Put on a show

Ah, exhibitions. I have fond boyhood memories of school trips to Madame Tussaud's or wandering, wide-eyed at eight years old, around a Dr Who show in 1982. But trade shows are different, and being on show, rather than a mere visitor, is a different kettle of fish.

Having worked for trade magazines, I've been to many shows, like The National Franchise Exhibition (NFE), the annual shindig in Birmingham.

The franchise shows are a good way for visitors to come and find out the real deal about franchising on a first-hand basis.

But how do franchisors get punters to their stand in the first place? How long is a piece of string? There are so many issues to deal with at exhibitions, some of which may be beyond the franchisor's control. The sole aim of exhibiting at one of these shows is to add to their numbers with people. They need to get prospective franchisees interested in their product without being too overbearing.

For visitors, to get the best out of the day, make a plan of all the franchise stands that you want to visit. You may have decided on the sector that you'd like to pursue - or not as the case may be: in which case, figure out either your budget or your interests, so you can visit the relevant stands. The best way to work this all out is to do some pre-planning on the exhibition. Find out the list of exhibitors, either in this magazine or on the web.

A common rule of thumb for any visitor is to arm yourself with as much literature as you can: brochures, leaflets, press releases and business cards. You won't take in everything the franchisor says during your brief encounter - unless you have microchips for brains. Take the literature and then go home and digest what you have seen in greater detail. Also take down contact details for potential correspondence.

It may be worth catching one or two seminars or talks from experts and established franchisees. They can give a brief insight into their experiences and give you an idea of what's required.

If you are attending The NFE, look out for the best (and worst) stands. Bigger stands are at an obvious advantage because there's more room for visitors to move about and not feel quite so claustrophobic. However, if a franchisor's budget doesn't allow that luxury, then it's time for them to use creative thinking.

One trick that franchisors will employ to draw you in is to make the stand as welcoming as possible, even if they are in a smaller booth. They don't overclutter the stand with too much furniture.

They might decide on a theme that's relevant to the franchise and then relay that idea in the form of something that will catch the visitor's eye - whether it's posters, pictures or even people. They will make it innovative, but not too crass and irrelevant. The giant walking carrot handing out leaflets will only get snorts of derision from passers by, while scantily clad models will get wolf whistles and long stares but little else.

The better stands will feature live demonstrations of the franchisor's product and existing franchisees wishing to divulge the secrets of their success. They are the living proof that the system works, and they can also answer any questions that visitors may have. After all, they've been there, done that and bought the T-shirt.

A tricky element for a franchisor is how to manage the people on their stand. Speaking from experience, there's nothing more tiring than being on your feet all day on an exhibition stand. You have to grin and bear it, and sometimes that isn't easy. So for that reason, the best stands have lots of staff members who can be rotated regularly. The exhibitors have regular breaks, and visitors get to talk to a greater variety of people.

One last bit of advice: if you hear annoying music emanating from a stand, grab some info and move on to the next stand. Years ago, I was at a show where "Rock 'n' Roll All Nite" by tongue-waggling rock legends, Kiss was played. On a loop. For two days. Passers by just grimaced and walked on.

If only I'd had that luxury.