In-Person Trade Shows Matter
March 15, 2024
A Vendor’s Point of View
Gary Roskin –
Roskin Gem News Report –
"David Siminski, Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing at United Precious Metal Refining, Inc., is passionate about in-person Trade Shows. And he’s going to tell us why.
From a Vendor’s Perspective
Speaking to the visitors, buyers, and exhibitors at the New York Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) Show at the Javitz Convention Center, Siminski gets straight to the point. “It’s a great show. We have great vendors. But … One vendor might say, ‘I’m having a great show.’ But the vendor next to him might say they’re having a lousy show. It’s the same show! You’re seeing the same people walk by!”
So what’s the difference?
THE TRADE SHOW
The Google definition of a trade show is an exhibit at which a business in a particular industry, promotes their products and services. “You’ve got to go to a trade show to find out what’s new and unique in the business.”
“My definition of a trade show is somewhat different,” says Siminski. “To me, a trade show is an opportunity to meet a new client, engage a new company, or to present existing or potential clients with why your relationship is so important. And THAT is what a trade show is all about!”
RELATIONSHIPS
You can tell that Siminski has been in the industry for some time. He has seen a shift in business. “This industry used to be relationship based. You made long term connections/commitments in this industry. But over the last couple of years, it’s become transactional based. It’s all about the transaction, and making money off the transaction.” And this is a concern.
Relationships and the use of the phone
“I see a change in the last year or two where it’s going back to a relationship based industry,” and this is a good thing.
“That is how you’re going to actually develop better vendor partners. You’re going to be face to face. You’re going to have a conversation with someone. It’s not going to be a text, it’s not going to be an email.”
Texts and emails
Don’t misunderstand Siminski’s downplay of the text or email. “Those are going to be the supporting features of the relationship, but not the relationship. And to me, that’s really what we have to get back to when we talk about trade shows.”
What Can Be Accomplished at a Trade Show?
“You catch the industry vibe,” says Siminski. “You’re going to be with people in the same industry as you. You’re going to talk to the competition. You’re going to talk to vendors. You’re going to talk to industry people. You’re going to talk to people about what’s going on in the industry. ‘Are your sales sales down?’ ‘What do you feel about the business right now?’ ‘Does $2150 gold hurt?’ ‘Does it help?’ ‘What about lab grown diamonds? Are they going to be a separate category?’ ‘Will it get bigger?’ ‘Will it get smaller?'”
Especially at the MJSA show, Siminski looks at manufacturing. “You’re going to learn about new technology here. That’s what this show is about.”
It’s all about new equipment at MJSA. The vendors on the show floor are Siminski’s friends, business associates, and competitors. They all spend a lot of money and time to come and exhibit at the show.
“They’re there showcasing that technology for you to see, for you to take a look at. You can’t get that off a website. You can’t get that off a catalog page. You just have to be here for that.”
Building Relationships
You’re building relationships when you come to a trade show. “We love this show,” says Siminski. “We love all trade shows, because there’s never a bad trade show. If it’s a bad trade show, from a vendor’s perspective, it’s on you.
There’s a way to engage with people. As a vendor, you rarely never know from where you get that lead. It might be someone walking the show, or it might be a referral from someone who saw you at the show. There are just so many different ways in which you can get that lead and build that relationship.
“For the people that come to MJSA, you’re playing with new toys. You guys all know Toys-R-Us. Toys-R-Us went bankrupt, but guess what? Toys-R-Us is coming back, inside of Macy’s.” And now that in-person trade shows are back, it’s time to go to the shows so you can play with the toys. “That’s why the guys are here. They have seminars here that are showing you how to use the toys. They’ll spend time with you. They’ll spend energy to show you about the toys.”
You See the Gems & Jewelry
“One of the huge benefits to an in-person trade show is that you get to see the see the jewelry. You see the trends. Is it going to be rose gold this year? Are we going back to white gold? Are we going to see more colored stones than diamonds?”
Opportunities
Of course there are booklets, pamphlets, and business cards to pick up for later reference. “But the biggest thing, as we all know, is that a trade show is for networking. It’s the biggest buzzword of the industry, right? You’re networking, you’re building your network, you’re building your business network and you’re building your personal networks.”
How to Work a Trade Show like MJSA
The first thing you do is you walk the show. Take a quick walk around the show.
The second thing is to go back. “I want to go back and see this,” says Siminski. And a smaller show like MJSA is sometimes actually the best show because it’s intimate. “What happens is you’ll be able to actually stop at all the booths. You’ll be able to spend time.”
“You want to make a personal connection with whoever you’re doing business with.” Once you have established that personal relationship, if there is ever a question or a situation, you can call them right away and you can get an answer.
Exhibitors Need to be Pro-active
Siminski looks across the room. “All right, where are the exhibitors? Here’s my problem with you people. Plain and simple… Make sure the booth looks good. Make sure the people you have at the booth are engaging. Make sure they have a good personality. And make sure that they know how to talk the talk.”
What you do not want is to have someone in your booth who’s going to play on their cell phone all day, or who’s going to basically complain about the company they work for.
Your entire booth, staff and merchandise, should represent who you are. The people, the merchandise, how your booth looks, is all representative of you.
“People are going to want to buy, especially if your booth looks nice. If you have jewelry in the showcase, showcase it well. Merchandise it well. Make sure that if somebody wants to look at something, present it with the attention it deserves.
If you’re a manufacturer and you have machines, make sure they’re working! People like to see how it works. That’s why they are here!
What’s going on over there?
“One thing I tell you is that traffic creates traffic. If you have a buzz around your booth and there’s a bunch of people at your booth, when someone walks down the aisle, the first thing they think is, ‘What’s going on over there?'”
In-person shows are not just about the buyers working the show. It’s really about the exhibitors working the show.
Final Words – It’s On You
“The trade show management can only do so much,” says Siminski. “They can provide the venue. They can provide the platform. They can provide the security, the lighting, and the concessions. But at the end of the day, everyone who walks through this show is a potential customer. So if you find a way to engage those potential clients, it’s not on the show, it’s on you.” "
David Siminski
VP Global Sales and Marketing
United Precious Metal Refining, Inc.
dsiminski@unitedpmr.com
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