Significance of Creativity of Events in Social and Economic Environment - Essay Example

Significance of Creativity for Events in the Current Social and Economic Environment Introduction Trade shows provide companies with a forum to promote their product or services. A trade show is defined as a time sensitive, short-term marketing atmosphere where the buyer comes to the seller (Getz, 1997). Well planned and executed trade shows can deliver many returns, but poorly designed trade shows are easily regarded a waste of time and money by attendees as well as the exhibitors (Allen, 2007, p. 90). This paper discusses various aspects of trade shows such as the innovations and creativity involved in organising them, the physical elements and design of trade shows, as well as visitor experience in trade shows, and how this affects their expectations for future events. This takes into consideration an event such as the Retail Exhibition & Conference-Melbourne that is being held between 21 and 23 June 2011 in Melbourne. How innovation differs from creativity; significance of innovation The terms creativity and innovation seem to be used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Creativity can be regarded as the process of thinking up new ideas and concepts whereas innovation is the process of transferring those thoughts into tangible items. Creativity can also be conceived as dreaming of new things while innovation is the process of turning the dreams into reality (Difference Between.net). For instance, if a company wants to capture a buyer’s attention during a trade show, it must be creative and think outside the box. It must look for ways to make the product stand out and it must position the product in a way that benefits the consumer. The services on offer should be aimed at solving the problems of the buyer. But this is only the creativity part. When it comes to innovation, the company has to ensure that the dreams and thoughts are actually accomplished. For instance, if the product on offer is a beverage, the buyers must taste it. This has to be accompanied by product demonstrations as the product cannot be expected to sell itself. If the company is selling uniforms, it must have people in the booth wearing the uniforms, and it must provide booths for the buyers to try the uniforms. Merely having the uniforms on a rack does not convey the message as is expected in a trade show. In essence, the significance of innovation is that it ensures that buyers have a feel, taste and sight of the product on offer up close (Gage, 2010, p. 15). Innovation can also go to the extent of giving people promotional products – that is items with the company’s logo on them. These include pens, umbrellas, magnets, mugs, mirrors and so forth. However, such items should used correctly with an important point of receiving a return on the investment (Promotional Concepts, not dated). Form, role and contrasting significance of creativity and innovation Different aspects of a trade show can be regarded as either creativity or innovation. For instance, a company that is selling children’s items will have messages of fun and use creative designs. The displays will be kidlike with primary colours (yellow, red and blue) or tropical colours such as pink and turquoise. These colours will create various moods, hence perceptions (Arnold, 2002, p. 65). As a matter of innovation, the company will encourage children to try the items being offered, and help in the use of items such as toys, shoes and clothes. The company may also have teddy bears representing the use of such items so as to increase their appeal. The roles played by creativity and innovation also differ. For instance, creativity will just deliver a message that a product can perform in a particular way, hence differentiating the market. Through innovation, attendees are able to see the product, get a demonstration about the products, and ask questions about the same. This changes the market significantly. Thus, during trade shows companies can launch their new products such as cars, computers and so on (Yeshin, 2006, p. 211). Such shows also enable consumers to see the latest innovations, hence boosting the image of the company. Whether to focus on creativity or innovation depends on the event and the products being marketed. For instance, as seen above, dealers in children’s items will do well with more creativity. The same applies to apparel firms which have to be more creative (in terms of various fashions) to attract more customers. But these too need innovations to make the attractions real as it is innovations that make an enterprise unique (Carson, 2003, p. 764). Turning to a different field such as the restaurant industry, two restaurants situated side by side at a trade show will still have differentiations which will make them distinct. Physical (operational) elements of a trade show When designing the operational features of a trade show, it is important to consider attributes such as the product’s features, benefits, value price, purchase and endorsement. The trade show exhibit presentation will be successful when a form of purchasing cycle is employed using both those people selected to work in the booth and the exhibit itself. The presentation of the exhibit should simply communicate from the aisle to indicate who the exhibitor is, where the location of the product is, simple features of the product, as well as the benefits of the product. Assuming that only a fraction of the total attendance are the exhibitor’s true prospects, a crucial task is to screen non-prospects from entering the exhibition booth. For instance, if a trade show expects an attendance of about 5000 and yet about 10 percent or 500 are targeted to make purchases in the current time, it will only be worthwhile to screen out the 4500 non prospects so that they do not waste time at the booth (LoCascio, not dated). One way is to do this is to apply reservation and ticketing with appropriate advertising to target mainly the interested parties. This can be perceived as a form of market differentiation (Bruce, Moore & Birtwistle, 2004, p. 9). It can also be augmented using hybrid methods leading to the show. The marketer should combine the effectiveness face-to-face methods with the