Trade Show Management – Concept to Completion

Trade Show Management is an art. To produce a successful show takes strong vision, calculated
planning, organized execution, and countless hours. A Show Manager requires an extremely diverse skill set or a competent and skilled team, as they are working with various stakeholders, components
and a myriad of details.

There are four stages to the process: Planning, Coordinating, Execution and Evaluation.

The Planning phase consists of reviewing the current operations, setting goals and objectives, identifying stakeholders, choosing your team and creating a budget. Understanding who the stakeholders are, how important each group is and how valuable good relationships with all of them are is the key to a smooth running show. Whether it be your exhibitors, attendees, sponsors, suppliers, venue contacts, media, staff and volunteers, each group brings a unique perspective with different needs; many with expertise in their area you can draw from. Utilize their knowledge.

Planning your team is equally important – given the variety of areas implicated in a trade show including administration and finance, sales, communications and marketing, registration and event management you will undoubtedly encounter a wide range of skills and personalities and it is important to utilize their strengths and involve them in all the planning in order for them to buy in to your ideas.

Other components of the planning stage consist of:

• Budget - including venue, all site expenses, speakers, marketing etc.
• Regulations – labour, safety, disability, fire code, licensing, insurance, green practices, etc.
• Logistics – this is one of the largest areas in the planning phase. It encompasses requests for proposals, site selections and floor plans, contracts, venue and service providers, scheduling, features and entertainment, AV, catering and more.

It is important to note that having a well designed, logical floor plan can make or break your show. If it is not well thought out, if exhibitors are not happy with their space/locations, if attendees can’t find features, if there are dead aisles, or if you haven’t followed safety, fire, or electrical regulations, you could be setting yourself up for disaster. I reiterate the value of all stakeholders – it’s important to keep them happy and coming back. A word of advice – keep the inspectors happy – it makes your life a lot easier.

Sales and marketing are another big part of the planning process. The first step should be to complete a Situation Analysis or a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and from those responses look at market segmentation, ways to prospect and lead generation. Your marketing plan needs to be integrated, utilizing advertising, public relations, website, social and digital media. A marketing timeline should be created a year in advance and the different medians used depending on what stage of the plan you are in.

Creating a complete exhibitor prospectus which has all the pertinent information regarding the details of your show and the value of exhibiting is a must. Ensure everything the exhibitor needs to know is included: attendee demographics, logistics, floor plans and costs, conditions of contract, accommodations and travel tips, sponsorship opportunities and tips for exhibiting. The exhibitor guide should be equally as detailed with relevant information on setup, tear down, contractors, shipping, electrical, AV, security, material handling, storage, etc. The easier you make things for the exhibitors, the happier they are and more likely to return the next year.

The world of sponsorship has changed immensely. It is growing hugely and allows for much creativity. It is no longer signage and exposure; sponsors desire to be interactive and engaging. Constantly look for new opportunities to enhance your revenue. Research other shows and borrow their ideas.

The Planning, Coordination and Execution stages go hand in hand. As you are planning some stages you are also coordinating and executing others. The coordination phase consists of assigning tasks, timelines and personnel. How are things going to come together? It requires arranging tasks with all stakeholders, and takes the plan and prepares it for execution.

Executing is the coordination and managing of all logistics and the show as a whole. It is monitoring and controlling the sales process, ongoing tasks and the team while also identifying constraints and issues. The use of a project management plan and timelines is imperative to keep tasks on track and ensure completion of them.

The final stage which takes the least amount of time but is one of the most important is the
Evaluation.

Once you have completed the tasks, settled all contracts, completed all reports, collected exhibitor and attendee surveys, it is necessary to evaluate with all stakeholders, to get their feedback and recommendations and analyze all the information. This will assist you in making improvements for future success. It is important to note, one successful event does not make you an expert. Many different situations and new challenges can impact your event, often unpredicted, so being prepared and proactive, as well as understanding your market and its conditions, is extremely important.

The trade show business is a lot of hard work, but exciting and rewarding and most importantly unique - as nothing is as powerful as face-to-face marketing!

Nancy Milani, CEM, CMP, has produced and coordinated over 200 events in the past 20 years from a variety of charity fundraisers, to professional sporting events, corporate events, conferences, trade and consumer shows. Nancy facilitates Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) courses throughout Canada, US and Asia for the Canadian Association of Exhibition Management (CAEM) and International Association Events & Exhibitions (IAEE) and presents workshops and sessions in event management, sales and marketing for corporations and at conferences. 

