Leveraging trade shows for quality one-on-one time

Every trade show provides an opportunity to position your brand, launch new products, share other news and developments and engage directly with industry focused audiences. Creating a comprehensive and integrated programme including pre-show, on-site and post-show communications is an important step to capitalise on your investment.

One key area that is sometimes overlooked at trade shows is the value of face to face interaction with journalists in your industry. As you prepare for the autumn trade show season, we’d like to share an example from K2013 and the impact quality one-to-one time with key media can have.

Staged every three years, the K-show is the largest chemicals and plastics show in the world.  It provides an opportunity for a 360° communications programme that delivers effectiveness and maximizes return on investments. 

Why? It brings both immediate results and momentum throughout the run-up to the show, the actual event itself and during its aftermath. 

How? Because a major trade show like this provides visibility within the industry and offers valuable one-on-one time with both customers and editors to build relationships, share the company’s vision and deliver key messages.  

During K2013, Ascend, a leading global producer of PA66 resin and chemical intermediates, made its K debut. EMG China had already worked with Ascend at Chinaplas a number of times, so it was a natural step for our team in Europe to work with the company on its K2013 campaign, build relationships and further support its goal to gain enhanced global visibility. 

Working in close partnership with the Ascend team, EMG built on Ascend’s momentum coming out of Chinaplas by translating and repurposing key messages and communication materials. We then implemented a media engagement plan to build on existing and recently created editorial relationships as well as developing new ones at the show in Düsseldorf. 

And this is where we excel, thanks to our chemicals and plastics sector experience, our international capabilities and over 20 years of experience in industrial communications.

Ascend's management team members were able to re-connect with international editors they had met in China, and meet new editors from around the globe.  Valuable face time with 14 editors representing 20 publications resulted in immediate impact during the show with: coverage in the show dailies, 57 articles relating to their K news in target media during their extended K campaign, and opportunities for news and industry thought leadership spokes pieces in the pipeline for 2014.  

Once you have pitched and scheduled one-on-one interviews, the next critical point is content.  The Ascend management team handled the interviews well and was able to gain the editors’ interest by delivering messaging with news value.  Here are some guidelines for obtaining outstanding results during interviews.

 

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