great keynote speech. Hire them. But let's say you want a particular celebrity for your meeting because you'll sell out your event, but you know the speaker doesn't have very good platform skills?

Don't give the celebrity the keynote speech. Instead, feature them as the main event for an interview on stage. Conduct the interview "Charlie Rose" style. Then hire a professional speaker who can wow the crowd or has strong content. The audience will get exposure to the celebrity or guest, the celebrity's ego will be intact as the main act, and you won't lose your reputation as an event planner.

When it comes to meetings and events, public speaking skills matter. The event is only as good as the speakers. The audience will pay to hear a celebrity, but if he doesn't deliver, they may not come back the next time.

If you book celebrity speakers, I'd love to hear how you ensure that they will deliver on the platform. And what do you do when they disappoint the audience? Would you hire a celebrity speaker the next time? Or would you try a less known presenter or entertainer?

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