Forum - July 2008

ally directing them through the information toward the most relevant content. If you choose to use “sample” materials, be sure to obviously mark them and encourage your staff to hold the sample at all times. Then, offer to mail interested parties materials after the meeting or produce the hidden gem once their interest level has equaled the printing costs. However, always bring at least one membership piece in excess. This piece may not be your most gorgeous or expensive, but it should be available to aisle-grazers

Cathy Kraus is director, organizational marketing, at the Academy of General Dentistry. She may be reached at (312) 440-4312 or cathy.kraus@agd.org.

association name, logo and Web site at the top; your tagline just underneath; and three or four services under that.

• Avoid placing content below eye level.

• Use a font size that can be read from

15 feet away.

• Be sure your signage reinforces your marketing message.

Another way to make an impact is to cut the clutter. Try to maintain no more than three focal points in your booth layout. For example, showcase materials for your annual meeting, one new program and membership information. More than three focal points can easily overwhelm a booth visitor and often discourage their visit altogether. If your association requires more promotion, consider changing materials each day to showcase different aspects of the organization. If you must create more than three focal points in your booth, add simple signage to direct attendees.

Make it easy for visitors to take action. No matter how small your booth area may be, you must include a membership sign-up station. The most important element of recruitment is to make the application simple. A chair at the edge of the table, pens and applications Join the National Healthcare Career Network today! can do the trick. This offers a realistic space for the applicant to fill out applications. If you offer online applications, place the computer in the workstation.

Finally, don’t create a cage. Placing a table at the front of your booth creates an immediate barrier between you and your prospective new member. This disrupts the proper flow of the booth, and

NTERNATIONAL SOCIETY PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY • SOCIETY FOR RADIATION ONCOLOGY ADMINIS ^limits ^your ^access ^to ^visitors. RATORS • SOCIETY FOR MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CLINICAL CHEMISTRY One common way to reduce exhibiting MERICAN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION • FLORIDA ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS OF NURS _costs _is _to _use “_sample” _membershipNG ADMINISTRATION • F LORIDA MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION • FLORIDA HEALTH CARE SOCIA WORKERS ASSOCIATION • INFUSION NURSES SOCIETY • AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE HUMAN RE ^marketing ^collateral ^rather ^than ^distribut-OURCES ADMINISTRATION • AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION • ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNIT ing expensive materials to uninterested EALTH IMPROVEMENT • URGENT CARE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA • FLORIDA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY _visitors. _In _this _way, _your _staff _engagesMERICAN SOCIETY OF CONSULTANT PHARMACISTS • MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF AMBULANCE SERVICE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS • MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURER

^attendees ^with ^the ^sample ^piece, ^person-SSOCIATION • AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF DIABETES EDUCATOR

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