Planning for Success
Clear marketing objectives and quantifiable goals should drive trade show participation. This provides criteria required to effectively plan, execute and evaluate the effectiveness of your show participation.
Objectives
What end results would you like to achieve? Consider the objectives listed below to get you started in defining your own show objectives.
o Build brand name recognition
o New market penetration o Introduce new products or services o Competitor intelligence o Introduce or enhance your company's image o Competitor intelligence o Recruit dealers/distributors o Perform market research o Increase sales/write orders
DO NOT exhibit in a show merely because some of your competitors are. Do your homework when selecting and preparing for a show and you'll find the payback is great.Goals
- Each show objective should have one or more goals.
- Goals should be formalized in writing and, ideally, developed in collaboration with those expected to achieve them. This provides the basis for greater enthusiasm and accountability for achieving the goal.
- Your written goals should have the following characteristics.
F Specific in language, stating the quality and/or quantity of your desired result
F Measurable
F Attainable
F Realistic
F Time LimitedExample
- Conduct 100 or more (quantity) product speaker demonstrations to qualified (quality) audio dealers.
- Convert demonstrations into 5 (quantity) new Northeast speaker dealers by year end (time limited).Key Messages
Exhibit staff must be able to quickly and clearly present the advantages of their company and its products. Developing a set of key company and product messages or themes for use can simplify this by all exhibit staff. Consider the following as you develop your set of key messages.
1. Company Background: What is the age, size, history, annual revenue, top product lines, market position and product strategy of your company?
2. Company Image: What image suits your company (traditional, quality, high-tech, trendy, etc)?
3. Target Markets: Who are your current customers? Who is your target market? What are their primary needs?
4. Product Background: How do your products meet these needs? What is your product improvement strategy?
5. Competitor Background: What advantages do your company and products have over your competitor's offerings (e.g. quality, price, and style)? Be equally familiar with similarities and disadvantages.
Show Selection
1. Review your show objectives and target markets. Determine the target audience (e.g., end-users, purchasing agents, senior managers) towards which you would like to direct your promotional effort.
2. Create a list of all the shows you might attend using your show objectives and target audience as a guide. There are several show directories that provide information on dates, location, scope, projected audience and description of exhibitors for trade shows across many industries. Nutmeg Exhibit Company has several of these guides and can assist you with your research. A list of references can be found on page 31.
3. Collect statistical data on the shows you have targeted by contacting show management. The best shows offer a complete, audited breakdown of show audience. This data will help you evaluate the fit with your target audience.
4. Show location influences the type of attendee you will see. Even a show of national scope will pull a large regional audience. Additionally, specific industries are often concentrated geographically. As a result, regional shows are often better for targeting specific industry or geographical markets.
Show Scope Definitions:
Regional - More than 40 percent of the audience is from within a 200-mile radius
National - More than 60 percent of the audience is from outside a 200-mile radius
International - At least 10 percent of the audience is from other countries
5. If possible, visit the various target shows. Determine who is exhibiting, the types of products being displayed, who is attending and what the exhibits look like. Speak with exhibitors from companies similar to yours. Inquire about the relevance of the show audience and the sensitivity of show management to exhibitor needs. Identify and evaluate competitors in attendance.
6. Profile each show and select the ones that best fit your objectives and target audience requirements.
Many shows are sold out twelve months or more in advance. Others have "ranking lists" or "lotteries" for space location in the hall. Be sure to obtain this information from show management.
Space Selection
Space selection requires consideration of your show objectives, square footage requirements, space type needs and floor layout. Space selection is especially important at large shows since most visitors will not get to every booth.
Show Objectives: Your objectives will, to a large extent, determine the location of your floor space. For example, if introducing a new product with a broad market is an objective, you will want to select high traffic floor space. If lead generation involving a complex demonstration of a narrow-market product is the objective, you will want to select quieter, less busy floor space.
Space Requirements: Three factors need to be considered.
- Function: How much space is needed to accomplish the show site functions you will be performing (e.g., demonstration space, exhibit space, private sales area)?
