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NECA EXHIBITOR

TIPS, STRATEGIES, AND IDEAS TO MAKE THE MOST OF

YOUR NECA SHOW PARTICIPATION

NECA 2017 SEATTLE October 7-10, 2017

www.necaconvention.org

Success Kit

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Here’s What WE Do to Attract

www.necaconvention.org

National Ad & Editorial Campaign

(print and digital)

Electrical Contractor Magazine (80,000+)

tED Magazine (25,000+)

Electrical Products & Solutions (30,000+)

Electrical News (80,000+)

Electrical Solutions (70,000+)

Today’s Industrial Products & Solutions

(85,000+)

The Utility Source (80,000+)

Electrical Advertiser (80,000+)

FREE Admission Coupons

Electrical Contractor Magazine

All JATC’s

ALL IBEW Locals

Exhibitor Mailings

All Print Pieces

Print Brochures, Flyers & Posters

Electrical Contractor Magazine

(8 page insert)

All NECA Members

All NECA Chapters

Regional Industry List

Email & Social Media Campaign

Electrical Contractor subscribers

NECA Members

All Past Attendees

Facebook

Twitter

Media / Press Campaign

NECA Members

Business Newswire

Northwest Industry Organizations

Seattle Area Media

Highly Qualified Electrical Professionals to the NECA SHOW

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Here’s What YOU Can Do to

www.necaconvention.org

Pre - Show Promotion

Use Official Show Logo on your website pg.4

Online Exhibitor Profile / Listing pg. 4

Booth Package Upgrades pg.5

Web Banners pg.6

Email Marketing pg.7

Pre & Post Mailing Lists pg. 7

Free Attendee Admission Coupons pg.8

Electrical Contractor Mag. Show Issue pg. 9 - 11

Official Show Guide Ads pg. 9 - 11

Special Edition eNewsletter pg. 12 - 13

Send Releases to Local Media List pg.14

Set Appointments in Advance pg. 15

Post - Show Follow-up

Email Marketing pg. 7

Post Mailing List pg. 7

Electrical Contractor magazine eNewsletters pg. 12 - 13

Lead Follow-Up Campaign pg. 22

Think About

Booth Design pg. 20

Rules & Etiquette for Booth Staff pg. 21

Onsite Options

Building Your Brand pg. 16

Traffic Builders pg. 17

Showstopper (New Products) Awards pg. 18

Lead Retrieval pg. 19

Attract Highly Qualified Attendees to YOUR Booth

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Use the Official Show Logo

www.necaconvention.org

Let your Customers know your will be exhibiting at the NECA Show

Use the official NECA Show logo in your email correspondence, newsletters, on

your website, or any other promotional materials. Be sure to include your booth

number.

Download the logo at: http://www.necanet.org/news/press-room/logos

Website Listing

Use all the tools that are available with your website listing at www.necashow.com. NECA Show attendees plan in advance who they see on the show floor. Log into the NECA Exhibitor Console and make sure you update the fol-lowing information:

• Booth Info – full company description • Category Listings – Depending on the Booth Package Upgrade selected, you will increase the number of ways an attendee can find you in a product search • Manage Products – upload product photos and descriptions • Manage Press Releases – upload Media Releases here • Show Specials – offer any exclusive specials here (these will be highlighted in the mobile app too) • Manage Videos – if you purchase a Platinum Package upgrade, you can upload a product highlight, new services, a training video, etc. Additional video uploads can be purchased.

Complete Your Exhibitor Profile

Questions?

Contact BJ at 770-632-0044 or bj@necanet.org

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www.necaconvention.org

Booth Package Upgrades

Package Features Platinum ($550) Gold ($300) Basic (Included)

Pipe & Drape, booth signage • • •

Three (3) Exhibitor badges per 10'x10' booth • • •

Lunch all three (3) show days for exhibitor personnel • • •

Free Show Passes for Customers (print & electronic) • • •

Website / Online Company profile 1000 HTML 1000 HTML 500 HTML

Online Category Listings 20 10 5

Online Press Release uploads 15 10 3

Mobile App Listing • • •

Mobile App Company Website URL • • •

Attend General Sessions and Convention Education • • •

Submit a Technical Workshop for Consideration • • •

Company logo for Website & Show guide profile • •

Increased brand listings 500 HTML 500 HTML

Upload video to online profile 1

To sign up for a Booth Package Upgrade, just log into the Exhibitor Console and locate the Booth Package Upgrade

form in the Exhibit Service Kit. at www.necahow.org or contact BJ at 770-632-0044 or bj@necanet.org

Increase Your Advance Exposure and Your Onsite Traffic with a Booth Package Upgrade

Our official website is where your customers and prospects go to plan their annual trip to the NECA Show.

