MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convetion, Exhibition)

Holding a watercolor painting exhibition is a primary way to let the public know of the painter’s name existence and quality of work.

There is no doubt the first exhibition is a great liberating experience. It is the culmination of a dream ambition and it is difficult to know this has at last been realized even when it is actually happening. The first gallery show is one that will never be forgotten. It is a wonderful feeling. The place is full and every one is chatting or calling to old friends across the gallery floor and raising their glasses in salute. Around the gallery walls the paintings properly lit for the first time in a bright warm indirect sensation of light. Family relatives are there smiling in reflected glory. Children are hiding between the legs of the packed grown-ups. Background Mozart is being played to add class to the proceedings and soften up potential buyers.

A rather distinguished looking person from the establishment has consented to commend the work of the painter to the wider public and is standing glass in hand ready to open the show having already let it be known which painting they would like to accept as a gift from the gallery. The sounds of laughter and enjoyment gradually rise and red stickers appear on some of the paintings as the gallery owner seizes the opportunity of the moment to make sales during the flurry of excitement.

A spoon rattles a wineglass and eventually the gallery comes to order. The gallery owner welcomes everyone and introduces the painter and then asks the distinguished visitor to open the show.

The distinguished visitor nods then smiles looks round the room to make sure the audience is quiet and still before beginning the address:

‘It gives me great pleasure to see you all here this evening at this first exhibition and show of watercolor paintings by a new rising star to our painting community. As you can see the walls are covered this evening by top class work carried out with assurance care and dedication by the painter. I have already spoken to the many experienced painters here and they all confirm the merit in the work. Watercolors are a difficult medium in which to paint. I know this from my own experience as I too paint in watercolors but I admit I am almost inclined to regret the addition of another competent worker to our lists who makes my own efforts look even more vacuous than even I thought they were[laughter] but seriously we are here to congratulate and support our painter with our best wishes many sales and hope for much success in the future. I am honored to declare this exhibition well and truly open!’ Loud applause follows with some cheering from the family.

If the painter decides to reply we may get ‘ Thank you for your very generous introduction and best wishes – I will try to live up to them in the future. I would like to thank especially my spouse [good on yer Bill]and all those in my family who have supported me and wish to thank especially all of you here tonight who have come out despite the dreadful rain to help make this evening a success. While I am here I would like to invite you to my next show one year from now. Thank you very much again.’

Next you will probably conduct the distinguished visitor around the gallery walls and point to the red sticker on the painting the distinguished person admired so much and please to accept as a free gift. The distinguished visitor laughs loud and accepts with surprise at the generosity of the gift and promises to ‘treasure the painting for ever with many thanks.’

The opening show continues as gradually people drift away with their congratulations until closing time.

Now the world has finally opened up at last – ‘and about time too!’ you think.

In spite of everything the work may not sell. If this is so this must not be taken a rejection of the work nor of its quality. The work may indeed be awful. On the other hand it may be good but not what the public wants hanging up in the living room just in case the neighbors take fright and feel they must uproot and go and live elsewhere. Some painters repulse buyers with wrong attitude or they exhibit to the wrong audience. Other painters over-sell their stuff without finding out what the client is interested in. Some viewers never buy but never miss an opening of a show.

To exhibit means to show. It is better to think of an exhibition as a show.

Start with a small show in a school hall as part of an annual festival of sorts and a place to get to know the ropes of exhibiting. The goal is to network to make friends with leaders in the community and with those visitors who simply like to look at paintings.

Discuss watercolor painting with all who show interest in the subject. It is amazing how a visitor will immediately assume how expert your work is and say how they always wished they had the talent to paint and have an exhibition of their own.

Start with a show of 10 paintings on a variety of different subjects to show the extent of your virtuosity. The purpose of this is to see which subject type appeals most to both yourself and visitors. Make a note of the time spent by visitors on each painting and note if they are men women or children. Speak to all of your visitors and introduce yourself as the painter. Discuss painting but most of all listen.

When you exhibit your paintings you actually open your inner self to others. Public interest in psychology is high and visitors feel free to draw the most outrageous conclusions about your hidden views preferences and upbringing. Some will analyze the meaning of your choice of color and others will draw political conclusions from details in the paintings as if they were runes cast in some sort of fortune-telling ritual. Interest and knowledge of esoteric subjects too is high and this interest adds to unexpected range of questions about you.

