ISC 'Mini-Booth' Performance Results

By: Brian Karas, Published on Apr 13, 2017

Last month, IPVM ran a discussion about ISC Mini-Booths, low-cost options at the back of the show floor. One CEO, from Camio, decided to get one, shown below:

Camio's CEO has provided detailed feedback, good and bad, about how the show went.

In this report we analyze what they spent money on, how many leads they managed to get from the show, and their learnings about exhibiting at ISC West as a small company.

**** *****, **** *** a********** ***** *** ****-******, ***-**** ******* ** the **** ** *** show *****. *** ***, from*****, ******* ** *** one, ***** *****:

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[***************]

Cost *********

*** ***** ********:

  • *** ****-***** **** $*,*** *** a **'**' **** ($**/****) in *** **** **** aisle ** *** ****. They **** ******* **** an ********** **** *** a ******* ***** ********, though *** **** ***** was ~$1,000 ****.
  • * **" ******* ** show ***** *** ********* videos *** ****** *** $1,200, *** ** ********** person ** **** ***** the ***** *** ***** for $*,*** *** *** 3 **** ** *** show.
  • *** ******* ***** $*** for ******, ******* ******, and ******** *****, *** $1,000 *** * ***-** booth ******* (****** **** should ** ******** *** other *****).

*** ****-****** **** ******** less ********* *** **** than *** '*******' ******** size ****** (**'***') ***** run ~$**,***.

** ******** ** ***** for *** **** ******, Camio ***** ~$*,*** ** hotels, *****, ***** *** airfare. ***** ***** ***** up ** ******* $**,***:

Leads *********

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Big *****

******* *****, ** **********, major ************ ****** ***********, Fortune *** *********, **********/********* end ***** *********** ********* that ***** ****** *** have ***** ** ***** outside ** *** ****. Landing * **** **** any *** ** ***** customers ***** ****** ******* *** entire **** ** *** show *** *****. *** ability ** ***** **** these ********* ********* ********, and *********** *** *******, is something **** ***** ** very **** *** **** to ** ** **** calling ****.

Cost *** ****

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Peak *****

***** ***** ******** **** more ********** **** **********, with * *********** *** around ***** **** (***), as ***** ** *** chart *****:

Partner ********

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Problems ***********/***** *********

*** *** **** ** scan ***** *** ********* slow, ********* ** *****. We ********* **** ** well ** ******* *****, either ***** ********* ***** exhibitors ******** ******, ** while ****** *** *** badges *******. ***** ****** can ****** *** ****** of ***** ** ********* can *******, ** ********* interrupt *** **** ** conversations.

***** ******* **** ** the ******* ****** *** show, ******** ** ***** their ***** ********* *******. However, **** ******** **** some ***** *** *** arrived, *** ***** ***** was ******* ****** **** the **** ****** ** provide. ** *** ******, they **** ** ****** earlier, ** ***** ** ensure **** *** ****** with ******* *** ***** ready *** **** ** be ***** **** **** in ******* ** *** show *******.

***** **** ******. *** people **** *****'* ****** attended, **** * ***** assistance. ** ********** ***** they **** ** ***** more ******. **** **** allow **** ************ *****/*********** to ** *********, *** make ** ****** *** booth ***** ** ****** other ********, ** ****** take * ***** *****.

**** ** *** **** demonstrations **** **** ** mobile ******, ***** **** showed **** ** *** ease ** *** ** the *******, ** *** difficult ** **** ******** with *** *****, *** show *** ******** *** the *** ******. ***** Chromecast ** ******* ** future ***** **** ***** the ******** ** *** how *** *** *** product **** ** * larger ******, ***** **** also **** ** ****** for ****** ********* ** watch *** ****, ********* leading ** ********** *************.

Camio *****

*** ***** ********** ** Camio's *******, ** ****** an***** ******* ** ****, *** ********* ******* **** ******* language ****** ** ****.

