Safely Running an In-person Trade Show During the COVID-19 Pandemic [CASE STUDY]
The trade show industry is finding that it can deliver effective trade shows in a post-vaccine COVID world, as evidenced by the recently completed AOSSM-AANA Combined 2021 Annual Meeting this past July in Nashville. The show is the most comprehensive level of education and research from today’s sports medicine and arthroscopy world leaders.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), in partnership with the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), made the decision to go live in late Winter, making the AOSSM-AANA Combined 2021 Annual Meeting one of the first major medical shows to return as an in-person event. Corcoran Expositions, Inc. worked with AOSSM and local authorities to understand local restrictions and concerns. Masks were optional and there was no vaccine certification, considering that most attendees were sports medicine surgeons, there was an assumption of higher personal responsibility.
Working Safer
Since 2017, AOSSM has partnered with Corcoran to conduct exhibit sales and manage the show floor onsite. Once the decision was made to proceed with the live event, Corcoran started by designing a safety-first floor plan in which no one exhibitor would have more than one neighbor next to them. This eliminated long strings of inline booths and gave exhibitors the space they needed to feel comfortable.
All inline exhibit booths had an eight-foot-high side drape instead of the usual three-foot-high drape for mitigation. There were two entrances and two separate exits, eliminating bottlenecks and preventing large groups from congregating. Hand sanitizer stations were strategically placed throughout the hall and a supply of extra face masks was on hand for those that needed them.
With the goal of making things as touchless as possible, AOSSM set up several self-serve registration stations where attendees could scan and print their emailed badge confirmation.
Working Quicker
Because of the evolving nature of COVID restrictions, Corcoran was asked to make the show happen much more quickly than in the past. What normally would take nine or ten months now was compressed into four.
Corcoran also had to evolve the booth renewal sales process for the meeting. In the past, this involved exhibitors stopping in an office and using workstations to reserve their booths on a computer. Instead, Corcoran Expositions transitioned these appointments to virtual and conducted them online before the meeting even started. This eliminated the high-touch workstations and gave the exhibitors more time in their booth to conduct business.
The Corcoran team put together a communication plan to ensure the online renewals were as productive as the live version. The first email alerts them to next year’s show and asks them to save the date. A week later, an appointment time and date email to select next year’s show is sent. Then a reminder is sent on the day of selection. If an exhibitor does not select a booth on their assigned date, a “We Missed You” email is sent. After we return from the show, a “Last Chance” email is sent.
Success Achieved
Despite the challenges, the show was a great success. An all-time record was set in net booth space sold, which exceeded the last live show in 2019 by 8%. Net revenue also reached an all-time record increasing by 12% from the 2019 show.
Corcoran consulted with AOSSM all along the process, whether it was the floor plan, social distancing, hand sanitizer stations – working together as a seamless team. Corcoran participated in bi-weekly meetings online, where Corcoran and AOSSM shared their latest information and insights to help create the conference and exhibition COVID protocols.
Having worked through a successful live show during COVID, Corcoran is a resource to other shows, as we have first-hand experience as to what works and what makes exhibitors commit to your show.
As one of the country’s premier independent trade show organizers, partnering with Corcoran means gaining an entire team with the expertise and the resources to help you create a strong sales program that attracts companies to your virtual, hybrid or live event and helps maintain an important source of revenue for your association. The Corcoran team is ready to help you find success in this “new normal.”
