True Tales of the Trade Show: Pam Harman

And…

We’re back with another thrilling installment of “True Tales of the Trade Show.” This no holds barred series sets out to capture the dynamic world of trade shows through the eyes of seasoned veterans who have witnessed it firsthand… and lived to tell the tale.

Our fourth episode (how time flies!) continues with Pam Harman, Echelon’s Vice President, Chief “Client Care” Officer, and 30-year trade show industry vet. She’s both a boss and the most fun you can have at work. How often does that happen???

Interviewer: How long have you been in the trade show industry?

Pam Harman: Let’s see. I started with Nth Degree back in 1995, and that was my first introduction to the trade show industry.

Interviewer: Amazing! Almost 30 years!

Pam Harman: Great. Don’t remind me.

Interviewer: Okay. In those 30 years, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever had to do for a client at a trade show or an event?

“So, I stood in the closet for eight hours with a heat gun defrosting the air conditioning.”

Pam Harman: Oh, that’s an easy one: Russell Athletics. We had built a double deck across an aisle exhibit, and there were conference rooms that we had closets that had to have air conditioning… because it was in Las Vegas, and the air conditioning was too big for the room. So, I think it was their CEO was coming in for a meeting and the air conditioning was freezing! So, I stood in the closet for eight hours with a heat gun defrosting the air conditioning. It was quite the experience, and probably the craziest thing I ever did for a client. It was tough, but you do what you have to do in this business.

Interviewer: Even with the best of planning, as they say, plans often go awry. Can you tell us about an occasion when the plans for one of your shows became derailed?

Pam Harman: Oh boy, yes. We were once at a regional jewelry show and we couldn’t find the truck hired to transport the exhibit to the show. So, we had to look for the truck. Apparently, the driver had gotten really disgruntled with his company and dropped the truck off somewhere on the side of the road—but we didn’t know where. We had to enlist the police to help us look for it. In the meantime, we had to work out another exhibit that would be set up the night before the show. Luckily, the booth eventually showed up at midnight that night. So it was just another crazy thing that happened, that you could not have expected or prepared for at all. But we worked it out. We did what we could. In those situations, you just have to focus on working the problem and find a solution as best you can.

Interviewer: Totally. And it seems like you’re constantly on your toes, right?

“You just need to remember to breathe and not freak out about the unexpected things that happen.”

Pam Harman: Absolutely! You just need to remember to breathe and not freak out about the unexpected things that happen. Just do what you can to take care of them. That’s what we do.

Interviewer: That’s amazing advice. Okay, in terms of trade show trends, what are some of the things that you’re seeing out there these days?

Pam Harman: I think the biggest trend is going back to fabric. Material handling has become so expensive, so a lot of people are going back to fabrics and lighter-weight materials. The benefit is that you can change out the fabric. You don’t have to change the whole structure if you have new graphics for marketing and things like that. Big LED screens are also part of it. We just exhibited at the JCK show with Stuller, and they ended up doing a big screen for the Platinum Guild. I think it was four or five feet wide by 10 feet tall. LED screens are a great way to show messaging in motion, that they can change with minimal effort. As well, they can use the marketing pieces throughout the year—not just for trade show. So, they’re really trying to work at integrating more marketing, for events and trade shows, but also as digital media throughout the course of the year. That’s smart.

Interviewer: Speaking of marketing, what are some trade show tips or tricks that you could offer to a first-time event planner or marketing manager?

Pam Harman: Wow. Again, I think it’s integration with your marketing plan. Understand that you don’t have to separate the trade show and events portion of your marketing. Instead, see how you can integrate various elements—whether it’s animation, video, messaging, etc. It’s critical to understand the different components of the event and how they tie together with your brand. Consistency is as important as logistics, making sure that you stay on top of deadlines and all the things that come up from an event standpoint. But again, I think that the biggest thing is motion. How you engage your clients, and how you attract new prospects has to be dynamic. You can just wait for people to come into your stand. First-time event planners really need to consider their lead generation plan well before they arrive at the show.

Interviewer: Fore sure. Four years after the pandemic, trade show attendance is higher than ever. What kind of challenges does that present?

Pam Harman: Trade show attendance is soaring! As a result, paying attention to traffic flow is paramount. I’ve had clients in the past clutter their exhibit space, making it way too busy and too difficult to walk through. Space planning and proxemics are more important than ever. What is the experience you want your visitors to have? How do you get them to explore your exhibit? What’s the best way to meet with them? Is it there a meeting room? Do they just want tables and chairs around the booth? There are a lot of questions to ask and variables to consider now that attendance numbers are off the charts.

Interviewer: Has that also inflated pricing across the board?

“Marketing managers can’t rely on last year’s prices, and they’re surprised when we explain why they’ve exceeded their budget.”

Pam Harman: Oh, yeah—BIGTIME. That’s one of the biggest challenges. We have clients who are planning their budgets based on last year’s prices, but material handling costs are more expensive year over year. Shipping has become more expensive. Then there’s over the road costs that weren’t as high as they were in the past. Labor costs have increased too. Marketing managers can’t rely on last year’s prices, and they’re surprised when we explain why they’ve exceeded their budget. This requires more of our time to help manage expectations, and why we’re more transparent than ever.

Interviewer: Gotcha. Well, given the hundreds, if not thousands, of trade show and exhibit design companies that are operating now, what are some of the things that you’re doing at Echelon to help stand out against this competition?

Pam Harman: Well, I always say first it’s the people. We have a great group of people at Echelon. We’re a tight team almost like a family. Each person is really interested in working together and making sure that they’re taking care of the clients. So that’s one of the things is we all, being a smaller group, most of our team knows of each of the clients, and they’re able to step in when they need to. As a result, our clients really love working with us and tend to come back every year.

Interviewer: If you had one word or phrase to describe the trade show industry, what would it be?

Pam Harman: How ‘bout two words: Diversity & Excitement. There’s truly a trade show for everything—every industry and sector of business… and there’s NEVER a dull moment. This industry will certainly keep you on your toes!

Interviewer: How do you deal with the stress of the industry?

Pam Harman: Delegation helps! So does having the support of such a great team!!

Interviewer: I love that. What’s the weirdest show you’ve ever attended?

Pam Harman: Oh, wow. I would say—and I didn’t go to this show—but the adult toy industry show sounds pretty interesting.

Interviewer: Hilarious! Count me in. Okay, last question. Looking forward towards the future of this industry, what are you most excited about, Pam?

Pam Harman: Retirement! 30 years is a long time to be on your feet!!