1. Customized Training Programs: Productions Plus delivers personalized training programs to meet the unique needs of automotive brands.
2. Experienced Team: With a dedicated Director of Training and certified facilitators, Productions Plus offers top-notch instruction and expertise.
3. Consumer Engagement: Our training modules focus on creating meaningful connections with customers, boosting sales and satisfaction.
4. Presentation and Speaking Skills: Productions Plus hones Product Specialists’ abilities to deliver compelling vehicle presentations while speaking to audiences of all sizes.
5. Media Training: We prepare Product Specialists to confidently engage with the media and effectively convey key brand messages.
6. Continuous Improvement: Productions Plus conducts post-training surveys to gather feedback and make ongoing improvements.
7. Hands-On Ride and Drive Events: We organize ride and drive events, allowing Product Specialists to immerse themselves in the brand’s vehicles.
8. Brand History: Productions Plus incorporates the brand’s history and values into training, fostering authenticity and pride.

Feedback from our recent training programs included: 

“I enjoyed learning about the vehicles with the vehicles present. I’m more of a visual learner, so being able to learn while being interactive with the vehicles allowed for better overall understanding and information retention.”

“All sessions were very informative and overall, very memorable and impactful. I feel like this broad range of sessions helped prepare me for the Product Specialist role that I am new to and helped give me the resources I will need to learn more.”

“I loved that everything was taught and presented in an upbeat, positive way. The client and P+ made learning fun. Keep up the great energy! It was a safe and extremely helpful learning environment.”

Conclusion:

Productions Plus offers a comprehensive package for automotive Product Specialist training and event staffing. With our customized programs, experienced team, and emphasis on consumer engagement, we empower specialists to excel. Our media training, post-training surveys, and hands-on events ensure continuous improvement. Productions Plus is your go-to partner for revving up your automotive training and staffing initiatives, making a lasting impact in the industry.

About Productions Plus

Productions Plus is a renowned talent management agency specializing in providing brand representation and promotional staffing solutions. With a track record spanning over 40 years, Productions Plus has established itself as a leader in delivering exceptional event staffing, automotive marketing services, theatrical representation and extensive research capabilities. Their commitment to excellence and their diverse roster of experienced professionals make them a go-to choice for companies seeking impactful and engaging marketing strategies.

The post Revving Up Automotive Product Specialist Training appeared first on Productions Plus.

Here are Productions Plus’s top 6 training tips for a successful tradeshow team:

1. Use Certified Training Facilitators

A certified trainer knows how to customize training for any topic/brand, and for any venue where a show is being activated. They should lead with consistent energy and enthusiasm, giving talent a great representation of the high level of smiles and service expected throughout the event. They should work along with your team to ensure that everything from customer service, attendee engagement, data collection, brand knowledge, and history, and event highlights will be covered with talent on-site. If you are wondering where to find such a liaison, good news! We have certified training facilitators on staff!

2. Train at the Venue, Whenever Possible

Face to face, in-person training is always best. Not only do you get to know your talent on a more personal level, but they also get to know you, the brand, and the venue they will be working on a more personal level. In-person gatherings are much more effective for testing your talent’s knowledge and making sure they have time to do walk-throughs of the trade show floor. No matter what your trade show topic or theme, inevitably the talent will end up being asked for directions at least half of the time. Having this event knowledge can help them build trust and authority with your attendees that can parlay into higher level conversations.

3. Give Talent Brand Knowledge

Any type of trade show representative needs to know about your company. Even if you are just hiring “directional” staff, it’s important that they understand convention goals and brands & consumers in attendance. Sharing the history, core values, and goals of your show or brand provide a brand ambassador with a more intimate look behind the scenes. This results in them becoming more invested in the tradeshow and it’s overall messaging. It also helps them create more meaningful connections with attendees.

4. Focus on Team Building

Trade Shows often have long days filled with high energy for brand ambassadors and booth hosts. Making time to encourage team building at training will help your talent go the extra mile. They’ll show up on the first day of the show with existing relationships that they can build upon during the run of your event. Trust and communication in their fellow team members can help fight fatigue during long hours. A good trainer should come with ready-made icebreakers and team building activities for the group. (hint: the internet also has tons of wonderful recommendations!)