Don't wait, upgrade your booth package now and get year-round exposure and benefits. Stand out from your

competitor and reach your customers and prospects throughout the year. Keep your customers informed of your

news by uploading your media releases and videos as they become available. Additional video uploads can be

purchased separately.

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Web Banners Get Noticed

www.necaconvention.org

Make Sure Your Customers See Your Company Name First Place your 180 x 240 pixel ad on the NECA Show website. It will rotate on every page throughout the site until the end of the NECA Show, October 31, 2017. In addition, each Sponsor will receive a rotating banner ad on the NECA Show floor plan. The specs for these static ads are 205 x 60 pixels. So, each sponsor will have two ads running for the price of one ad. Price: $1,000

Sign up on the Sponsorship Contract form at

the end of this kit, or download the form here

Your Ad Here

Your Ad Here

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Email Marketing

www.necaconvention.org

Send Your Message to the Right Audience

NECA is again offering an email service that will allow confirmed 2017 NECA

Exhibitors to send an approved email to NECA Convention and NECA Show

registrants. The exhibiting company will send the

requested email message to NECA Show Management in advance for approv-

al. NECA will send your approved message to the following lists, upon receipt

of this completed Contract and Payment.

DISTRIBUTION LISTS:

August 22 – October 5: includes all 2017 Attendee Pre-Registration List to-

date

October 11 – November : will include 2017 Post Final attendee list

Exhibitor may only purchase 1 timeslot per week, and a maximum of five

timeslots. Sign Up Today. They will go fast! Includes analytics.

Price: $1,300 per email

Sign up on the Sponsorship Contract form at the end of this kit, or download

the form here

Pre & Post Mailing Lists Here’s Another Way to Reach the NECA Show Attendees

At your request, show management will furnish the NECA 2017 Seattle Attendee Pre and/or Post Registration mailing list{s) upon receipt of the completed Contract and Payment. Your company recognizes that these names are the property of NECA and providing this "one time use" list to us is made by show management and received by us in confidence. Rental Options Include:

Pre- Registration $200

Post- Registration $350

Both Pre & Post lists ordered/paid together

Sign up using the Pre.Post Attendee Contract in the Exhibitor Service Kit

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FREE Admission Coupon

www.necaconvention.org

Invite Your Customers & Prospects to Attend the NECA Show for FREE

Each year NECA creates a print and an email version of the FREE Admission Coupon. One of your exhibitor benefits in-

cludes access to these great promotional vehicles. Send the eCoupon with your emails and newsletters. Stuff the

print version into existing mailings like invoices, product information, and other correspondence.

The order form is available in the Exhibitor Service Kit. 2017 coupons will be distributed in July.

The Rationale for Pre-Show Promotions Trade show marketers often get so preoccupied with designing and building their booths, they forget to concentrate on

driving qualified traffic. There are a number of important reasons why an investment in promotion is critical.

• You cannot expect show management to do all your recruiting for you. Show management’s real job is to get

plenty of attendees to the event itself. It is still your job is to get the best prospects to visit your booth. If you just

wait for them to walk by randomly, you’ll miss major business opportunity.

• Business buyers generally plan their trade show time in advance. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research

(CEIR) found that 76% of attendees use pre-show information for this purpose. You are competing with

conference sessions, and with other exhibitors, and with outside attractions (especially in destination cities like

Las Vegas and San Francisco), so you must get on your prospects’ calendars early.

• CEIR commissioned a study by Deloitte & Touche that proves my case. Those exhibitors who conducted a

pre-show campaign raised by 46% their “attraction efficiency,” meaning the quality of the audience they were

able to attract to their booths. Similarly, the conversion of booth visitors to qualified leads rose 50% when a pre-

show promotion was used.

(excerpts from an article “How to Triple the Effectiveness of Your Trade Show Marketing Program” by Ruth P. Stevens.

Read the entire article for more ideas.)

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Product & News Releases

www.necaconvention.org

Tell Your Story Your Way

Upload your releases to your Exhibitor Profile. Depending on which booth

package upgrade your purchased, you can post between 3 and 15 news releases

that our attendees will see as they prepare to attend the NECA Show in

October.