- Traffic: How much traffic is expected?
- Budget: How much can you afford?
Generally, the greater the exhibit size, the greater the traffic. The Trade Show Bureau has reported that increasing booth size to 800 from 300 square feet results in a doubling of "stopped" booth traffic.
Space Type:
Inline/Backwall - are rows of varying lengths, normally face to face with an aisle space between the booths. Generally, corner spaces are advantageous since they offer more aisle space to work the crowd. Inline, or backwall, space is generally sold in multiples of 8 x 10, 9 x 10 or 10 x 10.
Peninsula - has three sides opening on aisles and is located at the ends of in-line booths. They provide three sides from which to greet prospects, provide greater flow and facilitate visitor access. Peninsula space is generally 20 feet wide and 20 feet deep.
Island - does not share any perimeter space with any other exhibit. This makes all four sides available for visitor interaction. The minimum size island is normally 20 feet by 20 feet. Because of its attractiveness and limited quantity, island space is the most expensive.
Floor Layout: Several general guidelines apply. However, many times location selection is not under the exhibitor's control. Nonetheless, the following should be considered.
Do's:
F The right side is generally preferable as traffic flows to the right upon entering a show. This enables you to engage the attendee before they get show fatigue.
F A corner location allows you to obtain traffic from two directions and increase the amount of area to engage visitors.
F Complementary exhibitors ideally should be near you. For example, locating a Fishing & Hunting Goods exhibit near an Outdoor Adventure Trips exhibit would be advantageous.
Don'ts:
F "Front & Center" Locations are often missed as attendees want to get into the hall and start their tour. Large, eye-catching graphics work well if you find yourself in this type of space.
F Noisy, busy booths and areas should be avoided.
F Competitor's exhibits generally should not be near you. However, if the show is segmented by industry or product type, proximity to competitors may be advantageous.
The smaller the exhibitor's market share, the more important the location becomes. If this applies to you, try to select a space away from large competitors.
Exhibit Preparation Time Lines
Minimize the pressure of exposition participation by allowing yourself enough time to prepare. A good rule to follow is to allow yourself a minimum of 12 weeks for preparation. Following are some guidelines for success:
Ongoing
Weeks 12 and 10
- Start work with your exhibit house on designs or changes to your exhibit and graphics.
- Make sure everyone in the company involved knows the plan and has provided their input to avoid last minute changes.
- Start recruiting and training sales staff. Avoid using new or inexperienced employees. Your best sales and technical people should work the exhibit.
- Finalize all work to be performed by your exhibit house. If constructing a new exhibit, start work now.
- Begin work with outside suppliers such as those that produce printed materials, ads, etc.
- If the Exhibitor Kit has arrived, read it with care. Pay special attention to rules.
- Make preliminary travel and hotel plans for staff.
Weeks 10 to 6
- Check progress and finalize staff recruiting/training.
- Pull together exposition data and company plan information that will be given to sales staff members before the event.
- Check on production progress for graphics, booth and printed material.
- If you plan to use suppliers other than the official show service contractors, send notification and their proof of insurance to show management. Check your show kit as some shows may have an earlier deadline.
- Review the budget now that more information has come in from suppliers. Revise if necessary.
Weeks 5 and 4
- Confirm availability of product samples, sales literature and the provision of any special technical help required from inside the company.
- Finalize travel and hotel arrangements.
- Make sure that pre-event advertising and promotion programs are on track. Reconfirm the production of press releases for use at the exposition.
- Finalize any VIP guest programs.
- Obtain visitor information from the city where the exposition takes place and finalize the pre-event information package for staff members.
- Order appropriate services and rentals at the exposition.
Weeks 3 and 2
- Finalize shipping information and provide to vendors.
- Send pre-event package to staff people.
- Check on all production work at the exhibit house and other suppliers.
- Prepare training materials for booth staff at the exposition.
Week 1
- Organize office supplies, tickets and copies of service orders sent to the exposition in advance.
- Obtain travelers checks or company checks or bring credit cards for payments on site.
