Trade show booth by ADM Two.

Trade shows are an interesting part of the promotional mix, in that they are a blend of both business development and marketing. This means that you have the opportunity to capture several layers of the sales process in one event – something that doesn’t happen very often. We’d like to define business development and marketing in the context of a trade show to see how they are at very different stages of the sales cycle and how they can often overlap at trade shows.

Trade Show Marketing

Marketing can be defined as a promotional activity that targets a broad audience. In this case, trade shows are a perfect example. The broad audience consists of the trade show attendees, which can number in the hundreds and even thousands. Your booth design, giveaways, marketing collateral, and social media posts are geared towards attracting attendees, imparting your brand and services to the attendees, and compelling them to learn more. Even your staff is there mostly for informational purposes and to add a welcoming smile, friendly face, or a word of expertise.

Trade Show Business Development

Business development, on the other hand, is a personal, one on one interaction that is closer to the actual selling point. Business development activities include networking, writing proposals, responding to inquiries about services, and other interactions on an individual basis. These interactions are usually geared towards closing the sale or nurturing a relationship, so awareness of the brand and services has already been accomplished.

Now that the terms marketing and business development have been defined, it’s easier to see how marketing to a vast audience can turn into one on one business development at a trade show. It looks a bit like this:

Capturing Attention

Your trade show booth captures the attention of an attendee and they pay a visit. They stop and look at your graphics, maybe pick up a pamphlet and start perusing. By this point, one of your staff members should have spotted the visitor and should be greeting him, asking him “what can I do to help?” Now the interaction is one on one, but perhaps the person is just curious and wants to know more. Your staff member describes your company’s services, perhaps walking the prospect through a slideshow or other media. The interaction is now bordering on business development, and if the staff member is a skilled sales person, he or she will know how to either secure the prospect as a client or capture their interest enough to continue the conversation.

The skill of the staff member plays a large role in whether or not an interaction will become a business development activity. The line becomes blurred at some point and human interaction is the defining trait of business development. Marketing activities can be performed by websites, collateral, and media, business development can only be performed by a person.

We hope this helps to better prepare you for your next trade show. Trade show staffing is a valuable investment and works together with great design to create a lasting impression on your prospective clients. ADM Two are experts at trade show booth design and fabrication, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960. One of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with your trade show needs. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on trade show staffing.

ADM Two Case Study, Blog (Exhibit Insight), Museum Exhibit

Museum Case Construction: Ringling Museum of Art Center for Asian Art

2016-03-09 Susan Canonico

We were recently awarded a contract for museum case construction for the Ringling Museum of Art’s new Center for Asian Art. This is an honor, as the Ringling Museum of Art contains one of the preeminent art and cultural collections in the United States. The buildings, the grounds, the Ca ‘dZan Mansion – the Ringling Museum of Art is truly one of the treasures of the state of Florida.

Museum Case Construction

The museum case construction work came off without a hitch. We constructed the cases in the ADM Two warehouse in Tampa and shipped them down to the Ringling Museum for assembly. This was a fairly straightforward job, so in this story we’d like to focus on the museum itself, its rich history, and what makes it so special.

Museum case construction took place at the ADM Two warehouse in Tampa.

The Beginning

John Ringling and his brothers were the founders of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” the Ringling Circus. The success of the circus catapulted John and his wife Mable into a position of wealth and influence. They traveled the world in search of acts for the circus, collecting art and appreciating the architecture they encountered along the way. In 1911, they bought the waterfront property that now serves as the campus of the Ringling Museum of Art and some years later they decided to build a home on the property. Mable, who had a fascination with the Venetian Gothic style of the palazzo in Venice, had kept postcards, photos, and made sketches of the lavish architectural style. She supervised the construction of what is now known as the Ca ‘dZan Mansion. It is five stories tall, 36,000 square feet, has 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms. It is a stunning sight to behold.

Historical photo from the Ringling Museum.

Building the Collection

As John Ringling acquired more and more art, he became thoroughly passionate about collecting. His curiosity and passion led him to begin purchasing and reading art books – so many that his collection now forms the foundation of the Ringling Art Library. Soon after construction of the Ca’ d’Zan was complete, John built a 21-gallery museum based on the Florentine Uffizi Gallery to house his collection of paintings, sculptures and other art objects. The avid collector did not open the museum to the public until 1931, two years after Mable’s death. He hoped it would “promote education and art appreciation, especially among our young people.” Upon his death, the estate was left to the people of Florida.

Present Day

The state eventually passed on governance of the Museum of Florida State University. The surrounding community rallied to help restore the museum to its original beauty; community support of the museum has proven to be one of its greatest assets to this day. The museum has continued to grow and expand over the years, and the recent addition of the Center for Asian Art is testament to the museum’s success. Its continued efforts to provide visitors with a comprehensive arts and culture experience will surely have a lasting impact on people from all over the world. Visit their website at www.ringling.org for hours, events, and special exhibitions.

ADM Two doesn’t just envision potential, we make your vision a reality. ADM Two are experts in museum case construction and museum exhibit fabrication. Our staff is prepared to handle even the most challenging projects. Give us a call at (813) 887-1960, and one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with design ideas. Also, check out some of our other articles to get ideas for trade show booth design.

Author: Susan Canonico

The Trade Show – A Blend of Business Development and Marketing