Separately, let the local Seattle/Puget Sound know that you will be in town. Use

the local media list provided on the NECA website.

Bring 4-5 copies of your news releases to the Press Room at the NECA Show.

31 Press Release Distribution Tips From The Pros

You have exciting news to share about your company, but how do you get the word out? One of the most effective

strategies is to create and distribute a press release. With an attention-grabbing title and the right hook, your

company news can be shared with the right audience at the right time.

For this article, we asked some of the top PR professionals in the industry to share their favorite press release

distribution tips with us. Read on for the full list.

1. Get your story in front of real journalists. Marc Prosser, co-founder of Marc Waring Ventures

Your press release isn’t going to do anything for you unless you can get it in front of people who will

cover it. That’s why we recommend eReleases, which can distribute your release via the Associated

Press and PR Newswire networks, as well as their own network of sites. They’re the lowest cost way

we’ve found to get AP wire distribution, which is why they’re our PR service of choice for small business

owners. Click here to save 30% on your first order and get your press release in front of real journalists.

2. Try to tie in relevant news from the current news cycle. Kelly C. Coughlin, President, Annex

Communication

First and foremost, the press release itself needs to be composed as being “newsworthy.” Marketing and

advertising are what you as a company say about yourself, and press is what others say or reprint about

you. The release should have some kind of news or official announcement perspective that allows a

journalist to see if the subject matter is relevant to their beat of reporting. Before putting out the release,

also consider the current news cycle and if the announcement has some relevance in current reporting.

(excerpts from an article “31 Press Release Distribution Tips From The Pros” by Maggie Aland. Read the entire arti-

cle for more ideas.)

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What to Do Before a Trade Show

www.necaconvention.org

Though the stats vary by industry and individual show, Trade Show News Network reports that a whopping 81% of

trade show attendees have buying authority. With the possibility of finding a new customer in 4 out of 5 people at a

given show, the numbers seem to be on your side.

One statistic you may not have heard, however, is the fact that roughly 70% of show attendees plan a list of brands/

booths to visit before even setting foot on the trade show floor. By contrast, an average of only 10-15% of trade show

exhibitors invest in pre-show marketing efforts, according to trade show and event marketing firm Exhibit Systems.

From these numbers, it’s apparent that:

1) pre-show marketing has a serious impact on the ROI of your trade shows

2) pre-show marketing is an area of weakness for many wholesale businesses

3) opportunities are lost as a result. Indeed, a study conducted by the Center for Exhibition

Industry Research found that the conversion of booth visitors to qualified leads rose 50%

when a pre-show promotion was used.

(excerpts from an article “Trade Show Marketing: What to do Before the Show” by Sarah Leung. Read the entire article for more ideas.)

Booking Appointments in Advance Increases

Your Trade Show ROI Expos are an integral part of a company’s marketing plan and they can be extremely profitable if handled correct-

ly. However, these events can be highly competitive with companies vying for the attention of a limited audi-

ence. This is where pre-show communication comes in handy. Pre-show communication, especially booking ap-

pointments in advance, is critical for companies to meet their expo goals and increasingly, pre-scheduled ap-

pointments are changing the expo value equation.

A Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) study reveals that pre-show communication can increase conver-

sion rates of booth visitors to qualified leads by 50%. Companies can increase traffic to their booth before the

show starts by reaching out to existing customers, high-value contacts and show attendees by pre-book appoint-

ments for the show. Today, appointment-matching technologies are changing the way connections are made.

The best way to pre-book and schedule appointments during the expo is by creating a database of existing cus-

tomers, leads from previous shows, confirmed show attendees, new suppliers and partners, media persons and

key decision makers.

(excerpts from an article “Importance of Pre-Booking Expo Appointments”

by the Dazzletoday Team. Read the entire article for more ideas.)

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Build Your Brand

For complete details, visit www.necashow.org and click on Sponsorship Opportunities

Questions? Contact Julie Duda at 770-632-0044 or julduda@necanet.org

as of June 1, 2017

Opening Reception / Largest Networking Event At MoPOP in Seattle. as of June 1, 2017

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Traffic Builder Opportunities

as of June 1, 2017

For complete details, visit www.necashow.org and click on Sponsorship Opportunities

Questions? Contact Julie Duda at 770-632-0044 or julduda@necanet.org

Size & Locations Vary Call for Pricing and Details

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Showstopper Showcase & Awards

For complete details, find the entry form in the Exhibitor Service Kit or at www.necashow.org

Questions? Contact BJ at 770-632-0044 or bj@necanet.org

#1 Industry Event for New Products & Solutions

Enter your newest products, technology and services at the NECA Showstopper Showcase and Awards. Sponsored

by ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine, the Showstopper Awards is the most prestigious recognition event for

manufacturers in the electrical construction industry.

