Ife 2011 – How Was It For You?

Speciality Bites with

Paul Hargreaves

Chief executive of Cotswold Fayre

• Becoming a B Corp
• Top trend predictions for Christmas 2021
• Self-sacrifice: The importance of building a leadership legacy centred on others
• Undercover Boss
• Can/should bosses really be close friends with their staff?

Well, IFE is finished for another two years

The general feeling from exhibitors was that it was a very good show – considerably better than two years ago, which was very disappointing for some. Visitor numbers seemed to be up and, with the exception of the free-loaders on the last day, the quality was OK.

Having said that, the number of people trying to sell us products – when we are actually there to sell to customers – was quite difficult to cope with. I have no problem visiting other exhibitors at the show, indeed it is part of my job, but when companies turn up at our stand with a briefcase of samples and stop us talking to the people we have paid to see, it becomes a problem!

They generally don’t take too kindly to being asked to pay for the space they are occupying, which is a strategy adopted by one of my colleagues! Nor do they like the suggestion that they get a stand in two years and we will talk to them, which was another approach!

As I have said many times before, the show only marks the beginning of the hard work, and my sales team are now busy following up the 150+ leads from potential new customers we gained at the show.

It continues to amaze me how few companies have a good strategy to do this. Some even seem unclear of their strategy at the show itself. I heard of one sausage producer who was boasting that he had given away 30,000 sausages during the show – he was so busy cooking, he didn’t have time to talk to anyone!

Many people, including competitors, came up to me at the show and congratulated me on raising my head above the parapet on the JME range, which continues to be a talking point in the sector.

You can read the various comments from others, including Henrietta Green, on the following blog: http://bit.ly/iiKsvd. However I was surprised to hear directly from one producer of the JME range, who said he was convinced the range wouldn’t work.

He said he only agreed to make the range to stop another producer making it, and asked why consumers would pay almost £1 extra for a product little different to his own brand? My point entirely. Particularly when it is obvious, even to the untrained eye, that the products are made by the same producer.

OK, spring has nearly sprung, so let’s get out there with our new ranges for the new season. Have a good week.