#certifiedtradeshowmarketer

My annual pilgrimage to EXHIBITORLIVE is one of the highpoints of the year. This conference was especially fun, and I got to do some new things.

Neal was able to travel with me for the first time in three years, and we stayed at the conference hotel, Mandalay Bay. We arrived in Las Vegas earlier than usual, and took in a show Friday. I was busy from then on. That Saturday I spent the day on a jury panel for EXHIBITOR Magazine’s 15th Annual Corporate Event Awards. It was educational to hear the perspectives of the other members of the panel, and I appreciate the balance and the consensus we were able to achieve. Thank you, Linda Armstrong, for inviting me!

CTSM Dinner

On Sunday the Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) Dinner was back at the Four Seasons, and it was lovely. “My” advisee Keri Estrada, Convention/Exhibit Manager at Oregon Catholic Press in Portland, Oregon, was among the new graduates, but she was not able to attend. I took photos of the CTSM booth in The Square, featuring portraits of the latest CTSMs. 

Keri Estrada (center, with long blonde hair), is Exhibit Manager for Oregon Catholic Press.

CTSM booth in The Square featuring portraits of the latest graduates. Congratulations to all! CTSM Executive Director Jan Nelson is seated at the reception desk.

Reviewing the CTSM Dinner program before the doors open.

Janice Nelson welcomes everyone to the CTSM Dinner. The CTSM program owes so much to this wonderful lady.

Melanie Swanson begins announcing the new graduates.

Diane Benson continues introducing the new graduates. 

It was my privilege to announce the Silver Level certification upgrades. (I even changed the outfit I had planned for the dinner so I could wear a silver jacket.) New Silver Level CTSMs include David Saef, Executive Vice President of Strategy & MarketWorks at GES. He created an excellent portfolio for his initial certification, and it does not surprise me at all that he has gone on to become an outstanding Portfolio Advisor.

Announcing the Silver Upgrades.

Back at my table.

Katharine Chesnut prepares to introduce the newest Diamond Level CTSMs.

This was also an extra special evening because my good friend Janice Breuer was honored as a new Diamond Level CTSM.

The newest Diamonds are (in order of achievement): Janice Breuer, CTSM Diamond, Tradeshow Specialist, FFF Enterprises, Temecula, California; Bill Jackson, CTSM Diamond, Tradeshow/Exhibit Manager, AW Hastings & Co., Enfield, Connecticut; and Kathleen Gunderson, CTSM Diamond, AVP, Trade Shows & Exhibits Manager, Wells Fargo Meetings & Events, Odebolt, Iowa.

Three new Diamonds! Left to right: Kathleen Gunderson, Bill Jackson, and Janice Breuer.

Bill Jackson, Melanie Swanson, Gail Hernandez, Janice Breuer, and me.

Half of the world’s Diamond Level CTSMs: Katharine Chesnut, Kathleen Gunderson, Steve Marchese (back row), Bill Jackson (front row), Melanie Swanson (back row), Gail Hernandez (front row), Janice Breuer (back row), and me.

Having fun after the dinner with Gail and Janice. 

With my dear friends Gail Hernandez (left) and Janice Breuer (right).

I love the CTSM Dinner, because it recognizes achievements in the trade show industry, and also because it is my chance each year to see some of the best people I know. I feel the same way about the EXHIBITORLIVE conference itself.

Sessions Presented

It’s always a pleasure to co-present our session on “Effective Exhibiting for Companies with Niche Markets and Long Sales Cycles” with my colleague Bob Milam, AKA Trade Show Bob. Bob and I also hosted a roundtable later on the same topic. 

In addition, Glenda Brungardt and I introduced a new, 45- minute session on “Ordering Electrical Services.” Ordering electrical services is more complex than arranging for booth furniture, carpet, or plants. Last year I asked Glenda if she would present this session with me, and luckily she immediately said “I’m in!” Glenda has managed trade shows for HP for 40 years, and brings a wealth of knowledge to the class. We had a small but very engaged group for that session. (We must have done something right, as both classes will also be offered at the FastTrak in December.) 

Sessions Taken

I was finally able to attend “Lean Six Sigma White Belt for Exhibitors,” a half-day workshop I had been curious about for a long time. I enjoyed it, and it is good to know more about Lean Six Sigma.  As an outside consultant, I don’t have any immediate plans to go on to the Orange Belt classes. However, Orange Belt would be of benefit to someone with an in-house management role.

Professional and personal development coach Pete Smith spoke at  the CTSM dinner, and I happened to be signed up for his “Dare to Matter” session the next day. One of the things he talks about is the danger of “playing it safe” with your life and career. He’s funny but addresses some serious issues.

I also took a 45-minute session on “Trade Show Objectives: Why You Need Them and How to Make It Happen” by Beth Nicholson. I liked how she set core sales and marketing objectives as the foundation for all other trade show objectives. (This was her first time presenting, and she did quite well!)

Due to a scheduled event, Tuesday was my last active day at the conference. Next year I hope to stay longer!

The Square and Exhibit Hall

Some signage brought back the “connect with your species” theme used in the past, but there were also some real innovations. There was an excellent blend of tradition and newness.

“The Square,” leading into the Exhibit Hall, had a fresh look this year. Gone was the high wall blocking the view of the exhibit area -- this year you could see onto the show floor! This welcome change was an Advisory Board recommendation.

This year the area between The Square and the Exhibit Hall was more “open.” Visitors still needed a badge to get onto the show floor, but it was nice to have a “preview” of what waited inside.

