Han Leenhouts on stage with microphone - pointing

Straight Talk from Han Leenhouts (Part 2)

Han Leenhouts Unfiltered! (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Han Leenhouts author of Sales & Pepper, based in The Hague (Den Haag), The Netherlands.

This is one of the most fun, exciting, and inspirational episodes that we’ve had on The Global Exhibitor Podcast! In this interview, hosted by Jeff Hannah you can experience Han’s electric personality, and magnetic passion through his dynamic, engaging, and direct (Dutch) style. The primary focus of this episode is the importance of booth staff selection, training and engagement.

In this episode, Jeff asks Han to differentiate between the Dutch culture and mindset in comparison to other countries in Europe. Han talks about what Americans might not understand when working with the Dutch. They talk about the direct communications style, and the importance of being authentic and genuine.

Han emphasizes the importance of booth staff training and what the process generally looks like – involving both pre-show training as well as on-site coaching. He talks about setting goals for the show and how to measure where those goals are met.

Han elaborates on how asking the “right” questions is an important step in learning how to engage with people you have never met before. The right questions help to quickly qualify your potential leads and determine where to take the conversation. Han is a firm believer in being bold, taking risks, and stepping out of your comfort zone – which is what it takes in order to be really successful in trade show marketing.

As a side note, Jeff and Han briefly discuss perspectives on the war in Ukraine, as well as how Dutch DJ’s compare to others in the world! You don’t want to miss that!

Han Leenhouts is an internationally acclaimed author, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach in the trade show industry. Han is the author of Sales & Pepper, a book focused on the best ways to engage with people on the trade show floor, in conjunction with an effective exhibit. He is also the author of Peppertalk 2.0, which is focused on open-ended, thought-provoking questions which can be used to effectively engage with others on the show floor. Han owns Sales & Pepper, a training and coaching firm based in The Netherlands.

This interview was recorded live in Las Vegas at the luxurious Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, with host Jeff Hannah. Please also join us for Part 1 of this interview with Han Leenhouts.

Email: han@salesandpepper.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanleenhouts/

Website: https://salesandpepper.com/

Han Leenhouts on stage with microphone - pointing

Straight Talk from Han Leenhouts (Part 1)

Han Leenhouts Unfiltered! (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a two-part interview with Han Leenhouts author of Sales & Pepper, based in The Hague (Den Haag), The Netherlands.

This is one of the most fun, exciting, and inspirational episodes that we’ve had on The Global Exhibitor Podcast! In this interview, hosted by Jeff Hannah you can experience Han’s electric personality, and magnetic passion through his dynamic, engaging, and direct (Dutch) style. The primary focus of this episode is the importance of booth staff selection, training and engagement.

Han is focused on outcomes! But, far too many get it wrong! As part of his consultative, training, and coaching initiatives, Han works globally with brands to help establish and reach goals for their trade show participation. With clearly defined goals in mind, you can then work to achieve those goals – and recognize when you have or haven’t. Having the goals is important, but is not everything. Making the most of show floor interactions can make or break any trade show participation. Staff training is the next, hugely important component. Much of the booth staff training can happen in the planning phases, but some of it must happen on the show floor, in the actual physical environment in order to fully utilize the exhibit in the way it was designed to be used.

Jeff asks Han about his views on staffing a booth with marketing team members vs. sales vs. technical staff. Han talks in detail about how to select the right people to fill the various roles required on the show floor. Han gives his recommendations on the ideal mix of profiles for the roles, and how to play to people’s strengths. He focuses on the importance of booth staff attitude and outlook on working on the show floor. It is critical for them to understand their purpose, as well as the best ways to approach people and start meaningful interactions.

Respect for cultural differences is important for working across cultures. But, when looking for ways to engage with others, Han urges people to tap into the most basic and common human characteristics – those things we share in common – rather than focusing on our differences. Shaping questions in just the right way to capture a visitor’s attention immediately is essential in the busy, distracting, and fast-paced show floor environment. Han is a master at engaging both individuals and audiences.

Han Leenhouts is an internationally acclaimed author, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach in the trade show industry. Han is the author of Sales & Pepper, a book focused on the best ways to engage with people on the trade show floor, in conjunction with an effective exhibit. He is also the author of Peppertalk 2.0, which is focused on open-ended, thought-provoking questions which can be used to effectively engage with others on the show floor. Han owns Sales & Pepper, a training and coaching firm based in The Netherlands.

This interview was recorded live in Las Vegas at the luxurious Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, with host Jeff Hannah. Please join us for Part 2 of this interview with Han Leenhouts.