Image courtesy of emptyglass at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Want to Create a Better #Association Conference? Some helpful tips...

1. What are your goals?  What are THEIRS?  Do you know why someone is attending your conference?  Is it the program, the networking, both?  It is it earn PD credits?  Do you really know?  The first thing you should consider when creating your next conference is to determine the "why" - why your stakeholders sponsor and exhibit, why your attendees show up, etc.  This could be done during post-event evaluations, both to determine if the most recent event met their expectations, and what would meet their expectations.
2. DON'T Pack the Program.  Yes, they are there to learn.  But are they really taking away all they can with a packed program?  Down-time for the attendee to absorb the information they learned, or perhaps chat with another participant to discuss what was covered will increase event ROI.
3. Does every session look the same on paper?  If it does, change it.  Surprise attendees with some longer, some shorter sessions.  Sessions that get them involved, sessions that increase participation.  The element of surprise will keep their attention throughout the day.
4. Don't make it boring - have fun!  Yes, they are there to learn, and conduct business.  But, at the same time, it is a moment for them where they are not in their offices/workspaces, so don't forget to implement some downtime for family programs, or perhaps use gamification to create fun and unique ways for attendee/sponsor/exhibitor interaction.  Keep them smiling, not exhausted!

What else have you done to create a better conference?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Few Thoughts on Maximizing ROI For Your Sponsors...

If you have an event coming up and are looking for some ways to help maximize the investment your sponsors have made with you, here are a few tips that you may be interested in:

1. Give your delegates something to talk about.  Sponsors have selected your conference/event to sponsor, because your members and other meeting participants are targets that they believe will help drive sales.  Help your sponsors out – give your delegates some information in forms of social media, blogs and other content that will keep your sponsors top of mind.  Remember to include the fact that they are sponsoring your event, and will be there if they have questions, etc.
2. When onsite, make sure you are introducing your sponsors to as many people as you can.  When chatting with your delegates, many times you will come across problems, challenges, and areas that your sponsors can help solve.  Instead of just suggesting that they find the sponsor and have the conversation on their own – facilitate the introduction.  It will not only lessen the time it takes for a delegate to actively seek  out the contact, but will give your sponsor additional ROI.  
3. If part of your sponsorship includes a booth or table top, encourage sponsors to avoid being “just another exhibitor” that delegates will want to avoid.  Time is money, and you want to ensure that you have done everything you can to maximize their investment with you.  Perhaps come up with tips and best practices for your own event, focusing in what your unique delegates want to see/hear and how they want to be approached. 
4. If you can, have a meeting with your sponsors and exhibitors either the night before or first thing in the morning before your event.  Give them an opportunity to see that you appreciate them, and that their involvement is recognized.  Giving them time to ask questions, or perhaps learn about how and when they can do more to maximize their investment will show your sponsors that you have thought it through, and just haven’t taken their money without providing them with some sort of return. 

What things have you incorporated lately that has raised the ROI for your sponsors?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ron Tite (@rontite) to Keynote #CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau #TeteaTete

If over 160 exhibitors, free registration, and David Usher isn't enough for you - we bring you Ron Tite.

The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter is thrilled to announce, in conjunction with Speakers Spotlight, that Ron Tite will be the Lunch Keynote Speaker for the upcoming tradeshow - in the tradition of providing quality presentations at the show, and in celebration of Tête-à-Tête's 25th anniversary.  The addition of a second keynote speaker is a special addition to the show this year.

Relevant, engaging, and interactive, Ron Tite exceeds expectations each and every time he takes the stage. Named one of the "Top 10 Creative Canadians" by Marketing magazine, the award-winning advertising writer and executive creative director addresses a variety of topics surrounding branding, corporate strategy, creativity and social media. Boasting training from Second City, Tite's presentations are not only information-packed, they're also infused with his unique humor--guaranteed to have you laughing while you learn.

Tite has created advertising campaigns for clients including Air France, Evian, Kraft, Intel, Microsoft, Volvo, and many others. His work has been recognized by The London International Advertising Awards, The New York Festivals of Advertising, The Crystals, The Extras, The Canadian Marketing Association, The Marketing Awards and others.

Currently, he is CEO of The Tite Group, a content marketing agency based in Toronto. He has also written for a number of television series, penned a children's book, and wrote, performed, and produced the play, The Canadian Baby Bonus. His first book, Everyone's An Artist (Or At Least They Should Be), will be published by HarperCollins in spring, 2015.

