With both of the 2017 Quirk’s Events under our belt, we’ve been poring over the post-event surveys to find ways to do things better (and find out what we did right!) and it’s been fascinating to read client-side researchers’ divergent assessments of the behavior of the vendor exhibitors.
Some felt besieged by vendors, like minnows being stalked by sharks:
“The exhibitors were extremely aggressive this year, much more than last year. In general I couldn’t attend a session without being accosted by someone wanting my business card and information. I am interested in meeting potential suppliers but I would like it to be on my own terms and through conversations that I approach as opposed to getting e-mails and being stopped everywhere in the hallways or in the session rooms.”
“Vendors were a little too pouncy. Some butted in mid-conversation and [were] too vocal about their dissatisfaction about our objections to consider using them (such as, we already have vendors covering that type of research, etc.).”
While others did not…
“Overall, I appreciate that the exhibitors were not too aggressive and waited for me to walk up the booths. It makes it easier to absorb the options for sessions, booths and understand the layout when you arrive to the session.”
Of course, you can’t please everyone. We’re all different, with different needs and expectations. But as I went through the survey comments, a few exhibitor best practices for interacting with client attendees came up and I thought I’d pass them along.
• Client-side researchers don’t have research budgets burning holes in their pockets, so don’t expect them to plunk down a check for that big project.
“As a client-side attendee, I did not feel attacked. But I do sometimes feel that some agency-side people are of the mistaken belief that I came [to the conference] with instructions to hand out RFPs or to ink deals worth a total of $10 million, with a stack of blank checks pre-signed by my CEO. I think agency-side people sometimes have no clue about how Fortune 100 companies procure research and the tremendous complexities involved.”
• We had multiple comments, both survey-based and anecdotal, from client-siders who were ignored by vendor booth workers who were busy chatting with each other or staring at their smartphones. Trade show days can be very long but remember why you’re there in the first place.
“Some exhibitors were rude, offensive and grumpy. If they don’t put their best foot forward the event will not be good for them.”
• Be present the whole time. The power outage midway through day two of the West Coast Quirk’s Event was unfortunate but we were heartened by the “show must go on” attitude displayed by speakers, attendees and most vendors. Still, there were several comments about vendors who chose to pack up and leave early, despite the exhibit hall being open for another few hours.
“The power outage showed me which research companies can roll with the punches and which to avoid. Some companies damaged their image with how they reacted.”
• Add some fun. From the very first Quirk’s Event, we’ve urged exhibitors to get creative with their booth space to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone and attendees certainly noticed at this year’s gatherings.
“The exhibit hall was fun and very good. Felt there were some partners there that were different than those that exhibit at other shows.”
“I liked that there were interactive experiences from vendors. Don’t change the importance of the exhibit floor. It is the reason I came to the conference and it delivered.”
Overwhelmingly positive
In general, most of the comments were overwhelmingly positive on all fronts. In fact, between the two events, 95 percent of attendees said they would recommend the event to a co-worker. To further improve the experience for all, we’re developing a set of exhibitor guidelines for the 2018 events. If you have some pet peeves or suggestions you’d like to pass along to the vendors, please e-mail me at joe@quirks.com.