Most painters are probably flattered by this attention but others perhaps – not so much. I am urging you to be careful – you may be concerned. Some painters know or feel this is happening but are not troubled. Other painters may hold back and fear this invasion into their privacy and let their work become inhibited as a result. A painting reveals more about us that any other thing. There is nothing we can do about this – but beware.

Size of paintings at exhibitions is very important. Select and show only half full-size pictures with subjects that mount in the horizontal frame. Arrange the pictures in a single level straight row so that an imaginary line runs across the paintings a third of the way up the side of the picture at eyelevel.

Try spacing the pictures with half the length of the pictures between them. This spacing may be affected by the variation in tone of the pictures. Hang the paintings so they are equidistant apart.

A gallery creates a market for your paintings. Do not stay with a particular gallery until you have tried the others. I am not able to change galleries – I have to remain loyal. I would only change my present gallery if I were not welcome there. Find your gallery and stay with it or change gallery regularly to suit your mood.

Gallery fees and all the expenses when added up will probably absorb a third of your total sales. Your expenses as a percentage of gross sales will probably drop as sales grow because expenses will remain more or less static.

Use an accountant’s format to record all transactions stated with a final balance struck. No working out what you owe and what is owed to you on the back of an envelope.

Be present in the gallery as long as you can. Do not try to sell the pictures – instead – let clients buy.
If you are one for hard selling make it appear otherwise. If not let the gallery owner or manager do the selling. The gallery owner will not allow you to drive frequent clients away by crude selling.

Keep your own record of each picture displayed and price shown. Price stickers placed on the glass take time to add and later remove but the gallery will decide what is best – it is their call.

Take date recorded photographs of each gallery wall for record purposes and of each individual picture displayed. Also record the gallery and date on the back of the prints.

Remember suspension hanging systems are always used in galleries. Displays in schools or church halls have no such facility so make display arrangements well in advance to prevent being caught out.

Gallery lighting should be designed to show the painting at the correct lumen intensity without giving glass reflections into the viewers’ eye. If the eye is at any angle above 45 degrees to any part of the glass there will be no reflection.

Photo non-reflecting light diffusing glass must not be used as it collects light from a wider angle then focuses it and actually increases light exposure. Thus more light will enter the pigment than with ordinary glass. Gallery exhibition lighting standards are normally designed to be color correct so that the colors in the paintings are true.

Normal picture grade glass is free from distortion caused by thickness variation.

It is a good idea to find out if your pictures show well in gallery lighting. The color strength of your paintings may not be as strong as you think. Carry out a test to see if you need to make tonal adjustments to your paintings otherwise they may appear to be too weal.

When transporting your watercolor paintings prop them vertically on edge in the back seat of your car but on a shock-absorbing surface such as medium firm foam. Only you should move your pictures – do not rely on others. Place your pictures face to face and move them in pairs. This makes them easy to carry and helps to avoid damage to frames.

Use your car safety belts or Velcro straps to secure them against damage from hard braking.

This is the last article in the WC 1-10 series and covers vital matters connected with watercolor painting but not to the actual Technique of painting itself. The next series will be about laying down washes. It will be strictly about the Technique of Watercolor Painting. The first will be under the code number will be WW01.

My very best wishes.

John Blenkin is a retired architect and is now a watercolor painter and article writer. His interests are wide covering both technical and philosophical subjects. He also writes online articles on the technique of watercolor painting.

http://www.freefolios.com/

foka@spidernet.com.cy

Hand in hand with specialist publications and websites, franchise exhibitions are a useful addition to your franchise research arsenal. After all, when else will you get the chance to meet and compare the head office teams of so many franchise brands in such a short space of time?

Although franchisor attendance of exhibitions is on the decline as franchisors switch their funding toward web and print-based recruitment drives (only 21 per cent of franchisors rate franchise exhibitions as the most useful method of recruiting franchisees according to the 2005 NatWest/British Franchise Association UK Franchise Survey), the forthcoming National Franchise Exhibition (7th-8th October at the NEC, Birmingham) still expects to draw in excess of 250 brands. These companies operate in fields as diverse as quick service restaurants, high street retail, health & fitness, lettings & estate agency, driver hire agency and domestic & commercial cleaning.

Each of these brands will be spending thousands of pounds to set out their stall to potential franchisees. In addition to the cost of booking exhibition stand space, exhibitors have invested capital in creating a highly colourful and branded stand, devoted time, travelling and hotel expenses to moving themselves and their staff to the event for its duration and possibly commissioned a promotional campaign in the national and franchise press to publicise their involvement. All this investment creates a highly charged and competitive selling atmosphere, with the onus on the staff manning the stands to achieve the franchisor’s ambitious targets for the number of prospects conversed with and registered for further contact.

