The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) recently released a new study titled "Exhibitor Staff Practices Summaries" which is a computation of survey results from more than 9,000 attendees and 800 exhibitors. The purpose of the CEIR study is to understand what exhibitor staff characteristics resonate best with attendees in a business-to-business environment. 

Lets highlight the key takeaways and how interactive technology tool rentals can help staff better interact with their audience. 

• 94% of attendees value exhibitor staff with knowledge about the company's product or service. 

  Technology can help play a key role in conveying knowledge. If exhibitors rent iPads, computer kiosks, and Plasma TVs for their booth, the staff can look up product information and email it to the attendee easily with a touch of the screen. Kiosks can be loaded with video, photos, and product information for the attendee if the staff is busy with others. 
   

• 56% of attendees prefer to meet with sales and marketing exhibitor staff. 

  30% of the exhibitor staff has sales and marketing responsibility, while 27% are in management. 

  The message is pretty clear here: Attendees don't necessarily want to speak to management; their preference lies with sales and marketing. 
   

• 50% of attendees hope to meet research and development staff. 

  3% of the exhibitor staff have research and development personnel at the trade show. 

  The reason attendees hope to connect to research staff is to provide them with market feedback that can lead to product enhancements or new offerings. This interactivity, if provided, could lead to a much better product launching event in the future. 

  If you cannot pull the R&D staff away from the company, technology can help connect them to the attendee. By having a robust Wi-Fi network array in place on the trade floor, research scientists can be made available through Skype or Google+ Hangout on an iPad or touch panel kiosk. 

Overall, having individuals with deep product knowledge and providing attendees a mix of sales, marketing, and R&D staff is the make up attendees are thirsting for at a B2B event. If you can't have the staff on-site, providing the right interactive tools to make it happen virtually will be paramount to your success. 

"Attendees regard exhibit staff as the face of the company," said CEIR's Research Director Nancy Drapeau, PRC. "It is their chance to engage face-to-face with the people behind an organization and brand. This human interaction gives exhibitors the unique chance to make a powerful connection that can translate into new business for their long-term success; therefore, having staff with the right job functions, level of experience and demeanor is key to positioning an exhibiting organization for success." 

AV Event Solutions is a California meeting equipment company that can provide exhibitors with iPads, kiosks, and Wi-Fi network array solutions! Give them a call today 888.249.4903!