Barry Siskind has created another report for CEIR on the government sector of exhibitions. This report was released a couple of weeks ago, titled: Managing Exhibit Results for the Not-for-Profit Government Exhibitor: Building a Better Display.
Barry positions this report by saying:
“First, it is important to understand that the purpose of the display is to attract attention. While this may seem obvious, making that happen can be challenging. Attendees generally have a short attention span and quickly become overwhelmed with too much information and stimulation.
Booth display is a three-dimensional expression of a department or agency’s marketing statement. The display’s objective is to make an immediate impression on decision makers and give them a compelling reason to visit – all in less than three seconds.
There is a lot that goes into making a display work properly: the right objectives, a winning promotional plan and motivated people. But without a dynamic eye-catching display, an exhibitor’s objectives quickly fall short.”
When queried about his interest in writing these reports, Barry responds by saying:
“Governments exhibit in a number of ways. The most common venues are large international pavilions, medium-sized booths shared with other departments, standalone booths at fairs and booths in malls, lobbies or in a meeting room. A lot of time and energy is invested to ensure that the physical display conveys the right message and attracts the right audience. The purpose of my newest series of reports is to address the specific concerns of governments and not-for-profit exhibitors.
A few years ago the CEIR census revealed that government and not-for-profit was the largest growth sector of all exhibitors, yet very little information was available to address their unique concerns. More often than not, a government exhibitor would read self-help books or sit through a workshop focused on the private sector and then be challenged with bridging new skills to their reality. That was the underlying reason I wrote a series of reports focused on this group’s needs.
When I first joined the exhibition world, some 25 years ago, government booths were pretty dismal. Over the years I have seen a remarkable change. They have become more focused on their message, more centered on their audience and better able to attract attention. But there is still room for improvement. When I address government audiences, I have learned how important it is to talk to them with their very specific concerns in mind. Where the private industry focuses on profit, governments and not-for-profit for the most part are exhibiting for other reasons such as branding, awareness, and outreach. What this means is that everything from the development of an effective strategy to the execution of a display and a show plan needs to be carefully thought through.”
To obtain your copy of this 13-page report, please click here.
