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Design is in the details. At least that’s the maxim Skyline Exhibits wanted to convey to its dealers and distributors during its Expo 2007: Discovery Road event. Acknowledging the increasing influence design has on the exhibiting industry, Skyline, an exhibit design and marketing communications firm based in St. Paul, MN, sought to create an activity that got its dealers thinking about design as well. So in the weeks leading up to Expo 2007, Skyline announced a pinewood derby á la the Cub Scouts, dubbed the “Skyline S1 Grand Prix.” The derby-car design competition, which was created by Skyline’s marketing and design team, began when a 7-inch-long block of wood was mailed to each of the dealers’ offices, accompanied by a series of instructional e-mails containing modeling and design tips for creating their own derby cars. Dealers brought their finished derby cars to the opening day of Expo 2007, where a panel comprising Skyline’s marketing and design staff judged the nearly 50 entries, and awarded four prizes to the dealers with the best car designs. Then, each of the dealer teams entered their derby cars in the Skyline S1 Grand Prix, held in the exhibit setup area of the company’s International Design Center, which happens to be on Discovery Road. The winners were given branded, long-sleeved T-shirts commemorating the event, Skyline product samples, and, of course, serious bragging rights. Not only did the throw-back competition get its dealers thinking about design and the role it plays for Skyline, it also fostered friendly competition and team building among the company’s distributors — something that would make even the Cub Scouts proud.	One of information-technology firm CA Inc.’s goals at its annual CA World event is to introduce customers and partners to company executives. In addition to featuring executives in keynote addresses, seminars, and discussion panels, CA World includes an “Executive Corner” in each edition of the show daily. Each day, one CA executive, such as the chief information officer or the chief marketing officer, pens a brief article about CA’s developments in his or her area of expertise. The articles, accompanied by head shots, allow attendees to put a face with the C-suite names, while giving executives a forum for their take on key industry issues.
To demonstrate the power and performance of its Thermador line of electric, induction, and gas cook tops, BSH Home Appliances turned its product launch into a culinary competition. The company hired two celebrity chefs to cook up a demonstration at the Altman Building in New York. The event, dubbed the Thermador Chefs Challenge, pitted Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli (star of “The Cooking Loft” on Food Network) against Chef Michael Psilakis (executive chef and owner of Anthos and Kefi restaurants in New York) in a cooking competition in front of the audience of retailers, kitchen designers, and media representatives. With the timer set to 15 minutes, the two chefs got cooking on Thermador cook tops. The time limit not only added an excitement factor to the challenge; it also allowed the audience to see firsthand how quickly the Thermador cook tops worked. Chef Tom Colicchio, from Bravo’s television how Top Chef,” served as emcee for the challenge. When the 15 minutes were up, Michael Traub, president of BSH, judged the chefs’ creations. After sampling each chef’s dessert, Traub declared the competition a tie. He then invited the attendees to satisfy their sweet tooth, signaling to waiters who brought out dessert for everyone. As the audience members tried the sweet offerings, they were encouraged to walk up to the cooking area and chat with the chefs about the recipes and the Thermador products. While the company hoped to attract 30 media representatives and 75 VIP designers and retailers, 75 members of the press attended along with 100 designers and retailers, exceeding attendance goals by 75 percent. Furthermore, the Thermador Chefs Challenge garnered a write-up the day of the event on Redbook magazine’s “The Serving Dish” blog, posted by a deputy executive editor who attended the event. The post touted the benefits of induction cooking as well as Thermador and its new line of products across the blogosphere.
Fashion Week in New York, held each February, brings an early burst of color to a cold and gray winter. It also provided Microsoft Corp. with a ready-to-wear opportunity to thank some of its best customers. The company hosts its Women Executive Forum series four times a year as a loyalty-marketing event. It allows Microsoft to thank its clients and strengthen the relationship with them, while also giving the women a chance to network with their peers. So as the first event in its 2009 executive forum series, Microsoft designed a fashion-oriented event for 25 female executives from a wide spectrum of industries in New York and the Tri-State area. Roughly three weeks prior to the fashion industry’s big hurrah, Microsoft invited the executives via e-mail to the Norwood Club for a private fashion show and presentation by designer Ashleigh Verrier. The evening began with a 30-minute welcome reception that segued into a brief speech from Microsoft’s general manager, Laura Wallace, who then introduced Verrier and her mother/business partner, Jude Verrier. With the introductions out of the way, the designer started the fashion presentation that highlighted 12 different looks, including a preview from the line Verrier would debut at Fashion Week. The presentation and looks were broken down into three separate story-like vignettes, where instead of a raised catwalk, four models strolled down an aisle between seated guests. Putting the models at eye level contributed to the event’s casual and intimate feel. A question-and-answer session followed the fashion show; then, guests, models, and the Verriers mingled in a networking reception. The in-depth preview gave the creative-industry executives a dose of insider fashion scoop perfectly relevant to them personally and professionally, courtesy of Microsoft.