Email: han@salesandpepper.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanleenhouts/

Website: https://salesandpepper.com/

Exhibit at EuroShop

Tradeshow Engagement Optimization with Lee Ali (Part 1)

Tradeshow Engagement Optimization with Lee Ali (Part 1)

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Lee Ali of Expo Stars Interactive, based in Manchester, England. In this episode, Jeff asks Lee about several unique aspects of his work and business model. This is part one of a two-part series with Lee.

Lee discusses his Remote Exhibiting Model, which is a new development born in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, when companies were prevented from traveling due to restrictions of one kind or another. This Model allows companies to still participate in trade shows in a very real, legitimate, and effective way, even when their own staff members cannot attend IRL.

Lee also discusses his outlook regarding the attendee experience model in the post-COVID world. How have expectations of engagements and interactions changed during the past couple of years? And how do they continue to change? Due to show attendance still down from the previous era, exhibitors are spending similar (if not more) dollars but getting access to fewer attendees. So, what can and should exhibitors do to address that in the most effective way possible?

Lee shares insights on cultural differences and their relative importance in the exhibition world and on the show floor. And he talks in depth about a new phrase which he recently coined, “Tradeshow Engagement Optimization – also known as TEO.

Lee Ali is an international speaker, entrepreneur, business coach, mentor, sales strategist and a qualified iMA practitioner. He is widely regarded as the go-to source for attendee engagement and lead generation at global tradeshow exhibitions, conferences and live marketing events.

Lee’s passion from very early on in his business career has been understanding what makes people buy and how to truly connect with them so that they are deeply engaged with what you do.

As well as contributing his valuable insights to industry press and media, Lee has been invited to speak at various conferences across the world on audience engagement including; UFI Asia Pacific Conference in Malaysia, Middle East Event Show in Dubai, Sales and Marketing Expo in LA, The Business Show in London, Expo Expo! in Las Vegas, EXHIBITORLIVE in Las Vegas, Event Tech Live in London and more. Lee also hosts the “In Conversation with Expo Stars” podcast interviewing experts from the tradeshow industry.

Lee founded Expo Stars Interactive, an award winning exhibition engagement company, to support exhibitors worldwide to engage more attendees to their booth, convert them into qualified sales leads, raise their brand awareness, and deliver measurable results.

Since 2007, the Expo Stars team have been supporting exhibitors at all the major global exhibitions including Arab Health, Mobile World Congress, CES, GITEX, BAUMA, HPE Discover, Cisco Live, Black Hat, Microsoft Convergence, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and many more.

Lee is also passionate about health and well-being. He is a qualified Reiki practitioner and incorporates the power of positive energy into his unique 5 E’s framework for personal, business, sales and marketing success.

This interview was recorded online from both Manchester, England (UK) and Dayton, Ohio (USA) with host Jeff Hannah.

Part 2 of the Interview with Lee.

Email: lee@expostars.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeali5/

Website: https://www.expostars.com/

Lee Ali, MD of Expo Stars Interactive

Lee Ali
Jeff Hannah & David Hanger

David Hanger’s Best Places to Eat Around the World (Part 1)

Top Food & Activity Picks Globally by David Hanger 

This 3-part mini-series interview provides a wealth of solid insights and recommendations for restaurants, food, and excursions / activities in five international cities. This is quite different from most of our episodes. But, it’s extremely interesting – and provides an abundance of first-hand recommendations from David Hanger, whose reviews on TripAdvisor have been read by more than 100,000 people. Besides being a “critic of food,” David is an international business executive and consultant based in the USA. Host Jeff Hannah interviewed David during a trip to Singapore.

In Part 1 of this interview, David and Jeff focus on Singapore and Amsterdam. Part 2 of this series covers the Greek Island of Santorini, and the city of Shanghai in China. Part 3 of this series covers the cities of Prague in the Czech Republic, and the US cities of Chicago and Santa Barbara.

It’s quite important to ensure that any restaurant you choose for business meetings or entertainment are excellent choices – not only in terms of food quality, but in terms of atmosphere, location, service level, and cultural fit, to name a few. Hopefully this mini-series will be a great resource for those of you who may be planning shows, events, or personal travel in these cities.

Please feel free to connect with David Hanger if you would like to get other recommendations or information directly from him, as he is a tremendous wealth of knowledge for food and dining globally. His contact info is listed below.

