When it comes to the U.S. market share for firefighter equipment such as breathing apparatuses, training systems, and gas detection products, Houston-based Dräger Inc. is a distant third behind the giant likes of 3M and MSA Safety Inc. But the company was determined to use the Fire Department Instructors Conference International (FDIC) 2021 in Indianapolis, which was set to draw more than 23,000 active-duty firefighters and equipment distributors, to put the industry on notice that there was a new fire chief in town. However, one flaming hurdle stood in its way: Although the company secured a large booth for the 2021 show, it was located deep in the exhibit hall, meaning Dräger lacked prime placement among its two archrivals. "Generally, being near competitors isn't important," says Michael Cheek, fire segment marketing manager for Dräger.

"In the case of FDIC, these two competitors have dominant presences that every attendee recognizes, and they are located right across the aisle from each other. The goal was to disrupt what's always done at this industry expo and to begin building similar recognition for Dräger." As the saying goes, luck favors the prepared. And for several years, Dräger had been quietly laying the groundwork for its opportunity to shine at FDIC. The company hired Cheek in 2018, and he immediately began improving Dräger's prominence at the show by amassing more preference points, which are accrued on a rolling three-year period and are based on booth size, sponsorships, and advertising in show organizer Clarion Events Ltd.'s media properties. Taking advantage of those opportunities, Dräger was able to move its exhibit from the back of the show floor in 2017 to a space midway down the main aisle in 2021, and in the process expand from a 30-by-30-foot booth to a 50-by-90-foot expanse.

Still, Dräger hadn't been able to score the red-hot real estate at the front of the exhibit hall that it desired. That changed in the middle of 2020 when a competitor's downsizing created a 20-by-60-foot vacancy near the entrance to the show floor. "I booked the space immediately," Cheek says. "However, even then, we weren't sure how we were going to utilize the space." Cheek got even more breathing room a few months later when 3M reduced its footprint along the main aisle, leaving Dräger a robust 30-by-60-foot booth on prime ground along with its 50-by-90-foot exhibit deeper in the exhibit hall. Dräger was finally ready set to set FDIC on fire (metaphorically, of course) with an unprecedented 6,300 square feet of exhibit space – provided it could find the right way to spark the interest of attendees.

Bringing the Heat
To make that happen, Dräger partnered with design firm Pennebaker Inc. to ideate a concept for the front booth that was hot enough to singe your eyebrows and sure to put a wet blanket on its nearby competitors. The company's own market research showed that a majority of active-duty firefighters had not tried on one of its self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) within the past five years, if ever. Since one of Cheek's goals was to generate 50 qualified leads for the SCBAs (a modest number that represents millions of dollars in potential sales), the event teams considered moving the product to the front of the hall. The consensus, however, was that the shift wouldn't be sufficiently disruptive. Instead, they decided to use the newly acquired concrete to drive a steady stream of showgoers to the larger booth, which would be dedicated to product demos and sales meetings.


A Lone Star is Born
In firefighting parlance, the main exhibit was segmented into cold, warm, and hot zones corresponding to levels of danger. That basic concept ignited the design team's inspiration to push the idea further and create an icehouse, a Texas colloquialism for an open-air bar, at the front of the exhibit hall. Dubbed Drägertown, the icehouse dovetailed with the company's Houston roots and would be a place for attendees to chill out sans sales pitches while enjoying yard games, food, and refreshments. But the ingenious part was this: Drägertown wouldn't be open to just any passerby looking to have a good time. To gain admittance, visitors would need to present a passport that could only be collected by demoing one of the company's SCBAs in its product booth. It was like a reverse mullet: Party in the front, business in the back. "Every expo has a personality and vibe," Cheek says. "Identify that. Figure out how to fit in but, at the same time, stand out. Look to see what's missing, then add elements to elicit a response from the show and its attendees."

Once Pennebaker fleshed out the icehouse concept with a rough floor plan and mood boards, it became ET Global LP's task to fabricate an irresistibly authentic and inviting Texas experience. For the basic structure, ET Global relied on rented modular wall frames and silicone-edge graphics to minimize shipping and drayage costs, while the decor came from scouring Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, and flea markets. The team even collected corrugated metal from an employee's farm property. "When we couldn't find the right pieces, we searched for authentic materials to create props," says Joe Forrest, key account manager at ET Global. "We bought aged whiskey barrels from Lowe's and distressed wood planks for the building's trim and other key elements."

Somewhat surprisingly, Dräger kept relatively mum about the icehouse leading up to the event, reserving its pre-show social, print, and online marketing campaigns to promoting its product-demo booth. "While we hoped the concept would perform and draw attention, our focus needed to be on the traditional product-centric booth to guarantee a successful exhibition," Cheek says.

