There is something about trunk shows that just feels different. Trunk shows generate buzz as staff unveil new products for the first time and consumers eagerly await to see them. Trunk shows aren’t just a chance to discover new offerings; they are a chance to celebrate a brand.
Trunk shows benefit brands by allowing them to test out their go to market offerings and strategies. "You instantly learn what's working, what's not, how it can improve and even what you might be missing," says designer Jonathan Cohen. Retailers build customer loyalty with events that offer exclusive access. Customers enjoy getting early access to new styles.
The benefits of a trunk show can be supercharged with more attention to the administration and operation of the event. Many shows are posted without an event management workflow, leaving gaps in the data and deficiencies in both the staff and attendee experience. Below are 5 reasons to use an event management workflow for your next trunk show.
Staff Allocation
When a trunk show is posted without any registration requirement, your staff is left to guess at how many attendees might show up. Staff can be overwhelmed when attendees exceed expectations. Conversely, an overstaffed event is both an inefficient use of time and can detract from the mood; too much staff ‘standing around’ makes the event seem like a failure. Use event management for better planning of staff needs.Measurement and Analytics
When registrations are collected and attendees recorded, long-term ROI of the trunk show can be measured. Many trunk shows may not show their largest revenue effects in the short term.
Kristen Cole, president and chief creative officer of the luxury boutique Forty Five Ten, argues that trunk shows are valuable beyond the same-day monetary gains. "Sometimes we don't see the immediate sales impact day of, but often we do it anyway because after our clients meet the designer and the selling staff gets more behind the designer, we see a spike in sales later…in subsequent seasons," she says. If you don’t have a record of trunk show attendees, then you are just guessing.
Beyond revenue, you can use an event management system to measure and optimize performance. For example, do attendees tend to register the day of, day before, week before, or several weeks before? This can help direct the timing of promotions.Customer Experience
An event management system can facilitate communication before and after the trunk show to provide a better customer experience. Pre-event reminders can minimize no shows and build excitement for the event. Post event emails can contain exclusive offers and other related calls to actions, including booking 1:1 appointments for further personalized experiences.Staff Efficiency
In addition to not being overstaffed or understaffed as mentioned above, an event management system can improve the performance of individual staff members. If you use an event management system to collect information on an attendees interests or preferences, staff can be ready to quickly direct attendees to the appropriate products. This level of personalized service can be another enhancement to the customer experience.Consistent branding
One reason brands push back against using event management for trunk shows is the perception that events are difficult to set up and present inconsistent branding. Enterprise-grade event management solutions offer templated events that can be spun up quickly by either location staff or centrally. If a template needs to be updated, this can be done centrally and disseminated out, saving you the hassle of updating multiple events.
Trunk shows are an investment in brand health and customer relationships. Use an event management system to maximize that investment.