Visit http://www.speakers.ca/speakers/ron-tite/ to learn more.

Join us on January 29th - Tête-à-Tête is open to all Association and Not-For-Profit Executive Directors and Employees, Professional Meeting Planners and Government Procurers. Closed to Non-Exhibiting Suppliers.  AND, it's FREE.  Click here to register.

David Usher (@davidusher) to Keynote at #CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau #TeteaTete

If you have not decided to register for Tête-à-Tête on January 29th, this may help make your decision for you.

The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter is thrilled to announce, in conjunction with our Professional Development Partners Ottawa Tourism and the Shaw Centre, that David Usher will be the Breakfast Keynote Speaker for the upcoming tradeshow - in the tradition of providing quality presentations at the show, and in celebration of Tête-à-Tête's 25th anniversary.

David Usher is a creative tour de force. As the front man of the internationally acclaimed rock band Moist, and as a solo artist, David has sold more than 1.4 million albums, won countless awards--including five Junos--and performed at sold-out venues around the world. Believing that creativity and creative success is a learnable skill that anyone can master, his unique and dynamic presentations employ music and video to show audiences the steps they can take to stimulate the creative process at home and at work.

When David is not making music, he is equally passionate about using technology to build new and interesting businesses. His company, Cloudid Creativity Labs,works on a vast range of innovative projects, from building web platforms to creative consulting for clients like Cirque du Soleil, Deloitte, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

David sits on the advisory board of McGill University's Institute for the Public Life of Art and Ideas and is is the founding director of Amnesty International's Artists for Amnesty.

David has a degree in political science from Simon Fraser University and has lived and traveled all over the world. When he's not on the road, he can be found in front of a computer dreaming up something new to create. His new book on creativity and the creative process is due in spring 2015, while his upcoming album will be released in September 2015. Visit http://www.speakers.ca/speakers/david-usher/ for more information.

Join us on January 29th - Tête-à-Tête is open to all Association and Not-For-Profit Executive Directors and Employees, Professional Meeting Planners and Government Procurers. Closed to Non-Exhibiting Suppliers.  AND, it's FREE.  Click here to register.

Join us this year for #CSAE #TeteaTete January 29, 2015!

Will YOU be joining us for the 25th Anniversary of Tête-à-Tête (January 29th, 2015)?

This day-long event is open to all Association and Not-For-Profit Executive Directors and Employees, Professional Meeting Planners and Government Procurers. Closed to Non-Exhibiting Suppliers.

2015 marks the 25th anniversary of Tête-à-Tête, and we have lots to celebrate!  We recently wrote an article on our humble beginnings (click here to learn more).

This year, we will have a 25th Anniversary Reception, Great Prizes and over 160 Exhibitors and Sponsors.

Join us for a complimentary breakfast keynote presentation with David Usher, Juno Award-Winning Musician. David Usher is a creative tour de force. As the front man of the internationally acclaimed rock band Moist, and as a solo artist, David has sold more than 1.4 million albums, won countless awards--including five Junos--and performed at sold-out venues around the world. Believing that creativity and creative success is a learnable skill that anyone can master, his unique and dynamic presentations employ music and video to show audiences the steps they can take to stimulate the creative process at home and at work.

NEW for 2015, complimentary keynote lunch presentation. Branding and creativity expert Ron Tite exceeds expectations each and every time he takes the stage. Named one of the "Top 10 Creative Canadians" by Marketing magazine, the award-winning advertising writer and executive creative director addresses a variety of topics surrounding branding, corporate strategy, creativity and social media. Boasting training from Second City, Tite's presentations are not only information-packed, they're also infused with his unique humor--guaranteed to have you laughing while you learn.

The Tête-à-Tête Tradeshow with over 160 exhibitors and sponsors is your opportunity to get all the latest news from the premier suppliers to the association and meetings industry.

AND, did we tell you that registration is FREE?  Will you be joining us?

Tête-à-Tête: The Beginning

In 1989, the CSAE Ottawa Chapter held a small trade show at the Ottawa Congress Centre.  During this trade show, Herb Brennen, CAE, who was president elect of the CSAE Ottawa Chapter, issued a challenge to Jacques Drury, who was exhibiting the new "Canadian Airlines: and its network products to the association market.  That challenge included striking a committee to create a lucrative trade show that would benefit the chapter financially.  Needless to say, Jacques accepted the challenge.

