We’ve got four trade shows coming up in the next two months, which is nearly all our shows for the year. These are big shows at big venues like Cobo Hall and Anaheim Convention Center. We’ve got 10′ and 20′ inline booths, nothing fancy.
But boy do we get solicitations for services like: plasma screen rental, shipping, and booth rental. Clogs up the fax and email. I guess there is a certain percentage that needs these things and they are clueless enough to need to be bugged. Besides, everyone knows that you are supposed to buy the Plasma screen with a company credit card, then take it home after the show 😉
A story: Last week I got a call from the senior VP of one show’s Daily News–you know, the kind you find outside your hotel door every day of the show. Gotta close the books, he says, $1,500 gets full page ad in three issues plus 500 word article. Wow, almost too good to be true, send me some more info, I ask.
He calls back to discuss the offer with me and I put him off for a day. I miss his call back and actually feel compelled to call back–to tell him no thanks. I call back (pull up his email with his phone #, not the # on the voice-mail) and get a receptionist who says he is almost never at this number. Really, I think, why would he list it on his email? She said she would have him call me back.
Ten minutes later I get a call from different guy from a similarly sounding Daily News saying “A little bird told me you might be in the market for advertising at the show”. He’s asking for 3,500 for a half page ad. When I ask, he says he is different than the other publication. Sorry, no thanks, I bail. No call back from my buddy the VP, either.
While neither is the ‘official’ daily, hearing there are two certainly makes me question the validity of both. Of course, the shady dealings themselves are enough of a red flag. Glad my instinct was to say no to these clowns.