Links to restaurants / activities mentioned in this podcast episode:

Singapore:

Fotia (Mediterranean / Greek restaurant)

Chao Chao Gyoza (Japanese restaurant)

NOX (total darkness restaurant)

The Other Room (speakeasy bar at Marriott Tang Plaza)

Club Street (restaurants / various types of entertainment / nightlife)

CBD (Central Business District)

Novena Square Area

KF1 (go kart circuit)

Singapore Grand Prix (Formula 1 night race)

Haji Lane (near Suntec City & Duo Galleria)

 

Amsterdam:

De Belhamel (romantic atmosphere with French & Italian cuisine)

Stubbe’s Haring (seafood street vendor / restaurant)

Vondelpark (nature park)

 

This interview was recorded at the Urbana Rooftop Bar & Pool at the Marriott Courtyard Singapore Novena Hotel in Singapore with host Jeff Hannah.

Email: davidhanger88@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshanger/

Jeff & Uta on Eco Tour in Sonoran Desert

IFES Executive Director – Uta Goretzky

Jeff Hannah Interviews Uta Goretzky – Executive Director of IFES

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Uta Goretzky, the Executive Director of the International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services, headquartered in Europe. Uta has a vast knowledge of what is happening in the trade show and event industry on a global basis. She works diligently to ensure that the industry is well-represented globally within various government contexts, as well as from an economic standpoint. They also provide a platform for global collaboration between companies across the exhibition industry.

Uta discusses trends that she is observing, initiatives that IFES is pursuing currently, the significance of cultural concerns, as well as best practices for exhibitors. Uta is based in Frankfurt, Germany, but spends much of her life on the road in many places around the world.

Prior to joining IFES, Uta spent more than 20 years with FAMAB e.V., the German association for the exhibitions and events industry. Uta studied economics at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in Germany.

This interview was recorded in the Sonoran Desert of Tucson, Arizona in the USA.

Uta Goretzky on LinkedIn

Email: uta@ifesnet.org

Chloe Richardson – a Woman of Many Talents! (Part 2)

Jeff Hannah Interviews Chloe Richardson – Linguist & Exhibition Sales Strategist

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Chloe Richardson, a linguist – and sales strategist within the exhibition and trade show industry globally. She speaks about 5 or 6 languages – and teaches language. She also works in the exhibition and trade show industry, specializing in sales strategy, rebook consultancy, sales team support, business development, client engagement, the customer journey and process management. And she also does translation work on a regular basis.

Chloe’s home base is in London, where she is today. But, Chloe works in a diverse array of industries across the world, including Europe, North America, Russia and Eurasia, China, India, South East Asia and Africa.

Chloe holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Portuguese from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. One little secret about Chloe…is that she has spent a significant part of her life working in the entertainment industry, being a vocalist, pianist and actress. Chloe is just super-talented, extremely articulate and just fun to be around!!

Chloe shares lots of great insights across this 3-part series. She discusses the importance of language in relation to travel – and to the trade show and exhibition world in general; she talks about cultural differences, travel tips, how to engage with strangers, how to create trust & respect, perceptions across borders, and developing a better understanding of the audience you are trying to engage with.

This interview was recorded in London, United Kingdom & Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Part 1 of my interview with Chloe.

Part 3 of my interview with Chloe.

Chloe Richardson on LinkedIn

Website: www.explori.com

Email: c.richardson@explori.com

Chloe Richardson – a Woman of Many Talents! (Part 1)

Jeff Hannah Interviews Chloe Richardson – Linguist & Exhibition Sales Strategist

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Chloe Richardson, a linguist – and sales strategist within the exhibition and trade show industry globally. She speaks about 5 or 6 languages – and teaches language. She also works in the exhibition and trade show industry, specializing in sales strategy, rebook consultancy, sales team support, business development, client engagement, the customer journey and process management. And she also does translation work on a regular basis.

Chloe’s home base is in London, where she is today. But, Chloe works in a diverse array of industries across the world, including Europe, North America, Russia and Eurasia, China, India, South East Asia and Africa.

Chloe holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Portuguese from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. One little secret about Chloe…is that she has spent a significant part of her life working in the entertainment industry, being a vocalist, pianist and actress. Chloe is just super-talented, extremely articulate and just fun to be around!!

Chloe shares lots of great insights across this 3-part series. She discusses the importance of language in relation to travel – and to the trade show and exhibition world in general; she talks about cultural differences, travel tips, how to engage with strangers, how to create trust & respect, perceptions across borders, and developing a better understanding of the audience you are trying to engage with.

This interview was recorded in London, United Kingdom & Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Part 2 of my interview with Chloe.

Part 3 of my interview with Chloe.