Corporate mergers are not fun. Both customers and employees tend to view such consolidations with a significant sense of trepidation. That’s one reason Delta Air Lines held a special event to promote its merger with Northwest Airlines and get a little positive press out of the deal. The company invited employees and local media to an event dubbed “Together in Style,” held at major hub cities such as Detroit, Boston, and Los Angeles. At each event, Northwest Airlines flight attendants donned their new Delta uniforms, created by famed fashion designer Richard Tyler. The upbeat event included a fashion show, hair and makeup applications, and wardrobe tips from Tyler himself. While the new uniforms were nothing to write home about, the event-centric strategy managed to generate positive news coverage about the merger in several outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Mpls.St. Paul Magazine, as well as viral exposure since Delta uploaded video of the event on YouTube.

Finance doesn’t exactly scream “fun for all ages.” But when JPMorgan Chase Treasury and Securities Services Division wanted to find a way to show appreciation for its C-level clients and VIPs, it wanted to create an event that would welcome families instead of exclude them. But rather than searching — and paying — for a venue, it capitalized on existing assets, hosting the event in its building at One Chase Manhattan Plaza in New York. The building is one of the tallest in the Financial District, and its 60th floor provides a prime viewing location for the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks display — an annual event that reeks of good ol’ fashioned family friendliness. So with the location, date, and theme out of the way, JPMorgan Chase turned its attention to creating a family-friendly oasis in the middle of the Financial District. The company started by arranging for a full-fledged carnival on the building’s indoor and outdoor plazas. Attractions included a moon bounce, puppet show, a photo booth, caricaturists, a juggler, and more. In addition to the activities on the plaza, a selection of food was also on the menu for the evening, including barbecued chicken and ribs and a variety of sides, desserts, and beverages. After dinner was over, JPMorgan Chase staffers escorted the 241 VIPs and their families (a total of 1,200 attendees — nearly three times the goal) to the 59th and 60th floors of the building to watch the fireworks. Later, attendees headed back down to the plaza level where they received branded stadium fold-up chairs and backpacks with the evening’s tagline, “Take a Moment,” embroidered on them. Post-event reports indicate that revenue associated with attending clients increased by $16.8 million (along with more than $72 million in pending deals from attending clients), and a post-show survey of JPMorgan Chase’s sales associates found that 98 percent of respondents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the event helped to expand their relationships with existing clients.

Demonstrating your company’s capabilities at a trade show is easy if you make, for example, cupcakes. Just serve up a tasty morsel or two, and prospects can compare your treats to those of your competitors. But how do you demonstrate your capabilities when your company is a full-service exhibits and events company? After all, it’s almost impossible to take a slab of concrete on the trade show floor and give attendees a taste of what you can do with an honest-to-goodness event space. And everyone knows that it’s far less effective to tell prospects what you can do than it is to show them. That’s why, at EXHIBITOR2009, Las Vegas-based Elements Exhibits LLC decided to give attendees a little off-floor experience that would, it hoped, immerse them in the company’s creative capabilities. The company began by acquiring a 65-by-42-foot room off the trade show floor in a show-sponsored area called the EVENTSALON. Then, the company designed and built a posh hotel-inspired space complete with a fake swimming pool. But the faux boutique inn wasn’t all style and no substance. Elements created a dozen vignettes, including one that featured a guest room with an actual bed in it. To ensure the relevance of the vignettes wasn’t lost on attendees, Elements staffers guided visitors on a walking tour of the space. After being welcomed by staffers, attendees checked into the “hotel” via one of four registration kiosks lining a short hallway. This allowed visitors to experience Elements’ custom registration system. Staff then escorted attendees to the different vignettes, each of which were specifically designed to convey information about one of the company’s product or service offerings. For example, the miniature swimming pool was used to convey the company’s suite of on-site amenities and its site-selection and contract-negotiation services, while a soft-drink bar and trays of branded cupcakes illustrated the company’s attention to detail when it comes to food and beverage service. To further emphasize the connection to Elements’ offerings, the vignettes were accompanied by strategically placed signs that featured call outs to explain the company’s services in more detail. Elements hoped to book at least one event from leads generated in the off-floor event, which was located on the lower level of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, one floor below the main exhibit hall. Not only did roughly 90 prospects take the time to visit the Elements’ experience during the three days of the event, the company also received a half-dozen RFPs on site before attendees “checked out” of the faux hotel.

How do you extend the life of a television ad beyond the boob tube? Turn a memorable component of it into a live event. Bacardi USA Inc. launched a television spot this year, dubbed “Eras.” Speaking to the company’s 147-year history in the rum-making business, it is accompanied by a track from singing duo, Matt & Kim. But a commercial is just a commercial. And with declining TV viewership, it’s probably not the best way to broadcast your company’s message. That’s why Bacardi extended the reach of its ad via its Bacardi B-live concert series, where Matt & Kim performed the commercial’s track, “Daylight.” To further extend the “Eras” message, the TV spot was distributed on flash drives at B-live and posted at www.Bacardi.com, Facebook, and MySpace.