Step One:

A committee was struck that included the following talent:  Jennifer Barnaby; Richard Castonguay, Ginette Blanchette, Richard Righi, Janet Middleton, Fabienne Nadeau, Margaret McLaren, and Jacques Drury (Chair of the Committee).

Step Two:

The new and improved CSAE Ottawa Chapter Annual Trade Show was held at the Château Laurier in February 1990 and included serious restrictions for exhibiting:

The set-up consisted of mostly tabletops with pop-up units not to exceed three (3) feet when sitting on the top of the eight (8) foot table.

The maximum number of exhibitors was restricted to 40 and was on a first come, first served basis.

When the registration faxes (yes... we connected with this new fancy communication took call "the fax") were sent to a list of potential exhibitors, the responses cam in on a regular basis, with the show selling out within a week.

The expectation was that the show would generate a modest profit to contribute to the educational opporutnities for the membership.

The post-mortem of the new trade show turned into a brainstorming session.  The committee came up with the idea of branding the trade show.  Jennifer Barnaby has previously mentioned that her background was in advertising and graphic display.  Therefore, Jennifer was asked to come up with a name for the trade show.  She proposed "Tête-à-Tête", and fashioned a logo, both of which were unanimously accepted by the committee.

The Chair then had to present the name and logo to the chapter board for approval.  It was also recommended to the board to register the name and logo; the board approved the branding concept and agreed that registration of the brand was a good course of action.  Jacques engaged a patent lawyer to do the research.  The results were free and clear so, upon board approval again, the committee moved forward with the registration of both the name and the logo.

In November 1990, the registration form for the new Tête-à-Tête, which included the intuitive new logo, was distributed by fax.  The show sold out in a few days and the very first wait-list was created.
Since that time, Tête-à-Tête has been a highly successful annual event for CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau and continues to draw record numbers of registrations.

Will you be joining us to celebrate the 25th Anniversary?  Click here for more details, and to register!

Looking forward to #CSAE next week!

The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter is really looking forward to our National Conference next week.  For those of who who are looking at the program, and wondering what to attend, here are some of the highlights you should be aware of:

• Tuesday, October 28th:  The pre-conference workshop is ready to roll, with the facilitator Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC.  Learn how to Build Your Association to Thrive in an Age of Transformation.
• Wednesday, October 29th:  After a morning full of learning, attend the Kick-Off Lunch & AGM, taking place at the Scotiabank Convention Centre.
• Also on October 29th, we will have Dave Carroll as the Keynote on "The Customer Experience in the Age of Social Media".
• Thursday, October 30th:  At the always popular Showcase Breakfast, we will hear from Linda Edgecombe, with her presentation "Holy Crap, Am I Busy!  Changing Our Culture from Chaos to Calm".
• From 10:00-2:00 on October 30th, join us for the Showcase; where there will be several new activities, and many of our valued partners to visit!
• After a full day, Friday will be another set of great sessions, wrapped up nicely by Seamus O'Regan who will emcee the event.

There really is too many items to list that we are looking forward to.  Be sure to check out the sessions and schedule, and pick your topics wisely!  

For all those attending, safe travels next week!  If you cannot attend, but want to be part of the action, there are some sessions being offered virtually.  Check them out here.

Your Association's Tradeshow: An Important Source of Non-Dues Revenue

The Chapter was fortunate to bring together a panel of experts to discuss some of the latest trends and challenges of managing successful tradeshows. What made this workshop interesting was the varied background of our panel, which had representation from consumer and industry trade shows to innovative meeting and events expos.

Our panelists were:
Martine Proulx, Director of Events, Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries
Debbie van der Beek, Publisher, Ignite Magazine & Ignite Business Event Expo
Ian Forsyth, Show Director /Managing Partner, Caneast Shows Inc.

Our moderator for the morning workshop was Nancy Barrett, CAE, Partner, AMCES.

Panelists were asked to share their background and experience. Martine manages the CANSEC show, one of the largest military tradeshows in Canada with over 10,000 attendees and 400 exhibitors. Martine recognizes that your team of contractors are an integral part of a show’s success. Debbie who publishes Ignite magazine saw a gap in the market for a tradeshow with a difference, similar to Ignite’s innovative publication, and introduced the Iginite Business Event Expo three years ago with a fresh and new approach to tradeshows. Ian has been a passionate consumer show producer for over 26 years starting with the Cottage Life show in Toronto and now has five successful shows here in Ottawa - The Home and Design Show, Ottawa Pet Expo, The Home Renovation Show, Outdoor Adventure Travel Show and the Cottage & Backyard Show - with plans to add two more shows next year.

