Exhibitor Attendee Info Exhibitor Booth Camps |
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NEW MEXICO SHOW PRODUCER BRINGS HIGH TECH SALES CONCEPTS TO THE HOME BUILDERS, REMODELERS AND INTERNATIONAL GREEN IDEAS SHOWCASE APRIL 9-11, 2010 New Mexico event producer Rick Shoudt is out to “reinvent the trade show experience” for both attendees and exhibitors. For the past two decades, the only thing innovative about a Home & Garden Show was the cool new technology available from the various merchants inside the doors. Now, Albuquerque-based show producer Rick Shoudt has completely turned the industry upside down, creating a new experience for both the guests who attend, and more notably for the small businesses which depend on shows like the Home Builders, Remodelers and International Green Ideas Showcase to provide a meaningful percentage of their business for the year. Shoudt premieres the Home Builders, Remodelers and International Green Ideas Showcase April 9-11, 2010 in the East Hall of the Albuquerque Convention Center, where he has reserved 110,000 square feet of space. However, for his exhibitors, the marketing advantages begin much earlier. The 2010 Home Builders, Remodelers and International Green Ideas Showcase is the first show in the country to create a Virtual Trade Show using the new MyBoothSpace.com technology. Pioneered by Texas software developer James Galindo, the technology allows attendees the ease of selecting a booth space using an on-line virtual map. Plus, once a booth location is selected, it allows the exhibitor to load a business description, coupon or even a marketing video onto their spot in the map, so that guests planning to visit the show can pre-shop virtually, by previewing show exhibitors on line. Show producers will even help companies shoot video for the site. The new on-line technology has benefits which extend long beyond the time leading up to and during the show. Studies show that consumers making home construction or large-ticket home improvement purchases -- such as new home remodeling, fence and deck, major landscaping – go to home and garden shows to shop. But homeowners don’t make their decision until weeks after a show. The new software allows show guests to revisit the floorplan AFTER the show, and confirm the name of the company they talked to, view the video or product portfolio and then make a contact, thus extending the selling cycle for show participants. Plus, MyBoothSpace.com provides those companies who participate with web analytic data captured from those who view their area. In addition to adding “virtual pre-shopping,” Shoudt has created additional tools to help make the show a success for every company choosing to exhibit in the Home Builders, Remodelers and Green Ideas Expo. First, exhibitors will also receive pre-show training called “Exhibitor Booth Camps: How to get the most out of your trade show experience” presented by show sponsor Exhib-it!, trade show marketing experts. This helps small companies adapt their marketing strategy for maximum success during a busy public show. Then, on Friday, April 9, during the show’s set up, Shoudt is organizing a business marketing conference titled “Cost-Effective Marketing in a Tough Economy.” The Home Builders of Central New Mexico selected Rick Shoudt and his team at Special Events Marketing to breathe new energy into the 20-year old concept because of his strong successes and his vision for the future of the industry. “We’re extraordinarily excited with our agreement with SEM because they have produced and/or marketed successful consumer trade shows in New Mexico for over thirty-five years. Rick Shoudt, Managing Member of SEM, has been an ardent student of trade shows for years and clearly knows what works and what doesn’t. Besides, he’s open to using new technologies and methods to bring consumer shows into the 21st century. More importantly, there is no question he knows how to draw a crowd to shows downtown,” explained Jim Folkman, Executive Director of the Home Builders. Shoudt is excited about the unique synergies created by combining these two shows into one consumer experience. “We’re combining the home show with the International Green Ideas Show and it’s so big we decided to move it to the Convention Center, the premier show facility in New Mexico,” stated Shoudt. “The East Hall at the center has 110,000 square feet of clear space with no pillars between attendees and exhibitor booths. Plus, with all of the exhibitors in one large room, guests are more likely to see everything.” .Over 250 exhibitors in up to 400 booths are expected in addition to dozens of seminar speakers covering all aspects of new home construction, home improvement and eco-friendly lifestyles. National celebrity speakers will join local and regional experts. Past exhibitors see the value to the innovation Shoudt brings to his shows. “We more than paid for the show with the connections we made here! I’ll be back next year and I’ll be looking for triple the booth space we had this time,” notes Scott Simmons of Zap Electric Cars, an exhibitor in last year’s Green Ideas Show. “People are open and receptive to saving on energy costs and being green.” “It is important for shows to adapt to the technology and information needs of their customers,” notes Shoudt. “However, trade show marketing is the most cost-effective marketing available for businesses and for attendees. Where else can you shop 250 businesses in one location in two days? The cost of parking and admission is about ¼ of what would be spent on gas running around town to shop these businesses.” |
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