The best way to attract and mobilize more customers to attend your trade show is to bring a "show biz" mentality to all your marketing and at-show strategies. After all, you are in show business. In today's marketplace, consumers are drawn by glitter and excitement but turned off by humdrum events. If you put on a dull show you will generate little interest. Following are seven ways to put more show biz into your exposition.

Think like Disney.
There was never a greater promoter than Walt Disney. Everything he touched turned exciting, colorful, and was bursting with energy. The Disney legacy continues as the Disney Corporation dazzles and entertains millions with its products, parks, and superb customer service.

What does Disney do that every trade show organizer should emulate? Disney injects a show business mentality into everything it does by creating an image that makes people smile and lets them know they're in for a first-class experience. Disney employees undergo rigorous customer service training and are famous for their courtesy, cheerfulness, and problem-solving skills.

So when planning your pre-show marketing strategies, remember to think like Disney. Everything you do to promote and implement your show must be first-class, creative, and professional. Train your show employees to provide enthusiastic and helpful customer service. Unpleasant experiences with trade show employees can ruin the show biz experience you've worked hard to create.

Make your trade shows interactive.
When people manipulate objects they often form an attachment to them. They get an idea of how the products work and are more excited about the possibility of buying them. Thus, advise your exhibitors to set up audio-visual displays that attendees can easily operate -- they will feel like they are part of the show experience as they connect with your products.

Put the Internet to work for you.
You can interact with potential exhibitors and attendees through the Internet, both in your pre-show marketing and during the show. Experts believe that virtually all trade shows will incorporate the Internet into their marketing strategies in the near future.

At the very least, you should have a professionally designed Web site that provides information about your show, allowing consumers to easily find out as much about your event as possible. Today's techno-savvy consumers are instantly turned off by Web sites that aren't interesting, easy to access, and informative.

Make your shows unforgettable experiences.
"If meetings are really going to change our lives, meeting professionals need to begin to shape memorable events," said Jim Gilmour, author of The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre & Every Business is a Stage. "Successful meetings must create emotionally based experiences for attendees," Gilmour said. How do you generate such an experience? Again, think Disney. Capture the imaginations of attendees by providing a wealth of sights, sounds, aromas, and entertainment, along with a high degree of interactivity.

Make your trade shows fun.
Live entertainment, educational seminars, clowns, puppeteers, and magicians are just a few of the tools you can use to make your show fun and informative. Advise your exhibitors not to rely on their products alone to sell the show biz experience. Booths filled with inanimate objects are boring and won't capture the attention of your audience. However, if you support your exhibitors by injecting a little excitement into the show, you'll have attendees in the palm of your hand.

Provide lots of comfortable space.
Make sure you have enough space at your show, both on the exhibition floor and in the booths, to comfortably accommodate your guests. Don't try to cram as many booths as possible into the space allotted. A cramped show environment does not allow attendees free rein to wander comfortably, and harried, crowded consumers don't make good customers.

Help your exhibitors design their booths so they don't sacrifice comfort for hardware. Booths that are crowded with display items make it difficult for consumers to focus their attention on each item. Advise your exhibitors to set up their booths so that attendees can see everything clearly in an uncluttered space. Booths should provide good lighting, easy-to-read signage, and attention-grabbing graphics. Consider publishing a brief pamphlet of booth design tips and distribute it to exhibitors.

Inject show biz excitement into your advertising and public relations.
Without resorting to hyperbole, your advertising should reflect the excitement, creativity, and flavor of your event. Observe how the producers of movies and Broadway musicals advertise their shows and incorporate as many of those elements as are feasible in your own advertising. Every ad you place should showcase the opportunities that your show offers.

Train your most trusted show employees to lead the media to the most engaging exhibits. Have a staff member on hand at all times who can articulately tell reporters about your event and what makes it unique.

Remember you are in show biz, and you must create and promote an event that is as exciting and dramatic as a great movie or play. Your exhibition space is your stage. In order to generate interest, you must put on a performance that will keep attendees riveted to your exhibits and eager to come back for the sequel!

Planning any type of gathering takes a certain degree of dedication. You have to being the event planning process with the intention that you will see it through to the end, whether that be until the guests arrive or if the event is at your home, it may be until the last guest leaves.

Event planning is a busy and sometimes fun process. Depending on the event you may get to pick everything from what the main course is to when the last drink will be served. For people who love handling small details, event planning is an enjoyable process. However for those people who wince at even the mere mention of choosing what to have for dinner, they might not excel in the event planning department.

