50 Things a Booth Staffer May Do...

When I was in college, I worked summers at our city’s publishing house. I had the lofty title of “Office Staff.” I always hated that title because it conjured up images of a slothful slacker who was hard on the rolling chair they were plopped in all day. Anyway, another reason I felt disdain for the title was that I was so much MORE than “office staff.” I had so many jobs in that office – errand boy, social planner, events coordinator, warm body to guard the phones and the office, and more – that I sometimes wondered how on earth they operated when I was away at college! I figured I was the hardest working person in the building. I’m not sure what I wanted my title to be, but whatever it was, it needed to cover a LOT of areas!

The booth staff at your trade shows are a lot like I was in that job – they wear a lot of hats, they have a wide variety of skills, they are flexible and quick to adjust, they have a strong work ethic, and they keep a great attitude while doing it all. While it might look to the outsider like the booth staff is merely eye candy to attract visitors and garner business, that’s only the tip of the multi-tasking iceberg that a booth staffer is. And while they might not complain about their lowly title, they definitely want you to know how crucial they are to the operation.

Take a look at this (not-at-all-exclusive) list of things trade show booth staffers do before, during, and after the show!

BEFORE and DURING THE SHOW:

1. Track down competitive intelligence
2. Enter each prospect interaction into a lead machine or card
3. Roll out new products
4. Gather market research
5. Transform into a brand ambassador
6. Cull useful research, then sort
7. Connect with possible vendors
8. Forge new business alliances
9. Network among industry peers
10. Install your trade show exhibit… maybe
11. Get your exhibit space ready for the trade show
12. Capture leads
13. Move the buying cycle
14. Treat all attendees like a potential client
15. Engage attendees
16. Spark relationships with prospects
17. Qualify attendees
18. Present how the organization can meet specific needs
19. Overcome objections
20. Manage the paperwork on each potential lead
21. Present to one and all
22. Demonstrate products
23. Do interviews to industry press
24. Answer technical questions
25. Field all the questions you could dream up
26. Recruit potential team members
27. Listen in on keynote and seminar sessions
28. Entertain individual clients and prospects
29. Attend hospitality events
30. Work hospitality events
31. Be the de-clutter cops in the booth – get rid of accumulated cups, empty water bottles, and other trash
32. Spot-clean the booth surfaces and flooring
33. Enter leads into your CRM
34. Fix technical glitches with computers & internet connections or find someone who can
35. Rank leads by quality and pass along high quality leads right away
36. Restock promotional items, literature shelves, business cards and candy bowls
37. Unwrap giveaways (or wrap with company branded paper)
38. Serve food and drink to prospects
39. Meet with existing clients
40. Refill lead form print pads and staplers
41. Take minimal breaks
42. Walk the show floor to get a read on the industry
43. Teach rookie staffers
44. Learn from veteran staffers

AFTER THE SHOW:

45. Share with management their insights about the attendees’ needs
46. Share with management thoughts about what went well and what didn’t
47. Dismantle the displays and exhibit
48. Ensure the crates come back
49. Ensure the exhibit gets to its destination expediently
50. Stand at the ready to fill in any gaps!

Just reading this list is exhausting! Imagine how crucial it is for each item on the list to be done. What if no one qualified leads? What if everyone decided it was someone else’s job to pick up booth trash and wipe down sticky surfaces? What if no one had the initiative or prowess to notice the pulse of the industry at a particular trade show? Each one of these smaller jobs adds to the massive job of competent, valuable booth staffer.

Because the job is so entailed, it’s critical to choose booth staffers who know how to roll up their sleeves and work hard on the mundane tasks, and then roll them down again and put on a big smile to greet attendees. Honestly, your booth staff is the lifeblood of your trade show. They get it going, keep it going, and set the pace. For this reason, match staff with the appropriate jobs – you don’t want your top salesman refilling lead pads and you don’t want your latest rookie meeting with top business partners. Choose wisely; delegate wisely. Let your staff do what they each do best, and you will reap the benefit!

 This article is inspired by "44 Things A Booth Staffer Does" by Mike Thimmesch and first appeared at www.skyline.com