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Tales From a Bridal Show

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Superbowl Sunday found me sliding into the stilettos for a day at the behemoth that is Gaylord Opryland Hotel for the Perfect Wedding Guides Winter Bridal Show 2012.

In theory, this show had everything going against it. It was Superbowl Sunday. The hotel itself is a PIA to navigate. It was the third show of the season. The exhibit hall is massive and a bit cold and the fire marshal insisted on aisles big enough to drive a semi down. Load in couldn’t start until 5 hours before the show because they had to get the Cattleman’s Association out first.

Wipe all that out of your mind because the show promoters ended up with a Superbowl sized win on their hands!

From the time they opened the doors until I left (30 minutes before the show closed) those giant aisle were packed; the booths were busy and the brides were engaged.

If I had any doubt in my mind that the bridal industry has turned the corner this wiped it out. Brides were booking appointments left and right. They weren’t just there to look, they were there to book.

The great thing about attending a show the way I do is that I get to talk to everyone: producers, vendors and brides. The ones that don’t already know who I am, I just say I am a blogger and they spill their guts. hehe.

The strangest thing I heard was from a vendor, “The minute I hear you are coming, my stomach just knots.” Umm wow. They know I will tell it like it is when I review the show.

First, the hits.

When I ran into Gregory Byerline at the pre-show mixer on Thursday and he showed me my book on his iPhone I knew his booth would be a hit and he did not disappoint.

 

The booth is elegant and sophisticated, just like his target market. The overhead lighting drew your eye to the booth long before you got there. The colors are muted which helps the photographs pop. The booth was well staffed.

His collateral nailed it. He did a rack card on wonderful heavy stock with a slightly  irredescent finish on the back. The images on the front are the same images as in the booth and in his print ad. The back has his perspective on life, love and photography and draws you into his world. The card ends with the subtle but urgent: “RESERVE EARLY”   No discounts, no giveaways. Brilliant.Bridal show handout

Now that he has drawn you in, his other hand out invites you over for drinks in a hand written note. I love it!

 Tomorrow I’ll do some more booth reviews including one that breaks all the rules, but seemed to work. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows, eBooks, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

New Ideas for Bridal Show Email Follow-up

February 3, 2012 By 2 Comments

OK, you’ve invested your time and treasure in a bridal show, or several and you have a fat, juicy lead list. Now what?

I have already given you tons of ideas to use both short-term and long-term like cherry picking your lead list and outrageous marketing. The question people still are asking is what  to put in that first email?

An interesting answer popped into my inbox just this morning that I think you should give a try.

How about instead of telling them something you ask them something?

Check this quote from today’s Research Brief from The Center for Media Research.

A new survey from Cint shows that 62% of those surveyed said they were more likely to purchase a brand’s product if their opinion has been sought by brand in a study. The survey highlights the importance of customer insight, says the report, as over half of the 1,200 consumers polled felt more loyal to a brand if it takes the time to find out their opinion.

Personally I can’t think of a better way to get them engaged from the very beginning. You know me, here is an example. If it were me sending the email for Indulgence Custom Bakeshop I would have said something along the lines of:

“Hey there {add first name}, it was great to meet you at the XYZ Bridal Show.  I was wondering if I could get your input on something. It’s a new year and I really want to add some new and exciting flavors to the menu.  If you could have any flavor or combination of flavors for your wedding cake or dessert what would it be?”

Better yet, put in a very brief survey or poll.

Don’t be crass and ask what their budget is. Ask them something that they may just have an interesting opinion on and ask it like you mean it. Give them some reason to believe that their input matters. Tweet the answers like a horse race. Build some excitement. Keep a tally going on Facebook. Foster engagement.

Here is one more tip that you probably already know but needs to be reinforced.

That email needs to be finished and uploaded to your bulk mailer BEFORE  you set up your booth. As soon as the show is over you need to load the emails you collected in your booth and hit the send button. That night. I know you are tired; shows can be brutal. Not taking care of the follow through is the biggest mistake that bridal vendors make when using bridal shows to market.

 

Bonus.

Here is another great article I just found on Asking as Marketing.

Filed Under: Back to Basics, bridal shows, email marketing, Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are Bridal Show on the Up Swing?

January 22, 2012 By 7 Comments

 

OK, you all know how I feel about Bridal Shows. For many reasons they are near and dear to my heart but for several years now they have been a crap shoot. Things may be changing.

I keep hearing from clients and friends that this has been a FANTABULOUS year for shows. Rumor has it that phones have been ringing off the wall for appointments. Do tell? I even witnessed a conversation that this year has been almost like 2007!

WooHoo!!!

I need a bigger sample. QUICK!

 I want to know how the shows have been for you this year. Post a comment and let me know ll the details. I also want to know what kind of show are you doing:the big mega shows or the smaller more intimate, niche shows. It does make a difference.

How have the early 2012 Bridal Shows been?

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Tell me about the show?

