TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com » Traditional Methods

Bridal Show Table: Which is best, where to put it, and how to use it?

Andy Ebon — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:20:02 +0000

In a recent post, I strongly suggested getting rid of the ‘free chairs‘ usually provided at a bridal show.

That being said, I’m not too enamored with the ‘free’ 6-foot banquet table, typically covered and draped in white.

Poor use of tables

At the front of your booth: Placing a banquet table at the front of the booth, creates a barrier to passersby. You want people to enter your area; however, with the barrier, if you’re talking to just a couple of prospects, others people will pass you by. This is made worse by using those ‘free chairs’ to sit on, behind the table. Prospects are now looking down at you.
Placing video or computer monitors directly on a table: Standard table height is too low for people to see monitors, easily. A platform or pedestal of some kind should be used to elevate any kind of video or TV monitor.

Better positioning of tables

At the side or back of the booth: Most exhibitors need one table to display brochures or place other items. By using either side, or the rear of the booth, you have successfully removed the barrier. Now, prospects may actually enter the booth.
Higher tables: It can be helpful to elevate the height of the table. Suppliers for trade shows usually offer extensions (about 8-10″) that will raise the the table to ‘counter height.’ Now, if a prospect wants to flip through a scrapbook, they are at a comfortable height that does not require bending over. There is usually a small fee for this upgrade, but it’s worth every dime. You will also need a different length skirt, to reach the ground.

Bending the rules:

Creating a conference area: If you typically require more time with a prospect, you may want them to be seated. Even then, it is recommended that you not use a standard chair or table. A ‘high-boy’ or cabaret table, used with a stool is ideal for a little extended conversation.
The sample photo (upper right) shows a set-up that includes a small podium and stylish stools (with a back). This set up works well for a connected conversation.

Don’t just accept what you’re given with the booth rental. Upgrade or bring in outside rentals to create and inviting space that is optimal for your style of meeting and conversing with brides and their entourage.

If you have photos of a successful and ‘different’ exhibit booth (yours), please send it to me.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

Technorati Tags: bridal show, trade show table, wedding fair, wedding marketing

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86 The Bridal Show Chairs

Andy Ebon — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:55:55 +0000

86 The Chairs!!

Last night I made a presentation at the Las Vegas Wedding Network about effective wedding trade show exhibiting (Mining Bridal Show Gold).

It included a wide range of issues, from goal setting to training employees, following to asking for the order. Naturally, it included a rather entertaining segment on the important rationale in staging a booth.

To me, one of life’s great puzzles, is why virtually every trade show provides you a table and two chairs. The table may be useful if placed effectively, but the chairs are not just useless, they are a big-time-negative-factor.

You want people to look you in-the-eye, not down at the top of your head. You should either be standing, or, if you need some support (maybe you have a bad back or get tired feet easily), then upgrade to a bar stool or similarly high chair.

The only thing worse than one chair is two chairs. Two people, seated, will tend to turn and talk to each other, and unknowingly ignore the prospects, as they move into the area outside the booth. If you even have the ‘appearance’ of ignoring a prospect, in most cases they will just keep walking.

My advice: For your next bridal show, 86 the chairs!!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, bridal show, chairs, trade show, wedding marketing blog, wedding show

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Perfectly annoying advertising copy

Andy Ebon — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:44:41 +0000

When it comes to rants, Dennis Miller has nothing on me.

In advertising, I find cliches incredibly annoying. I also find them unimaginative and ineffective. Possibly because the proliferation of cliches, such as perfect, thoroughly water down any impact. It is lazy, uninspired copywriting, period.

In what is a visually interesting ad for company parties, its cliche approach to copy falls short. It is an image that was embedded in an email. Might have been used in print, too, but I can’t be sure.

Andy Ebon

The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, Cliches, copy, Dennis Miller, rants, uninspired, wedding marketing blog

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Set your wedding marketing goals for 2009

Andy Ebon — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:58:04 +0000

Perhaps you have noticed. Halloween has passed and Christmas decorations are everywhere in sight. Thanksgiving barely registers as a bump-in-the-road anymore.

If Christmas is a scant 50 days away, can the new year be far behind?

Okay, now that I’ve successfully boosted your blood pressure, it’s time to take inventory on marketing. Please pull out your 2008 wedding marketing plan. You have a written wedding marketing plan, don’t you?

In either case, set aside some quiet time for planning. My definition of quiet time means no distractions. No phones and no extraneous people. What you need is your marketing materials from 2008, your financial information, sales data, and media kits for all the new marketing opportunities in 2009. A Sunday away from the office, with just you, your laptop, business partner, and/or marketing mentor should do it.

Gee whiz… I really didn’t mean to scare you so badly.

Tell you what. Do three things, right now.

Block a half-day or full day on your calendar for this planning session.
Begin to gather and organize your materials for that session, giving yourself enough time to prepare.
Obtain current media kits and rate information from any publications, websites, wedding shows, networking groups or other marketing options you should be considering.

I’ll get back to you on the rest.

Quote: Tomorow’s starting now - John Legend (quote inspired by Marcello Pedalino, MMP Entertainment)

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: 2009, Andy Ebon, goal setting, marketing plan, wedding marketing blog

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Wedding Marketing Maintenance: update my contact files

Andy Ebon — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:25:36 +0000

Call it what you want: Rolodex, contact files, database, address book…

Whatever you call it, bring it current. Businesses move, people get promoted, job titles change, people get laid off, new businesses open, you collect business cards at networking events, membership in networking groups and association change, [your addition to this list goes here]

In our rapidly changing world, we tend to acquire new information and contacts, faster than we process them. If you plan to send holiday cards or just keep in touch, being up to date comes first.