2018 Conference Advisory Board members.

The wonderful tradition of a book drive for Spread the Word Nevada continued. This organization gives under-served children and youth books they can keep, to encourage reading. 

I brought a Black Panther book to the book drive.

This year on the show floor I did not see as dramatic a shift in booth design, although the wood and wood-look trend continues. That’s fine -- after last year, I was expecting to see more subtle changes, if any.

Something that did catch my eye were some small booths that stood out or made creative use of limited space.

Radiant Mfg booth.

XM-IQ had a good inline booth.

Highway 85 Creative brought the same booth as last year, but this time they had an area for podcasting from the show floor. I was one of the people interviewed.

EliteExpo’s diner-theme booth was one of my favorites.

Acme Design’s booth featured display props they’ve created for clients.

What is the CTSM Program?

The Certified Trade Show Marketer program is a three-step program of professional development and education for trade show and event marketers. The classroom portion consists of 28 sessions (23 core courses plus 5 electives), a comprehensive exam, plus an in-depth portfolio showing the candidate’s professional background and responsibilities, and demonstrating how knowledge from the program was implemented in a trade show or event.

The Sessions

Classes are offered at the annual EXHIBITORLIVE conference in Las Vegas, at the EXHIBITOR FastTrak conferences held at different locations across the United States, and through the eTrak classes available online. In addition to registering for classes, you need to enroll in the CTSM program, online or at the CTSM office at EXHIBITORLIVE. (You only need to enroll once, but do update your contact information if it changes.) A quiz is taken after each required course, and an affidavit is signed for each elective. Keep the materials provided for your sessions, for your own reference and to study for the comprehensive exam. 

Once classes are completed, the candidate takes the comprehensive exam and creates the portfolio. There was more learning during these two steps than I’d anticipated.

The Exam

The exams are taken at EXHIBITORLIVE or at a FastTrak conference, and must be scheduled in advance. The exam is not to be confused with the short quizzes taken after sessions. This is a comprehensive proctored exam, based on the Essential Learning Components (ELCs) of the required sessions, and takes two and a half to three hours to complete.  Candidates who fail any sections must retake those sections at a later EXHIBITORLIVE OR EXHIBITOR FastTrak conference.

You’ll need to study, and many candidates form study groups or find study buddies. I prepared for my exam while my husband was in an especially busy phase at work. On weekends, I even joined him at his office, studying in a quiet conference room by myself. It was good being away from distractions. I reviewed course material, wrote key information on color-coded 5x7 index cards and studied them until I knew I would pass. Schedule and invest the time to study, using the method you prefer.

The Portfolio                                                

Samples of recent portfolios are available online, and hard copies can be viewed at the CTSM office during EXHIBITORLIVE.  Seeing actual examples helps de-mystify the process. Look through several portfolios and start thinking about your own. Choose your focus carefully. Go over the requirements for each section, and decide on a recent exhibit or event that will offer the best showcase for what you’ve learned.

After completing your 28 classes, you can register online for the portfolio phase. You’ll be assigned an advisor to help you. If you know a CTSM graduate willing to serve as your advisor, you can request them. Otherwise, one will be selected for you.  You have one year after registration to complete your portfolio, but please don’t wait until time is running out to get going. Schedule regular time to work on your portfolio, and send sections, or partial sections, to your advisor as you write them.  If life is too hectic, try going to a library to draft one section at a time. Also, check online for Portfolio Power Working Weekend dates and locations. These are weekend events for portfolio candidates with advisors on hand, designed to give you a dedicated chance to write. I highly recommend this option, especially if you are feeling stuck.

Detailed guidelines, including a checklist, are available to help you make sure your portfolio contains everything required in the appropriate sections. Follow the checklist and include all the information it describes.  Use charts and tables to make key information stand out. Caption all photos or illustrations. Sometimes you may feel like you‘re stating the obvious, but think of it as making everything easy and clear for your review committee. To you, it might be self-evident which photos are of your old booth and which photos show the new build, but if you caption them properly, your reviewers won’t have to guess.  Don’t bury information in the Appendix. In fact, you can do without an Appendix entirely, unless you have a very extensive show calendar or other unusual circumstances. Your portfolio will read better if your reviewers aren’t constantly having to flip to the back pages, or connect a lot of dots on their own.

Write in a professional but natural tone. This is the story of your business life, and it should sound like you. Have someone proofread your final draft before submitting it.

Portfolio Approval

Your advisor must sign off on your portfolio before you submit it for review.  If your advisor asks you to re-work any sections or add material, you’ll need to do so. Expect to go through this process more than once. Your advisor is not trying to drive you crazy. Your advisor wants you to succeed! Once your advisor signs off you can send in your portfolio.

The CTSM section of the EXHIBITOR web site has information on when portfolios are reviewed. Once your review committee accepts your portfolio, you will be notified, then you can begin using the CTSM designation right away. If you are asked to make any revisions, you’ll need to submit them and get them approved before certification is granted.

New graduate portraits at the CTSM booth at EXHIBITORLIVE 2016.

Upgrades After Certification

Once certification is obtained, upgrades to the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Levels may be earned through continued education. The Diamond Level also includes an educational component, but is heavily based on demonstrated leadership in the trade show industry.  Professional contributions including teaching sessions, publishing articles, judging exhibit awards, and serving the CTSM program in various capacities, including mentoring and advising candidates, are tallied on a point value system.

Some Personal Thoughts on the CTSM Program

Earlier this month I was profiled on LinkedIn in the EXHIBITOR group as part of a series on CTSM graduates. This is what I had to say about the program:

For More Information