When organising an exhibition or the exhibition area of a congress, we need to ask how we can increase the real, added value offered to exhibitors and sponsors? How can they meet the key opinion leaders within your attendees? How can each participant, sponsor and exhibitor get a higher ROI? These are some of the questions posed in the new AIM White Paper “Promoting and Selling an Exhibition: Innovative Ideas to do it with success” which AIM Group International has just realised and shares on the market.

The White Paper is signed by Kristofer Herlitz, senior expert in the meetings industry and country manager of AIM Group New York Office, who presents some insightful ideas to be more effective about one important part of the event organisers’ tasks.

“Along the years and experiences I have witnessed to an inconsistent success of the exhibitions areas, because organisers and companies often tend to plan them or their booths following their own perspective, in a self-referential way,” outlines Kristofer Herlitz, country manager of AIM Group New York Office. “But these days, a part of the basics to have a good exhibit program, including a well-designed floor plan, a clear prospectus sent out in advance and dedicated program breaks, there are many innovative ways to increase the satisfaction of all the stakeholders.”

Herlitz poses some key questions to be considered in order to increase the value offered to exhibitors and sponsors, such as: What unique Sponsorships do you offer, in addition to the traditional logos on the conference bag and lanyards? What metrics do you use to monitor results? How invested is the congress’s or exhibition’s Leadership?

In the actual landscape, innovation is key so Herlitz suggests to make change consistent throughout all the exhibition project. That’s why he proposes to include “Something Old”, “Something New”, “Something Borrowed” and “Something Blue”, and in particular to:
• Maintain the Key Relationships and think also on the new generation.
• Try something new to draw the attendees in and engage with the exhibitors in a different manner.
• Lend support your Exhibitors and invite them to pay accurate attention to the way they engage visitors before and after the exhibition.
• Use Beacons and Bluetooth technology to have a fuller picture of the booth activity for your exhibitors.

The White Paper can be downloaded for free from the AIM Group International website.

Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.