- Insure that all lists of VIP's and staff members are packed.
At The Exposition Before Opening
- Confirm arrivals of exhibit, equipment and services, and supervise the setup of the booth.
- Conduct pre-event training meeting and rehearsal at the booth.
During The Show
- Conduct daily meetings to assess progress, process paperwork and adjust sales activities and schedules.
- Verify dismantling and shipping arrangements for returning your exhibit.
- Reserve next year's space.
After The Exposition
- Supervise the dismantling process.
- Distribute sales leads and orders as soon as possible. Write thank you notes, both inside and outside the company, immediately.
- Evaluate your company's performance at the show and conduct a post show meeting with management to point out areas of success, as well as areas of weakness.
- Activate pre-planned lead tracking procedures.
Participating at a trade show involves many different kinds of expenditures. In many ways, it is like automobile ownership. First you pay to take possession of the car and then you continue to pay recurring expenses (e.g., gasoline, insurance, and repairs) as long as you own it. The following provides a guide to the types of expense associated with trade show participation.
Guidelines
Expense Type % of Total Cost Space 24 Booth Expenses (incl. furnishings & equipment) 33 Show Services (incl. utilities) 22 Transportation 13 Advertising & Promotional Activities 4 Personnel (incl. travel, hotel & expenses)
4 100%
Types of Expenditure
1. Space: - Booth
- Hotel
2. Exhibit Display: - Design
- Construction, Purchases, Rental or Refurb
- Products for Display
- Graphics Headers
- Literature Holders
- Easels
- Tool Kit
- Lighting
3. Booth Furnishings: - Tables, Chairs
- Carpeting
- Computer, Imprinter, Audio/Visual rental
- Floral Arrangements
- Waste Baskets
4. Show Services: - Install & Dismantle
- Utilities
- Telephone/FAX
- Booth Cleaning
- Photography
- Security
5. Shipping & Storage: - Freight
- Drayage
- Storage
- Insurance
6. Advertising & Promotion: - Pre-Show, On-site and Post-show Promotions
- Direct Mail
- Telemarketing
- Public Relations Activities
- Premiums
- Show Literature
7. Personnel: - Salaries
- Travel Expenses
- Hotel
- Meals
- Out-of-pocket Expenses
- Special Uniforms
8. Special Activities: - Entertainment
- Guest/Presenter Expenses
- Training Expenses
9. Hospitality: - Meeting Room
- Food and drinks
- Gifts
Exhibit booth expenses are the largest single trade show expenditure. To realize the greatest return on this investment, the booth must be:
F Attractive to show visitors and booth staff
F Flexible enough to support multiple marketing campaigns
F Cost-effective in terms of purchase and recurring costs.Achieving this is complex and requires consideration of many factors. Professional assistance can simplify this process and reduce the risk of mistakes. The following should be considered as the exhibit booth is designed.
What is your company and product image? This will affect the selection and aesthetics of your finish materials and colors.
1. Booth Design - your booth needs to convey your key messages in about four to six seconds. While your graphics are primarily responsible for this, the booth should complement the message.
For example, if the company message is "We are a prudent, financially solid bank that you can count on" your exhibit booth might reflect this by its size (large) and use of colors denoting honesty and power (white, blue, black).
2. Colors can help communicate your message.Ø Gold, Silver, Platinum suggest exclusivity, luxury
Ø Orange suggests inexpensive
Ø Red evokes emotion and is hard on the eyes
Ø Blue and Green are calming
Ø Pastels are non-threatening and cordial
Ø White suggests honesty and high standards
Ø Black suggests power and authority
Ø Yellow grabs your attentionColor variation can also attract attention.
Ø Complementary tones and accents in bright hues draw the eye
Ø Balance vivid colors with more neutral shades for more appeal
Ø Vary shading to provide dimensional impact
3. Various materials used to construct and cover the booth help convey a message or give a "feeling" about the company. Typical materials include wood, fabrics, plastics, laminates, metals, and textured paints. Shiny surfaces and metals tend to be utilized for a more technical feel. Fabric and wood are more conservative and are more economical for long lengths of panels which may only be needed as backgrounds or to define space. A textured granite paint with other faux finishes may present a solid professional look.Any of these materials can be combined. Their texture and color should compliment the overall design and desired corporate image. Many non-traditional materials such as pipes, building products, false columns, shingles and ceramics are used as accents or to create illusions. A company's actual products may also lend themselves to be incorporated as a clever way to display samples while conserving space.
