#exhibitions
Exhibitions of technical security equipment.
Question for discussion
What criteria do you use for selecting exhibitions. Moscow, regional, foreign?
Alexey GINTSE:
The algorithm, in its most simplified form, looks like this: goals, objectives, methods and tools for solving them, analysis of results, conclusions, and goal adjustment.
In this algorithm, exhibitions are one of the tools for solving specific problems.
The expression «one of» is key, since there can be many tools and all of them are an integral part of the strategic and tactical development plan of the company, which, in turn, includes the marketing plan. The criteria for selecting exhibitions are formed taking into account these plans.
If a company operating under the classic b2b scheme and promoting its solutions through regional partners solves the strategic task of introducing a new brand to the market, it will most likely be advisable to focus on large security exhibitions in Moscow and St. Petersburg. If the tactical task is to increase advertising and information pressure on the market in a specific region, regional exhibitions may also be included in the plan.
It should be taken into account, however, that for small regions, “sniper work” may be more effective, when, based on the results of studying the regional market, all potential partners are visited. Often, the time spent is the same, but the efficiency is higher. For regional exhibitions, 1–2 years of participation are usually enough to establish interaction with potential partners.
Participation in foreign exhibitions is advisable only when introducing your solutions and brands to the relevant foreign markets.
Taking part in an exhibition in order to find a foreign supplier is at least strange: it is enough to simply come to the exhibition. It is also necessary to take into account the difference in the mentality of foreign and domestic consumers — if you are launching a new brand yourself as a Russian company, be prepared for a wary attitude, you will still have to earn authority.
A very effective solution for participation in foreign exhibitions is to participate in the exposition of the stand of one of your reputable foreign partners. In this case, the authority of the partner works for you, and visitors do not perceive your company as a pig in a poke. With the appropriate efforts, you can even agree on the presence of symbols and brands promoted by your company at the partner's stand. You may even be allocated a part of the stand where you can communicate with visitors «under your own flag».
Elena SOROKINA:
The criteria for choosing an exhibition depend primarily on the goals and objectives that the company faces at a given time.
Participation in an exhibition cannot be just for the sake of a tick, out of habit or because of good relations with the organizers. The exhibition event must clearly fit into the marketing strategy and be one of the points of the general promotion campaign along with advertising in the printed press, the Internet, PR events, loyalty programs, etc.
The main criterion for choosing a regional exhibition depends on its location. That is, if a company is faced with the task of opening a branch in Rostov-on-Don, then it needs to go and participate in the Rostov exhibition.
And if the plans include expansion to Siberia, then, accordingly, it is necessary to go there. And in my opinion, regional exhibitions do not solve any other problems for the b2b sector, except for expanding the partner network.
The choice of a foreign exhibition also depends on many specific things.
For example, if you need to find a supplier of inexpensive equipment or components, then first of all you need to look at exhibitions held in China, Korea, Taiwan. Although, of course, representatives of enterprises from these countries can also be found at European exhibitions.
If you are interested in new products and partnerships with famous world brands, then, of course, it is best to look for them at the largest exhibitions in Europe or America.
But, in my opinion, participation is not necessary to solve these problems — in this case, it is enough to come to the exhibition as a visitor. If the company plans to open offices and representative offices abroad, then the choice of exhibition depends on the region it has chosen to expand its business.
As for Moscow exhibitions, at present, in my opinion, each of the companies in the security market has already made its choice and no criteria, except for the position of the management and the personal opinion of responsible employees, play any role here.
Speaking about the company «SM TRADE», we do not plan to participate in security exhibitions in the near future. For us, priority is given to industry events, the main participants of which are our potential clients. In our opinion, exhibitions and forums on commercial and retail real estate to a greater extent contribute to achieving the goals that our company currently faces.
Ekaterina GURYANOVA:
I would highlight two main criteria that, in my opinion, should be taken into account when deciding to participate in an exhibition of the TSB industry.
The first is the number of visitors.
The second is the quantity and, figuratively speaking, the quality of the participants. That is, in addition to the number of visitors expected at the exhibition (unfortunately, this can only be assessed based on the results of previous exhibitions), it is important to understand how active the companies presenting their expositions at this exhibition are in the market. These two factors ultimately determine the chances of the exhibition being interesting and effective for the participants.
Of course, there are other criteria: the subject and number of events held within the framework of the exhibition, the advertising activity of the organizers in preparing the exhibition, etc.
Are there any special features when choosing regional exhibitions? Of course. In my opinion, it is important to understand what the region is like where the exhibition is taking place. Is it subsidized from the budget or, on the contrary, is the region itself a donor? What industries dominate? Are there any large production facilities there?
And only then, having weighed all these factors, can you safely use the general criteria for evaluating exhibitions.
Important point: you need to use all possible sources that will help you get the information you need.
For example, how the advertising campaign of the exhibition is going, what advertising media the organizers use.
With foreign exhibitions, everything is simpler, in my opinion. Everything has been established here for a long time, and you can safely focus on the image of the exhibition. I believe that this is the determining criterion. There are two or three major exhibitions that, in my opinion, you should definitely visit. They are already decades old. And there is always something to see and specific commercial interests at them.
Question for discussion
What results do you expect from your company's participation in the exhibition?
Alexey GINTSE:
Since we operate in the b2b market, the most valuable result for our company is establishing long-term partnerships with new regional dealers.