5. Test Your Talent and Make it Fun

If your tradeshow or event requires talent to have a deeper level of knowledge, consider sending out an informational packet or 1-sheet prior to their training day. A formal quiz can be sent via email or done in-person to ensure the team is ready, and answers should be reviewed as a group (another good aspect of team building). Even better results come from turning this quiz into a game show and allowing talent to win small prizes (gift cards are great!) for correct answers. We’ve even seen trainers take this a step further and have talent act out skits based on key learnings or consumer interaction modules. This type of “testing” helps everyone engage with the material and learn by interacting in a more engaging fashion.

6. Schedule Time for Leadership

All good teams have strong leaders. On a tradeshow floor, you should have specific talent hired to act as Team Leads or Supervisors to provide guidance for your talent. It’s important to plan time to meet with these selected individuals to discuss your expectations and trade show goals. They should be familiar with the venue and your key event messages. They need to be fully trained and empowered by you and your brand so they can in-turn motivate and encouraging the entire team. These scenarios demand a lead-by-example approach while giving direction in a positive manner. Meeting with your team leads to ensure shared goals are understood is paramount so the group can come together to deliver the best-combined results. Make sure your supervisors are aware of breaks and what the State laws and regulations may come into play. Be sure to discuss everything, including your preference of how certain issues are handled and communicated, and what your escalation plan may be, if necessary.

We are the event training professionals!

For our tradeshow and event staffing, Productions Plus always offers the ability to assist clients and create unique training for specific events and venues. We are well-versed in convention centers nationwide, and our certified trainers can be brought in to teach in-depth product knowledge, customer service, lead generation, event metrics, and the highest levels of consumer engagement.

Contact us to learn more about our customized training.

The post Top 6 Trade Show Training Tips For Successful Teams appeared first on Productions Plus.

How many years have you been working with Productions Plus and how many years have you been in this industry?

I’ve been with Productions Plus since 2015 and that’s when I started doing auto shows. However, I’ve been doing tradeshows and promos as a brand ambassador since 2005. I’ve got to say – auto shows are my favorite experiences.

How did you first hear of Productions Plus and what was the first job/event that you booked?

I had first heard of Productions Plus through a friend who was an automotive product specialist and narrator on the Lexus team. Shortly after, I came across Productions Plus’ open call posting for automotive show product specialists and brand ambassadors and I remembered thinking to myself, “This must be a sign!” I quickly hit the submit button and was ecstatic when I got called in for an audition! At one point, P+ asked if there were any brands I would want to request to work for and even though I had a particular one in mind, I wanted to leave myself open to all opportunities.

It was around February when I had auditioned and afterward, P+ updated me about various automotive brands that had expressed interest in me and wanted further in-person interviews. In June, I received a call that Toyota wanted me to be on their team and I was thrilled because that’s who I had in mind initially if I had to request for a team! PLUS, I drive an unstoppable 2007 Toyota Prius with 235k miles and gets me 45 mpg. I was beyond elated that I landed my dream team!

Training was where I first met everyone, including all 120 product specialists on our Toyota team. The weeklong training really WOWed me. Right away, I was impressed by how P+ organized everything. We got into the nitty-gritty mechanics of internal combustion engines to specs of every single vehicle in the current lineup. As soon as I finished training, I booked the Do More – RAV4 campaign event in Monterey Park and my first auto show after that was for the Orange County International Auto Show. It felt great to dive into bookings so quickly.

Is working with Productions Plus different than other agencies?

Definitely! P+ is an agency that you will build real relationships with real people. This is why I love staying on. There are some promo agencies where you can sign up online and you’ll never know who is behind the e-mails and you may never even meet them in person. It’s easy to feel like a number because you can tell you’re a part of a mass sent e-mail.