 

Comments (25)

John Honovich

IPVM | 04/13/17 03:04pm

I found the back center (including where Camio was) had better foot traffic than the far right and left areas, even though they cost more money. Especially on the far left, the size of the booths with the small corridors made it somewhat dark / gloomy which likely contributed for people avoiding those areas.

Related, I wonder if ISC West uses any type of people counting / traffic analysis / heatmapping across the show floor. It might be helpful. I will ask them.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to John Honovich | 04/16/17 06:41pm

I wonder if ISC West uses any type of people counting / traffic analysis / heatmapping across the show floor

Btw, ISC West confirmed they do heatmapping every couple of years but not this year. Manufacturers, here's your chance to be the official heatmapping sponsor of 2018 (kidding mostly)....

Avatar

Matt Bischof

04/13/17 03:21pm

Camio... definitely some of the coolest analytics kit I've seen in some time!  This is something EVERY manufacturer should be interested in integrating with!

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

04/13/17 03:56pm

I know one of the big camera manufacturers was using people counting and told me that they were seeing numbers around 400 people per hour going into their booth.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #1 | 04/13/17 04:35pm

Thanks! I wonder how they did that accurately since the booths are typically wide open and so it's hard to do it at any chokepoints.

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Dori Ribak

RBtec Perimeter Security Systems | 04/13/17 05:28pm

Great info! and since it's a very sensitive information i appreciate they willing to share and definitely a lot points to think of.

200 range seems great return for the money for the location and size but the foot traffic could be impressive since the industry and product.

I hope we can get more similar information of experience and statistics from other companies.

Avatar

Carter Maslan

Camio | In reply to Dori Ribak | 04/13/17 05:53pm

You're welcome @Dori Ribak. Even though it's sensitive info, we decided to share our stats to help other startups and integrators. We hope to foster the same kind of collaborative partnerships you see in the tech industry - where companies work together to move quickly because they see the bigger pie and recognize no single company can be best at every layer of the stack.

Avatar

Dori Ribak

RBtec Perimeter Security Systems | In reply to Carter Maslan | 04/13/17 06:05pm

Carter i can't agree more! Not enough people see the bigger picture that helping other people/companies promotes us all.

Steve Lewis

In reply to Carter Maslan | 04/14/17 12:31am

Great to be on the periphery with you Carter.  Our costs were about $3,500 less (sans the hired help, printing and AV rental... we opted for the Best Buy run for a TV :-). The location this year was less expensive than last year (we were in the far right end of the hall Booth 34107) and we had more traffic. Our qualified scans increased 20% over last year and we shared some of the same large prospects. What is encouraging is some of these prospects have proactively reach out to us before we could follow up. Looking forward to seeing your integration with OpenALPR.

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Sean Nelson

Nelly's Security | 04/13/17 08:50pm

great report. although the 42" monitor rent seems bananas when you can just get one off of amazon for less and keep! Granted you have to haul the thing to vegas but dang!

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Sean Nelson

Nelly's Security | In reply to Sean Nelson | 04/13/17 08:51pm

now that I think about it would have been cheaper to have amazon ship one to vegas and then give the thing away for free at the end. 

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

In reply to Sean Nelson | 04/13/17 09:08pm

I have bought TVs at Best Buy or Walmart in the show city, and then sold it for $100 (or something similar) to one of the trade guys.  It's cheap, and it makes someone's day.

 

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Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #1 | 04/13/17 09:12pm

I used to do that too, back in the early 2000's. I stopped when I went into a Best Buy in New Orleans at about 10:30 PM trying to buy 3 Sony Wega's in a hurry. They wouldn't sell them to me, they probably thought I had a stolen credit card, even after explaining the situation to them.  Fortunately, Circuit City had no such qualms.

Now, with Amazon Prime, it's easier just to have stuff sent to the hotel or show floor.

 

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Sean Nelson | 04/13/17 09:03pm

I've done exactly that a number of times.