The Showcase features some 200 entries representing the latest solutions on the market. These innovative ad-

vancements help electrical contractors on the job and in the office. The Showstopper Showcase opens one hour

before the NECA Show each day, so don’t miss this great marketing opportunity to let your customers know

“what’s new”.

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Lead Retrieval Options

For complete details, locate this form in the NECA Exhibitor Service Kit

Questions? Contact BJ at 770-632-0044 or bj@necanet.org

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Eight Design Tips for Your Next Tradeshow Display

We all know a good tradeshow display when we see one. It's usually the booth with a lot of visitors, generating leads left and right. Your company's success at a tradeshow depends on more than just the quality of the booth design, of course, but rising industry competition and attendees' steadily declining attention spans have made design more important than ever. If your business hopes to make a significant first impression, the design of your tradeshow booth must be cohesive, appealing, and exceptional. The companies that are truly pushing the boundaries of exhibit design are developing huge amounts of awareness, and therefore leads, during each event. It's easy to get lost in a sea of exhibitors, so consider the following eight tips when designing your next tradeshow display. 1. Make it interactive Attendees spend most of their time at tradeshows observing and learning, so giving your visitors the chance to interact at your booth can be a great way to spark engagement. People love getting their hands on tradeshow technology, playing games, and winning prizes. Tradeshow booths that are interactive are more likely to generate leads and create buzz surrounding your brand. Creating a place for visitors to spend time in your booth gives your staff more time to approach them on a personal level. Try incorporating touchscreen technology, hosting giveaways, or featuring product demonstrations to increase participation at your booth. 2. Use cohesive branding From banners and overhead signs to standing podiums and the shirts that members of your staff are wearing, every surface of your tradeshow booth should cohesively display your branding. Especially if you are presenting a new marketing campaign at the event, you'll want to be easily recognized by others in the industry. Establishing an attrac-tive color scheme with complementary graphics can help break up solid shades and give your booth more dimension. 3. Think vertically Banners and hanging displays can be a great way to take your logo to new heights. A hanging display will help bring your booth design up a notch, allowing attendees to see your branding from across the floor. If your company has a larger booth space to work with, double-decker truss displays can also provide you with some high ground against the competition. Expanding your booth toward the ceiling is a great way to create an immersive space for your visi-tors. 4. Work within your budget If you design too far outside your budget for your tradeshow booth, it may affect your perception of the value of the event for the growth of your business. It is easy for tradeshow budgets to get out of hand quickly; often, costs go unseen until crunch time. So, develop a specific, realistic budget months ahead of time. Also, working with an exhibit professional when designing your display can help you get the most out of your investment. 5. Keep in mind transportation and shipping Even if you have spent months designing the perfect tradeshow display, figuring out how to transport and ship your booth may end up being a headache. Before you invest in a huge, impressive display, you should take into account size, durability, and drayage costs. Relying on a display expert can help you get a better understanding of what these extra services involve. Portable tradeshow displays, like those provided by my company, are a great design option for businesses looking to create impressive display booths without the hassle of heavy equipment. If you choose to rent a tradeshow display kit, be sure to ask what it does and doesn't include—to be sure all your bases are covered on the day of the event. (excerpts from an article “Eight Design Tips for Your Next Tradeshow Display” by Mike Weimer. Read the entire article for all 8 tips.)

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Basic Trade Show Booth Etiquette Rules for Staff

Whether your company is planning for a mere 10' by 10' booth or a large 40' by 50' trade show exhibit space, training

the staff who will be manning the booth during the show itself is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately for most

trade show exhibitors, staff training tends to be overlooked in favor of other seemingly more pressing issues like

booth planning, design, construction, and other logistics. While the importance of the booth itself is important in

attracting customers and prospects, your staff's presence and demeanor can make or break that new prospective

business.

Some experienced staff and executives who man trade show booths pride themselves on their ability weed through

the duds to spot and engage only live prospects, but staying focused only on revenue or big ticket customers can

often damage their brand and lead to missed opportunities.

