With Posidonia coming up fast, I suspect many of us are now deep in the final stages of planning...or already juggling last minute merch orders and ideas from sales! đ
Rather than bigâpicture strategy, I thought it might be useful to open the floor for some practical survival tips from those whoâve been there before.
If youâre exhibiting, supporting an exhibition team or spending time onâstand, Iâd love to hear:
- What are your mustâdo things in the final few weeks that make the biggest difference?
- Any simple wins that help stands work harder â attracting the right conversations rather than just footfall?
- How do you keep marketing useful and visible once the show actually starts?
- What helps the team on the ground stay focused, energised and aligned?
- And, just as importantly, what would you not bother doing again?
Share your tips and tricks with your #MiMCrowd peers! Honest feedback, lessons learned and practical advice can make a big event like Posidonia feel a bit more manageable (and worthwhile).
Hopefully this helps a those of you attending. See you there
1 Reply
Well,
I am a strong believer that, in all cases, there are quite a few essentials to consider when it comes to preparing for events as a whole. However, there are also differences to think about depending on why you are personally there - your role and purpose - as well as the show itself, the country it is in, and the culture around it. I could write about this all day, but some quick points below.
Generic thoughts:
- Planning is essential. BUT donât over-plan. Your spare time will get eaten up, so keep some free!
- Share the love with your team. Energy is essential, so spread the responsibilities as much as you can to avoid burnout.
- Do your research. Understand the programme well in advance - whatâs going on, where and when.
- Alignment - Ensure everyone attending is fully aligned on your purpose, key messages and announcements for the show.
Couple of specifics for Marcomms (and Sales đ):
- ROI - Yep. The one we all try to achieve for all things. Events are where most of the budgets usually go. The only way to stand any chance of getting some form of ROI is to ensure Sales and Marketing are fully aligned. Get the chief bigwigs of Sales and Marketing to agree an approach and target their teams to support it while there.
A tough but obvious one: Use a system/tool to capture all client discussions and new business leads and associate them to a cost centre (the name of the event). Ensure this is linked to a quality CRM system where you can view the short-term picture (discussions and leads) had versus the longer-term view (attribution of eventual revenue). A tough one to crack. Sometimes because many do not have a good CRM that is fully owned an managed.
- Marketing and communication activation grows fast as the show approaches. Many companies will communicate similar messages as standard: âOur team are attendingâ, âCome to our standâ, âHere are some selfies from our show experience last weekââŠ
My view: these messages become diluted. It can be hard but be different, create incentive, stand out to drive engagement and build appetite with your target audience. Additionally, if you have big news, try to build this up prior to the show. Doing this during the show can become lost due to readers being super busy. PLUS, there is a massive influx of global maritime announcements. Posidonia - one key point from me:
- This has gone from a show mostly based on mega parties and networking to a show where the exhibition and parties have equal value. It was the busiest show I have been to last time since I joined Maritime in 2003. So, get as much rest as you can before and during the show, keep hydrated and pace yourself. Long days and early mornings will catch up with you, so look after your wellbeing. Pace yourself well, then you will get through it. This event has its own special place on my top list - but it can be exhausting if you allow it to be.
Again, this was just a quick throw off the top of my head... Very interested to read more views as this thread grows!
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