Experts on Wall Street believe rampant inflation has been overcome, and the recent market rally delivered some of the best returns in nearly 30 years. And many are betting that the Federal Reserve will start cutting rates by spring in a move to curb the threat of recession.
All of this is triggering growing optimism that the marine industry’s winter boat shows will see positive attendance growth and a marked upturn in boats sales. And we won’t have to wait long to find out, as the long schedule of shows begins tomorrow in Oklahoma at 11:00 a.m.
The Oklahoma Boat Show runs Jan. 5-7 at the Cox Business Convention Center in downtown Tulsa. It will be followed by a packed schedule of major market events from coast to coast.
“We’re really optimistic now about our success at this year’s Cleveland Boat Show,” says Jim Armington of Buckeye Sports Center. “So, we’re being aggressive in presenting our largest display ever showcasing 10 different brands with more than 40 models.”
Exhibit space in many of the major market shows is reportedly sold out. In addition to Oklahoma, the schedule for the next 4 weeks includes biggies, including Chicago and New England (Boston), Jan. 10-14; Atlanta and Charlotte County, Florida, Jan. 11-14; Cleveland, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Hartford, Conn., Jan. 18-21; New York, Houston and Louisville, Jan. 24-28; and Detroit, Jan. 27-Feb. 4.
For anyone who is headed for a show, here are five things to think about from my booklet 55 Ways To Improve Results at Your Next Boat Show.
1. Don’t Be Afraid of Change. It’s as predictable as a politician asking for money. Most exhibitors set up their displays exactly as they did the previous year. The boats are essentially in the same place, ditto for carpets, signs, ramps and other decorations that don’t create a new, exciting look. Displaying everything the same makes even new boats look old. Relocate things, add new colors, flags, some pizzaz.
2. Watch the small stuff. In large exhibits, small things can easily get lost, such as brokerage picture boards and service promotions. Carefully consider the placement of small displays. Move them forward, perhaps to the very edge, so customers and prospects must purposely go around them. Or use bright colors to differentiate them from other portions of the exhibit.
3. Light it up. Bright things are beautiful. Lights highlight things, attract attention and create excitement. Spotlights under or on a featured boat, colored lights to highlight a particular portion of the exhibit, chase lights to call attention and tube lights to accent a chosen feature. All draw the prospect’s eye and cost comparatively little to accomplish.
4. Give me a break. Do you know dealers in Las Vegas only work about 20-minute shifts? That because dealing is intense and requires constant focus. Consider how long your exhibit team is on the floor. Working with prospects and customers also requires focus. In fact, any member of the dealership team who isn’t fully focused shouldn’t be there. Reasonable schedules and breaks from the first day until the last will pay dividends.
And my favorite:
5. The blindfold test. Want to know whether your exhibit will be a silent draw or a bore? Get someone who has not been involved in the set-up in any way, blindfold him or her, and have them stand in front of the exhibit. Remove the blindfold and allow them to look over the exhibit for 15 seconds. Them immediately turn them around and ask them to tell you who the company is, what you’re selling and what attracted their eyes the most in the exhibit. If they cannot tell you who you are and what you sell, you have some work to do And yes, trade show studies say 15 seconds is all the time a visitor takes to decide whether they’re coming in or walking on by.
