Toby Taylor’s Post

If you are attending Expo West and interested in learning more about Sprouter and how to utilize it to maximize your digital footprint let me know!

That's a wrap for this year's Expo West! Some may question the value of traveling over 4000 miles from Iceland to Anaheim, California, to attend a trade show among roughly 3000 other exhibitors. However, the answer is clear and based on iterations of almost 20 participations in tradeshows with Saltverk: Yes, it's worth it and here's why:   Despite the immense growth facilitated by the internet for Saltverk, there's nothing quite like face-to-face interactions. In my experience, business-to-business is truly human-to-human. Trust isn't built in business; it's built in the people within the business.   In the US, we collaborate with strong brokers like Yin Yang Naturals, who also attend the show in person and connect us with potential retailers. This allows us the opportunity to make personal connections and, hopefully, leave a lasting impression with our handcrafted sea salt.   Having attended these trade shows for almost a decade now, we've found that, more often than not, retailers need multiple interactions at expos like Expo West before they're ready to engage in a dialogue about our products.   So, for any aspiring producer of consumer goods, my advice is this: while the internet serves its purpose, there's still nothing as impactful as shaking hands and saying hello.  

Do your exhibitors have the necessary tools to justify their trade show investments? Ensuring they can clearly demonstrate value to stakeholders is crucial for repeat participation and long-term success. Check out key insights from Matthew B. and Thomas Mauch that will help you boost exhibitor ROI and ensure exhibitors keep coming back to your event: https://hubs.ly/Q02tMBZ30 #eventtech #tradeshows #eventmanagement 

In January, several of the US major trade shows experienced significant growth in exhibitors, attendees, or floor size, signaling a robust start to the New Year. This expansion highlights the enduring value of face-to-face #tradeshows, especially after a period of subdued or canceled events due to the pandemic. According to an exhibitor, nothing replaces the #value of in-person interactions with colleagues and customers. Good news for the industry! Read the full article at the link below! #eventindustry #inperson #USevents

Being a newcomer at a significant exhibition event like Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City can be challenging, and building traction and interest is vital. This is how we did it… Our booth was constantly busy, and we reached numerous contacts and potential future partnerships, significantly boosting our brand awareness and receiving sales orders. Winning the Innovation Award from the show was indeed a bonus. Our secret to success? Engagement and fun activities! We organized a unique raffle where attendees could taste river water filtered by our Vitaloop bottle. Yes, you read that right—river water! Those brave enough to try were entered to win their very own VITALOOP. This creative and interactive approach drew a constant crowd and gave us valuable contacts for future partnerships. → Our tip for fellow exhibitors: Keep your booth interactive and fun! It's the best way to attract attention, make lasting connections, and stay memorable. * Focus on the product that resonates the most with the target audience at the show.  * Work with the organizers to ensure you get a good location that reflects your product category. A good location makes a difference. * Attending an exhibition is the best practice ground as you will meet many different customers and companies with customers who see things differently. Be open-minded, listen to what they say, and do not focus only on selling your story. Learn, adapt, and tune your story so it resonates even more. Outdoor Retailer Summer 2024 was a blast. Thanks to everyone who visited us, and I look forward to meeting again. kris robinson Michael Wadsworth Maria Almquist Rob Noe Jenny Kordick Gavin Jensen Ponch Membreño Alisha McDarris Clement Vasseur Bill Matthews #OutdoorRetailer #Vitaloop #Networking #Innovation #WaterFiltration #ExpoTips

This week, I attended the Inspired Home Show in Chicago. There I saw hundreds of manufacturers exhibiting their products to the attendees. While many I thought did a good job of presenting their products, there were some that could need some advice on how to improve their experience at next year's IHS event. Check out our latest blog post on our top tips for manufacturers who are planning on exhibiting at a trade show this year. https://lnkd.in/gGtb9JUR #tradeshowtips #tradeshowexhibit #tradeshowsuccess

This post is for all of you out there who AREN’T going to Expo West this week but are feeling the FOMO creep in as your peers start to share their big plans for their time in Anaheim. ⬇️ I've got two big tips for you to take advantage of the upcoming trade show energy EVEN IF you aren't attending: 👩🏻💼 Create community around NOT going. Before you let yourself have a pity party, recognize that MOST people aren’t going to Expo West, even if it feels otherwise. Heck, I’m not going this year either! What do people love rallying behind? A collective experience, even if that shared experience is NOT going to something. 😉 💅Fake it ‘til you make it. Or, should I say… “who cares if you went? You can still create a time-sensitive intro offer.” Now, I’m not saying that you should pretend that you went, but instead - why can’t you create a time-bound offer for those accounts that you’re wooing, regardless of not attending? Practical ways to use these tips: 💡 Send an email to your Buyer list, or that potential new wholesale account on your radar. Acknowledge that while you DIDN’T go to Expo West, you’d still love to move the relationship forward, asking for what you want to happen next 💡 Did you get a new buyer on the phone? Ask them if they went to Expo and if they didn’t - share in that experience. Maybe you laugh over how you didn’t miss the sore feet after a day of walking, or how crowded the halls were, or how Lyft take foreverrrrrr to show up. Create a personal connection around NOT going. 💡 Include that time-sensitive offer in those emails that you’ve sent above! Maybe you decide to run a new placement deal for anyone who orders before March 29th. Fabulous! You didn’t need to spend a dime on Expo in order to execute that, and now you have a brand new reason to reach out or follow up with potential new accounts. Alright - will you be using any of these? Let me know which one in the comments below! And don't forget to save this post for future reference. 🥳

Our exhibition team didn’t initially agree with my decision (just a regular Wednesday in the office) I asked them to focus primarily on trade shows where our competitors are also present, as it went against their business instincts. Let me explain. Post-event engagement solutions are still not a 'thing', yet. Surprisingly, even though corporate planners overlook $10 billion in post-event business opportunities (check one of Julius Solaris’s recent posts and the Forrester 2023 report), they still allocate more than 95% of their budget to pre-event marketing endeavors. For planners to realize there are so many opportunities they can seize for just a fraction of their budget, these solutions need to be visible and enter their comprehension zone. It’s like how a row of shoe stores sits next to each other on Main Street... What would you do for your exhibiting strategy? There are some great solutions out there, and I’m pleased they’re starting to gain recognition in the industry. The more solutions like Kampfire attend conventions for event planners and marketers, the better visibility and validation for post-event marketing solutions. Good luck to Premagic for exhibiting at IMEX and Event Tech Live for the first time, to Photier for partnering with Expand North Star, and to FotoGoto for exhibiting at ETL. We’ll see you all there. #PostEventMarketing #EventSolutions #EventROI #EventPlanners #B2BMarketing #EventEngagement #EventTech

📆 Does your calendar feel a bit overwhelming during expo season? Trying to balance 'day to day' responsibilities with full expo days can seem like a daunting task. 💡 We felt the same way - so our JPG Talent team put their heads together and compiled their most effective tips to help before, during and after trade shows. Learn how to effectively prioritize your schedule, strategically staff your booth, successfully stand out on the floor, and purposefully manage your leads after the event. 👀 Take a peek through our latest blog article, and make the most of your expos without overextending your team or yourself. 👉https://hubs.li/Q02nb4Ys0 #JPGTalent #FoodandBeverage #ExpoWest

It's that time of the year again! 📅 The expo season of survival. Our colleagues at JPG Resources - Food & Beverage Innovation put together a smart and resourceful survival guide... to make the most of your time without overextending yourself or your team. Read on for seven key tips. 🎯 https://lnkd.in/gWxwNxsH #foodandbeverage #foodinnovation #productinnovation