It is always critical to have a point person for your business. T3 Expo not only has a great staff, but I work with the owners of the company – and that doesn’t happen with other companies.
Lindsay Barber, Director, Meetings, Marketing & Special Projects of NAAA
The Disney movie “Planes” was released a few years ago and is about Dusty Crophopper -- a crop duster plane that works at a cornfield and practices aerobatic maneuvers in his spare time, dreaming of becoming a racer. The success of the movie put crop dusting, now referred to as aerial application, at the forefront of the hearts and minds of viewers and brought the industry into mainstream focus.
The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA), founded in 1966, represents approximately 1,900 members in 46 states and real organizations and planes like Dusty Crophopper. NAAA works to support the agricultural aviation industry which is made up of small businesses and pilots that use aircraft to aid farmers in producing a safe, affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and biofuel, in addition to protecting forestry and controlling health-threatening pests.
This year, the NAAA will host its 50th Annual Convention & Exposition, which will feature the world’s largest trade show for agricultural aviation – and it is always a great opportunity for networking, and provides a dynamic lineup of speakers and events.
The Association tapped T3 Expo on the shoulder a few years ago to provide support for its annual event and T3 Expo was excited to tackle it. The exhibitors at the NAAA event are also members, with many of them small mom and pop companies, so the NAAA doesn’t look to to drive a large profit from its shows. Therefore, it is important to the NAAA that they are price senstive and for members not to feel taken advantage of by the trade show's pricing.
The NAAA considered a few key points when picking an events partner – no price gouging; a listening partner; excellent customer service; easy to do business with; and progressive thinkers.
T3 Expo met each criterion.
“NAAA events have created opportunities for our diverse members to exhibit and purchase sponsorships, and I wanted to make sure we were showcasing to our members exactly what they are getting at our show in return for their budget. It has always been our goal to create great experiences and provide the best customer service and support possible,” said Lindsay Barber director, Meetings, Marketing & Special Projects for NAAA.
Barber said she was impressed with many things about T3 Expo, but she loves the T3 Expo online proofing system called Pinpoint, which makes it so easy for Barber to show NAAA members and sponsors everything from the exact measurements of their space, to pictures of the show floor, the booth size, carpeting, chairs, etc.
“When a sponsor asks me what their signage, booth or any other investment will look like, I am able to send the Pinpoint site it to them and this makes it simple, easy and accurate. And, it is always up to date and real-time,” added Barber. “The Pinpoint system, takes out so much guess work. Without that tool, it becomes an old way of doing things – like using email with back and forth attachments. It has saved me so much time.”
Using T3 Expo’s technology has been an incredible time saver for Barber, but she is also grateful for the superior customer service that T3 Expo continues to provide not just for her, but for her tiny but mighty nine person team.
“It is always critical to have a point person for your business. T3 Expo not only has a great staff, but I work with the owners of the company – and that doesn’t happen with other companies. At T3 Expo, I have access to the top people in the company, and they are always there with us, providing onsite support,” Barber said.
Barber said she gets a great deal of support from not just the leaders of T3 Expo, but from all of its Eventgineers. “They are all a part of my team. If I need to get signage from one point to another during the show, someone from T3 Expo will always jump in to get it done. That is how they are… customer service oriented all the time. They are willing to do anything and everything they can so we all have a really successful tradeshow. I can’t imagine working with any other company that doesn’t offer that kind of support.”