[00:00:00] Speaker A: Canada is more open for business across Canada and around the world. And that's the message I'm getting from some of the exhibitors ahead of the show, that they want to reach out, do more business globally and interprovincially.
Welcome to the Robot Industry Podcast. I'm Jim Beretta and I'm your host. And I have a special guest today. Her name is Gail Hutchins and she's sales manager for Informa. I'm going to get to Gail in just a minute because today's episode is about the upcoming ADM show in Toronto. The Advanced Manufacturing show happens at the Toronto Congress Center. We call it the tcc, which is right by the airport. It's actually located in Etobicoke, not Toronto or not Mississauga. It's on 650 Dixon Road and it's happening Tuesday, October 21, Wednesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 23. The show starts at 10, runs till 4pm on the last day it runs till 3pm And ADM is one big show and it's kind of divided up into different sections so it's really six co located show. So the biggest part of the show is the packaging area. And you might have heard of Pack Xtoronto. There's an automation show, design and manufacturing section, plastics and processing and EV technology.
And there's a certain synergy that I like about the ADM series of shows and it's a little bit random. You don't know who's all coming to the show, you don't know who's going to come up into your booth. So it's a B2B show. So no one under the age of 18 is allowed in the show floor. And there's lots of partners for this event. Pac, the Global Packaging Associations and they're the global leader in sustainability, inclusiveness and accessibility solutions. Invest, Quebec Cosmetic alliance of Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce charged ev Volta Foundation, Accelerate and Engineering Societies of Canada, including Professional Engineers, Ontario and Society of Women Engineers. And I probably missed an engineering society that's included. But there's lots and lots of partners and there's lots of exhibitors. So a couple of names to throw around. Fanuc Canada, Cougar Robotics, Sew Beckhoff Automation, Riser Canada. In packaging, New Move, Plex, Pack, Capmatic, Shopak & PremierTech, Proto 3000, Iko Thompson Stratasys in the molding side, Absolute Haitian, Kubota, Brabender, Piovan and Tiger Vac as well. In bulk solids, you've got companies like unitrack Corporation Meridian Manufacturing, Soralink and Vuban on the AI side. And when we asked, and we're asked sometimes about who's going to attend the show, it's shop owners, applications engineers, robotics professionals, packaging companies, engineer quality personnel, machine buyers, manufacturers and packagers for sure, designers and all kinds of engineers. So what's different about the 2025 show? Packaging area has really grown as well as the automation and robotics and robotic accessory markets. Battery, EV and artificial intelligence will be a big part of the conversations.
And the show was super successful this year. It's full of exhibitors. Of course, it hasn't happened yet, but I think Canada is more open for business across Canada and around the world. And that's the message I'm getting from some of the exhibitors ahead of the show, that they want to reach out, do more business globally and interprovincially.
So I just wanted to tell you as well that I have a discount code if you're going to register for the show and you get a free Expo pass and 20% off your conference passes. And my code is robot R O B O T, all capitals. So all that said, I wanted to kind of talk a little bit about the promotion, the show. So if you're an exhibitor and you are interested to understand more about some of the things that you can do to get an unfair advantage in the show is by using promotions. And I probably purchased more promotions at trade events than anyone I know by building up ATS automation back in the day. And so we brought our resident expert onto the podcast, could talk about promotions for ADM series of shows, especially for Toronto 2025. And I'd like to introduce Gail Hutchins. And Gail, welcome to the podcast.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: Thank you. I am so happy to be here.
[00:04:32] Speaker A: Gail, how long have you been working in the industry?
[00:04:34] Speaker B: I have a very interesting journey with the industry. I started out in the mid-90s out of college at B2B at a very large company that had a portfolio of magazines back in the day when we actually had B2B actual print magazines and then of course the corresponding trade shows and association trade shows. And then I took a little detour into marketing and then took a big detour into Apple and worked with Apple for over a decade. But I am back kind of to bookend my career and Informa has actually purchased my former company that I started with and my other phorma company that I worked with with associations. So it's nice to be back in the industry. It feels very much like home and many of my closest Colleagues and friends have been through the B2B industry. It's a wonderful world to inhabit and I am very happy to be back. That's kind of my journey. And now I sell, of course, the sales, sponsorship and promotions for our medical device shows and then the advanced manufacturing shows, which have become a particular little niche that I quite love.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: Thank you for that. So I wanted to ask you, what are some of the reasons that companies decide to display at a trade show?