With P+, I met my team’s account managers, P+ executives like our President Hedy and Executive Director of Talent and Marketing Halie, and our clients, at my first training and every annual training after that. It’s not a once-a-year-thing either. I continually get to see them at auto shows so everyone does get to know each other and our talents. For example, Eric, who is one of our team’s account managers that books for events, is aware of my bilingual language skills in Vietnamese. He’ll ask for my availability for the Tết festival (Lunar New Year) and Asian American community events and I think it really shows how well they know you when they match up your capabilities to bookings.

This is also the first agency I’ve been with that is proactive with learning opportunities for their talent. From being media trained to narration/public speaking workshops hosted by our team’s seasoned public speakers, I love that I can use these skills outside of the team as an on-camera host and actress as well.

What is your advice to someone who is just starting out in the promotional industry?

First and foremost, be friendly and approachable! It’s as a simple as it gets! Because the promotional industry is all about a company wanting to connect consumers to a brand – we are literally the gatekeeper and their first impression of the brand you’re representing. People love smiles and a good conversation. Consumers will remember how you made them feel after they’ve talked to you and will associate that feeling with the company’s logo you’re wearing.

Secondly, don’t feel intimidated that you don’t have all the product knowledge right when you first start. Everyone on your team will be more than happy to support you and you’ll quickly learn all of that. Take initiative for yourself and everyone, including P+, will take notice!

Interested in Working with Us on a Promotional Team?

Join our talent database.

The post Automotive Talent Spotlight – Isabelle Du appeared first on Productions Plus.

1. Recruit The Right Staff

Obtaining a clear understanding of your business’ vision for an event is the key to selecting the right staff. Make sure to consider experience and personality as well as look when casting. You should search for talent with a consistent background of timeliness, accountability, and sociability. A great looking model is not effective if they stand in your display with their arms crossed, looking miserable. The best event talent are outgoing, brand passionate and full of energy. These traits can only truly be confirmed with an interview or by hiring a seasoned talent agent/recruiter to make staffing recommendations.

2. Don’t Skip Wardrobe

The right wardrobe elevates your team at an event. It helps them look cohesive while also being easy to identify. Wardrobe can range from a branded t-shirt or hat to full on mascot uniforms or show-stopping formal wear. When deciding what to wardrobe your event staff in, you should consider what image you are trying to project for your brand, how long your staff will wear said outfits and body types that you are clothing. We at Productions Plus have an entire wardrobe division dedicated to helping your brand come alive at events. They can create presentations of selections to match any styles/price points. They also have relationships with several major department stores and fashion houses which means our clients often pay less than normal retail for wardrobe.

3. Decide Which Type Of Employment Status Your Hiring

Depending on your event type, you will either be hiring independent contractors or temporary employees. It is highly advisable to hire a payroll company to process your checks and process year end tax documents. At Productions Plus we are fully capable of employing and paying both types of talent and performing background checks. We have a dedicated accounting department who works with a payroll solution to make sure your talent are paid on time; and when hiring temporary employees, that all Federal, State & Local Taxes are accurately calculated, paid and filed.

4. Confirm Scheduling and Employment Laws

Employment laws and requirements vary wildly by state. Be sure to be well versed in break laws and meal penalties in the state that you are hiring in. We recommend hiring supervisors to ensure talent receive breaks at the appropriate times and the state requirements are upheld. Setting up a break schedule prior to the event activation days is a great way to give yourself the time to make sure your event is compliant with state laws.

You should also be mindful of when holiday pay and blue laws may come into play. In this day and age it is highly recommended to employ a professional staffing agency who is well versed in all of these intricacies per state.

We at Productions Plus, go above and beyond our client’s expectations and offer a wide variety of services for trade shows, live events, and demo programs. P+ has the reach of a national agency yet offers a 24/7 boutique experience. Our recruitment team scours the country searching for the nation’s best event talent and we are ready to staff your next event at a moment’s notice. With this winning combination, we can ensure that each client will see success. We look forward to helping your next event become a success.

The post 4 Steps To Staffing An Event You Can’t Afford to Ignore appeared first on Productions Plus.