Shipping weight, ease of setup and maintenance should always be considered when selecting final coverings. They should work well with the design and the colors selected so as not to overwhelm the graphics or products. Your exhibit house will usually recommend materials taking all of these concerns into consideration.
Your exhibit booth is the most tangible representation of your company at the show. Its appearance dramatically affects the way you are perceived by show visitors and visiting clients. In addition, your booth affects the enthusiasm of your booth staff. It is very difficult for them to portray an image of professionalism and quality if it is not reflected in the appearance of your booth.
Adequate space for booth staff to interact with the expected volume of visitors, to conduct demonstrations and meet with customers is critical. If products are to be demonstrated leave this area open to the aisle to draw traffic. In addition, consider storage space and any requirements for seating or conference area. A general rule is 55 square feet per person working the booth. This takes into account the staff person, attendees, booth structure, and furnishings. This space may be adjusted up or down slightly based on specific activities such as demonstrations, large machinery or products, or for displays with minimal structure.
Open mezzanines or full second floors provide good conference space without affecting critical first floor space, but may not be a practical option for every show. Review the show rules on height restrictions and construction requirements for the shows you normally attend, as these may affect your design.
Once the booth blueprint has been completed, locate an appropriately sized available area and mark off the booth dimensions. Take the mock-up booth for a "test drive" to ensure that the layout is not cramped. The time to identify and correct this type of problem is before the booth is built.
Good lighting is an attention grabber. Light boxes that present your message on backlit plastic media make your message "pop out" and are far more effective than a flat graphic. Special effects such as indirect lighting and three-dimensional props can have a dramatic impact.
Booth lighting can also be effective for correcting limitations of your floor space or layout. For example, good lighting can eliminate the closed-in feeling of a closed area or correct for the lighting inadequacies of the exposition hall.
Consider purchasing your own carpet with a protective bag for shipping. The cost is usually less than the cost of two or three carpet rentals and it will last many years.
Color selection should complement the booth's general color scheme. Light, neutral colors are generally desirable.
Consider purchasing pad to put under your carpet. You will greatly appreciate this extra cushion standing in the booth all day. Tired staffers with sore feet are not your best representatives.
If your exhibit will be shipped frequently or for long distances, crating is important to protect against damage and loss. Crates can be designed with special jigs to securely hold and protect all exhibit components. Exhibit materials that are crated also are handled at a lower drayage rate than loose materials.
Quality graphics are critical to your booth's success. Industry research has shown that the average visitor will review your graphics "billboard" and determine within seconds if they will visit your booth. To be effective you must be able to quickly:
o Identify who you are (company name/logo)
o Illustrate what you are displaying or demonstrating
o Convince attendees that they should visit you to learn more.Your exhibit house or ad agency can help with developing copy and graphics layout.
1. Use headlines. They are read five times more than body copy.
o Emphasize only one benefit. Promises, such as "Cut costs by 50%", are the most effective.
o Use an action orientation such as "See the worlds FASTEST motorcycle".
o Address the buyer. Focus on benefits such as "Increase your personal productivity by 40%".
o Use the word "New". It is a universal, powerful attention grabber.
2. Be concise. Use bullet phrases, but limit them to two or three per product.
3. Use generic names that are widely recognized such as "Fishing Reels" rather than "Penn 4500". This allows visitors to self qualify.
4. Appeal to your target audience. If you want to attract engineers, use the word "Engineers" in your headline.
5. Ask a question such as "What is today's most dependable car?"
6. Talk to your sales staff to identify customer "hot buttons" and incorporate them.
7. Be consistent. Use the same tone, style, phrases and format throughout all of your graphics.
8. Use simple, direct language.
1. Headlines should be visible and large enough to be read from a distance.
2. Incorporate your corporate logo. Display it prominently on your booth so that it can be seen from a distance and from all approaches. This also helps post-show recall of your exhibit and products.
