Ms. Dietrich

Social Media & PR

Hotel Trade Shows: Developing Speaking Opportunities

By Gini Dietrich, Founder & CEO, Arment Dietrich Inc.

How many hotel trade shows do you attend each year? I'm willing to bet you attend the big ones - NYU Investment Outlook, ALIS, and the Lodging Conference. Some of you probably even attend NABHOOD and the specific brand shows. So how do you get visibility for yourself and your company among the thousands of people who attend each year?

Work with trade show organizers to create a speaking opportunity for yourself of someone senior in your business! Trade show organizers want really good, dynamic speakers. And if you can prove you have a charismatic speaker and an interesting topic, you're certain to be listed on the agenda with their full promotion behind you.

Think about speaking engagements as rare opportunities to accomplish marketing goals...in one fail swoop. You can network and build relationships, enhance your reputation as an expert, and increase your visibility.

1. Learn the process for submitting a speaker proposal.

First identify the trade show coordinators and then follow their carefully established format for writing a topic outline. The format may vary from trade show to trade show so one size may not fit all. Submit a summary, bios, and a synopsis of your expertise. You should also include any previous speaking experience. And always, always, always meet the deadline. Often the call for speakers for next year starts during the current year's show or immediately following with Web site posting of dates, application forms, and possible topics - don't wait to inquire.

2. Be persistent in your follow-up with the trade show coordinators.

Not only do you have to be persistent in follow-up to make certain you get a speaking opportunity, it's a great way to keep you top-of-mind amongst the noise of everyone else. By staying in touch with the coordinators, you'll develop a personal relationship and have a better chance of being selected to speak.

3. Decide what your area of strength is or where your niche is beyond your competitors.

After you answer these questions you can draft a topic outline for the trade show organizers. Make certain, though, it's not too self-serving or too commercial or they'll shut you out. It really needs to focus on your area of expertise and what kinds of advice or tips you can offer other attendees. A review of popular speakers at previous trade shows can help you identify opportunities that may be a good fit for you.

4. Are you the right speaker?

If it's not you, who is it? The proposed speaker should be experienced at both his or her job and at speaking. Trade show organizers don't typically want to take a risk with someone who has never spoken to a crowd before - they want to fill seats and feel comfortable you and your topic will do just that. If you have someone who you think would be a great speaker, but doesn't have experience, ask the trade show coordinators if that person can be part of a panel. This gives them the experience they need to speak at next year's show.

5. Develop a proactive speaking program.

Do you have an internal marketing person or an external public relations firm? If so, this is a great job for them. If not, have an intern or junior-level person with a lot of drive take on the added responsibility. You should have someone dedicated to aggressively identifying speaking opportunities, developing relationships with event coordinators, and submitting speaker proposals. You can start with the hotel trade shows, but can eventually extend to business and local organizations. The important thing to remember is that this is time intensive, if done correctly, so assign it to someone who will do it well.

6. Develop effective presentations.

A lot of the presentations or speeches you give will be to competitors or to like business owners. That's okay...if you have an expertise or advice they can walk away with. Audiences want to have actionable information when they leave a presentation and that's how you should develop your speech. A solid and informative speech creates instant credibility and high scores from the audience. Don't turn it into a sales pitch or talk about why you're the leading hotelier or are better than everyone else. No one will listen and you won't be asked back again. Make your presentation stand out. Because trade shows are interactive and highly visual experiences ensure you create slides or other visual support that will be attractive and attention grabbing.

7. Be ready for questions.

While attending a great speech is interesting, audiences look forward to the opportunity to quiz featured speakers to gain unique insights. As you prepare your speech, also devote time to anticipating audience questions. Saving some interesting facts or insights for use in the Q & A session to further your perceived credibility and status as an expert.

8. Generate some pre-event publicity.

Ask the trade show coordinators if you can submit information about you for the pre-show materials. Find out if they provide public relations staff support or will host an official media room during the show. Spend a little money to showcase your session by taking advantage of the extra advertising the show will offer. Write a news release that discusses the key points and outline of your presentation to entice reporters to list it in their calendars and maybe even attend themselves in order to write a story. Distribute it to local newspapers and the key trade publications (especially Hotel Executive and Hotel Business Review). Make certain your official bio is in order and also available to the media. Offer to make time for one-on-one interviews prior to or immediately following your presentation. Commit extra time for more in-depth conversation about your topic of expertise.

9. Take advantage of networking.

Request a list of attendees a few days before your speech. Review and make note of at least two or three people you want to get to know better. After your presentation, seek out these people and follow-up personally with them. Share the attendee list with your colleagues; there may be a new business opportunity in there that doesn't strike you immediately.

10. Provide next stop tools.

Trade show attendees receive a lot of information and expect to walk away with resources they can reference when they are back at work. A brief that summarizes key messages from your presentation serves the dual purpose of meeting the needs of attendees with a useful summary but also makes it easy for potential prospects to follow-up with you.

If you follow these tips and remember to have someone dedicated to being aggressive about getting you speaking opportunities, you'll be able to most effectively network, provide hot leads to your sales teams, and meet your objectives.

Gini Dietrich is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arment Dietrich, Inc., a firm that uses non-traditional marketing. The author of Spin Sucks, Gini has delivered numerous keynotes, panel discussions, coaching sessions, and workshops across North America on the subject of digital marketing tools. One of the top rated communication professionals on the social networks, Gini was recently named the number one PR person, according to Klout and TechCrunch, on the channels, and number one on Twitter, according to TweetLevel. Ms. Dietrich can be contacted at 312-787-7249 or gini.dietrich@armentdietrich.com Extended Bio...

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