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Thanks for playing! Leave a comment and tell me more.

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows Tagged With: , , ,

Bridal Shows: How to Bag an Elephant

January 11, 2012 By 1 Comment

 

Bridal show ROI and goals are interesting things. If you think the only goal of a bridal show is to book brides at the show you are missing most of the opportunities.

I had a most interesting conversation last week with a florist concerning his recent booth at a bridal show. Now this was a small show, but popular among the luxury wedding vendors. Our florist knew that booking more than one or two brides from the show was probably a pipe dream, but he had another goal.

You see, there was a planner in town that he had been stalking (only in the business sense of the word) for several years. This planner was known to use the same vendors over and over, throwing them a ton of work. If our florist could finally get the planners attention, it would mean a lot of additional business.

The planner had booked a booth at this show.

Time for a little research. Our intrepid florist made it his business to learn every thing he could about the planner’s style. He scanned images on her Facebook page, in local magazines and on her website and looked for patterns. Of course there were patterns, we all have them. Then he designed his booth to reflect her style, down to the use of her personal favorite color.

Like I said, it was a small, lightly trafficked show and the vendors had plenty of time to schmooze. Our florist chatted with friends in adjacent booths but stayed pretty much in his booth. In other words, he didn’t approach his target at all.

The target found him.

On the planners FIFTH visit to the florists booth, as she oooo’d and ahhh’d over a particular bouquet for the fifth time and the booth in general she invited the florist to lunch for the following week.

That my friends, is how you bag an elephant!

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Increase Your Bridal Show ROI

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again. Bridal show season is right around the corner. Are you ready?

Do you know how to pick the right show to reach your target bride?

Do you know how to take advantage of pre-show publicity?

Have you designed your show collateral?

Do you know how to design your booth for maximum effect?

Have you written your post show follow-ups? You are doing more than one, right?

I have said it before and I will say it again, bridal shows are expensive in both time and treasure. You need to get the best return on your investment that you possible can and there is only one way to do that.

Be Prepared!

Proper planning from the moment you decide to do a show gives you the jump. One of the keys to high ROI is a total cohesion of all aspects of your show marketing. Decide early on your message and then don’t vary, just keep pushing that one message home.

If you want more information, in a clear, point by point style, you have to read the book. Don’t wait until the last minute, do it now. You need time to develop your message, get stuff printed, get the word out early to build interest and get the booth designed.

Seriously, if you are going invest money in a show, (not to mention a day on your feet) don’t you deserve to get all you can out of it?

Bridal Show Success is the only comprehensive guide to trade shows written specifically for the bridal industry.

It takes you through the planning, to the show to the follow -up. Step by step it will teach you how to produce the most ROI off any bridal show.

Think of how much you have riding on your bridal show marketing, $14.95 is a drop in the bucket to make it all work flawlessly. Heck that’s less than you are going to spend on coffee for your team the day of the show! Isn’t that a small price to book more brides?

Buy the book today, reap the benefits for years to come!

Here is what one reader had to say…

TaylorMade Weddings>Think Like A Bride

My Bridal Show was a success yesterday. I took your advice – “Go big or go home”– and made quite the impression. Let’s just say…the fish was a BIG hit! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge in your book. It pays!

 

Filed Under: Announcement, Back to Basics, Blog, bridal shows, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Bridal Shows: Grab All the Opportunities

August 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this week I showcased the booth that A Magical Affair did at the Perfect Wedding Guide show.  Well, I want to use them to drive home another point about getting the most out of your bridal show marketing.

The team at PWG did a good job of offering opportunities beyond just renting you a booth. In addition on the Mezzanine level along with the fashion show they set aside space for tabletop display. A Magical Affair took good advantage. They did 2 tabletops, each completely different. Just a note, the fact that they were able to secure 2 tables tells me that there were some vendors that passed on this opportunity. Big mistake.

The first tabletop followed the current trend of less formal but still heavily decorated. It also made good use as a showcase for paper product like menus and signs. Played right, these can be a profit center for planners. Take a look.

The second table top was sleek and elegant and the near opposite of the first one. It was equally as big of a hit.

centerpiece, tabletop of elegant winter wedding

Take advantage of every opportunity that your bridal show offers.

If you don’t you are missing a great chance to maximize your investment. If had read the book, you would have known that.

 

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows, eBooks, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Cute Booth, But Who the Hell Are You?

August 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This is one of my biggest pet peeves at bridal shows.  You invest all this time and money into a bridal show and then drop the ball when it comes to signage. Come on, what are you thinking?

Check these booths that dropped the signage ball. (now you know why I don’t take pictures for a living)

http://www.thinklikeabride.com/theagency/2008/07/flash-sites-vs-html-sites/Come on, you can get an 8 foot vinyl banner with a stand for around a hundred bucks. It isn’t something you can neglect.

Here are some booths that get it.

