We’re back again with our non-artificially generated series, “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 survived!
Today’s episode features our unflappable account management superstar, amazing human being, and Midwestern wunderkind, Patti Jensen. Enjoy!
Interviewer: Patty, how long have you been working in the trade show industry?
Patti Jensen: I’ve been at Echelon for seven years now, and then before that I managed trade shows sporadically at a company that I owned.
Interviewer: What do you do at Echelon?
Patti Jensen: I’m a Client Account Manager, although I don’t go to the trade shows. [She laughs]. When I got this job, one stipulation was that I didn’t want to travel. So, I don’t really do the onsite supervising like a lot of my colleagues do.
Interviewer: I envy that! But you’re on the account side, even without traveling, plans can go sideways.
Patti Jensen: Oh, I can tell you a story about that. There was a show that was going on in Texas. With everything ready to go our I&D team was waiting for the exhibit to arrive. But the driver went MIA. So we were all calling, where’s the driver? The trucking company was calling, where’s the driver? But the driver wouldn’t pick up—he just wouldn’t pick up! The trucking company finally got him to pick up the phone and the booth finally was delivered. But then everything for the labor crew got kicked into overtime. And as you know, that can get quite expensive when the labor crew needs to work overtime. Though it all worked out, it was such a nail-biting experience to wonder if the booth was even going to be delivered, let alone set up in time. When this stuff happens and it’s very hard to plan for it.
Interviewer: Yikes. Well, what are some tips that you would offer a first-time event planner or marketing manager who has never managed a trade show?
“Trade shows will always surprise you. So you need to be ready to shift gears and make the changes that need to be made.”
Patti Jensen: You need to understand that things are going to change when you get everything done and you’re thinking, oh, this is all done. That’s when the client (or executive up the ladder) changes their mind. Or, you have a problem with the venue that something’s different than what you thought it was going to be. So, you have to be flexible to change gears and make changes. Also, you really need to know how to multitask. Often you’re in the middle of doing something and everything’s going well, and then the phone rings and now have to stop and pivot to something else. Flexibility is crucial. You also need to remember not to get all uptight when things change. I try to approach each show knowing that it’s probably going to change even though you placed the orders, and did all the things on your checklist. Trade shows will always surprise you. So you need to be ready to shift gears and make the changes that need to be made.
Interviewer: Four years after the pandemic it seems that trade show attendance is so much higher than ever. What kind of challenges exist in this current market?
Patti Jensen: A lot of the challenges I see in account management is that everyone’s so busy, and everything has amped up so much that many of our clients don’t have enough time to make their plans. As a result, we’ll get approached by clients who want end-to-end support for a show with only a few weeks’ notice. We’re definitely hit with a lot more planning issues. This can get really challenging from our point of view because we obviously want to come through and meet the client’s needs, but sometimes it’s a very tight timeframe and it can be frustrating for everyone involved.
Interviewer: What are some of the trends you’re seeing, like the latest trends in account management, that you’ve seen in your seven years with Echelon?
Patti Jensen: From the account manager side—and this is going to sound really banal—but it’s all the various log-ins! After Covid, in order to place orders on our clients’ behalf, we now need to get their credentials to log into the show service sites. We used to be able to do this on their behalf, as their trade show agents, but this has mostly stopped. So now they pretty much tell you, get your clients login and log in using their information. And sometimes that’s like pulling teeth to get that information for us to be able to do our jobs, to log in and do the service orders and things like that.
Interviewer: Wow, that’s tough. Well, given the thousands of trade show companies that are in operation today, what are some of the things that Echelon is doing to stand out against the competition?
“We’re REALLY good about the person-to-person contact. Very rarely will anyone call us and not get someone on the phone, whether it be in the office or via our mobile phones.”
Patti Jensen: We’re REALLY good about the person-to-person contact. Very rarely will anyone call us and not get someone on the phone, whether it be in the office or via our mobile phones. We give out our cell phones to everyone. So if there’s a problem, or a question, we’re always just a phone call away. You’re not going to get an automated recording with menu message, “press one for this, press two for so-and-so.” We really try to limit our clients’ friction and frustration. At Echelon, we’re all about giving the best personal service we can.
Interviewer: That’s great. If you had one word or phrase, describe the trade show industry, what would it be?
Patti Jensen: CRAZY! I dunno if that’s good, but this industry can be nuts. You have to thrive on chaos to be able to work in this industry. But, fortunately it’s mostly an organized chaos!
Interviewer: How do you deal with the stress?
Patti Jensen: Drink my wine; work out a lot. So that helps me a lot. Even if it isn’t trade show stress, on a personal level, you just have to say to yourself… in six months, is this really going to matter? I just try to do my best and not to worry too much about the small things. Some things are just out of our control, so I just focus on what I can control and leave it at that.
Interviewer: That’s great. What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever had to do for a client?
Patti Jensen: I don’t know if I can come up with that. [She laughs].
Interviewer: Any special orders that you’re like, wow, this is the first time I’ve ever done that.
Patti Jensen: Maybe just going to Costco and getting things that they want to ship with their boot, the refreshments and sundry items. And sometimes clients just give you a list, so they have it shipped with their booth. And when they get there, everything’s set as to how they want it.
Interviewer: Looking towards the future, what are you most excited about with the trade show industry in general?
“People really want to try new things, and get back to a growth mindset, post-pandemic.”
Patti Jensen: The growth. It’s just great to see that people are excited about getting out. People really want to try new things, and get back to a growth mindset, post-pandemic.
Interviewer: Amazing. And your previous business, I’m curious, what was it? What did you do? What was your company?
Patti Jensen: My husband and I still have it. It’s called Pacific Lights. We were so outdoor lighting company and sell a natural LED lighted palm tree. It’s a palm tree that looks real during the day, but it lights up at night. It’s a fun and it reminds me to smile and enjoy the sunshine. Learn more here: https://pacificlightsinc.com