Fired Up
FDIC showgoers entering the exhibit hall quickly spied Dräger's spinning Western-style windmill at the front corner of its experiential oasis. But as they neared, attendees found the icehouse blockaded by a split-rail fence. Sand-colored carpet lent the impression of a dusty Southwest town, and the front yard featured all the accoutrements of a Texas roadhouse: a wooden picnic table, Jack Daniels whiskey barrels as tables, metal patio furniture, wagon wheels, hanging lanterns, and an antique fire hydrant. The icehouse's facade could have come straight from a Clint Eastwood film, combining real wood trim and SEGs printed to looked like weathered boards. There was even a front porch with a rusty awning of corrugated tin, above which blue LEDs outlined the Drägertown name. Visitors with keen noses could catch the smell of chicken and beef wafting from the interior. The only things missing were a pair of horses swatting flies with their tails at a hitching post.

But those fixing to get a look and taste of what was cooking inside the establishment would have to wait. A strung-up firehose gated off the entrance, which was monitored by hired firefighters serving as brand ambassadors. Upon inquiry, reps offered visitors a brochure listing the location of both exhibits and explained that attendees could gain admittance to Drägertown via a passport acquired by simply trying on a SCBA at the main booth deeper in the exhibit hall.

Thus informed, guests hightailed it down the aisle to the company's primary exhibit. Along the open front of the comparatively contemporary stand, Dräger used wires to suspend three SCBAs at about waist height. Here, attendees could connect with more firefighter brand ambassadors who helped them slip into the breather apparatuses and experience how their supportive waist belts allow for a greater range of uninhibited movement – a key consideration for anyone entering a hot zone. After trying on the SCBA, most attendees received a blue passport granting them access Drägertown. However, the company trained its ambassadors to recognize potential business opportunities, and when one was spotted, the staffer handed the party off to a sales associate. Attendees who took this additional step received a gold passport that marked them as eligible for a premium giveaway.

Upon returning to Drägertown, visitors presented their passports and entered the icehouse – if there was room available. (When the experience was at its socially distant capacity of roughly 75 guests, attendees were asked to queue up or return later.) Once inside the exclusive space, visitors could linger in the yard for a game of cornhole and giant Jenga or head "indoors," where the attention to detail went toe to toe with a Disney theme park. Faux-wood vinyl flooring ran the length of the watering hole, while tension fabric resembling weathered tin and barnboard comprised the walls. A vaulted ceiling of sheer fabric printed to look like sheets of aged corrugated metal let in ample light that was augmented by strands of patio bulbs. The walls were covered in the sort of knickknacks and mementos one would expect to find in rural parts of the Lone Star State: battered gasoline signs, Western-themed photos and plaques, a 55-gallon drum emblazoned with "Don't Mess with Texas," and other miscellany. The interior also paid homage to firefighters with an American flag made of painted firehoses, fire jackets draped on hooks, and an antique wooden ladder slung on the wall.

After taking in the setting, visitors could sidle up to a bar made of reclaimed wood, order either chicken or beef nachos along with root beer or diet cola, and then grab a stool at one of the mismatched high-top tables. And true to marketers' plans, Drägertown offered FDIC guests just about everything they could want in a hospitality experience and nothing they didn't, i.e., sales talk.

When they needed to head back out to the show floor, attendees moseyed over to a second bar to collect some swag. Those with a blue passport were welcome to select a deck of cards or choose one bottle from four flavors of hot sauce, while those with a gold passport could opt for a branded T-shirt or all four condiments. Staffers also gifted each guest a Dräger Challenge Coin, a symbol of respect often given to firefighters following a particularly memorable event.

Red-Hot Results
Drägertown did its job as effectively as a water cannon. Over the course of two days, more than 3,000 attendees swung by the icehouse, and visitors touted their love of the experience in a post-show survey. "This was hands down the BEST booth there was," said one firefighter attendee.

Anecdotal evidence aside, Dräger blew past its goal of collecting 50 qualified leads like a Texas tornado and amassed an astounding 290. In fact, Dräger more than tripled its SCBA-specific lead counts compared to the 2019 show despite 2021 attendance being down 35 percent. What makes that number even more remarkable is that reps only scanned the badges of attendees who were interested in a specific product and provided a purchase timeline.

Sizzle Awards judges loved Dräger's one-two punch. "The company seized an opportunity to secure a highly visible booth and maximize its impact," one juror said. "They thought about the attendee journey from education to hospitality, made the engagement fun, and satisfied new prospects with a reward that made them smile." The company's C-suite was equally impressed and asked Cheek how he plans to top the 2021 booth. His response: "Maybe we need to build the rest of Drägertown."E