Chicago, IL – PrivilegedAccess.tv is taking its on-the-floor reporting on trade shows to the general public through a deal that will air video snippets from various trade shows on a Chicago television station.
PrivilegedAccess.tv signed a deal with WCIU-TV in Chicago, also known as Me-TV, to air one- to two-minute reports from the exhibit hall during the commercial breaks in the station’s morning presentations of classic television shows.
One of the first trade shows to be featured will be MAGIC Marketplace, which provided a visual array of consumer-oriented booths that will give Me-TV viewers a first look at the fashions that will soon be hitting the retail racks.
Kathy Rivera, president of PrivilegedAccess.tv, said the outlet to Me-TV’s estimated audience of 3.5 million Chicagoland viewers would give exhibitors at consumer-oriented shows a direct feed to the purchasing public. “This new frontier in television is offering a great opportunity for show organizers,” she said. “This exposure will increase consumers’ awareness of the latest developments in these industries and will also give them an inside look into the trade show world, which is something they do not have access to.”
One of the segments to air on Me-TV will be on the fashion lines offered by music celebrities such as Beyonce, Jessica Simpson and Sean Combs. “We chose the booths that we thought would interest the widest range of the audience that Me-TV attracts,” she said.
Permission to go on to the exhibit floor was obtained from the show manager, and the staff at each booth granted either written or on-camera permission to film their wares as well.
MAGIC is the type of exhibition that appeals to the consumer, which makes such shows a likely market for PrivilegedAccess.tv. “We are choosing trade shows that have a wide appeal to consumers who want to find out about new products,” Rivera said. “They can learn when and where they will be available. It will help exhibitors increase sales.”
The idea is a push-pull strategy, much like prescription drugs are advertised on television to spur demand from consumers who must go to their doctors to actually get the prescription. Giving consumers “privileged access” to trade shows can have a strong effect on sales as well.
Expanding the Niche
PrivilegedAccess.tv launched in late 2007 as a joint venture of Rivera’s KRT Productions and Trade Show Executive. The goal was to produce on-the-scene video clips from trade shows for posting on websites. Segments from events such as All Candy Expo, Coverings and the International Home + Housewares Show can be viewed on the PriviligedAccess.tv site.
Segments may also be posted on the show sites and the featured exhibitors’ sites, giving them global reach around the clock. The clips aired by Me-TV will also be available on the Internet.
Rivera said branching out to commercial television was the second phase of a strategy to use the Internet to greatly increase the exposure of trade shows and their exhibitors. PrivilegedAccess.tv is seeking additional television outlets for its products, which will in turn prove to be an attractive add-on that show organizers can offer their exhibitors.
New Revenue Source for Trade Shows
The plan calls for PrivilegedAccess.tv to canvass exhibitors interested in being taped for a modest fee, which would be split between PrivilegedAccess.tv and the show organizer. That would buy the exhibitor a short video segment that would be posted or aired by PrivilegedAccess.tv. The exhibitor would also be able to use the finished product on their own website.
Phase 3 would launch once the momentum builds further and video clips translate into hits on the exhibitor websites. “That takes us to a click-through fee that can be shared with the trade shows,” Rivera said.
This last phase will depend on the public’s interest in what is taking place in the exhibit halls. And building that interest begins with a look behind the scenes at MAGIC that will be offered during commercial breaks in Chicago.
Reach Kathy Rivera at (847) 619-7760 or krivera@krtprod.com