Many years ago there wasn't a career choice that included choosing cakes, placing flower arrangements and dealing with caterers, but now there is. They are professional event planning services and if you think your skills in this department are lacking they may be the people you need to call before you throw your next dinner party.

There are some people's homes that you can visit and you just know that someone who lives there loves to plan parties. All of the small details are tended to, there is ample ice in the ice bucket, the mini quiches are still warm and there isn't a speck of dust to be found. By the same token, you can walk into another party and be greeted with a bottle of soda and plastic glasses next to a community bag of potato chips. It wouldn't be difficult in that comparison to choose who could use the services of an event planning service now.

Here are some tips to help you decide if you are a self-made event planner or if you could use some outside assistance:
Do you plan the menu of your party in advance? This is an important point because once you invite people to an event you are silently agreeing to provide them with refreshment. A good host always is prepared.
Do you have a theme for your party? Themes help people get into the spirit of the party, whether it's a holiday or birthday party. It also affords them an opportunity to pick up a theme appropriate host gift.
Have you cleaned your home before the event? One of the often overlooked elements of event planning is making certain that you are hosting your event in a clean environment. This helps make the guests feel welcomed.


Taking a few moments and evaluating your event planning skills will help when it's time for your next party. If your strong suit is not in the small details, it might be wise to employ the services of an event planning professional. If you do this, you should view it as an important investment in the comfort of your guests. When people attend an event they expect to be treated specially, make certain that's the case whenever you have guests.

If you've ever planned or hosted an event you know how overwhelming it can be. Attending to every small detail can leave you wishing the party was over before it even began. This is even more magnified if you are overseeing a large event such as a wedding or a dinner party for business associates. Something always seems to go wrong and it leaves the person in charge of event planning carrying the burden of the blame.

There are steps you can take to guarantee that the party will be a roaring success. One of those steps is to hire an event planner. If you really do feel as though all the small details are too much for you, you might consider hiring someone who specializes in event planning. There are many reputable companies who can offer you their services for a fee. All you do is explain the event to them, including your preferences when you wish to have the event, the theme of it and the menu and they handle the rest. The onus of the work is on them, and with their experience they can create exactly the type of gathering that you envision.

If finances are a concern and you can't afford the luxury of a professional event planning service, there are things that you can do that will help your event run as smoothly as possible. Here are a few ideas:
Keep an ongoing list. Plan your event by writing down everything you need to do. As you complete those tasks, stroke them off the list and add new ones as needed.
Choose a theme that is appropriate for all guests. It might be difficult for some people to rent or purchase special outfits for a theme party, so try and make it something that is accessible and affordable for every guest.
Send out invitations or call with your invitation well in advance. Life is busy for many people and giving them sufficient notice will enable them to handle any arrangements they need to make, such as child care.
Choose a menu that isn't too exotic. Although many people welcome new tastes, it's often more appropriate to offer menu items that all guests are familiar with, this way they won't be concerned about possible food allergies or digestive conflicts, if they know exactly what they are eating consists of.
Enjoy the event. Often the host becomes so overburdened with party details that he or she neglects their own enjoyment. Plan the event so you will have free time during it to mingle with your guests.


Event planning can be a tedious task, but with proper organization the work involved in planning the party or event can be well worth it. Getting together with family, friends or business associates in a social setting, is a great way to connect and communicate. With some attention to details before, the party can be a huge and often very fun success.

Event management (Event Planning) is the application of the management science of project management to the creation and development of festivals and events.

Event Management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics, Coordinating the technical aspects before getting down to actually executing the modalities of the proposed event.
Event management is considered one of the strategic marketing and communication tools by companies of all sizes. From product launches to press conferences, companies create promotional events to help them communicate with clients (and potential clients). They might target their audience by using the news media, hoping to generate media coverage which will reach thousands or millions of people. They can also invite their audience to their events and reach them at the actual event. Event management companies services a variety of areas including corporate events like product launches, corporate seminars and conferences; retail marketing programmes including road shows; training programmes; event promotions, television based events like Competitions, special events like concerts, award nights, film premieres & music releases, star nights and fashion shows, private shows like birthday parties and wedding parties. The Event Manager is the person who plans and executes the event. Event managers and their teams are often behind-the-scenes running the event. Event managers may also be involved in more than just the planning and execution of the event, but also brand building, marketing and communication strategy. The event manager is an expert at the creative, technical and logistical elements that help an event succeed. This includes event design, audiovisual production, scriptwriting, logistics, budgeting, negotiation and, of course, client service. It is a multidimensional profession.