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Contents:      10 safety tips for exhibitors

                       Effective exhibiting is learnable

                       EXSA hosting an exhibitor workshop

                       Students looking for trade exhibition experience

                       Disaster Management will have a big impact on stand building

                       MARKEX - the show for every company that exhibits                        

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10 Safety tips for exhibitors: losing goods at an exhibition can ruin your participation or be personally devastating. Herewith a few tips to protect your goods. Don't:

1. go to a show without a list stating what is inside every box. This will help you unpack in the required order and ensure nothing is missing, when you re-pack after the show.

2. leave your goods scattered all over the stand, when packing and unpacking

3. put out small items, give-aways or consumables until just before the show opens

4. place small items on the edges of your stand, i.e. front or sides

5. leave your stand unattended, ever! This includes during the build-up and break-down periods. As long as you have your goods on the stand, make sure that you have a least one person on the stand, as long as the hall is open.

6. ask your neighbours to look after your stand. 

7. forget to arrange a lockable cupboard for valuable items, personal goods and cell phones.

8. forget to lock-up telephone handsets overnight.

9. forget to secure lap-top computers to counters and tables. Locking cables are available at computer shops.

10. leave prototypes or really valuable equipment on the stand overnight. Either get permission from the organisers, to remove it nightly or employ a security guard if it is too heavy to move.

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Effective exhibiting is learnable but a lot of stand staffers resist education, stating that they've been doing shows for 20 years and have nothing new to learn. Just as selling techniques have changed, so have exhibiting techniques. I know of few sales people who don't jump at the chance to improve their selling skills and try to attend as many seminars as possible. And this is for a skill used almost every working day!

Acknowledge Sextant Group

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EXSA will be hosting a 3-hour exhibitor workshop on Wednesday, 12th May at Gallagher Estates, aimed at improving the return on the exhibition investment; which means more leads, orders and new business.

"The course you ran for our company and our clients was fantastic. Even though we are in the industry we all learnt so much about exhibiting!! It was such a success that we are going to run it three times this year’ said Justin Hawes, M.D. of Scan Display about the 3-hour exhibitor workshop.. To book your place at the workshop on 12th May, 2004 or for more information, contact Joy Donovan or phone (011) 792-9958

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AAA School of Advertising students, studying for a 'Higher Diploma in Integrated Marketing Communication' are looking for experience in trade exhibitions. If you are looking for temporary staff to work at exhibitions or on your stand, please contact Michele Venter-Davies or phone (011) 781-2772

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 Disaster Management - you will be hearing a great deal about disaster management this year as new legislation could have a major impact on the exhibition industry. First up, the Sandton Convention Centre has amended their contracts with Event Owners and now require them to produce documentation relating to:

* electrical compliance certificates for every temporary installation

* certificate confirming all draping is fire proof or treated similarly

* structural or other certificates confirming safe design and usage of ramps, lighting, AV, rigging etc.

which will obviously impact on stand building. I will keep you informed of developments but you can certainly look for other exhibition venues to apply similar conditions.

Information from the MICE newsletter

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MARKEX and World of Events will be held at Sandton Convention Centre, 8 - 10 June. 2004. For the first time, MARKEX and World of Events will also be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, 28 - 30 July. This is the show for companies who exhibit, as it features marketing products and services, including stand designers, display systems, graphics, give-aways etc.

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Click here for back issues of Exhibitor Express

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The purpose of this newsletter is to help you achieve maximum results from trade exhibitions. There will be regular free tips and advice that will pep up your performance and help you gain the best return on your exhibition investment. If you have specific questions on exhibiting, please e-mail them to: joy@donovan.co.za or phone 011-792-9958. More free help and advice is available at www.exhibitor.co.za Please feel free to pass this newsletter onto friends and colleagues, who can arrange their own free subscription at joy@donovan.co.za

 If you require information on in-house exhibitor training, coaching or mentoring, please e-mail joy@donovan.co.za  phone 011-792-9958 fax 011-792-7597. 

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