In some industries (you know who you are), the suppliers of products and services are treated a little like step children—responsible for most of the heavy (financial) lifting but never invited to the ball. That is about to change with some new Webinar programming and content developed exclusively for suppliers in the face-to-face meetings industry.

Selling to Trade Show Organizers

If you’ve been wondering how to sell to trade show organizers, The Marketing Institute for Trade Show & Event Suppliers is presenting a five-part Webcast series running September 26-30, 2011 titled, “Conversations to Contracts: Stop Talking and Start Closing.” The program covers a wide range of topics for suppliers from how to win contracts with trade show organizers, using content to attract customers, lessons from successful suppliers in the trade show industry, and the cost of chaos. Presenters include a list of event industry and marketing luminaries:

• Andrea Bahr, Society of Petroleum Engineers
• Chris Brown, National Association of Broadcasters
• John Galante, AE Ventures
• Lew Hoff, Bartizan
• Jason McGraw, InfoComm International
• Rick McPartlin, The Revenue Game
• Joe Pulizzi, Content Marketing Institute
• Rich Stone, ACT/EXPOCAD

Industry veteran, Joyce McKee of Let’s Talk Trade Shows, developed the Conversations to Contracts “eLearning Experience.”  She will moderate the live discussions and Q & A.

Selling to Senior Meeting Planners

If you have a product or service of interest to senior-level meeting and conference planners and would love to know how to reach them or you are wondering about the most effective ways to market yourself and your company, SPIN may have the answer. During the month of September, the Senior Planners Industry Network will be offering a series of Webinars designed specifically for suppliers:

• 20 Social Media Tips for Suppliers
• What’s Keeping Planners Awake at Night?
• 2012 Trends
• 7 Ways to Create Winning Proposals

Selling to Meeting and Conference Planners

Fully Committed is a blog penned by Cara Tracy, former hotel group sales manager turned association executive. It gives advice, ideas, dos, and don’ts to hotel sales professionals trying to book business with meeting planners, but anyone selling to planners can learn from her smart advice. From conducting impressive site tours to social media tips, Cara is a hotel salesperson’s new BFF.

The Takeaway: No more whining suppliers. You’ve been wondering how to get into the heads and pockets of your target customers. Now is your chance. There are fees to “attend” the Webcasts and Webinar series, but flying blind will cost you more in the long run. And if you work for a hotel and just want to know that someone feels your pain, read Cara Tracy’s blog. It’s free.