1. Greetings and Open Body Language

Attendees are looking at the exhibit staff for a reason to spend time at your booth. After being initially drawn in by

the booth or brand itself, your staff is the reason they will stay or go. The following body language tips will help con-

vey a professional and approachable demeanor:

• Stand up and greet attendees –in front of the booth

• If seats are needed, use tall stools that create contact at standing eye level

• Smile and make eye contact with attendees from all directions

• Speak with trade show attendees, not colleagues

• Sit down only if you are with a client who also wants to sit

• Do not cross arms or legs, keep hands out of pockets

• Avoid fidgeting and leaning against booth walls and furniture

• Be mindful of other people in the booth and near your space

• Do not enter the space of another exhibitor

• Be enthusiastic, confident, and polite

•Thank attendees for spending time at your booth when they arrive and leave

• Though simple, these basic body language tips offer an approachable and professional atmosphere that

will encourage prospects to visit - and stay - in your booth.

2. Staff Roles and Sales Script

Trade show booth staff should be assigned a specific area of the exhibit to cover and should have the expertise to

convey important company information to attendees. Some companies even provide staff with a customizable

greeting and sales script so each member of the team is prepared to deliver a consistent, polished, and effective mes-

sage to attendees.

Beyond the sales script or elevator pitch, company representatives in a trade show booth should be prepared to an-

swer basic questions or know where to obtain more information. The booth should also always be managed by at

least one person who has that expertise and/or authority, and that person should be accessible to supporting staff

and attendees at all times.

excerpts from an article “Basic Trade Show Booth Etiquette Rules for Staff” by Rob Hard. Read the entire article for all

7 suggestions.)

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10 Tips for a Successful Trade Show

Follow-up Campaign

Here are 10 tips for designing an effective trade show follow-up campaign. Note: these strategies assume that hot leads – those prospects who specifically re-quested follow-up or were otherwise graded as “high priority” on the show floor, get prompt response directly from sales. A follow-up campaign is one designed to address the other 90 percent of show leads, including show attendees who never made it to your booth, and to ensure that no other potentially qualified leads fall through the cracks.

1. Prompt response to show leads is critical. Have the campaign designed and ready to launch so that response emails can go out immediately upon leads entering the system. A prompt, professional, tailored response is a great way to make your company stand out from the competition who may take days or weeks to respond. 2. Most trade show leads are routinely ignored by sales. The best use of a follow-up campaign is to qualify leads by offering a range of options for further engagement. Any response (e.g. a white paper download, a demo request) can help uncover hot leads that might otherwise be missed, or at the very least can help sales prioritize which leads merit being called first. (excerpts from an article “10 Tips for a Successful Trade Show Follow-up Campaign” by Howard J. Sewell. Read the entire article for more ideas.)

4 Crucial Steps to Trade-Show Follow - Up How much time do you spend preparing to sponsor a trade show event?

If you’re in marketing, this question is probably a no-brainer: a lot. Preparing booth signage, finding session speak-

ers, ensuring you have sufficient staff and that everyone is where you need them to be can mean a number of late

nights (and maybe a few sleepless ones as well).

How much time do you spend on an event after it’s over?

If your answer to this question is a little less definite, keep reading. Post-event reporting and follow-up is as crucial

a part of event marketing success as any of your pre-event preparations. If this sounds like very bad news to your

tired brain, here’s the good news: marketing automation can greatly simplify this process. Let’s take a look at the

following four steps for post-event follow-up with marketing automation.

Step 1: Import Leads

Remember all those great connections you made with potential prospects? Make sure you get all their infor-

mation into your system. There are two ways that leads get added to your marketing automation system at trade

shows: through landing pages or through a scanner.

If you’re relying solely on landing pages for data collection, leads will automatically be added to your database and

attached to a campaign (in this case, “trade show XYZ”) once the form has been submitted—which means (good

news) no manual import is needed post-event. For trade shows that use a scanning system for data collection,

leads will need to be imported after the trade show ends. The information obtained from leads is stored by the

company providing the scanners, and will either be sent to you post-trade show or will need to be retrieved by

logging into the company’s system. Once you have the spreadsheet of lead data, it can be imported into your mar-

keting automation system and attached to a campaign. Attaching leads to a campaign allows you to associate them

with their point of origin, making it easier to attribute ROI (and making step four a cinch).

(excerpts from an article “4 Crucial Steps to Trade Show Follow-Up” by Molly Hoffmeister.

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at the NECA SHOW

October 8-10, 2017

Washington State Convention Center

Seattle

www.necaconvention.org

Wishing You Success