Associations may not be getting the backlash corporations are for their meetings these days, but that doesn't mean everything's rosy. Especially on the show floor where, according to a recent report by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association, exhibiting budgets and the number of shows companies plan to attend are expected to decline 17 percent in 2009.

So it's not surprising to hear that, like so many other companies, Advanced Micro Devices is exhibiting less.

You could blame the economy, which is chiseling away at many corporate marketing budgets and forcing exhibitors to cut back on the number of shows where they buy a booth. AMD, which specializes in computing and graphic solutions for business, is among those who are a lot choosier with their trade show choices these days, says Allen Reichard, corporate director, integrated marketing communications, events at AMD.

The shows that end up getting its booth bucks are the ones that understand that it's no longer about just showing off products — “people can get more information about any product they want on the Internet than they can by talking to someone at a trade show,” he says. Now, exhibiting for AMD — and much of corporate America — is about creating experiences and developing brand preference. As Karen Jensen, senior marketing manager at Leggett & Platt Storage Products Group, Chicago, says, “Our main concern is return on investment — what we are getting out of the show.”

Because exhibits account for, on average, about two-thirds of association meeting revenues, you can't afford for your exhibitors to drop out for lack of good ROI. But how can you give exhibitors what they want? Hint: It likely will take more than a 10-foot-by-10-foot concrete slab. But it can be done.

It's All About Branding

First, take heart: Most exhibitors aren't ready to toss trade shows out of their marketing mix altogether. “Creating preference only happens face-to-face, it doesn't happen virtually,” says Reichard, because people can relate to a brand better when they can feel or experience it. But AMD no longer exhibits at a set number of shows per year as it did in the past. Now, the decision to exhibit is closely tied to product launches and corporate marketing campaigns.

And it's not just AMD that's moving in this direction, says Reichard. It was a telling sign of the times when Apple announced this past January that it would no longer be exhibiting at its own show, MacWorld Expo.

Companies like AMD need new ways to showcase themselves, produce experiences, and create customer preference through trade shows, he says. “Show management has to start realizing that this is not about selling physical space anymore; this is not about providing promotional space for signage anymore; this is not about having large attendance numbers,” he says.

Get Relevant

So what do exhibitors want? An environment that's more conducive to what they're trying to do and deliver, says Reichard. “Can you create promotional opportunities that are more relevant to the audience?”

“We live in a time when people are numb to advertisements — we need to be offered new ways of getting our name and message out there,” says Kelsy Van Camp, marketing communications assistant at Building Owners & Managers Institute International, Annapolis, Md. “While sponsoring a coffee station will never go out of style, why not offer sponsorship opportunity in the Starbucks located in the attendees' hotel?” adds Van Camp, a trade show exhibitor.

“Alternatives to the high cost of exhibiting on a trade show floor,” is what Emil Mellow, visual merchandising and trade show director at Armstrong World Industries. Lancaster, Pa., would like to see: areas where perhaps they could do focused presentations.

When exhibitors tell you what they want, associations must listen, says Steven Hacker, president and chief executive officer at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, Dallas. Show managers should visit key exhibitors to assess their circumstances and objectives and customize a solution.

For example, most associations have electronic news outlets and print magazines. Why not create a package that combines e-media, print media, and face-to-face media? asks Glenn Hansen, president and CEO, BPA Worldwide, Shelton, Conn. Or create a social media platform or virtual trade show or Web page and tie the live event to a virtual presence. This extends the life of the show, gives exhibitors exposure before and after the event, and helps people move from awareness to preference, says Reichard.

Hacker suggests that you could give exhibitors a presence at other meetings and webinars throughout the year — maybe at a smaller conference where they can demonstrate their products. Or give them the opportunity to do a “product theater” where they can pay to make an hour-long presentation on stage. If they are looking to reach a certain demographic, say women under 40, offer sponsorship opportunities at a Future Leaders program. “People are not thinking that way yet. They are thinking within the confines of that 10-foot-by-10-foot foot pipe-and-drape booth,” says Hacker.

Let Them Go Clubbing

Convention planners at NAMM, the International Music Products Association, are offering exhibitors some alternative ways to participate that don't necessarily require space in increments of 100 square feet, says Kevin Johnstone, director of trade shows at the Carlsbad, Calif.-based organization.

Two years ago, based on feedback from exhibitors who were looking for additional opportunities, NAMM added some new twists to its summer conference, which is held in Nashville every year. First, they converted a ballroom into an area called “the club.” The club is designed as a lounge for exhibitors, with comfortable seating areas and spaces for private meetings with clients. There are no desks or tables, just couches and chairs on the main floor, but they do have private conference rooms for one-on-one meetings.

It's an alternative to the hustle and bustle of the trade show, explains Johnstone. All exhibitors have access to the club, but NAMM also sells space to exhibitors who, for whatever reason, don't want to buy space on the exhibit floor. Exhibitors can meet with clients, show a limited amount of products, conduct demonstrations (on a limited (basis), or display a prototype — all in a comfortable, relaxed setting. “Rather than have them suitcase or outboard on us, we basically legitimize their ability to conduct business on the show floor,” says Johnstone. It's been embraced by exhibitors. “We didn't have a bunch of exhibitors cancel to do this, but we did have a number of companies that weren't exhibiting sign up for this,” he says. The club is open to all registered buyer attendees and registered exhibitors.

While NAMM staff came up with the club concept, it was driven by feedback from exhibitors who wanted more options.

Become a Traffic Cop

When Deidre Ross listened to her American Library Association exhibitors, the main complaint was that there was not enough traffic on the exhibit floor. In reality, there was plenty of traffic. “We had 25,000 people at the show and three-quarters of them were on the exhibit floor,” says Ross, director, conference services at the Chicago-based organization. But if an individual exhibitor is not seeing enough activity at their booth, they may perceive a traffic problem anyway.

How do you battle a perception? Ross hired a company called EthnoMetrics to monitor its Winter Conference, held in January. The company videotapes trade show traffic, analyzes it to find solutions to improve overall traffic flow, and provides training sessions to help individual exhibitors get more visitors. These training sessions can be key: ALA exhibitors who took the courses reported a 31 percent increase in leads generated and an 81 percent increase in sales.

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