The IAEE Art of the Show Competition’s Exhibit Sales Brochure/Prospectus category evaluates a single sales piece targeting potential exhibitors for a show. It is important to note this category does not include any print advertising, which has its own category. Judging criteria includes: overall presentation, visual appeal and creativity; clarity of information and content usefulness; and how well the piece met its intended goals.
In today’s IAEE Blog, we highlight the winners of last year’s Exhibit Sales Brochure/Prospectus category:
Between 75,001 and 200,000 nsf
Frank Strategic Marketing
HPBExpo 2016
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo is North America’s largest indoor-outdoor living showcase. Every year, over 350 leading hearth, patio and barbecue manufacturers and suppliers exhibit and demonstrate their latest home heating solutions; grills, grilling accessories and fully-equipped outdoor kitchens; casual patio furniture and outdoor accents; water and landscape features; all-weather entertainment products and more. It’s also a one-stop-shop for retailers nationwide to find not only the latest products for their showrooms, but also the latest services and technologies for their companies.
HPBExpo was seeking to position not only the show itself, but also the location (Atlanta) as vibrant and exciting. The goal was to create a highly non-traditional and dramatic campaign by making a bold statement that the show is not to be missed. All of the brand imagery was contemporary and cutting-edge to dovetail with the increasing sophistication of the outdoor living marketplace itself.
The brochure centered on the theme, “Your Products. Their Dreams.” It was specifically designed to be visually stunning (including the paper stock), as it was one of just a handful of print marketing pieces for the show, compared to the vast majority of the campaign being digital. The goal was to push the boundaries as much as possible to achieve maximum impact.
Over 200,001 nsf
Fixation Marketing
2016 NAHB International Builders’ Show
The International Builders’ Show (IBS) is the world’s largest annual residential and light construction show, attracting 60,000+ building industry professionals from 100 and featuring 1,400 manufacturers and suppliers in more than 300 product categories. IBS showcases the latest products, materials and technologies involved in all types of buildings – including wood, concrete, stone and brick.
The show features The New American Home (NAHB’s show home) which highlights new products and techniques. IBS also offers innovative education with 130+ sessions in eight tracks, taught by renowned building industry experts from across the country. The show has plenty of networking opportunities including the House Party, Spike Concert and The Centrals – hubs for programs, demonstrations and hands-on workshops.
An aggressive goal of 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space was set for the 2016 International Builders’ Show® (IBS) exhibit sales team. To meet this number, the exhibit sales prospectus had to accomplish the following: entice former exhibitors to return to IBS; convince those prospects that had yet to commit to IBS that 2016 is the year to do so; and encourage loyal customers to take bigger space. NAHB needed to illustrate that IBS is a dynamic, exciting place to get business done – a “can’t be missed” event – and the theme “Raise the Roof” helped to tell that story well.
As a result, the IBS exhibit sales team reached its goal of 500,000 net square feet, filling in the space with exhibitors from all tree targets: former exhibitors; prospects that had yet to commit; and loyal customers with bigger space.
“Our key objective was to speak to the growing optimism within the industry after a challenging stretch of time and convey that the show was bursting with opportunities for exhibitors to boost leads, sales and brand awareness,” said Megan Campbell, Vice President of Client Services & Strategy. “We worked to design a visually arresting concept that had flexibility and a spirited tone.”
The 2017 IAEE Art of the Show Competition is now underway – you have until 31 August 2017 to submit your entries! You can also view all of last year’s winners and honorable mentions here.