I especially like the one center right. While their signage is not stellar, the over all booth really nails it. They are babysitters for events and weddings. The minute you see the set up you don’t even have to ask what they do. They have a collection of childrens books and toys; what else would they do?

I included 2 booths from Enchanted Florists because they were able to get the point across with both a huge over the top display and a small booth at a small show.  It just proves the point that it doesn’t matter how big your booth is as much as how big your message is.

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Notes From a Bridal Show. Part 4

August 24, 2011 By 1 Comment

The booth for A Magical Affair was a giant hit. Not because it was the prettiest one there and not because I had the tiniest bit of input in it. No, it was one of the best booths there because I can just about guarantee that every bride there saw it and will remember it in the morning.

One of the hardest booths to design is one for a planner. What do you do? A tablescape? People think you are a rental company. Set up a lounge? Nope then they don’t know what your business is. Cover the walls with mood boards and excel spreadsheets? Hey that might  get us somewhere. (scratches head)  Never mind. Let’s just agree that it is difficult to use visual impact to set apart the booth of a bridal planner in a unambiguous way.

 

La Azteca paletas from Chicago

I sat at lunch with Courtney Hammons of A Magical Affair a month or so ago and chatted about her booth. She wanted to showcase trends but do it in a way that had a big impact and more importantly, get brides into the booth.  One of the trend that came up were food trucks. NashVegas has some great ones but you can’t exactly pull one into an eight foot booth in a hotel ball room. Still we all really like the idea so we thought outside of the “truck.”  It’s August, it’s hot as blazes and has been since June. What would get your attention? How about the paletas guy?

 

Gourmet Popsicles, sort of a food truck, very trendy. Works for me!!

 

Finding the paletas and figuring out how to tie it together turned out to be easier than actually tracking down the local guy with the cart. No matter, it still worked!

They called it Sweet Trends, capitalized on the paletas and made sure that the collateral drove the point home. It was hot, and by the time I got there, they had almost run out of the gourmet pops but had some back-up that still worked.

 

 

Love this crowd and plenty of staff to connect with the brides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The palentas made it all the way to the next booth over, Designs in Paper. Double score because they are the one that designed the cool collateral

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the business card made for the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The printed material is all by friends of Think, Steve and Donelle at Designs in Paper. Check out how perfectly it carries the message forward. I am sure that anyone that found the popsicle shaped business card in their bag the next day knew exacltly where it came from.

Collateral for a bridal show

Wait until you see what this team has planned for January!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Notes from a Bridal Show. Part 3

August 22, 2011 By 2 Comments

Another weeked, another bridal show. Where should I start this week, hits or misses?

Considering the fear and trepidation that I was greeted with by some yesterday, I think I’ll let the misses off for another day and start with a lesson.

Two different vendors took my advice to heart and it was really working. The first is a small tale with another chapter yet to write.

At last weeks show a videographer pulled me aside and said ” I have listened to your advice and gone tall.” Sure enough he had, he brought in his crane and raised it to it’s full height. Problem was, only he really knew it was up there because it just sort of faded into the ceiling and I told him so. The point of going tall, afterall, is to catch the attention of people over the crowds and from across the exhibition hall. Here is a really bad photo of last week.
Do you see how it gets completely lost?

 

This week, he had a sign hung from the camera. He’s almost got it, but of course I made a couple of suggestions to kick it up another notch. Better background color, some signage to catch the eye, much better.

This morning I got this email. I have left out what the changes I suggested were. You will just have to wait for his next show. If you think you know what they are, leave it in the comments. If you get them both right, I will send you a copy of Bridal Show Success.

 

Hi Chris,
I wanted to thank you for stopping by our booth today and chatting with us.  I also appreciate your comments very much and have taking them to heart.  You’re right that a____________________ would be a great addition to the crane setup, and I know you’re right about adding _________ to it as well.  Next time we will have ____________
Thanks again, and let me know if I can do anything to help you.

I’ll leave the next little tale for tomorrow, but trust me when I say they knocked it out of the park and OH was it sweet!

Filed Under: Blog, bridal shows, Marketing Tagged With:

Notes from a Bridal Show. Part 2

August 17, 2011 By 1 Comment

Anatomy of a BoothBridal show fail

Some people do the same booth every show.

Some people grab whatever is handy at the last minute.

Some people don’t even try.

 

…and then there are those that consistently grab the bat with both hands and KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK!

 

This is the story of one of those hits.

I have been watching the ladies from Enchanted Florists for several years. Their booths never cease to amaze me. This time I was in a position to watch their booth creation from empty floor to thing of beauty. From the time the floor show opened for set up until the show started, they were like a team of busy, industrious bees.

Take a look at the set up.

From a bare concrete floor, to a shaby chic, boho thing of beauty.

Here is my question to you: If you are going to participate in a bridal show, are you going to do everything it takes to make the most out of it? With bridal shows, it really is “Go big or Go home!”

Filed Under: Back to Basics, Blog, bridal shows, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,
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