There is no worse feeling than having the holiday cards arrive and, only then, discovering your contact information is way out of date.

Today is the 1st day of November. Make it a 3-week project, then you won’t drive yourself crazy, when you need to use the information.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: address book, contact files, contact management, database, relationship management, rolodex

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Andy Ebon to address Las Vegas NACE, Wednesday, October 22nd

Andy Ebon — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:43:38 +0000

Fresh off an extremely successful pair of presentations at the Wedding MBA, last month, Andy Ebon is home to speak in own market, to the Las Vegas Chapter of NACE, at Dragonridge Country Club, Wednesday, October 22nd, 6pm.

Always adding new wrinkles and updates to his presentation, Andy promises to stir the pot for an audience that has new challenges on its plate, due to the further economic uncertainty of the past few weeks.

If you are interested in attending, just click through to the Las Vegas NACE website, and register online >>

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, Las Vegas NACE, Marketing and Selling to the 21st Century Bride, marketing strategy, Wedding Marketing Blogger

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Wedding and Business Industry Types Talk Economy

Andy Ebon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:18:41 +0000

It is impossible for any wedding industry business to not contemplate the challenges that may or may not present themselves in the next year or two.

There are no pat answers, and any blanket assumptions (good or bad) are probably a poor idea. The nation’s economy is unprecedented territory, within the last 8 decades. Predicting the future, realistically, is more crystal ball gazing than anything else.

That being said, I offer this news video clip from New York City, which includes wedding industry business, a diamond expert, and an economist. This is simply more grist for the wedding marketing mill.

(Please open the article to see the flash file or player.)

Andy Ebon

The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: crystal ball gazing, predictions, United States economy, wedding economy, wedding marketing

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West Michigan Wedding Association makes its mark at Wedding MBA with Video Podcasts

Andy Ebon — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:27:25 +0000

Often times an organization sends a representative (or an entourage) to a conference with expectation of that person/group sharing the knowledge with the folks back home. It doesn’t always work out that way.

In the case of the West Michigan Wedding Association, its President, photographer Brandon Mulnix (Modern Photographics), the association got its money’s worth, and then some.

The West Michigan Wedding Association not only networks among its members, has a solid member website, but it also promotes its own bridal show.

Brandon not only attended all the sessions and networked during social events and breaks, but found the time to record and post a series video podcasts with presenters from the Wedding MBA.

Members, back home, were treated to a timely, in-person, interview, recorded on Brandon’s laptop.

Over the next week or two, The Wedding Marketing Blog will be posting Brandon’s podcasts, to share with you.

First up is Julia Markel, AFWPI (Association for Wedding Professionals International).

Andy Ebon

The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: AFWPI, Andy Ebon, Brandon Mulnix, Julia Markel, Modern Photographic, wedding marketing blog, wedding marketing video podcast, wedding mba, West Michigan Bridal Association, West Michigan Wedding Association

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Strong Association Presence at Wedding MBA Conference

Andy Ebon — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:26:31 +0000

Each association or networking may have different reasons for being at the Wedding MBA Conference (Phoenix, AZ), but you can’t miss them at the Trade Show.

BSPI (Bridal Show Producers International) is one group you may not be that familiar with. It is a group of seasoned wedding show producers, with specific requirements for membership, including tenure in the industry.

Typically, at an industry trade show, such as this one, BSPI is sharing the wisdom of exhibiting in one of their member shows. However, there were many businesses-in-formation, so the association representatives found themselves providing more basic information to some attendees.

ADJA (American Disc Jockey Association) continues their campaign of branding itself as ‘the organization for professional mobile disc jockeys.’

Fresh of its involvement in the NACE 50th Anniversary Conference in Philadelphia (August 2008), ADJA continues to represent its members by educating wedding professionals about distinct differences between its members and other DJ companies.

ACPWC (Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants) that focuses on education and certification for wedding planners.

There are several organizations that compete in this type of work. However, ACPWC is one of the originals. Based in Silicon Valley, ACPWC has chapters in a number of markets around the U.S. and various training gatherings throughout the year.

AFWPI (Association for Wedding Professionals Internationals) is a networking organization, based in Sacramento, with a half-dozen chapters around the country.

It sports a huge website to promote its members to brides. Its local AFWPI meetings are strictly networking and lots of it.

Association of Bridal Consultants is a widely recognized, national trade association based in connected. ABC has local chapters (usually with state representatives). The organization also has a national conference in November, this year.

A big contingent from Toronto, Canada, made the trip with WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada). The entourage of nine members participated in the trade show.

Speaker, Tara Murney (A Green Tie Affair), presented on the ‘Eco-Chic Bride.’ The concept of ‘green weddings’ is still to many in the industry. Her presentation was many people’s first exposure about what purports to be a burgeoning segment of the wedding industry.
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Now, it’s back to final checking of my Blogging Presentation, set to lift off in half an hour.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blogger

Technorati Tags: ACPWC, adja, AFWPI, BSPI, NACE, Wedding Marketing Blogger, wedding mba

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Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, contributes to book anthology

Andy Ebon — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:16:34 +0000

Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, has been asked by the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau to be a co-author in a new, exciting anthology that will be published before the end of the year.

“The Power of the Platform” will feature 20 co-authors, including Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Dr. Tony Alessandra, Amanda Gore, Marcia Wieder, among others.

Andy’s chapter will be: Blogging Your Way To Business Success

Needless to say, he’s very excited at the opportunity, and thrilled to be alongside of some very big names in motivational speaking.

Here is a mock up of the front cover of the book.

Technorati Tags: Amanda Gore, Andy Ebon, Brian Tracy, Dr. Tony Alessandra, Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, Les Brown, Marcia Wieder, Wedding Marketing Blogger

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