Being in the business of modularity, (in the field of trade shows), I would have to say that nothing surpasses the human brain in the context of modularity. It is the ultimate definition of modularity! Stuffed with the randomness of a lifetime of hypnotic and chaotic memories, the brain is self-organizing, parallel thinking information processor that is now set on a fast track to evolution. Wonder why?

For humans, like many animal species, survival depends on effective social functioning. However, social interaction in humans is exceedingly complex compared with that in other animal species: "representations of internal somatic states, knowledge about the self, perceptions of others and interpersonal motivations are carefully orchestrated to support skilled social functioning."  Now add to this, the multiple layers of social media that functions on a global platform to plug into the planetary brain. Never before in the last 5,000 years of written history we humans, realized our multi-dimensional potential. The concept is so complex and so vast that we don't quite understand it. Yet we do understand its' infinite possibilities. 

Welcome to the age of Social Media.
Welcome to the age of Knowledge.
As marketers and trade show exhibitors, we need to harness the concept of social media and actively participate in it. “We have technology, finally, that for the first time in human history allows people to really maintain rich connections with much larger numbers of people.” {Pierre Omidyar, founder, eBay} and yet .....................................
“There’s never been a better time to be in advertising, and there’s never been a worse time.” {Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero}

Our friends at Hubspot came up with this phenomenal how to hand book and it is here for you to download. How to Promote Your Trade Shows Socially.

In a radical socio-genetic paper that was published in 2003, it was indicated that 1 in 200 men of this planet owe their DNA to Genghis Khan. Profoundly progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan swiftly conquered, abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom and squashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. Genghis Khan acheived this by accurate targeting, disciplined structure and seamless integration.

On a galloping horse hitting his target, armed with the technology of bows and arrows he conquered the largest empire in history. Alexander and Caesar pales in comparison. LaRae Quy, a former FBI undercover agent, says Genghis mastered his art of conquest, retention and expansion by perfecting three things. Sounds familiar. It is all about market share.

First, he developed the power to pull back the thick bow so he could aim his arrow.
Step back – take a broad survey as to who your clients and prospects are. Include age, gender, income, ethnicity, experience and affilation. Be sure to include the non-tangibles: personality, likes & dislikes, reputation and their trigger points. This will help you to decide who you want to deliberately go after.
Second, Chengiz Khan understood the movements of the horse he was riding. When a horse is galloping, there is a moment when the horse is air-borne and all four hooves are off the ground. In that split-second, as he sat in his saddle and sailed through the air in smooth flight, he could shoot his arrow with enough accuracy to hit the target.
A persona gives your team a more tangible, living target to aim for when you create different marketing messages. You can create and target several personas. For example, a car company may have car buyer personas that are driven by status, or economy, or hauling family, or sustainability. In the words of our very own Mike Thimmesch: "When you understand your buyer personas, you can tailor all marketing aspects to better appeal to them. " The key word is targeting with accuracy.
And third, Chengiz Khan understood not only his own strengths and weaknesses, but the strengths and movements of his horse as well.
Unlike, the common perception that the Mongols were ruthless nomadic savages, the reality is; in nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought a revolutionary rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization. The key lesson here: Do not shove your products or services down your clients' throat. Understand, and articulate the problems that are keeping your clients up at night. Armed with this information, target your messages. You will be astonished at the positive performance of your marketing campaigns.

“How relevant is our message for this person, at this point in the customer lifecycle?” This is the DNA of Persona Marketing. When you cultivate personas into your marketing program, you’re understanding the people that drives your market. This will empower you to make your product or service relevant to them at any specific buying stage. "This knowledge, which informs meaningful and persuasive value propositions, is not only the foundation of integrated marketing but also a powerful transformer of product development."

Perception Matters! In a visual marketing bazaar such as trade fairs and conventions, every visit to your booth space leads to a build up of pre-conceived notion that is carried on every subsequent encounter that your clients might have with your products and or your services. Be very purposeful as to how you want your brand to be perceived. You walk into a space of clutter, confusion and mundane the products and services will be perceived as such. On the other hand you walk into a space of elegance, simplicity and controlled light; you are in a perceptual space of high technology and smart efficiency. You see, simplicity and complexity are mutually dependent. Because, technology only continues to grow more complex; there is a massive economic and emotional advantage to present it in a simple and humanized space.

Be Aware! Your brand elements like logos, tag lines, trademarks, packaging and your display might be yours; but the reality is, it is owned by your customers and your prospects; it is their perception of your company that impacts your bottom line and ultimately your survival. We live in a 24 hour connected world. Be aware of the savvy planetary word-of-mouth. Be aware, even before you get to pitch about your brand uniqueness, you might be encountering prospects that have formed perceptions about your brand. If it is positive, your brand achieves victory, if it is negative, you shift in the mind-set of damage control. Triumphant lesson from Avis: When Avis (the # 2 car rental behind Hertz) anchored in "We try harder", all of a sudden the brand gained momentum to aspire for something bigger: the perception that played out was being #2 is positive and goal oriented.

Propagating the Positive Perception. Start with how you want your customers and prospects to think, feel, remember, and experience your exhibiting space. The over arching goal should be Positive Memory Retention. Be courageous to be different and make memorable limbic connections with your visitors.
Focus on white space. It is your strategic weapon. Let it be. — Do no cover every surface with your story. Remember, we live in an overwhelming information grinding digital age. Your exhibiting environment should be all about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful. Architectural elements and textures should work towards empowering your brand style and image. Do not use elements to define your style. Your brand becomes commoditized. Great example is bamboo being synonymous with Green. If you want to convey Green ideals, it is a good idea to stay away from the invasive bamboo and perhaps try the controversial hemp. It is guaranteed to trigger the memorability factor amongst your audience.

Hundreds of images came across my desk from CES 2012. However, the synaptic nerves made new connections when Huawei appeared. It happened to be the memorable trigger factor for this article. Thank you Huawei. You look magnificent!