Knowledge (also known as #Knowledge18 & #Know18) is the place to learn, connect, and get inspired by ServiceNow visionaries, customers, and partners. Discover where the industry is going and how ServiceNow can help you deliver amazing employee and customer experiences.
As a first timer at #Know18 I can see how one can be overwhelmed. With many breakouts, labs, sessions, exhibitors and parties to choose from and see, my suggestion is to make sure you have your agenda written out and scheduled prior to arrival. Although it was a well thought out event, you can still be lost and confused if you don’t plan properly. The locations of the breakouts can be a little tricky to find. I also noticed that they opened the trade show floor about 45 minutes early. Most of the exhibitors and sponsors were fine, but I did see a few scrambling to put away their bags as 15,000+ people came out of the keynote session and made their way to the show floor. That was a little ‘bit of a curve ball, but I’m sure the exhibitors didn’t mind it too much. It gave them more time with the attendees. My favorite was the CreatorCon area. Saw some cool inventions there.
Know18 estimated 15,000-18,000 attendees over a period of 4 days at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. I thought it was well branded, informative, engaging and a fun event. The energy was definitely full of excitement. I noticed people were hungry for information. They didn’t get too caught up in the Vegas fever. These #geeks are all about learning as much as they can in 4 days as much as partying as much as they can after hours. For someone who grew up in the fashion industry and has seen some of the best parties, believe me, these tech guys know how to party!! Thanks to ServiceNow for the awesome opening reception. Great DJ!
Here are 3 experiences that made our #coolandclever list at #Know18:
TESM – “The service management company is a 100% ServiceNow dedicated consultancy with in depth experience, working in global financial services, retail, pharma and manufacturing industries. We offer an unrivaled service that delivers innovative solutions for Security Operations, Service & Workflow Automation, Technology Change Programs and Employee Engagement.” The Experience:As the new kids on the block (launching in USA), TESM wanted to come in strong and make a statement in the US. They had a well branded exhibit and the team looked great in uniformed branded polos. They had lots of cool giveaways, from pens to branded M&Ms to eco-friendly tees. They also had clever cards re-iterating why they are the service management company of choice. My Opinion: I thought TESM did a great job branding their exhibit and made it very inviting to the attendees. They looked bigger than their competition and they looked strong. They welcomed everyone with cool swag. They offered eco-friendly tees to their customers if they took the time to do a demo. The demos were visible to passersby, so anyone can join in and watch at any time. They were selective with the tees, and made sure they scanned everyone prior to getting giveaways. They made use of every inch of the exhibit from demos to group meetings, and even semi-private meetings. Shout out to the awesome worldwide sales team (they killed it), and marketing team in the UK!
NetApp – “is a Fortune 500 hybrid cloud data services company. We are the leader in data insight, access, and control for hybrid cloud environments. We provide global organizations the ability to manage and share their data across on-premises, private, and public clouds.” The Experience:I saw these guys at the end of the day when most of the exhibitors have left. Looked like they just finished a demo. The energy of the 2 guys in the booth was contagious. They were pros. They pulled you in with their personalities, then they get you with the really cool branded #techy swag, then they lock you in for a quick 3-minute demo, and if that wasn’t enough, they give you an even cooler swag after the demo. My Opinion: This is how you work a tradeshow, guys! From start to the end of the day, you gotta’ have your game face on. They didn’t stop smiling. They explained what they specialize in. If you don’t know about NetApp, you’ve probably been under a rock, but they’re always doing new things and improving their services. They had a nice high end exhibit, and definitely made use of their 10×10 space. My suggestions would be to move TV all the way to the left, then push the reception desk closer towards the back wall and far right edge, so they can draw more people in during the demo.
Moogsoft –“was founded by Phil Tee and Mike Silvey who invented Netcool (acquired by IBM) nearly 25 years ago, is an AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations) that helps Dev and Ops teams become smarter, faster, and more effective. By using AI to automate mundane operational work we free up human operators to do what they do best — innovate.” The Experience:You play an interactive game, learn about the company and you get a prize. My Opinion: I noticed this exhibit a mile away because it was hot pink with a cow for a logo. In the sea of blue and white tech companies, kudos to Phil Tee for being daring with the company colors. I thought they did a good job utilizing a smaller space with the prominent pink color and the interactive technology to draw the crowd in. If you know about the culture of Moogsoft, I would say the feel of the exhibit spoke to the company culture. The sales guy at the reception desk was very engaging and friendly. He’s very knowledgeable about the product. I didn’t get to ask too many questions, but he was quite informative.
Entrepreneurially minded, service oriented, creative and agile, PLUS Studios is a place where the best of the old exhibit house system is combined with a new mentality and modern approach. PLUS Studios was founded in 2013 when a collective group of industry veterans decided to break the mold and do business differently. With our agility, insight, new thinking, and modern sensibilities, we have created the experience of a larger exhibit house; the PLUS Studios model was born! To learn more about Plus Studios, please go to www.Plus-Studios.com or contact us at 702-651-9611.
About the Author: Li Jackson is a an 18 year veteran of the events & exhibits industry and is currently the VP of Marketing at Plus Studios, an experiential Events Exhibits and Environments company based in Las Vegas Nevada. She is also Founder of Tradeshowlife®️, an Online Educational & Media company and Executive Director at Rethink Worldwide a Non-Profit Organization focused on Conserving the Environment.