Corrections or additions?
This article was prepared for the July 11, 2001 edition of U.S. 1
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Tips of the Trade Show
A snazzy four-color-on-black brochure announces a
biotech symposium scheduled for October at the Doral Forrestal, and
it is being staged by an apparently brand-new organization, the
“Princeton
Technology Institute.”
Princeton Technology Institute or PTI turns out to be an arm of the
world famous Hannover Fairs, which stages some of the world’s
best-known
expositions, including CEBIT, the world’s largest information
technology
trade show. With an American office at the Carnegie Center, Hannover
Fairs has a new initiative — to stage this PTI symposium on
“Structural
Genomics in Pharmaceutical Design” in conjunction with the Rutgers
Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM). “We find
there is so much going in the research area and would like to
participate
in tying that together with what is happening in the industry. We
hope it is a wonderful opportunity for the two worlds,” says
Mette
Petersen, the vice president for business development in North
America for Hannover Fairs USA.
Petersen has also been scheduled to speak on “how to make trade
shows work for you” at a workshop sponsored by the Princeton
Chamber
on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:30 a.m. at the Nassau Inn. Cost: $21.
Call 609-520-1776.
Here are some of the tips she will give:
1. Do preshow promotion: show the location on yourhandouts,do promotion to the press, issue specific invitations to the customersthat you may have, and get listings in the catalog, so you get asmuch visibility as possible.2. Assign at least two people to staff the booth, andthree is better. One person should be walking around talking to otherexhibitors and making contacts.3. Stand in front of the booth, don’t be just sittingin the chair, she cautions. “You may have literature that youtry to hand to people. Or ask them questions about what they arelookingfor.”The PTI/CABM symposium will offer lectures, exhibits and productpresentations, and scientific poster presentations, and it is expectedto attract from 200 to 400 people from leading companies in theregion.CABM does research in proteomics, genomics, bioinformatics, and NMRspectroscopy, and one of the symposium’s financial sponsors is theNew Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.”All our speakers are at a very high level,” says Petersen,citing Edward Arnold, Helen Berman, Ron Levy, and GaetanoMontelione, all of Rutgers, Martin Rosenberg ofGlaxo-SmithKline,and David Waugh of the National Cancer Institute. Also scheduledare Cyrus Chothia of Cambridge University, Mark Gersteinof Yale, Marc Vidal of Harvard Medical School, AndrzejJoachimiakof the Argonne National Laboratory, Stephen Burley ofRockefellerUniversity, and Ming-Ming Zhou of the Mount Sinai School ofMedicine.CABM had staged its own annual seminars for 14 years, but they weremuch smaller. “PTI’s conference is mostly academic with a smallcommercial component,” says Petersen. “We are making surethat New Jersey’s biotech industry has a presence at the show.”Sponsorships run from $1,500 to $10,000, and to put up a tabletopdisplay will cost $995 including one person’s entry fee. Posterpresentations,if they meet with CABM’s academic approval, will be free. Scholarscan attend for $250 ($125 for students) and industry delegates pay$495. For information call 609-987-0586, E-mail:mette@pti.hfusa.com,or go to www.genomics-bioinformatics.comPetersen comes from a long line of Danish physicians; her father isa professor of radiology. After earning a bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of Copenhagen, Class of 1982, and a master’s from theUniversityof London, she worked in Denmark for Hannover Fairs and came to theU.S.A. 13 years ago. She and her husband, an international businessstrategist who also has an office at the Carnegie Center, have twoteenage children. “We are bringing up our children to speak andunderstand Danish, and to love the Danish heritage,” saysPetersen.Until last year Petersen worked with American exhibitors at CEBIT.but forming Princeton Technical Institute is her current project.”Our focus is to make an event, whether small or large, successfulfor the participants, from start to finish, and to give sufficientvalue for their money,” says Petersen. Logistical aspects arejust a small part of that, she says.Hannover Fairs clients pay $8,500 for a standard 10 x 10 booth inthe American pavilion at CEBIT. This is a turnkey package includingsetup, furniture, lighting, signage, telephone, and use of thehospitalityfacilities. Additional expenses might be $500 to $1,500 to shipproductsand literaature and $4,000 to $5,000 for three plain tickts plusaccommodations— often in private homes, opened just for the CEBIT fair. Otherextras are translators ($200 per day, also available by the hour),Internet connections, and computer rental.”The personal attention that we try to give is key, whether weare in Germany or Australia.” Good personal service requirescountry-basedrepresentatives to travel to the fairs with their clients. “Weare on the road a lot, to service our American customers,” shesays, “so they have a contact person to help them out, whetherwith translations or logistical.”Hannover Fairs personnel try to help their clientscultivatethese long-term relationships by making advance appointments for them.”In the long term, PTI will be like that,” says Petersen,”making appointments in advance and allowing time for personalmeetings.””To the extent we can, we introduce clients to new businesscontacts,”she says, but she points out that European and American trade showsvary widely in their networking schedules. Comdex in Las Vegas, forinstance, is the biggest computer show in the United States, and itis full of crowds, booths, and hype. The emphasis at CEBIT, Petersensays, is on actually doing business. Some exhibitors have their ownconference rooms and lounge space. “You can sit down with themanufacturer and the service provider and go into detailed discussionsabout contracts and distributors. And build relationships. CEBIT isdefinitely a place to start to build relationships.”Petersen is accustomed to solving unusual problems at odd hours.”Oneyear, when we were at the fairground working all night to get readyfor a show, one of our customers showed up with four of hiscollegaues.They had not found any accommodations and asked for our help. Luckilyour director of housing services was still there, and an hour later,at 3 o’clock in the morning they were able to check into a hotel.”Another exhibitor asked for references to good obstetricians. Shewas eight months pregnant, but fortunately did not have to use thosenumbers. Other customers have sought help for lost passports orsuitcases.Sometimes the need goes way beyond the call of duty. Petersenremembersa CEBIT incident when an exhibitor got sick and went into the Germanhospital. “She ran into various insurance problems and was inand out of the hospital three times during the event. We helped outa tremendous amount, by paying the deposit for her to be admittedand making sure she got the X-rays she needed. And that she got ontothe plane after the show.” That person left her job, but hercompanycame back to the show the following year.Says Petersen: “We have days that start at 7 and we are not backuntil midnight, and then we are lucky. It is not that we count thehours — we all know that part of the job is long working hours.It is so much fun at the same time. You get to see the same customersyear after year, and renewing old friendships is affirming.”Princeton Technology Institute, 103 CarnegieCenter,Princeton 08540. Mette Petersen. 609-987-0586.Www.genomics-bioinformatics.comPrevious StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
