Winnie the Pooh® and You…at the Tradeshow?

By Susan A. Friedmann

At first glance, there’s no connection between Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and tradeshows. The same is true of Piglet, Tigger, and the rest of the gang. What could this cuddly group of childhood favorites possibly teach us about exhibiting?

Surprisingly, quite a bit. You don’t believe me? Take a look, and see how many of your staffers you recognize:

Winnie the Pooh

Pooh Bear may be cute, cuddly, and approachable; but he’s also got one thing on his mind. What makes this roly poly bear happy? Honey, of course! When he’s not enjoying a meal, he’s in search of the next smackerel to fill his rumbly-tummy.

A Pooh-style booth staffer is hungry. He might be talking to attendees, but he’s thinking about lunch. Scents from the food court get his nostrils quivering. When he gets a chance to eat, he takes it: even if that means eating in the booth!

Piglet

Piglet is a very small animal, made even more timid when confronted with unfamiliar surroundings, loud noises, bright colors, and crowds. His reaction is to run and hide under the bed, or behind his good friend Pooh.

A Piglet-style staffer may be naturally shy or someone who is easily overwhelmed. Their reaction, inspired by fear, is to fade into the back of the booth and hope no one notices them. More often than not, they get their wish. This may be good for them, but bad for your bottom line.

Owl

Owl is an exceedingly well-educated bird. He has a brain full of facts and figures and he wants you to know it. No tidbit of information is too small to escape his attention, nor to avoid being retold to anyone who will listen.

If you have an Owl-style staffer, you might count yourself lucky. After all, she knows everything! The overwhelming compulsion to "show off" their knowledge can easily alienate attendees and send them in search of a salesperson who knows how to listen.

Rabbit

Rabbit is the busiest creature in the Hundred Acre Woods. He’s always rushing around: planting seeds over here, pulling weeds over there, chasing crows and watering daffodils. You can always tell a Rabbit-style staffer. They’re the ones with a cell phone constantly in their ear, fingers flying over the keyboard as they check e-mails or text message the home office. They’re so obviously busy taking care of business that they can’t be bothered with trivial distractions like talking to show attendees!

Tigger

Tigger is full of energy. He bounces around, springing from one thing that catches his attention to the next. Full of laughs, high spirits and infectious energy, Tiggers are a lot of fun to have around.

Enthusiasm and high energy can attract traffic to your exhibit, but without some focus and control (concepts foreign to most Tigger-types) there’s no way to capitalize on your crowds.

At this point, you might be feeling a little like Eeyore; down in the dumps. After all, with a booth full of Poohs, Piglets, Owls, Rabbits , and Tiggers, your chances for success are looking slim. Don’t despair The hero of the Hundred Acre Woods is on his way!

Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin encompasses the best traits of all five and adds crucial elements: perspective and understanding of how things actually work.

A Christopher Robin-style staffer combines Owl’s knowledge, Tigger’s enthusiasm, and Pooh’s approachability with an understanding and appreciation for the tradeshow attendee. They realize the importance of giving all their attention to their visitor, setting aside the cell phone, the laptop, and even the sandwich to focus on what’s really important.

Every exhibitor needs to have one or more Christopher Robins on their team. Now’s the time to take a look at your team. How many Christopher Robins do you have? How many Poohs? Piglets? Tiggers?

What can you do to change the makeup in your Hundred Acre Woods?

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Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows.Author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” and “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a Small Market” (May 2007).For a free copy of “10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make”, e-mail: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com; Web site: www.thetradeshowcoach.com

Published in Networking Today, April 2007