Debbie shared her vision of moving away from the traditional bowling alley tradeshow booth format to more of a golf course approach which includes lounges for delegates to rest, background music, wider aisles and angles. The idea is that if attendees enjoy their experience, exhibitors will join and participate.

Ian introduced the Pet Expo with a strategic policy - what better way to bring in people to the show then to have a ‘pets welcome policy’! Another strategy is to focus on high-end quality exhibitors while limiting the number of exhibitors within the same category. Ian is always looking to bring great value to both exhibitors and show attendees.  This approach has made the Ottawa Pet Expo one of the largest and most respected shows of its kind in Canada.

Working within the more traditional military industry tradeshow environment, Martine expanded  the CANSEC show with the introduction of a Business-to-Business (B2B) application which allows delegates to pre-book meetings with specific exhibitors. Martine ensures private offices/space is available for such meetings and networking. With multi-million dollar deals actually taking place at the event and increased visibility, the show now attracts international attention, and this year 50 foreign delegations attended CANSEC.

Martine expressed the challenges hosting the event which extended from Ottawa’s downtown core to the new Ernst and Young Centre. These were addressed with increased shuttle service and by allowing pre-registration at strategic downtown workplace locations. On the show floor, Martine always takes traffic flow into consideration and will ensure to anchor major exhibitors in strategic locations throughout the hall to create optimum traffic flow benefiting smaller exhibitors.

Debbie uses a similar approach with the Ignite Business Event Expo. The floor design includes various zones strategically located to promote delegate traffic throughout. She urges show producers to take risks, to see what works, evaluate afterwards, and adjust accordingly.

An important point of discussion was sponsorship and how to ensure sponsors get their return on investment (ROI). Ian emphasized open communication and the need to be transparent with your sponsors. You need to always look at ways to be creative and to over deliver on what is promised. Debbie is not big on the cookie-cutter style sponsorship prospectus and prefers to engage/dialogue with sponsors to find out what message they would like to integrate within the event, to look at ways to draw delegates and accomplish their goals for the event. Keys to retaining a sponsor for subsequent events are to look at ways to meet their needs, to be fair and flexible, to not be greedy, and to deliver what you promise.

The next discussion was on the importance of engaging delegates. Ian sees the consumer show industry as similar to the entertainment business. You want to create a positive experience so that when the attendee leaves the show they feel they received value. Debbie continually walks the show floor to keep an eye on delegates, making sure the atmosphere within the show is something the delegate wants to part of. Martine looks for ways to bring added value in the CANSEC show such as the B2B program mentioned earlier and introducing innovative networking activities such as BBQs .

The workshop finished with a discussion on industry trends. Ian has seen a marked change, due in part to the Internet, where people often arrive at a show with their purchase decision already made. They are looking to personalize the transaction at the show which can extend the selling cycle. Martine mentioned that even in the virtualization age, the need for face-to-face meetings is essential. An important role CANSEC plays is to connect people--the customer and the buyer.

Debbie sees a growing use of social media to engage delegates. The hosted planner program and appointment base system is very popular with exhibitors and delegates alike. She sees a younger generation coming to market and it is important to provide value and an environment that meets the needs of cross-generational attendees. The virtual/hybrid meeting is becoming mainstream; however, Debbie sees it as a way to eventually grow your attendee base, where the virtual experience augments a face-to-face meeting.

Martine concluded exhibitors must take some responsibility for the level of booth traffic they experience. Booth etiquette is an important issue - during tradeshows you often see exhibitors on the phone or distracted with food and drinks at their booth when they should be present and interacting with delegates.

Thank you to the many contributors who brought tremendous practical experience and insight about tradeshows as a non-dues revenue source to our workshop participants.

Latest #CSAE Ottawa Gatineau Executive now available!

In this issue....

