14 do’s and don’ts in mounting an exhibit
SO YOU want to mount an exhibit?
Dodije Fabian, business developmet consultant of Themes & Motifs, the organizer of the biggest, most comprehensive and longest running wedding fair in the country, gives us some pointers, suggestions, tips, and lessons that are applicable not only to prospective events organizers, but also to other business-oriented individuals:
1. Know your target market
Themes & Motifs has been mounting wedding exhibits since 2001 in Rockwell. Right from the beginning, they knew that they will target the high-end market. They know that they need suppliers that can deliver to this market’s demands.
It’s important to know who you want to focus on. For instance, they noticed that recently, there is a rise in OFW couples who save for a nice wedding, and splurge for that when they get here.
ticipate in your event.
4. Think out-of-the-box
Following what’s conventional might be safe at first, but could also be restricting. Creativity, on the other hand, could open so many doors for anyone when used properly. There are so many ways to sell an event, and being successful in doing something that others thought irrational is the best way to vindicate an imaginative mind.
5. Be realistic with your budget
No matter how big or how small your venue is, you will still pay for manpower, electrical supplies, provisions, brochures, and of course, the space, so it’s wise to keep tab of what gets out of your pocket.
2. Do your homework on what your target market really wants
They know that couples have certain preferences, like imported wedding invitations, flowers, etc. It pays to keep abreast on what’s trendy and what’s new, as the changes in lifestyle and taste of consumers continuously evolve. Know what’s going to work for your target market.
“We saw the trend now like, the rise of wedding jewelry, and before, there were so few female make-up artists, but now most of them are. We also see dogs in weddings now, even cats.”
3. Establish contacts with tried and tested suppliers
There’s nothing worse than having unreliable suppliers who will risk your company’s name, especially when you are just starting. Research on credible suppliers, and always require legal business documents before allowing them to par-
6. Treat all the participants/suppliers equally
“We have had bigname wedding designers and suppliers who tell us ‘That’s beneath us, we won’t fax you to join your event’ and we tell them ‘So what are we going to do here, we have to be fair to everyone, if you don’t want to follow the procedure, then, sorry.’ It’s not fair to the others who followed our instructions.”
For Themes & Motifs, they believe that everyone should be given a fair chance to participate in their events, from the smalltime entrepreneurs to popular suppliers.
The way they do this is, for the wedding photographers for instance, they use the “bunutan” (raffle) system. It might be unsophisticated for others, but it works well to preserve fairness.
As for the other suppliers, the Themes & Motifs management request them to personally register during the first day of the exhibit in progress. Themes & Motifs is the biggest wedding exhibit organizer, so naturally, they are always fully booked, and so this registration is for one year in advance.
7. Be a good example to your staff and to suppliers