Running In Converse: Jack of All Trades

The season is upon on us, trade show season that is! Designers from all parts of the country come to congregate in massive venues with the hopes of being selected by buyers and or written about by press to amp up their PR. Basically it is a designers version of a casting and everyone wants to be “discovered.”

As I walked through Accessoies the Show, MODA Manhattan and Fame I noticed there were many things amiss. So much so that the horror made my fashionable eyes bleed and my styling sensibilities wash over with malaise. Let’s set the stage:

Booth after booth is set up in neat rows showcasing each respective designer. The size of the booth and location of it are usually determined by the package you select with the trade show venue. The designers are responsible for filling the booth with tables, chairs, rolling racks, steamers and anything else necessary to showcase their display unless otherwise noted. In other words, you as the designer are allowed to do whatever you want with the 2x2 (or whatever) space you are allotted.

What hit home the hardest to me was the visual appearance of most booths. I saw jewelry booths where an excessive amount of neck busts were crammed into an area where only a quarter of them would have sufficed. There was a booth where jewelry was displayed tacked to a cork board as one would find in a child’s bedroom. Clothing wasn’t steamed, hangers were inconsistent (This is a huge pet peeve of mine!) signs were hung with duct tape. DUCT TAPE! The bottom line is people notice things. Make your appearance clean and organized. If there is too much product crammed into an area, people will want to steer clear of your booth because it is not inviting.

Continuing my walk, I found a few booths that were worth my attention. I walked in and looked around. I inquired about the product. On numerous occasions the designer or their stand in did not have a clue about their collection. This blew my mind! This is your one shot deal to make a sale. How on earth are you going to sell something to someone if you do not know one little detail about it’s significance?

Another offense was eating. We all need to eat, but not on top of what we are trying to sell. Take a quick break or better yet, very discreetly eat your meal. A new level of unappealing is reached when the latent dressing from your Chicken Ceasar has spotted you Fall ’09!

Oh the cell phone. Today it is just another appendage to us. Answer me this…how are you able to help someone who is inquiring about a product when you are talking on the phone? Are you placing an order to an unknown bidder or are you telling your friend that you cannot meet them until 7? Get off the phone! I asked a man a question at one booth, he turned to me to show me that he was on a cell phone, told me he would be a while and continued to talk about his child’s soccer practice. Unbelievable.

A method some booths used to lure people in was music. This could be appropriate in the right setting, if of course that setting involved closed in boxes but we are talking about booths and not stores, i.e. no enclosed walls. We can hear you! One booth was playing Eminem. This singer is highly offensive to many people. He said he wanted to kill “you” or “me”, either way the message didn’t read “shop my line!”

And finally if you are selling a product that can be worn, wear it! Most products, be it clothing, jewelry or shoes all can look very different both on and off the body. People love seeing the products on. Do not wear clothing from competing brands. I should not even have to say this, but dress professional. Do not look like you just came from the gym, a nightclub or the garbage. Appearances are extremely important and yes, people do notice.

Where was the decorum? Doesn’t one go to a trade show to sell products and bring brand awareness? If so, it is time to get in line. Get excited and engage the people walking by your booth. Have your booth organized and visually appealing. Dress appropriately. Loose the cell phone. Hide the lunch. Wear your product. Know your product and for goodness sake please turn off the Eminem playlist. The bottom line is you want to make your booth and the people working it as inviting as you can in order to attract people. This is the first step to making a sale.

-Oriana DiNella