Case Study: The Trade Show Floor
The Event: CBA Live 2010
The Challenge: The Consumer Bankers Association wanted to provide their exhibitors the best possible opportunities for interacting with attendees at their annual conference. After all, up to 20 percent of a company’s new customers is the result of participation in a trade show. But traditional event floor plans devote one room to the general session and a separate space for the industry trade show. Exhibitors increasingly feel disengaged from the energy of the general sessions. CBA wanted to create an event the highlighted interactivity.
The Solution: Rethink, redesign, and repurpose. Leading Authorities helped the Consumer Bankers Association rethink the layout of their event, CBA Live 2010, to create a sense of community between the exhibitors and attendees.
The big change was placing the trade show floor and the general sessions in the same great hall, with the main stage and audience surrounded by exhibitor booths. Everything was conveniently located, and attendees had the opportunity to talk with exhibitors without going out of their way to another room. The exhibitors were in the middle of all the action. They became part of the general sessions, meals, and refreshment breaks, and had more opportunities to reach costumers and build business relationships.
The end result for CBA was a better, more relevant meeting. Attendees got practical, applicable insights and networking opportunities with their peers, sponsors got unprecedented access and visibility, and the design of the room gave exhibitors more face-to-face time with attendees.
To learn more about the redesign of this show and hear more great ideas for your next event, call an event design expert at 1-800-SPEAKER.