The feedback on yesterday’s blog with ideas on how to make your presence at a Bridal Show was pretty remarkable.  Here are several different scenarios from Chris Fawkes, Lori Nordstrom, Bambi Cantrell and Kathleen Chuparkoff-Hawkins.  You may have seen a couple of these on Facebook already, but that doesn’t change the importance of what they’re saying.  All four photographers have some great experiences and backgrounds in marketing.  They know how to make noise when it counts the most!

Chris Fawkes

Wedding fairs/shows/expos are also a great way to collect client details either by running a competition from your stand or if the organizers collect couples names, making sure you get a copy.

Getting those details is absolute gold if you know how to convert them into clients.

I won’t take up space but I have written on how to do that in this pdf that can be downloaded here for anyone interested http://www.chrisfawkes.net/fbnewsNov09.pdf

Another thing to consider is staging your own bridal fair. I used to do this in the nineties and it has several bonuses.

1. Because you are the presenter it helps position you as a number one player in the minds of potential clients and other vendors.

2. It keeps you networked with other vendors.

3. Your business name and logo is printed on all the bags given to attendees as they come through the door.

4. You have more control over getting everyone’s details as they come in. I used to do this by having a door prize.

5. You will make money from running the event.

Lori Nordstrom

One thing i liked to do (when I did wedding shows), was to contact any vendors I had worked with before and ask them what I could do to help them with their booths.   I would typically have images and books in a dozen different booths and by the time I was done. people saw my images everywhere at the show!!   This doesn’t answer the question about the booth/display itself, but it definitely brought attention to my work and got people talking.

Bambi Cantrell

I couldn’t agree more about cross promoting. Today I was able to line up my favorite florist to decorate my tradeshow booth.  I have a show at the Four Seasons on Sunday, which is why it has taken me till now to post on the subject. Just too busy working on my show stopper.

I also work with an amazing bridal salon that I will create promotional literature for; and I do it for free!    It of course has my images on it and allows the salon to promote their business as well.

One of the things I’ve discovered about vendors. They don’t promote the “world’s best photographers”.. but promote the nicest. They are consumers like our clients.   If the photos look great,  but you are a jerk, no matter how many ribbons you have hanging in your studio or around your neck for that matter, they are not going to promote you, because you make their job more difficult.

Now the difficult task of trying to do something different this weekend at my show.   What can I do to get noticed?   I guess you will have to come to the show to find out.

 
In reference to Skip’s comments about drawing people in with an inviting decor:  you also must stay true to your brand and your identity. Everything from the furniture to the props should reflect the image of your studio.
 
What message do you want to communicate? Are you a contemporary, traditional, cutting edge studio? Consider teaming up with other companies like decor or furniture rental companies to help.
 
The year Jeff and I did the popcorn machine which was a HUGE hit.  We did it because we wanted to convey ourselves as story tellers. We made up big movie theater style posters with wedding images and the theme was Love Story…let us tell yours. We had red carpet, stanchions, and large artsy posters. It looked more like a movie theater and therefore stood out from the other half dozen photographers in the crowd.
 
The key is….think about what everyone else is doing and do something different!