efficiency of the digital methods such as online advertising. It is possible to use online facilities such as Twitter and YouTube. For instance, a company can pull content from You Tube to its trade show booth, such that its fans on YouTube will be eager to visit the trade show (Johnson, 2010, p.1). It is also important to increase accessibility by having different sections to facilitate meeting with the prospects. Any other visitors should be allocated different sections so that the objective of attending the trade show (as set by the exhibitor) is achieved (LoCascio, not dated). Design of the event A number of factors need to be considered to make the trade show memorable and successful. These include having an attractive booth design, having correct lighting in the booth, choosing the right colours from the trade show and booth design, having a soft touch on the carpet, having an open and appealing booth, having some motion for the exhibits to make them more attractive to look at, personalising the trade show booth design, and having a corporate dress code. Importantly having receptive, polite and outgoing staff in the booth will increase the return on investment of the trade show (Trade Show Resources, not dated). These objects encourage the growth of a relationship between the exhibitor and the viewers, which is the essence of the commitment trust theory. According to this theory, commitment and trust function as key mediating variables between, among other factors, relationship benefits, shared values and opportunistic behaviour (Cahill, 2007, p. 41). Along the same line, a research conducted by Chiou, Hsieh and Shen (2007) showed that companies that market innovative products usually focus on the trust and relationship building approaches toward visitors and trade show organisers. Visitor experience in the trade show The discussion above shows that the trade show should target the intended customers and take to them what they require. It is an embodiment of how the structure of the society influences the modes of consumption. To reach specific customers and show them what is new, companies should use a segmented approach to marketing as discussed. They should strive to customise their offer to niche markets; which is why the trade show should have specific objectives. This is an example of an experience economy, where companies stage events that offer individual customers memorable and personalised experiences (Bowie & Buttle, 2004, p. 69). It points out to why innovation is important as it ensures that viewers have a feel, taste and sight of the product on offer up close. The experience economy is about dreams (Jensen, 2005) – which in this paper were likened to creativity. But from creativity comes innovation, and hence unique products that customers want. Any visitor to a trade show should thus be exposed to innovation. The exhibitor should be creative enough to show the visitor that the products being offered are not just of good quality but also capture emotions. This is why the physical (operational) elements and the design of the event are paramount. The aim of using all these approaches is to ensure that customers obtain solutions for their problems; or better yet, that they experience a contribution to the way in which they decide how they want to lead their lives (Boswijk, Thijssen & Peelen, 2007, p. 51). This is the essence of involving a lot of creativity and innovation in any given trade show. Importantly, the trade show should ensure that the visitors are left with a craving for the next show – due to the innovations displayed by the company in terms of product offering. References Allen, J. 2007, The executive's guide to corporate events & business entertaining: How to choose and use corporate functions to increase brand awareness, develop new business, nurture customer loyalty and drive growth, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Arnold, M. K. 2002, Build a Better Trade Show Image: Establishing Brand by Designing a Dynamic Exhibit Experience, Tiffany Harbour Productions, New York. Boswijk, A., Thijssen, T. & Peelen, E. 2007, The experience economy: A new perspective, Pearson Education, London. Bowie, D. & Buttle, F. 2004, Hospitality marketing: An introduction, Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Bruce, M., Moore, C. & Birtwistle, G. 2004, International retail marketing: A case study approach, Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Cahill, D. L. 2007, Customer loyalty in third party logistics relationships: Findings from studies in Germany and the USA, Springer, New York. Carson, D. 2003 “Marketing for small-to-medium enterprises” in Michael J. Baker, The Marketing Book, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Chiou, J. Hsieh, C. & Shen, C. 2007, “Product innovativeness, trade show strategy and trade show performance: The case of Taiwanese global information technology firms,” Journal of Global Marketing, Vol. 20, Issue 2 & 3, pp 31 – 42. Difference Between.net, “Difference between Creativity and Innovation,” Available from http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-creativity-and-innovation/ (21 June 2011). Gage, P. 2010, Trade Show Marketing Secrets - How to Sell Your Product to Retail Buyers at a Trade Show, Boost Sales and Marketing, New York. Getz, D. 1997, Event management & event tourism, Cognizant Communication Corporation, New York. Jensen, R. 2005, “Sell me a Story – Some important marketing tools for the ‘experience economy’” Critical Eye, September – November 2005. Available from http://www.dreamcompany.dk/fileadmin/Filer/1018jensen.pdf (21 June 2011). Johnson, G. P. 2010 “Hybrid events—blending digital and physical experiences,” Focus on Results, Vol. I. Spring 2010. LoCascio P. not dated, “Managing trade show sales leads” Trade Show Consultants, available from http://www.tradeshowconsultants.com (21 June 2011). Promotional Concepts, not dated, “5 Elements to a Successful Tradeshow,” available from http://www.tompromo.com/elements-to-successful-tradeshow.aspx(21 June 2011). Trade Show Resources, “Trade show booth design,” available from http://www.trade-show-resources.com/Trade_Show_Booth_Design.htm (21 June 2011). Yeshin, T. 2006, Sales promotion, Cengage Learning EMEA, New York. Read More