[00:06:06] Speaker B: I think there's a number of reasons why they do that, and I always talk about that with them. Because when you go to a show, you have goals and sometimes it's just about the leads. That's all that matters. Other times it is about the messaging.
They are really wanting to get information out on a new product or a new innovation. Other times it's engagement. It's about taking that idea of that new product or innovation. And we see now in trade shows so much of that engagement going on with theaters, places where you can go as an attendee to hear thought leadership outside of just the keynote or the welcome reception or a center stage where you can actually hear these companies share their innovations directly with the their audiences. So those are really the three main ways. Of course, there's networking as well.
I think the best of companies take a very inclusive way of bringing all of that to the table so that it isn't just about one. It's really about looking at the whole so that they can have a really strong, organic and sustainable way of bringing people into their show and into their booth and into their community.
[00:07:34] Speaker A: You know, you said into their booth. And I think that's probably going to be a really interesting conversation part of today. But first, before we get that, and you must have this conversation all the time, do they have like goals, like concrete goals maybe?
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Oh, very much so. And it's a question, actually that I learned at Apple. And I don't think it's a question that probably gets asked enough.
But I think when you're in sponsorship and promo sales, it should be a question that you're always asking because nobody wants to make that investment without having an roi. And that ROI is probably predetermined. Predetermined on some kind of measurable.
And yes, I think that it's a very much an, and an idea of what can I be getting. And if it's leads, you know, they're, they're going to let you know, they're going to say, we just want leads. We want a lot of people to get in touch with after the show, that's all we're interested in.
And that gives you a really strong place to roadmap them to versus somebody who says, we have a huge drop of innovation that we are making at the show. So we want to a presence across the event.
So that tells you that they're going to be going in a very different direction.
[00:08:59] Speaker A: So how would they measure some of these goals? I mean, the easy way is through all the scanning that happens right. In a trade event.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: Exactly.
I'm kind of in love with the idea of data. I love what data can tell us about our shows and the people that come. And I think one of the things that's interesting to me is that a lot of companies will talk a lot about, about leads. But when you really get into, well, what kind of leads are you looking for? Like what is that sweet spot of that person or that title that you want to see or they really kind of stumble. Because I think it's always just like, well, we just want names, but really for it to be measurable for them. I think in the past it's been, well, we want 400 leads from this sector. So. But are you looking at mid range companies, Are you looking for large companies?
What exactly are you trying to hit?
Because there's so many ways to slice and dice a really large show like our Med Device west show. But that's just the same with a show like AD&M, especially this year we have so much to offer from Canadian, as you said, and international companies. And I think that's the, the kind of measurable that they can start to look at. And the wonderful thing about leads is that there's data there and kind of consulting with them and letting them know, okay, and how are you going to get to that data once you have it? And talking them through that can also open up other avenues of sponsorship because they might not have thought about the idea that, well, we really only want the this kind of job title or this kind of company and then maybe we can tailor something for them that delivers them that kind of reward for their investment.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: So, Gail, we're going to step back a sec because I, you know, you and I know all about sponsorships, but for those that don't have any idea what a sponsorship is, have never bought one.
Can you just go in and tell us a little bit about what is a sponsorship?
[00:11:15] Speaker B: Well, sponsorship is really no different than what you see if you go to the ball game, you know, any sporting event, you, you see those names all around of companies, they are all around the walls of your baseball stadium. You know, the, the kinds of companies that are wanting to connect with people who go to baseball games. You might have sporting goods stores, you might have banking and they're paying for their logo, their information to be in that space, very prominent. And they want to make that connection that they are part of this baseball community. And it's no different in the trade show world.
There are companies that very much want to make their name, their company, their brand, their products recognizable. And first of mind, with the attendees that come to that show, now how they can do it is very broad, based on all of the products that we offer. But you see it all. I mean, it's not, you know, the trade show world didn't invent it. It's across everything that you see. When you go, if you go to an event, you'll see that it's sponsored perhaps by a certain company. And you know, that's a wonderful part because a lot of times that also brings as attendees, maybe they will have a giveaway at an event. And that just gives us more for our investment in our time and money to attend that event.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: So can you give us some examples of sponsorships that I might be able to purchase for Toronto? Like I, I, I have done so many of these. It's just kind of funny when I start thinking, when we start talking to about this. I, I've like done like lanyards and I've done decals and I've done like after, after hour events in our booth. But what's, what, what are some popular ones that people buy for ADM Toronto?