• Ottawa Rocks!  See who has won some of the awards at the September 2013 CSAE National Conference & Showcase from the chapter.  Congrats everyone!
• Our Chapter President, Susie Grynol, writes about the "New Now" in her Presidents Column
• Check out our re-caps on the September Kick-Off at the Brookstreet Hotel.
• Engaging Younger Generations is as hot a topic as ever - and the chapter had a panel discussion about this in September.  Check out the re-cap available if you were not able to attend.
• Are you thriving or surviving in your current work situation?  Alan Kearns of CareerJoy discusses Generational Leadership.
• View our most recent grads of the CAE Program - congrats to everyone!
• Carleton University Launches its First Master's Program in Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership - get more info here.
• Daniel Brunette spoke with us in October at our lunch on Successful Fundraising Strategies - read the re-cap if you missed the lunch
• Meagan Rockett talks about member segmentation and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation in the "Invest In Your Future" Article
• Do you work in (or, are interested in) Marketing & Communications, in the association space?  Our MarCom group may be just the thing for you!  Check out the line-up for discussions this year.
• In October, we also had a 1/2 day session on association tradeshows and non-dues revenue.  A great set of roundtable discussions, with a panel of experts too!  If you missed it, read the re-cap here

Social Media & Your Association Event

The importance of social media and promoting your event is obvious, and there are several examples of organizations using it very well to ensure that the right conversations are taking place.  However, there are still many trying to figure out how to keep the conversation going (if it even gets started in the first place).

Be Prepared:  Create a calendar of posts to generate interest and excitement. This can include ensure that your exhibitors and sponsors are recognized, putting out a call for volunteers, looking for (and announcing) speakers, determining what content to have in the sessions, etc.

No matter how many networks you use (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) you need to create and maintain your unique following, which includes your members, exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers/presenters participating as well.  Explain the unique benefits of including themselves on the conversation.

Other tools:  Prepare to be low-tech as well as high-tech.  Technology has its challenges, so ensure that you have a backup plan for power shortages, the password for the WI-FI, etc.  To do this, ensure that you have a hard copy of the program printed ahead of time.  Ensure you know the twitter handles of the people you will need to mention, and note them down (which will avoid accidental mistakes).

Whether you use your smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc. make sure that you bring your chargers for everything.  Some conferences have charging stations, but you cannot count on it – so prepare for the inevitable – when your battery is low, and you have only gone through half the day!

Keep it going:  Measure people’s opinion on the content after the fact.  How did they find the session?  Was it of value?  How did they like the speaker?  Were they knowledgeable?

The adage of quality over quantity could not be truer for social media. It’s not about an “info dump”, but having a conversation. It’s not only about making information accessible on the day of, but engaging with people who want to participate long after the booths are down.

The Events Corner: October 2013

Is your role in Marketing and/or Communications within the association sector?  Did you know that there is a MarComm subgroup within the chapter?

Our champions Jennifer Hagen and Angie D’Aoust are looking forward to meeting with you to discuss key topics within this specific realm and learning from each other.

On Tuesday, October 8th, the first session of the year is taking place at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce offices to finalize their topics for discussion this year.

These events are complimentary to attend, and are a great way to meet people in other associations, who are in a position to help, or share ideas with.  If you would like to provide your input in advance of the meeting, please take the online survey. Or, to register for the event, please click here.

In October the Ottawa-Gatineau CSAE Chapter will be focusing on Tradeshows and Fundraising.  Here is what is coming up to stay tuned for/attend:

The chapter will be offering a ½ day workshop on October 16th on Tradeshows and Non-Dues Revenue.

Attending this workshop will provide delegates with the opportunity to hear industry experts participate in a panel discussion addressing the following:

• The challenges in selling exhibit space
• Providing value for dollars spent to exhibitors
• Technology and tools used to attract the right attendees
• Providing value to attendees
• Booth etiquette for exhibitors

Moderated by the chapters Executive Director, Nancy Barrett, we welcome Martine Proulx (CADSI), Debbie van der Beek (Ignite Magazine) and Ian Forsyth (Caneast Shows Inc) and look forward to their wealth of knowledge in this area.

And we didn’t stop there!  There will be round table discussions following the panel addressing sponsorship, tradeshows and social media, venue selection and selling to associations.

Right after the workshop, we will also be having a lunch & learn session, welcoming Daniel Brunette (AFP), who will discuss fundraising, the challenges, the pitfalls, and different ways to ensure a successful campaign.

Daniel will be giving attendees some strategy, processes and other tips and best practices, and address what we should do to ensure a broader, successful fundraising strategy.

You can register several ways: Attend the workshop only, the lunch only, or join us for both.  Click here to register.

The chapter looks forward to this great professional development day at the Ottawa Conference & Event Centre.  We hope to see you all there!

Are you looking to share your expertise in a certain area of association management?  If so, we are looking for you!  There is a call for moderators for the November 21st lunch.  For more details, click here.

Interested in submitting an article for the blog?  Please review our Blog Submission Guidelines, and reach out.  We would be happy to further discuss and ge

t your opinions out there!