This pressured environment can be intimidating, so keep in mind your goals: to identify a number of promising opportunities that deserve further investigation after the event and to meet and gain an impression of the management of those franchises, all the while retaining a level of detachment sufficient to avoid being swept up in the hype and enthusiasm. Franchise exhibitions should be treated as part of your franchise research, not the whole, and wise visitors will set aside a whole day to visit as many stands and talk to as many franchisors as possible. By approaching the event with a strategy, perhaps sitting down with a copy of the expo catalogue when you arrive and identifying your ‘must sees’, you’ll have a better chance of coming away from the event satisfied that you have gained an accurate picture of the range of opportunities you want to explore. A full calendar of UK and international franchise exhibitions has been compiled by the franchise consultancy FDS and is available on their website: http://www.franchise-group.com/exhibition_calendar.htm

THE TWO-WAY INTERVIEW

Meetings between franchisors and potential franchisees are often described as two-way interviews, and this is the best way to approach franchisor exhibitors. You are both gauging each other’s potential as a partner in a franchise relationship, and you must strive to maintain a balanced approach to the meeting.

On the one hand, you are attempting to discern the details of the franchise and the philosophy of the management team from your meeting, which may not be with a member of the management. Arm yourself with a list of questions before the event to ensure you make the most of this opportunity – an excellent crib list of questions is The Franchise Magazine’s Franchise Guidance Checklist.

On the other, the person you are talking to is charged with evaluating you. Do you have the capital investment that you claim? Do you have what it takes to operate the franchised business, and conform to the corporate values of the concept? Are you capable of making the decision to invest or unlikely to commit? It is possible they may misread your intentions and not class you as a genuine prospect, in which case they’ll be quick to ask you to fill in a registration card for possible follow-up after the exhibition and seek to devote their time to meeting with more promising stand visitors. If your interest in the opportunity is sincere, make this clear and request that you receive the attention your serious interest deserves.

BFA ACCREDITATION

Many exhibitions reassure visitors that all exhibitors are vetted by the British Franchise Association (www.thebfa.org). However, companies that sign up to participate in the event too late for the proper checks to be made will be classed as ‘Accreditation Pending’, while ‘Provisional Listing’ status is conferred upon franchises that may still be at the pilot stage.

Make yourself aware of the levels of BFA accreditation (see box, right), and the level of accreditation of each brand you speak to, but don’t rely on this status to the detriment of your own research.

The BFA itself recommends that “you still have the responsibility to undertake your own research on the substance of the proposition and your suitability for itit is not a substitute for your own research.”

SEMINARS

Most exhibitions run accompanying seminars to educate visitors. Subjects such as ‘An introduction to franchising’ and ‘How to franchise your business’ are covered, usually lasting the best part of an hour. It is up to you to decide how your time is best spent, although anyone who has read more than a couple of editions of The Franchise Magazine will learn little new information.

KEEP YOUR CHEQUEBOOK CLOSED

Most franchisors view the return on their investment as a significant amount of registered interest in their opportunity – a list of leads on which to follow up, with a percentage ‘converting’ by investing in the franchise.

Certainly no franchisor should be seeking to sign franchisees up on the exhibition floor, and you should consider any attempt to get you to sign a franchise contract or signal of intent document as a highly dubious practise – one which could signal a franchisor keen to avoid too much investigation into its track record, or one that is desperate for the franchise fee to shore up a dodgy financial situation.

COOL OFF

Approached properly, franchise exhibitions represent valuable and even fun opportunities to gain access to the people involved with the franchises available and secure the information you need to properly consider the opportunity being presented. By the end of the day you’ll be returning home with a couple of plastic bags full of brochures and promotional literature, which you can read through during your cooling off period. Combined with the research you have carried out on the internet and through reading The Franchise Magazine (www.thefranchisemagazine.net), you should now have enough information to begin identifying the opportunities that most interest you.

Stuart Anderson is the editor of The Franchise Magazine (http://www.thefranchisemagazine.net), European Franchising (http://www.europeanfranchising.net) and Franchise International (http://www.franchise-international.net). The Franchise Magazine was established in 1985 and has become a highly respected source of UK franchise information.