[00:13:26] Speaker B: I think it's across the board really.
Some of the more popular ones, I would say definitely anything that's around. Signage.
I love the idea of signage. It was funny when I came back into the industry after being gone for quite a while, I had to laugh because when I looked at my first sponsorship deck that offers all of our sponsorships, I thought really we're still doing footprints on the show floor. We haven't grown past that. But then I went to my first show and saw how companies are being so innovative in their designs and really focusing on making that footprint the roadmap to their booth. And then of course, you know, we have booth extenders and floor decals. Those are very popular because I really do believe those are just a wonderful way to have a map to your booth.
I like and I counsel my clients to definitely think about it not as one thing, but a series of things that are going to get you to your goals. Maybe it starts with the Mega sign in the lobby, that then carries through to the footprints, that then takes them to the Florida Cal and then to your booth. I think that the best sponsorships are that way. And those are some of them that we offer. Of course, we also offer the badge sponsorships and the lanyards. Those are great. When you just. You want to mark the show, you want to say this. You know, we want and believe in this show, and we're putting our name on the badge. It's very popular. And especially now with QR codes, you're able to actually maybe gather leads from that sort of thing. The same is true for Mega signs as well. And then, of course, we're seeing a lot more around engagement. Those activations of sponsorship where you're really talking to a group of individuals and those kinds of engagements with attendees have continued to grow and continue to be popular, and we continue to grow them and make them more relevant. And those are our tech theaters.
In some areas, we call them innovation theaters. Center stage branding is another one that I think is very popular. And then, of course, we actually can fashion something very curated for you that is part of our center Stage. And I think that's the real idea is that I don't think there's a one.
There's not one fit for every company.
I mean, some companies are just like, I know what I like, and I don't want to do anything else, and this is just fine. But I think the companies that are truly innovative are really looking at it as a curated experience for the exhibitor so that they are really directing them into the booth. But also in terms of those engagements I just mentioned, like the tech theater and being able to speak in front of the attendees, they're also really recognizing the idea that attendees really want some investment. Some, you know, they're looking at their time and their expense of being at the show. So they want these special kinds of opportunities to talk to exhibitors so they can take that information back with them. And I think that's a huge sector now that we're looking at in sponsorships.
[00:17:07] Speaker A: One of the things I like about sponsorships is that you can make. You can be. You could be a really small company, yet appear very big with a sponsorship. One of the things I really like about sponsorship is it allows small companies to play in the big leagues, right, with big companies who may have a bigger booth. But one of my questions is how do companies align sponsorship with their goals at a trade event?
[00:17:30] Speaker B: If you're a smaller company, I think it's imperative that you do that. And I actually had a conversation with a exhibitor recently that I, I wish I had thought of it. We have an area that we have developed called the Demo Zone. And it's an area within our trade show that not adm, hopefully to ADM in, in the next or in Montreal next year, but an area that's apart from the booth where you focus on one key product. And it's just about business. It's about really letting attendees get to know that new product in depth and being able to demo it. But an exhibitor who I was talking to about our Demo zone said to me, you know what I love about this idea is that as an exhibitor, I don't have a large booth and I'm new, so I'm far back in the exhibit hall. And I love the idea that I am now able to be right in the thick of things to demoing my product and getting it seen.
And it allows me to do that like I'm a 20 by 20 booth right up in front of the hall.
And I think for small companies, a lot of times it's the idea of, oh, you know, is this, you know, we want to be very smart with our money, but you can't forget how important it doesn't end with that booth buy. The next step of that is how are you going to make the most of your time there? And sometimes that means getting past the booth and really out into the attendees so that not only are you having those attendees come to your booth, but because of the things that you're doing with your sponsorships, you're driving them to your booth. And that can be as simple as a lot of our digital offerings that we have through our mobile app, which everybody uses, every attendant has to use it. And I think that's a really strong way for a small company to make a big splash.
Especially by the way, pun intended, the splash page on the mobile app is the number one way to get messaging and branding to those attendees and to get them to your booth. Recently had this extraordinary experience of going into a trade show. I did not know I was there for support, but I was also there to kind of peek around, see the things they were doing. It was a top tier show, it was the restaurant association show. And I myself had to use the mobile app to navigate it and they had a great sponsor for the splash page. Every time I opened up the mobile app, that splash page sat there for four seconds for me to look at it.