To be precise, the expected results depend on the initial goals of participation in the exhibition.
Main goals:
— increasing the loyalty of old and attracting new partners;
— promoting new products, solutions and directions;
— Strengthening the company's image as one of the technological leaders in the market;
— Branding.
Additional goals:
— Support for regional partners;
— Strengthening ties with foreign suppliers;
— Monitoring prices and product offerings of competitors.
Based on the results of surveys conducted at the stand, we analyze the audience of visitors to the stand at each exhibition.
This is not only a quantitative but also a qualitative analysis, allowing us to assess the dynamics of changes in the composition of visitors to our stand over the past few exhibitions and their interest in various market segments in which our company operates. The resulting analysis is also a result that allows us to assess the vector of our consumers' interests and adjust our tasks.
It can also be noted that, despite working on a b2b basis, we pay close attention to informing large end customers about our solutions and developments and direct them to the best regional dealers.
On the one hand, this supports our partners, and on the other, it provides the necessary guidelines for end consumers.
Having received the information they need from us, such a consumer at the exhibition is motivated to purchase our solutions through our regional partner.
The return on investment from the exhibition is not immediate; usually, even with real interest from the client, more than six months pass before the actual order is placed.
Most contacts will not bring commercial results, but they are also not meaningless, since they solve the problem of forming the opinion of the professional community in the long term (if we are talking about long-term participation in a major exhibition).
Elena SOROKINA:
The main result of all promotional events, including exhibitions, is the acquisition of new clients and business expansion.
This is the task we set for ourselves and this is the criterion by which we evaluate the effectiveness of any event. Of course, the return is not immediate. We offer a complex product, and the decision-making process for its purchase can be quite lengthy.
Nevertheless, there are a number of indirect signs by which we can determine whether we have received the result we expected or not. For example, if during all the exhibition days only collectors of advertising materials and representatives of competing companies approached the stand, then it is obvious that participation in this event will not bring any return. But if several negotiations with clients took place at the exhibition, a seminar was held, which was attended by representatives of potential buyers, then this is already a result and the degree of its effectiveness depends only on how the contacts received are subsequently processed.
Ekaterina GURYANOVA:
Naturally, I base my answers on the experience of our company, the publisher of the magazine «Protection Technologies». So, we almost never expect that at the exhibition we will be able to sign a contract with this or that advertiser or distributor of our products. Exceptions, of course, happen, but they are so rare that it hardly makes sense to focus the readers' attention on these examples.
The main goal of our participation in the exhibition is to increase the readership. We are waiting and doing everything so that this action will allow more people to learn about us. Well, and, of course, we strive to use the opportunity to communicate with current and potential partners as much as possible. That is, the commercial result of most exhibitions in which we participate is postponed in time, and this, I believe, is a normal situation.
It is very important for the magazine how many people came to the exhibition, and most importantly, who came. If there are few visitors, the exhibition, if you know how to conduct business, will certainly not be completely useless. An exhibition without visitors gives the opportunity to communicate with each other. And such communication is far from useless. But, you must admit, this is not entirely correct.
That's what an exhibition is for, so that visitors come there. Preferably those who are maximally motivated to communicate and learn the necessary information. Otherwise, there is hardly any point in paying money for participation, building stands, etc.
Question for discussion
Industry exhibition – a platform for signing contracts or the beginning of a major marketing effort?
Alexey GINTSE:
For our company, this is rather a component of a major marketing effort. I do not remember a single case when a contract was signed at an exhibition – a major project does not tolerate the bustle of an exhibition, but requires long-term and thoughtful work from us as solution suppliers, our regional installers and designers, as well as the end customer.
Of course, it is possible to time the signing of a major contract to coincide with an exhibition, turning this event into a PR campaign, but we have not used such methods until now.
I will repeat what I said at the very beginning: an exhibition is one of the tools from a large set that a serious company should be able to use.
The most effective is to use these tools in combination (exhibitions, advertising in the press, WEB, PR campaigns, mailings, publishing your own materials, etc.). In an orchestra, all instruments must play in accordance with the given score, of course.
Elena SOROKINA:
Signing a contract for the implementation of a security system is a fairly complex process that requires careful work by a number of employees — the design department, product managers, financial service, lawyers, etc.
Therefore, it is not the company's goal to carry out the entire procedure of preparing and coordinating this document during the exhibition. The exhibition can become a platform for public signing if the agreement has already been reached earlier and the contact has already been prepared. In this case, the signing process can become an excellent PR campaign for the company — this occasion can attract both honored guests and journalists.
If we talk about marketing work, then the exhibition cannot be its beginning or end. The exhibition is one of the tools, which you still need to know how to use. If you want to get an effect from participation, then the exhibition should play along with other marketing tools. Only in this case does it make sense to participate in an industry exhibition.
Ekaterina GURYANOVA:
I have already partly touched on this issue. Of course, ideally, the exhibition should be a platform for signing contracts.
Or at least their substantive discussion with partners. But this is hardly possible in our high-tech and very specific market.
Agree, it is difficult to imagine that some customer will sign a contract for equipping his facility with security systems right at the stand.
For us, the publishers of the magazine, the exhibition is a continuation of marketing work.
Large and ongoing. This is an opportunity to maintain marketing communications and one of the best ways of direct sales. However, I will not be afraid to repeat myself, as a rule, they are postponed in time.
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