Let me say at the onset that I have the highest regard for advertising agencies and the services they perform. They are the bastions of creativity and can do wonders for you in most areas. I use one myself - and I am a member in good standing (as of this writing) of the American Advertising Federation.

Having issued this disclaimer, I feel free to say that with few exceptions, one of the areas where ad agencies fall painfully short is trade show marketing.

One need only look at the revenue stream of agencies to quickly realize that most income is generated from commissions. I don't know of any trade show producers that pay a commission on booth sales. Because agencies don't see trade shows as a revenue source, they are reluctant to recommend them when assisting clients with marketing plans. Many see trade shows as a threat to other, more "conventional" marketing tools.

I have seen companies attend shows with beautifully designed, expensive literature to be used in a drab, unappealing exhibit that wouldn't attract visitors if you were giving away gold. What good is nice literature if no one stops at your booth?

In other cases, companies have come to shows with literature that was intended to be used as a direct mail piece or an annual report - not as a trade show piece. Different jobs require different tools. If you don;t understand the task, you can't design the tool. Trade show selling is different. It requires a different approach to the potential client.

A 1995 study from the International Association of Exposition Management entitled, Survey of Advertising Agency Involvement in Trade Show Exhibiting, reported the following:

• Twenty-nice percent of agencies said they provide show marketing or promotional services for their clients.

• Eight percent of agencies (who felt they had significant influence in development of client marketing programs) were not involved in show selection decisions.

Most agencies see shows as another avenue of advertising, but fail to recognize their value of face-to-face marketing encounters, which are critical to shortening the selling cycle. Because agencies are uncomfortable with situations that don't fall into a neat package, they see trade shows as the square peg in the round hole!

In short, agencies have little enthusiasm for promoting services that do not directly produce income or that deviate from their perception of "the norm". Should you stay away from your ad agency when preparing for a show? Not necessarily. Agencies still have invaluable creative resources, a keen sense of what attracts attention and copy writing skills that most of us lack. Make sure your agency knows why you are going to exhibit, what your objectives are, and what contribution you expect from them. In many cases you will know more than the agency. Once you train your agency, they can be even more productive.