Chloe Richardson on LinkedIn

Website: www.explori.com

Email: c.richardson@explori.com

Dutch Pavilion Shanghai 2010

Charles Pappas – Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords (Part 2)

Jeff Hannah Interviews Charles Pappas – Exhibit Industry Historian

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Charles Pappas, author of Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords, and senior writer at Exhibitor Magazine. Charles is like the Indiana Jones – Captain Ahab – Mr. Peabody of the exhibition industry. He dug up lost expo photos in Shanghai and located forgotten fair buildings in Mexico City. He has spent years sleuthing out not just the economic IMPACT but cultural IMPRINT of trade fairs – which is a key point of his book. The impact of trade fairs last long beyond the end of the event. Charles has covered the expo industry for Exhibitor Magazine for many years – and is the industry’s de facto historian.

In part 2 of this interview, Jeff explores the things that Charles has learned from his extensive international travels, in particular how those things relate to good and bad practices in exhibitions. Charles explains the Dunning–Kruger effect, and how business can be impacted by a lack of knowledge of certain subjects. They discuss the use a sensory attractions – kinetic structures, technology, sand painting, art, fragrances and storytelling. Jeff talks to Charles about his level of interest in cultures and how that knowledge can and should be applied to the exhibition world.

This interview was recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords Book on Amazon

Charles Pappas on LinkedIn

Exhibitor Magazine

Email: cpappas@exhibitormagazine.com

Dutch Pavilion Shanghai 2010

Charles Pappas – Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords (Part 1)

Jeff Hannah Interviews Charles Pappas – Exhibit Industry Historian

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Charles Pappas, author of Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords, and senior writer at Exhibitor Magazine. Charles is like the Indiana Jones – Captain Ahab – Mr. Peabody of the exhibition industry. He dug up lost expo photos in Shanghai and located forgotten fair buildings in Mexico City. He has spent years sleuthing out not just the economic IMPACT but cultural IMPRINT of trade fairs – which is a key point of his book. The impact of trade fairs last long beyond the end of the event. Charles has covered the expo industry for Exhibitor Magazine for many years – and is the industry’s de facto historian.

In part 1 of this interview, Charles explains how he became interested in world’s fairs and exhibitions, and the many shows that he has personally visited and studied. They talk about how governments use their pavilions at world fairs to market and sell themselves to the world, something Charles refers to as culture to consumer (C2C). Through fascinating examples Charles reveals interesting past exhibits which have really changed the world. They also discuss opportunities that companies often miss when exhibiting, and some of the huge mistakes that they make. Charles provides an incredibly insightful and historical perspective on the importance of trade shows, exhibitions, and world’s fairs to the global economy.

This interview was recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords Book on Amazon

Charles Pappas on LinkedIn

Exhibitor Magazine

Email: cpappas@exhibitormagazine.com

Motorola Exhibit in Bangkok

Larry Kulchawik – Trade Shows from One Country to the Next (Part 2)

Jeff Hannah Interviews International Exhibit Industry Legend Larry Kulchawik

In this episode, host Jeff Hannah concludes his interview with exhibition industry legend Larry Kulchawik, author of Trade Shows from One Country to the Next. They discuss some of the biggest mistakes that companies make, how to approach working internationally, some of the most difficult places to work, the most rewarding aspects of the industry, and Larry’s legacy in the global exhibition industry.

Trade Shows from One Country to the Next is tailor-made for exhibit managers and event planners who are working across borders. It outlines the venues, top trade shows, rules, regulations, exhibit and cultural differences. It is designed to help you recalculate your strategies and tactics when exhibiting internationally – covering 45 countries.

While earning a degree in Design at Southern Illinois University, Larry Kulchawik had the privilege to study under world class designer Buckminster Fuller. Starting as an exhibit designer, Kulchawik has spent the last 43 years making his mark on the exhibit industry globally!

Larry has worked for three of the leading exhibit companies in the USA – in design, management and sales – with a focus on international trade show marketing. He served as President of IFES (International Federation of Exposition Services) and as President of EDPA (Experiential Designers and Producers Association). Larry also served on the boards of many industry associations Center for Exhibit Industry Research (CEIR)Octanorm Service Partner International (OSPI), and the World Trade Center. As president of EDPA he assisted to launch the first master’s degree program in exhibit design at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City; during that time he also led a task force to create an Underwriters Laboratory (aka UL) – Standards for Safety for building trade show exhibits.

Larry has been awarded two of the industry’s highest honors – the Hazel Hays Award (given by EDPA), and the Roger Taurant Award (given by IFES) for his contributions to the exhibit industry.

Be sure to listen to Part 1 of this interview with Larry Kulchawik.

This interview was recorded in Naples, Florida.

www.larrykulchawik.com

Larry Kulchawik LinkedIn

Email: larrykulchawik@gmail.com

Twitter: @LarryKulchawik

Larry Kulchawik Consulting on Facebook