Well, the PMA Fresh Summit is nearly upon us. If you don’t know already, it’s the annual Produce Marketing Association tradeshow that is the gravitational center of the Marketing Plus year. We handle numerous tradeshows year round, but the PMA is always the biggie. It’s not only in the actual size of the show, but also in the number of our clients that exhibit or attend.
Tradeshows are where Marketing Plus really defines the term “full service marketing”. Our goal is to take care of all the annoying details, so the clients can just show up at the booth and focus on selling their product. We handle everything from booth and collateral shipping to booth staffing, convention hall service orders, press and marketing materials, hotel reservations, and yes, if necessary we will even pick up your product from the airport in our rental van. We’re going to be out that way anyway, picking up a helium tank or a hundred pounds of ball bearings.
I’m the old man of Marketing Plus. I’ve been working here since almost the 20th century, and I take my curmudgeon position seriously. I sprinkle my verbiage with “dagnabbit” and “you dern kids” as much as possible. It also means I’ve seen just about everything happen at various shows over the years. And somehow, with luck, ingenuity, and paper clips, we always manage to make it work.
A few highlights from over the years:
- Once had to track down the client’s product, which was in the delivery truck. On the road somewhere. After much cell phone detective work, managed to find it and flag down the still-moving truck at the side of the road. Picture Marketing Plus staff running down the street, screaming “STOP!”
- Client’s booth shipped in two identical cases. One made it to the show in Monterey. The other case ended up, of course, in Chicago. The solution? We had half a booth display, so with some creative use of graphic panels and strategically placed duct tape, the half booth became a whole one- and looked great.
- Due to distribution problems, client’s product didn’t make it to the show on time. Time for some shopping! Soon, practically every store in New Orleans was bought out of anything with the client’s brand on it, and the booth was stocked in time for the show.
These are just a few of the minor “situations” that come to mind, but Marketing Plus has decades more tradeshow stories and experiences under our belt. We know what to expect, and the number one thing to expect is whatever you don’t expect.
PMA is in New Orleans again this year, a city that offers more than its share of the unexpected. So, we expect that this show will bring plenty of challenges as usual. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!
If you have any questions regarding your trade show needs, or just want to add your own experience, please email me at John@marketingplus.tv.
Have a great weekend!
John Masier
