the June 2008 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

NAMM
“We found we had too many visitors
that were making it difficult for business
to be done,” Johnstone told TSE. He
noted that the final day of the show had
nearly turned into a consumer event:
guests flocked to the popular music
industry event and legitimate buyers
stayed away. “We wanted to reverse that
trend,” he said.
This year, registered attendance
reached 88,126, up 4% from 2007. Last
year’s registered attendance of 84,695
reflected a 4% increase over 2006.
Improved databases and a call center
enabled the organization to easily identify
the true buyers on visitor lists. A quick
call was typically all it took to get most
registered in the proper category—even
though that meant some had to pay dues.
“Our badge policy was extremely
generous and some people were taking
advantage of that,” Johnstone said. It
had become too easy for exhibitors to
hand out guest badges to nonmembers.
Show organizers worked with those who
had liberally dispensed guest badges and
explained their rationale for reducing
those numbers. Once fewer guests were
able to get access to the show floor,
additional buyers returned, creating
greater value for both
exhibitors and buyers.
The NAMM
Show upped the ante
with extra privileges
for attendees with
exhibitor and buyer
Kevin Johnstone badges, and fewer
privileges for those
who came as guests. One perk was onsite
parking at the convention center for
exhibitors and retailers, which ended the
considerable hike from more remote lots.
Getting the right people the right
badge made a big difference on the show
floor, Johnstone said. “Buyers didn’t feel
like they were fighting for exhibitors’ time
with people who shouldn’t be there.”
NAMM also performed I.D. checks
on everyone each day of the show to
eliminate badge sharing. “The attendance
built itself because we refined the value
of the show,” Johnstone said.
NAMM also reached out to foreign
countries where they believed attendance
could be improved. Organizers learned
that some foreign distributors were
reluctant to have their buyers come to
the U.S. and see competing products
they might not carry. Thus, NAMM
supplemented
its international
marketing efforts
with some direct
marketing to those
foreign buyers
and succeeded in
attracting many of
them to the show.
In all, NAMM
saw delegations
from about 100
countries.
Johnstone
said NAMM’s
efforts wouldn’t
likely work for everyone because the
association was focused on being more
selective with their attendance promotion
rather than appealing to a broad audience.
As a closed trade show, Johnstone said
the organization turns away thousands
of requests to attend each year—some
from groupies hoping to catch a glimpse
of the celebrities who attend. It is also
one of the first major shows of the year
and many exhibitors use it to introduce
new products, so the appeal of the show
is high for the end-user. The inherent
popularity of the music industry also
increases the interest and demand to
attend the show.
The trade association includes all
members of the music industry, and
funnels profits from its shows back into
programs that benefit the industry. That
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