3. Use mixed case letters with an easy to read typeface. Except for headlines, avoid using all capital letters, as they are harder to read.
4. Use colored rather than black type.
5. Avoid reverse copy (i.e., printing light-colored type on dark backgrounds).
6. Avoid clutter. Retain a lot of white space.
7. Avoid graphics on mirrors. Mirrored surfaces and copy don't mix.
8. Use product photographs or illustrations to facilitate product visualization. Photographs are recalled approximately 26% more effectively than illustrations.
_ Incorporate people in photographs of equipment to help them better relate to their own situation.
_ Irregular shapes, photo cutouts and silhouettes create striking visual effect.
_ Mount photographs properly and protect with lamination or clear Plexiglas.
1. Keep your graphics, especially headlines, high. Primary graphics should be kept at eye level or higher so that furniture, booth staff or visitor traffic does not obscure them.
2. Light it up! Backlighting and downlighting give graphics impact and draw visitor attention.
3. Product displays are an excellent complement to product copy signs.
4. Quality is important. If your budget is limited, several high quality photos or graphic signs are preferable to a larger number of lower quality or smaller signs.
Booth staff selection should be treated like your normal hiring process. You must understand the key competencies required of the job and select accordingly. Show attendees draw conclusions about your company and products based upon their conversations with booth staffers. Choose carefully - your staff should be knowledgeable, approachable and enthusiastic about your company, its products and the opportunity to participate in the show.
The following considerations are helpful in making good selections:
1. Consider your show objectives - do you want to generate leads, educate attendees about a new product or service? This will identify the technical competencies required. Company and product knowledge is mandatory.
2. Consider your target audience. If for example, your target audience were engineers you would want a mix of both salespeople and product managers.
3. Consider personality - show attendees are looking for answers to their questions. Your booth staff should be personable and effective listeners able to discern customer needs. They also should be assertive, and able to deliver your key messages crisply.
4. Consider image - booth staff should present a consistent and accurate image of your company and products. Their image should also be consistent with the expectations of your target audience. You should consider establishing a dress code and using name badges. Complete familiarity with your show objectives and key messages is mandatory. Open responses, smiling, and sincere warmth are musts. Non-verbal communication is 55-60 percent of your staff's communication.
Attendees are demanding. Using less experienced staff should be done carefully. Following are some suggestions.
1. Train less experienced staff to qualify booth visitors. Lead the best prospects to experienced staff members.
2. Product experts not skilled in selling can be used as support to answer technical questions and give demonstrations.
3. Train your team one-week before the event. Rehearse before the event begins.
4. Familiarize the team thoroughly with the exhibit, location of samples and literature, supplies, demonstration schedules, etc. before the event begins.
Scheduling Guidelines
1. It is dramatically more productive to use one team for the duration of the show. It takes time to become effective in the exhibit environment and research has shown that frequently changed teams can reduce sales effectiveness by as much as 50%.
2. Booth sales staff will be effective for approximately four hours. Beyond that their effectiveness decreases significantly. When facing a six to eight hour exhibiting day, divide the team into two or more groups and alternate them.
3. Schedule a daily pre-opening staff meeting to identify and resolve problems that have surfaced during the course of the event.
4. Establish a daily, written break schedule (15-minute breaks every two hours are effective) and staff rotation before the show opens. Ensure that each team member has a copy.
5. Use every meeting before the show as a "pep rally" to build team spirit. Engender pride in the organization and enthusiasm for the event that is about to take place.
6. Have your team develop signals for alerting each other to come to the "rescue" when caught with an unqualified prospect. Catch the eye of a fellow staffer and either tug your ear, rub the back of your neck, or clasp your hands behind your back with thumbs straight up. Your teammate can then call you away for a phone cal
Consultative Selling
The profile of today's trade show attendee is changing. Generally, they are more knowledgeable than ever and attend shows to evaluate vendors and products as part of their buying decision. They are not attending shows to hear sales pitches. Rather, exhibitors are viewed as an important resource for getting immediate answers to questions and for gaining knowledge of new technology.