And it was absolutely synonymous with My experience at the show and so much so that I had to go to the booth to see what they were doing.
Just to see, well, okay, I just. Now I just, I have to go. I've seen it so many times and this looks so interesting. I want to know what's there.
And I think those digital kinds of packages are the things that can not be a huge investment, but they really stick in the minds of attendees because they are the first thing they're seeing when they're opening. I think also another one of those that I think is very smart for small companies is something like our online registration and confirmation page, which many people don't really understand. But the idea of owning that hero section, that, that you actually have your name, your QR code, your unique landing page right there for attendees in the weeks before the show, you're literally the first exhibitor they see before they even get to the event. That's a beautiful thing. And for a small company, it can really help change that tone of the show for them.
[00:21:49] Speaker A: That's a great example. Thank you for that on the restaurant page for that show.
So I guess when you talk about sponsorships, is there kind of an understood roi?
One of the things I think is that branding part of the ROI would be very, very high for them.
[00:22:05] Speaker B: It is typically, I find if the branding part is very high for them as far as a need and a want, they're doing it over a variety of different ways. They are the kinds of that are purchasing door clings with a mega sign, with footprints.
They really are investing in making that kind of branding presence known.
Also we have conference tracks. If anyone out there is interested in sponsorship and really being able to clue into a certain segment of the industry. Sponsoring a conference track like at ADM is a wonderful way to do that. Because in the case of adm, we have international and inter provincial trade. It's one of the tracks that you can sponsor.
You know, you're able to get all of your signage during those conferences.
These are highly motivated attendees because they've paid to be in that conference. But the wonderful thing is you're getting all those leads just for people interested in international and interprovincial trade. So that gives you a very specific, measurable and data driven group of individuals that you can then connect with after the show.
Of course, we do other things.
You're invited to speak and you have signage and I think branding on all of our screens in between sessions. And I really love that particular one for companies who are looking at branding because I think that just puts you right at that analogy of the baseball game. It puts you right with those people that are interested in doing the kind of work that you want to be connected and seen.
[00:24:10] Speaker A: Gail, in your conversations, do exhibitors talk about thought leadership?
[00:24:14] Speaker B: They do. They don't understand it, but they, they want to know about it now because as this has grown in popularity, they now want to get into it and they want to understand how to do it. There's a few companies that have really been able to become thought leaders on and during these trade shows because of the work that they do in presenting during innovation theaters or trade talks or tech talks that we do. And so much so that we have certain companies that those presenters walk off and they are just surrounded by people who are attendees who are wanting to know more in their following them to the booth or I've actually been at the booth while somebody comes up and asks, hey, is Chris around? I really need to follow up from that presentation yesterday.
And I think the other thing is that these presentations are not so much they are sales based because of course you want to have these attendees take advantage of what your company offers. But the wonderful thing and the best thing they do is that they really inform the exhibitor about not only what the company offers, but how that company can show them how to problem solve, how them teach and show them how to work with customers. And that's really the joyous part of it because it really allows for a way for exhibitors to leave feeling empowered with information, feeling like they have a resource. I'm sorry, attendees to leave with that and to leave with the idea they're far richer in their knowledge of the industry and than when they walked through the doors. And that's the very best and most wonderful part of that. And I think for the companies, of course they're getting to know these people. Questions that you hear from those attendees sparks innovation and ideas for them, what those trends are, what's coming down the pike as far as what those attendees are looking for. So it's also giving them a really great chance to almost have, you know, back in the day, you know, you used to get a focus group together. Well, this is a wonderful way to grab a focus group because they are going to raise their hand and they're going to ask a lot of questions.
[00:26:50] Speaker A: I totally agree with you on that attendee experience. Right. I've been there, I've moderated lots and lots of discussions at trade shows and I think it's so exciting when people come up to the speakers and Say, hey, can I get your card? I can't talk to you right now. Or, or like you say, they go to the booth. One of the things I always did when I put together a trade show budget, I always left in the budget for promotions. But I also wanted to ask you do some custom sponsorships, like maybe I want to do something really special.
Do you ever do custom work too?
[00:27:23] Speaker B: We do, and we love to work with people. I think the lovely thing about working with a sponsorship and promotions representative is that we really are more of a consultive kind of sale.