One thing to keep in mind, if you rent a display and something goes wrong, the A/V rental company will bring you a new one ASAP (generally within 1-2 hours). If you bring your own displays and one dies, you are on your own to get a replacement unit and swap it out.

I would usually stash a spare display in our booth (easier to do in a larger booth) or with a local logistics person that helped with setup/teardown. I can only recall one case over ~20 shows where a display died during the show.

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Dori Ribak

RBtec Perimeter Security Systems | 04/13/17 09:11pm

There were few ways to lower the cost and just to mention that some of those are "first time" costs while on the next shows the cost can be lower by reusing equipment.

Undisclosed #2

04/16/17 07:57am

I assume booth assistant here does not equal booth babe, but what is the actual distinction?

Gender, dress, guaranteed not to be attractive?

Industry experience, daily rate?

Avatar

Carter Maslan

Camio | In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 04/16/17 04:52pm

She was smart (and attractive). Her agency considers attractiveness - which sparked an internal debate about sexism that was resolved by a) hearing her pitch, and b) ensuring her attire was just like any Camio employee's. No industry experience; just fast learner. $1500 was for all 3 days.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Carter Maslan | 04/16/17 06:28pm

ensuring her attire was just like any Camio employee's

That gets to the heart of what a 'booth babe' is or is not. Exhibitors determine how their staff dresses and what they do in their booths. It is an exhibitor's choice to dress certain staff members (in mini skirts, etc.) and what responsibilities the staff have (i.e., handing out trinkets vs answering questions, etc.).

Undisclosed #2

In reply to John Honovich | 04/16/17 08:31pm

That gets to the heart of what a 'booth babe' is or is not.

Yes, but a very attractive and naturally interactive female who is temporarily hired just for the show would be considered a BB by most, even if she were to dress the same as the other staff and could give a few canned answers to basic questions, no?

We tend to only remember the most egregious instances, but there are plenty of others lower key hosts, operating below the radar perhaps, but nonetheless there primarily because of their gender, attractiveness and banter in that order.

And although many men are unabashed, there are a few I suppose that would feel embarrassed talking to an over the top BB, but more than happy to do business with a more discreet bb.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 04/16/17 08:47pm

very attractive and naturally interactive female who is temporarily hired just for the show would be considered a BB by most, even if she were to dress the same as the other staff and could give a few canned answers to basic questions, no?

Google 'booth babe' images and clearly the manner of dress and pose of the person is key to what is considered a 'booth babe':

A temporary staffer who dresses and acts just like employees is not consistent with how the term 'booth babe' is used.

Undisclosed #2

In reply to John Honovich | 04/16/17 09:27pm

Regardless of what term you want to use, don't you object in principle to the use of exclusively female, desirable temporary workers intentionally to lure male buyers?

Or just when the clothes and the pose make it obvious to everyone?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 04/16/17 11:29pm

exclusively female, desirable temporary workers intentionally to lure male buyers?

What proof do you have that temporary workers are exclusively female? I know for a fact they are not as, just for one example, we hired one male and one female last year to assist us. They, of course, dressed in professional business attire.

Or just when the clothes and the pose make it obvious to everyone?

Don't be naive. Companies using 'booth babes' dress their models provocatively in non-business attire to draw attention.

This is my last comment on this thread about this. If you want to reply, please feel free but start a new thread since this is increasingly off topic of this post.

Undisclosed #3

07/17/17 07:22am

Now that several months have passed, and presumably Camio has been able to evaluate the leads they got at ISC, I'm curious to know whether they've decided that it really was worthwhile, and whether they'd do it again in retrospect. 

Avatar

Carter Maslan

Camio | In reply to Undisclosed #3 | 07/17/17 06:55pm

yes, we'd do it again. The value was in finding fast-moving partners (e.g. Arcdyn packages for camio.com/mpaa) and top-notch integrators in US, Mexico, and LatAm.

Undisclosed #3

In reply to Carter Maslan | 07/17/17 09:22pm

Awesome .... Thanks!

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