It is important that your booth staff be skilled at discerning buying motives and tailoring their presentation accordingly. Discerning buying motives is best done using a consultative sales approach that relies on strategic questions rather than a generic sales pitch.
Your strategic questions should focus on several areas:
Objectives and Goals
Review your show objectives, goals and key messages with your exhibit team. Set daily goals for each team member. Discuss results at the daily pre-opening staff meeting. Identify problems and take corrective action as needed.
General Tips
Personal Invitation of prospects by your sales force and the use of guest tickets is quite effective and provides an opportunity to discuss new products, services, etc.
Telemarketing should be done with a benefits oriented script that arouses curiosity. The use of show specials, premiums, etc. can be quite useful. Ideally, schedule a show appointment at this time.
Direct Mail is most common and has proven quite effective. Stimulate interest through demonstrations, premiums, etc. Consider the following guidelines.
F Use a qualified mailing list consistent with your target audience.
F Address to an individual.
F Use color or unusual postcards.
F Ensure the mailing arrives before the show!!Advertising in trade and industry publications, newsletters, or on radio and TV are possibilities depending upon your budget and audience. Pursuing cross-promotional opportunities where you can combine your product or service with that of another exhibitor can reduce cost.
Lead-time for pre-show promotions is about 60 days for international events and about two weeks for domestic shows. Be sure to add on sufficient time for mailing. Utilizing the above techniques, schedule as many appointments as possible in advance. This allows you to plan booth staff schedules and utilize slow floor times to meet with known prospects.
Industry research has shown that companies that track and respond quickly to trade show prospects more often get the sale. In addition, the cost of closing a qualified trade show prospect is about 40% of closing a sale in the field. Unfortunately, in excess of one-third of all trade show exhibitors do not track their leads to ensure timely follow-up. This represents significant lost sales opportunity. The best way to avoid this kind of failure is to prepare your lead tracking process and follow-up materials. The responsibility for coordination should be assigned to a specific staff member.
Implementing a lead tracking process does not have to be complicated. If your volumes are small, the process can be entirely manual. If you have sizeable volumes, you should consider utilizing a PC lead tracking system. A brief overview of the lead tracking process follows.
1. Lead information captures
Ø Prospect name, title, company, address, and phone
Ø Source of the lead (e.g., trade show name)
Ø Specific product or service of interest
Ø Readiness to buy
Ø Potential purchase size
Ø Lead date
Ø Assign lead I.D. number for tracking the lead2. Prioritize leads based upon the prospect's perceived readiness to buy and the potential purchase size. Separate leads into three groups: (1) immediate, high potential prospects, (2) future high potential prospects, (3) long-range/low potential/unlikely prospects.3. Assign leads to sales staff based upon priority, and other criteria (territory, product type, etc).
4. Record date and results of sales contact(s).
5. Analyze leads:
F Have all been followed up?
F Which resulted in sales?
F Which were lost to competition?
F Which shows generate the most leads?
F Which shows generate the most sales?
F Which salespeople are the most productive?A lead tracking process allows you to follow-up with clients more quickly and provides the basis for improving your sales process.
The following materials should be brought to the show:
A copy of the original booth space contract confirming your booth location, charges and responsibilities of show management.
Phone numbers of key contacts, including home numbers or pagers of people at your display house, shipper and setup firm in case of emergencies. It is a good idea to have a backup contact in case your account representative is unreachable. Because move-in and move-out times often extend after 5 p.m. or run on weekends, you need to know where you can get in touch with your suppliers.
Paperwork documenting special arrangements. Bring copies of letters or forms sent to show management making any special arrangements, from using an independent contractor for setup, to extending credit, to allowing early move-in.
Proof of payment for show services. Copies of canceled checks or charge receipts provide evidence that you have paid for electrical, cleaning or other services in case there is a disagreement with the show contractor.