And in the best way, you should hope that's what you're getting from your sponsorship because like I said, it really needs to be curated and you need to have them asking questions and finding out what your goals are. And every sponsorship package should feel like it's been curated and customized to you.
But yes, on top of that, you know, you can, we can help you be doing things in your meeting room that allow you to also have that kind of food and beverage experience and av.
We can pull together custom speaking presentations on the floor, which I think are very powerful. And the people and the, the exhibitors that I've had who have taken advantage of those have always said that it's just, it was a really like, large outlay to as far as an investment. But they were so happy that they made it at the end because of the fact that they were able to reach the exact audience that they wanted to reach. They were, they were sticking in the minds of not everyone, but the exact group of people they wanted to be top of mind with. And that's when you feel very good as a sponsorship rep because you know, they've met their goals.
[00:29:08] Speaker A: No, that's great.
You had mentioned a deck. What's the deck?
[00:29:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I tend to do that. I tend to.
The deck is basically a presentation of, on PowerPoint, of all of the different sponsorships we offer.
And every company, trade show company, tends to do them differently. But it's just a listing of the every sponsorship we offer and the prices and what the benefits are. I always encourage, whenever we send them out, I always want to follow up with the companies afterwards because there's only so much you can get on a page. And frankly, I'm not as a marketer.
I don't want to overcomplicate anything. I just want them to get a real idea of it. But they can't always get the true idea of what it'll offer unless you see speak to them. And that's when the really fun Part of my job can happen when you're able to have those kinds of discussions with exhibitors, with marketing teams, to be able to kind of take away their assumption about, well, I really thought this would be the best way to go, but maybe this is really where we need to be looking. And honestly, in sponsorship, a lot of times, what we recommend might not be the most expensive thing in. In the deck of the catalog, for lack of a better word, of what we offer. I am, myself, I think, very good at the fact that I'm very transparent. And I'll say, you know, that's a good idea, but you might go with this and actually be able to save a little bit. And then if you're listening to them, which I think as salespeople, that's a skill that can be forgotten. But if you're listening to them, you can go back and say, and remember you wanted to be able to do this thing. Well, guess what, We've just freed up a little bit of budget for you to be able to do that giveaway in the booth, and we can tie it all together.
[00:31:10] Speaker A: Gail, thanks for coming on today. And have we. Have we forgotten to talk about anything?
[00:31:15] Speaker B: I don't think so. Though I could go on and talk about this for many hours because it's one. I do love my job. It brings together all of my experiences through my career. And I just would say to everyone, don't be afraid of sponsorship. Don't be afraid of promos. Don't think that it's just a group of people who are trying to take your money.
We are passionate professionals who want to see you succeed at this show.
And we want to see you have the absolute most successful experience you can have at ADM or any event that you're at.
And even the fact that you're speaking to someone with sponsorships doesn't mean that you have to buy it. You know, speak to them just to get their ideas. You know, you're not on the whole, you know, you're not on the hook to buy anything. They are a resource. And I think when, especially if you're a small company, those resources can sometimes feel hard to find. So if you're a small company, reach out to your trade show sponsorship and promotional people because just going to be able to be a resource to you that you'll find so beneficial and, you know, sure. At the end of the day, would we love you to buy something? Absolutely. We also just want to be able to be that resource for you, because as you grow, maybe then we're able to help you even get a larger and more robust experience at the show and grow your business with us later. Grow your business with what we offer with sponsorships.
[00:32:59] Speaker A: Gail, you sent me the sponsorship deck, so I have it. So if any of my listeners are like, hey, I'd really like to get in touch with Gail Hutchins, or I'd like to see a deck, I can make an introduction. But how do people get ahold of you if they're listening and they're like, oh, man, I should really talk to this person.
[00:33:13] Speaker B: Well, you can. It's very easy to reach me, actually.
You can always call me at 667-344-142.
And that is a really great way because I'm always by my phone and I love to ch. I love to be able to speak on the phone. I think it's a lost art right now. I will often send emails, but really just pick up the phone because I like being able to hear a voice. I like to be able to just have that back and forth with them that I email just sometimes doesn't offer that. That same clarity.
Also, you can email me if you would like. And it is Gail. G a y l e dot Hutchins. H u t c h e n
[email protected] thanks very much for coming on today.
[00:34:07] Speaker A: I learned a lot and I really enjoyed our conversation.
[00:34:10] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I so appreciate it and thank you.
