CEIR Releases New Guru Report: A Primer for Exhibit Managers on Exhibit Staff Orientation

DALLAS, 9 July 2013 – Today the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) announces a new Guru Report, An Exhibit Manager’s Guide to Exhibit Staff Orientation, written by Candy Adams, CTSM, CME, CEM, CMP, CMM, a well-known exhibition industry veteran and owner of ‘The Booth Mom®’ Trade Show Consulting.

The report analyzes why exhibit training is essential, what general topic areas can be covered in a program, the best timing for sessions as well as an exhaustive checklist of content ideas.

In this article, Ms. Adams notes: “I like analogies, especially the ones that help me to focus on better exhibiting. My favorite analogy is that as exhibitors, we are all in ‘show biz.’

She further states:
“As exhibit managers who need to prove the ROI (return on investment) for an exhibit marketing program, they cannot afford to forget that exhibit staff needs at least a “refresher course” before every exhibition because:

  1. Staff members may not perform this “acting” function often enough to be comfortable or as “in practice” as they are in the booth environment, and this affects the entire exhibit’s efficiency; and
  2. Even though they are well-versed on the products they represent, they do not know everything about the exhibition, the attendees, the exhibit hall, the target market, and the finer points of the exhibit layout and promotional props available for their use (depending on their involvement with planning and the amount of information that’s been shared with them).”

CEIR Research Director Nancy Drapeau, PRC, said, “CEIR research consistently indicates attendees are looking to have meaningful face-to-face interactions with exhibit staff, the people behind the products showcased at an exhibition. To enable exhibit staff to do their jobs well and attain an organization’s goals for exhibiting, staff training is key. Candy Adams has written a practical, hands-on report that frames the issues to consider when building a training program and specifics on what to include. This is a ‘must read’ for staff who have this responsibility.”

The CEIR Guru Reports are a series of reports focused on helping exhibition organizers and exhibiting companies achieve better results and gain value from exhibitions. The complete series is available here and is made possible by a grant from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation.

IAEE members can access the CEIR library and reports at no cost – a benefit of IAEE membership.

About CEIR
CEIR serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering knowledge-based research tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position. For additional information, visit www.ceir.org.

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Media Contact:
Susan Brower, CMM, CCP                   
sbrower@ceir.org
+1 (972) 687-9207