Copies of all service order forms that were sent in advance including cleaning and florist orders. If a supplier misplaces your file, you can prove your advance order and avoid paying the higher at-show rate.
A copy of your shipping schedule or correspondence confirming in and out shipping arrangements with your freight handler. Be sure this includes origin and destination points, piece counts, arrival dates, phone numbers and charges. If you have any questions about when your exhibit will arrive or be picked up, or where it will be shipped to next, this documentation will let you know the schedule and whom to call.
Travel and housing information such as your travel agent's number for changes in travel plans or in case of emergencies, hotel registration numbers, room assignments and travel schedules for your staff.
Copies of literature and scripts for presentations or demonstrations. You will have the materials so that if your shipment does not arrive, or your speaker comes down with laryngitis, you can make last minute replacements.
Evaluating the effectiveness of your trade show results pays large dividends in improving future efforts. Be sure to consider the following areas.
Results Relative To Show Objectives & Goals
o How well did staff performance match with stated goals (e.g., lead volumes)?
o Were the show goals relevant and realistic? Can they be improved?
o Did you select the right show? Did it provide adequate access to your target audience?
o Should you exhibit at this show again?Show Planning Were your plans complete? Can they be improved?
Was your show budget adequate? What opportunities are there for improving cost/benefit?
Was your space selection optimum?
How can your booth and graphics be improved?Show Execution
o How effective was your pre-show promotion? How can it be improved?
o Which of your products or services generated the most interest?
o What were you unprepared for?
o Did you have all necessary paperwork, tools, etc.?
o How did you compare to competitors?
Staff Effectiveness
o Did your staff effectively deliver your key messages?
o Which staff members performed best and why?
o Is your staff selection criterion adequate?
o Was your pre-show training adequate?
Post-Show Follow Upo Did all leads receive a follow-up letter and appropriate collateral material within two weeks of the show?
o Did sales staff follow-up on all high potential prospects with a personal phone call or visit within two weeks?
o Is your lead tracking system working?
Trade show participation should be viewed as a key marketing strategy. The following statistics indicate the marketing power of trade shows.
- The cost of a face-to-face contact with a qualified prospect at an exposition is $142. The cost of a face-to-face sales call at a prospect's office is $259.
- Roughly 54% of all qualified sales leads obtained at expositions are closed without an additional person visit. In contrast, if the first contact is made at the prospect's office, an average of 4.3 visits is required to close the sale.
- Over one-half of all exposition attendees come to see and learn about "what's new." The medium is ideal for introducing new products/services or new applications and enhancements of existing products.
- On the average, over 50% of the exposition attendees are there for the first time. Since new players in the industry emerge each year, an exposition is an ideal place to meet these people.
- Between 11 and 23% of a show's audience comes specifically to see at least one product or company.
- Attendees spend between six and eight hours viewing exhibits during the course of an exposition. On the average, they visit 26 exhibits.
- Over 80% of exposition attendees are final decision-makers or influence the purchase of products and services exhibited.
- Between 20 and 37% of the average exposition audience is identified as "top management." These are the people hardest to reach using other sales and marketing mediums.
- Over 50% of the audience at a regional exposition travels less than 100 miles to attend. At national expositions, 64% of the visitors come from at least 400 miles away. This may influence the exposition selection process.
- Over eight out of ten exposition visitors have not been called on by a salesperson from exhibiting companies in the 12 months prior to the event. In addition to new potential customers, exhibitors can meet the key management executives from their current client companies whom they had been unable to see before.
- Visitors are attracted to booths for a number of reasons, but most often because of the products displayed or demonstrated, or by company name recognition. However, what prospects remember most is what they are told by sales people.
- Some long-term business relationships start with an exhibit contact. On the average, company sales are influenced for two years after the show by the contacts made at that show.
Expositions work because they fill the information and purchasing needs of those who attend the event. From an exhibitor's point of view, these pre-screened audiences are the key to selling success.
* The above statistics provided by the Center for Exposition Industry Research.