Exhibition stands can be a very effective marketing tool when used correctly. Exhibitions attract many different kinds of people that can help make your product, or company a success. As a result, it is important to make the most of your exhibition stands. Following these five tips should help you to have a successful exhibition.

1. Respect and give attention to all visitors at your stand. You should use the same philosophy as, “the customer is always right.” What that implies is that anyone visiting your stand should be given respect and attention. Showing disrespect or ignoring them will not yield the results you desire. There are many different types of people that come to exhibitions. Ensure that you don’t simply ignore certain demographics (like seniors, for example). Every person is important, so seek out the people who are wandering in the aisles and are not getting attention from anyone else. Talking to them and giving them respect is a great way to get them to remember your message.

2. Adjust to the types of visitors you will have. A great “pitch” can work wonders, but if the same pitch is used on media, buyers, advertising sales staff, specifiers, consultants, and all other visitors it will simply not be effective. Adjust your pitch to the type of visitor you are dealing with. Does an old person looking to buy your product care if Jessica Simpson endorses it? Does a young person want a job that is good for seniors? Keep these types of questions in mind when talking to your visitors.

3. Go after actual leads at the exhibition. Some exhibitors believe very strongly that they need to get “names” at an exhibition. This could not be more untrue. Names are not important; actual leads are. Actual qualified leads are visitors that have the capability to fulfill an organizational objective (such as a sale or job interview) and whom you have enough information about so you can respond to them specifically after the exhibition. It wouldn’t make sense to send a sales letter to a job applicant and a job application to a member of the media. Having accurate information about your visitors (besides just their names) is paramount.

4. Time limits should always be set. There will be many people visiting your stand. You cannot spend a great amount of time on one person, because then others will be neglected. Every person visiting is important and should thusly be given a due amount of consideration. A five-minute time limit for dealing with a visitor is a good idea. It ensures that the exhibition keeps moving, and that your specific stand does not get clogged up with too many people at once.

5. Follow up on your exhibition leads! This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people take the time and effort to set up a beautiful exhibition and do not follow up on their leads. Why even set up a stand if you won’t use the information you acquire? Exhibition stands are great ways to help the success of your company, so use your information wisely.

James Grueson recommends DiscountDisplays.co.uk for exhibition stands.

Exhibitions are a great opportunity for marketing your business direct to trade. With so many traders and or consumers located at one time, in one relatively small location, exhibitions offer an invaluable platform on which promote and advertise your product or company. Exhibiting is such a powerful marketing tool and also one where you get to meet clients and traders face-to-face. Additionally, exhibitions in highly accessible cities such as London can attract visitors internationally, offering you the chance to network far afield. There are though certain things you must consider such as which exhibition to best exhibit at, what goals and targets you should set, how you can best prepare for an exhibition, and what training your staff will need. Below we discuss how you can best use exhibitions as a powerful marketing tool for your business.

Choosing the best exhibition

It may seem obvious that you need to evaluate the best exhibition at which to exhibit, especially considering that it does involve a certain level of cost to market your business this way. Nevertheless, you need to consider the pros and cons of whether to exhibit at a trade exhibition or a consumer exhibition. A trade exhibition will offer you a great chance to build strong contacts within the industry itself, to talk with other business’ you may be able to work with and also a chance to evaluate your competitors who themselves are exhibiting. At a public exhibition on the other hand, you have the chance to start honing in on your customers, to create sales contacts and to network.

Having decided what type of exhibition i.e. trade or public, it is a good idea to then evaluate the statistics for visitor numbers. If the show is held annually, evaluate the number of exhibitors who attend the show; this will give you some indication of the importance of the show. If you can, check to see if the leaders and your competitors exhibit at this show and if they do, are they re-exhibiting. This information will help to indicate the value of the show you are considering exhibiting at, i.e. if your competitors have used this exhibition before and feel that it is again worth attending. Spending time to find out this kind of information may perhaps seem like wasted time but when you consider the costs involved, you will want to ensure you choose the best show/s.

Goals, Targets and Planning

Exhibitions are invaluable as a marketing tool, but they do incur costs and this investment in time and money will be wasted if you do not have clearly set targets and goals. If you are exhibiting at a show for the public for example, you should have clearly defined sales targets. You also need to plan for the exhibition properly and in advance. You will be putting yourself in front of the public and also be making yourself visible to the industry as a whole. For this reason you’ll want to ensure that you create a great impression to everyone who walks by. Do not overlook the small things even things such as where to store the coats and bags of your staff or access points for laptops.

Exhibition Specialists – Display stands