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In a purely constructive criticism POV I looked at the stand and thought it the most boring stand there. There was just nothing there to grab passers-by, all that sticks in my mind were a few leaflets and two hand brake extensions. I saw a wide screen TV next to a laptop but in the sunlight I don't recall anything on it. I'm sure it could be much improved.
Some popular questions and answers on a BRIGHT projector with a user push button panel to call them up:
1. WHAT DO I NEED TO TRAVEL ON SWISS MOTORWAYS ?
2. WHAT PROBLEMS ARE THERE FOR MHs IN BERLIN NOW ?
______________________________________________________________ Brian
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The screen did have a presentation running on Sunday in powerpoint to capture the eye
A projector and push button affair will be expensive, awkward to setup and when its showering awkward to keep dry. The problem with these shows is the weather (as you have noted) is all over the place. Marquees by their nature aren't 100% waterproof and I am loathe to invest more money in expensive electronics to get damaged in transit or at the show
Any other ideas welcomed though.
I have a photo somewhere on my phone of the stand, will upload it for others to comment on any improvements
Here is the stand at Lincoln. On Saturday and Sunday the MHF Van was also parked to the left of it as my neighbour trader never turned up leaving an empty pitch
Hmm, looking at the photo Dave I see what Brian means.
Some friends of ours who run
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have had similar problems with their stand for dog shows. The marquee on it's own lacked visual impact among a host of other distractions. One answer they've implemented is investing in two matching full height banners that are positioned vertically on either side of the stand. It made a dramatic improvement to the 'look' of the set up. I'll try and get photos.
It may also be a good idea to look at a proper banner across the front, all in a unifying design.
And forgive me for saying this but 'unifying' is probably the key word here. There are so many different elements in view to the punter that they're not sure what the stand is about. Is it selling a back pain rub or massage, is it a bookshop, is it selling bulk supplies of carrier bags or is it promoting the best motorhome website bar none.
I'm sorry to be blunt but I think we need to seriously think what the marquee is trying to achieve at shows. Given the size of it's memberlist I think it needs to be an open sanctuary for members and potential members with chairs and tea/coffee etc available, with a number of people on hand to serve and chat up the punters. Taking their £10 and setting them as live subscribers on the system, whether they be unsubscribed members or totally new.
In the corners you can have the sales stands for brake handles, guides etc but each corner seperate and not encroaching on the others.
Finally, the van needs to be in full livery.
There's my 4p worth. HTH
Andy
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lol the problem with what you mention Andy is a distinct lack of volunteers to come and spend any time on the stand (I think over the whole weekend, Artona(Stew) and his wife came over for an 1hr or so each day, Jacquie came over for an 1hr or so (She was already doing the marshalling) and then AnnandGeorge spent 1/2hr helping out) but over the whole show that isn't a lot , and with the sometimes really slow net access at shows signups can be hit and miss to say the least. The handing out of bags does seem to work however, as our membership numbers and registration rates have all risen substantially since the start of the show season
initially at the start of the show season i tried to go for the approach of signing people up and having people to chat to them etc but its all to easy to get swamped with me spending 15 mins trying to get a simple account setup (what username do you want hmmmmm i dont know what do you think lol), and as for trying to extract £10 from someone at a show to join a website its a nice idea but a no go completely mate. People wont hand over £10 for something they have no idea about etc
van needs to be in full livery ?
I have to sell products at the show to make it worthwhile as once you take into consideration the diesel costs (£175 for me to go to Lincoln, Accomodation £150, food / drink £50-70ish and the show stand itself £175) then its knocking on for £600, plus the loss of earnings for being out of office for 2 days (Thursday/Friday)
T/Coffee was available
I did used to bring 4 chairs to the shows but no-one ever used them so knocked it on the head and now bring 2
The bags in the container at the front are only there for people to grab if I am already busy with punters (I usually stand around handing them out)
Good, that is what I intended though it's a pretty dangerous thing to do "I don't like your stand" "You insulting my stand ?" THUD.
You've got to take it in context, all round you were "exciting" stands with loads of "BUY ME BUY ME", you've got to compete with that and hit them between the eyes and you've got just a second or two.
You've got to get them involved instantly and a display deep in a stand does not do this. People don't like deep in a stand, they feel captured. You've got to give them some instant gratification in a safe place, "TOUCH ME NOW".
I know it's not easy, I've have designed outdoor POS systems, it's a nightmare when direct sunlight ( HA ! ) is a possibility but there must be something you could do without spending too much. Even today a daylight readable LCD touch screen is pretty expensive. But LCD projectors can be had quite cheaply in lower resolutions and I'm sure I've seen big USB numeric keyboards.
So I picture a plastic back projected screen. A big numeric keypad or a doctored keypad wired to some big push buttons:
1. WHERE CAN I PARK NEAR CALAIS ?
2. WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION TO TOILET ODOURS ?
3. ETC.
You can mount separate push buttons through or next to the screen.
You obviously know your way round a PC, this is easy.
______________________________________________________________ Brian
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lol the problem with what you mention Andy is a distinct lack of volunteers to come and spend any time on the stand (I think over the whole weekend, Artona(Stew) and his wife came over for an 1hr or so each day, Jacquie came over for an 1hr or so (She was already doing the marshalling) and then AnnandGeorge spent 1/2hr helping out) but over the whole show that isn't a lot , and with the sometimes really slow net access at shows signups can be hit and miss to say the least. The handing out of bags does seem to work however, as our membership numbers and registration rates have all risen substantially since the start of the show season
initially at the start of the show season i tried to go for the approach of signing people up and having people to chat to them etc but its all to easy to get swamped with me spending 15 mins trying to get a simple account setup (what username do you want hmmmmm i dont know what do you think lol), and as for trying to extract £10 from someone at a show to join a website its a nice idea but a no go completely mate. People wont hand over £10 for something they have no idea about etc
van needs to be in full livery ?
I have to sell products at the show to make it worthwhile as once you take into consideration the diesel costs (£175 for me to go to Lincoln, Accomodation £150, food / drink £50-70ish and the show stand itself £175) then its knocking on for £600, plus the loss of earnings for being out of office for 2 days (Thursday/Friday)
T/Coffee was available
I did used to bring 4 chairs to the shows but no-one ever used them so knocked it on the head and now bring 2
The bags in the container at the front are only there for people to grab if I am already busy with punters (I usually stand around handing them out)
Keep knocking in the ideas
Sorry Nuke I wasn't there last weekend so I'm basing my comments just on the look from the photo, what I saw at P'boro, 10 years staffing the Access Credit Card stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition and various County Shows.
You have a split personality thing going on here. One is MHF website - membership, recruitment, assistance, community, support, advice, entertainment. The other is retailing - goods/product, sales, assistance, advice.
There's some cross over but in setting up a stand for a show you run the danger of mixing both together and visually losing the punter cos he can't make out what you're actually about.
Personally I'd go for an open stand with a few chairs and tables, offering an MHF sanctuary if you like, with the 'goods' well displayed and lit in the corners of the stand. The separation into 'corners' is important cos people can then go to the bit that interests them and you can build a display identity for each corner and you don't create a confusing assault on their perceptions.
The big screen can be centre back so it can be seen from outside as something interesting to entice people in and can also be viewed from inside by resting punters.
Andy
______________________________________________________________ The opinions expressed here are those of the poster and cannot be relied upon as he is a no good scoundrel and a wastrel who shouldn´t be trusted with anyone´s Grandmother.
Opinions may go down as well as up.
Opinions may be recorded for security and staff training purposes
Your home may be at risk if you should take any notice of the rubbish printed here.
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