Response to Naomi Simson's BRW Article ("Love them or they will leave you: Naomi Simson’s hard-won wisdom for entrepreneurs" 03/03/15)

Hi Naomi, 

I couldn’t agree more. 

We are a service business, so without my staff I have no business. Expocentric has grown significantly over the 6 years we have been in business and now we have a very strong focus on our teams.

As part of our staff appraisal process we invite all staff to do 360 reviews of themselves, their peers, management teams and myself. This allowed us to identify the areas to improve. It appears to be working well.

The average staff member has been at Expocentric for 2 years, while a few have been with us for longer. Some returning to work at Expocentric after periods abroad, bringing with them new knowledge and perspective.

I have learnt to value the importance of the people I work with and now spend a considerable part of my role training, developing, motivating and inspiring my team to continue to grow. It has been an exciting process and I look forward to learning and growing with the company.

Kindest Regards,

Stan Kruss

Response to Steve Baxter's BRW Article ("Why I was serious about my $2m Shark Tank offer to get Expo Centric on the ASX" 03/03/15)

Hi Steve, 

Thank you for your kind words and I appreciate your belief in Expocentric. 
I totally understand the value of the ASX, however I do not believe now is the right time for Expocentric to float. 

When you mentioned floating the company my first thoughts were .  
‘I don’t have the time’ with a building wave of new projects looming, I don’t have the time to spare away from my work team and especially my growing list of clients who are depending on me.
Of course I would still very much welcome the opportunity of having you as an investor in Expocentric and would like to invite you to come to our head office in Lane Cove for a tour of the facilities and to spend a few hours with myself and my management team. 

I would like the opportunity to share the vision and capabilities of Expocentric including the new addition the Holocube, a holographic display system that is designed, produced and assembled in Belgium. Right up your alley. It is a fully integrated 3D projection platform that provides companies with a whole new way to set apart their brand, product or campaign. We have just won a show award for a project that included it. 

I hope you can make the time available.

Kindest Regards,

Stan Kruss

Tip of the Week #26 - Increasing Traffic By Reducing Boredom

When entering an exhibition, we tend to gravitate towards stands that are visually appealing or arouse our curiosities. Most brands with these factors have an edge because the brand is lucky enough to be associated with something fun and exciting. Many are not so lucky in that department and once they finally attract a visitor, that visitor is faced with a one on one chat which drowns them in information which some would say is not so entertaining. 

A proven method to attract visitors to a stand is setting up a fun activity for them. Little mini games are often used to attract and keep exhibitors at the booth willingly for slightly extended periods of time. This creates an opportunity for the host to engage in conversation with the visitor, build rapport and hopefully attain them as a customer. 

At the annual expo for Bunnings in 2014, Gerni setup a mini game as their exhibition stand. The stand comprised of several different models of Gerni water pressure cleaners each standing in front of its own target. The objective was to aim and shoot at the target, while it showed off its water pressure and minimal water usage. This stand was highly successful as it had drawn the attention of many exhibitors and explained the true potential of each of the products. 

                     

Paint. It’s an ancient product. As you can imagine it would be difficult to pull exhibitors who are genuinely keen to hear about the wonders of paints and why their paint is so much better than its competitors. Dulux take advantage of its branding, by bringing in their mascot, The Old English Sheepdog. This dog has been used for its advertising campaigns since the 1960’s. Surely enough it has everyone excited to have the presence of The Old English Sheepdog among them. This method gains a lot of traffic, and it becomes a great opportunity to educate the visitors on the brand and product. 

                                    

Tip of the Week #25 - Pushing your flawless visuals to its technical limit

Visual Aid is a key element in helping your stand capture the exhibitor’s attention. This element is mostly used to paint a picture in the exhibitor’s mind when facing the restrictions of a stand through various types of representation. When implemented perfectly, it can impose an essence of awe and improve the image and status of the brand in the minds of the consumers.

Visual aid can be added to the stand using various methods including, images on large canvases, television and projector displays, sculptures and more.  However when a poor attempt is made, the effect could reach the other end of the spectrum and create an unappealing image for the brand.

The central idea of the exhibition is to educate the consumers on what it is they are selling but the sour fact is that in today’s society, the average consumer is bored and wanting to be intrigued and excited rather than being drowned in information. Visual aid is a major player in this department.

High Definition Displays are a great medium to use for presentations with videos, still images and slide shows. The displays are available in sizes from small to large. However the label “High Definition” loses its credibility when it is not being fed a high definition source.

There have been too many cases when companies have spent good money to be supplied a great High Definition Display but have connected lower resolution sources such as a DVD player or have connected a perfectly fine laptop but configured it with the incorrect video output settings. DVD is a very popular source but has a much lower resolution compared to Full HD. DVD has the resolution of 720x576 pixels where as Full HD has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The Full HD display takes that lower resolution source and stretches it out creating a blurry, pixelated and dull image. The best method would be to supply images and videos with the perfect 1920x1080 resolution that has a 1:1 pixel ratio with the screen. This also applies for large image prints. Aim to find the photo with the highest resolution, this will maximise clarity when printed as an expanded format.

In summary, a higher resolution image or a video, preferably 1080p (1920x1080) combined with a full HD display will do wonders for your stand.

This will result in a perfect, crisp, detailed and vibrant image adding a positive nuance to the ambience. This uplift in visual aid quality will in turn push the aesthetics of the booth, influencing a positive opinion of the brand in the minds of the exhibitors.

Tip of the Week #24 - 4 Major Exhibit Design Mistakes to Avoid

Many companies exhibiting for the first time wrongly assume that simply showing up at an exhibition is enough to make the time, money and resources poured into an exhibition effort worthwhile. However, this is simply not the case. Having an exhibit design that isn’t polished and professional will hinder optimal event success, so it’s of utmost importance that your design has a seamless fit and finish that visually compels and informs. Your exhibit design and structure has so much more to do with your image and success than you may realise.

It’s crucial that you use thoughtful design and materials, and not use components that look old, recycled and out-dated. Show attendees that you’re a professional company that not only has the solution to their problem, but also that you can be trusted. Do this by conveying a clear message and offering, and by representing your business professionally and appropriately.

When creating your business’s exhibit design, avoid the following:

Poorly Printed Graphics

They project a poor image of your company and show attendees that you and your company lack attention to details. Visitors will give your stand a pass, including your current customers and prospects, because they don’t want to be seen visiting your exhibition and because you don’t look professional.

Poor Messaging

Show attendees don’t have that much time to spend at each stand. They don’t have 10-15 minutes to read everything you have printed on your graphics. Rows and rows of text don’t sell your products or services, that’s what your graphics and booth staff should be doing. Many exhibitors feel like they must include all of their marketing messages and graphics in order to connect with their targeted audience. Oftentimes though, this can work against them by delivering a final exhibit that looks overwhelming and without a clear marketing message. If there are too many words and too many pictures, you look disorganized and your message is far from clear. State your main message in no more than 5-7 words and engage people as they move past your stand. Your message should only be a brief outline of your best descriptors or even a short testimony from a customer. Once you get the attendee in the booth, then you can expand your message.

Poor Materials

Using poor materials to build your stand creates a poor company image. It makes attendees or potential customers question, “If this is how a company puts their best foot forward, what kind of quality am I going to get if I buy their service or product?” Make sure your exhibit shows a high quality fit, finish and attention to detail. Dated, worn and poorly executed exhibits and graphics convey the worst possible message to show attendees. 

Unorganized interior display
Even the most polished fit and finish on a stand’s exterior will instantly lose impact if the interior is a cluttered and unorganized mess. Don’t be afraid to use various shelving and cabinet structures to ensure that all of your literature, display products and handouts stay organized.

Colour Trends for Exhibitions in 2015

Being different in the crowded exhibition environment is important if you want to catch the attention of visitors. While it’s an obvious choice to use your company’s colour scheme in an exhibit (which often means black and white, or highly saturated primary colours), it’s also a great idea to stand out by taking inspiration from fashion and interior design trends and using a unique colour palette to give your exhibit an update.

For the past 14 years, Pantone (which has dubbed itself as “the global authority on colour”) has selected a ‘Colour of the Year’. Radiant Orchid was the colour of 2014 and the fashion, wedding, graphic design and home improvement industries have all embraced the warm purple hue.

The 2015 Colour of the Year won’t be announced until December, but Pantone has posted their fashion colour report for Spring 2015 – which they’ve named “En Plein Air”.  It consists of sixteen colors described as “an ethereal mix of understated brights, pale pastels and nature-like neutrals”. This collection of muted hues with subtle warm tones follow a minimalistic theme, and will surely bring a refreshing change of pace to exhibit designs in the upcoming year should designers choose to incorporate them into a stand.

Color is an important component to any exhibition stand design. Graphics are the easiest thing to swap out and the most cost effective way to inject life into an exhibit. For the upcoming exhibition year, try to stay away from the boring and expected. Mix it up a bit with interesting, rich and sophisticated color palettes. Remember, it’s definitely possible to remain true to your brand and message while using trends to your advantage – the only barrier is your imagination and creativity.