Was that exhibition a success for you?

How to measure your company’s success at exhibitions

Your team has just come back from a two-day trade show in which you exhibited, and the Managing Director says: So, was it worth it?

The General Manager says: It was good to see what the industry is up to and see all our competitors in one spot – I learnt a lot.

The Business Development Manager says: I have 20 new leads – can’t wait till next year.

The Marketing Manager says: We didn’t get much interest in our new product – it was a waste of my budget.

The Event Manager says: The stand made a real impact – people really knew we were there.

The Sales Manager says: We only sold five things on the stand – it was a waste of time.

So, was it successful?

Contrary to popular belief, exhibitions are not all about sales. In fact, most exhibitions and trade shows focus on education, networking, idea generation and business development opportunities, as well as sales. And like most things, your Return on Investment (ROI) from the show is a direct result of what you invest, how well your team is prepared, and what you measure.

So how do you measure your success?

Over the years I’ve developed my own methodology, which adopts an overarching business perspective, and includes both qualitative and quantitative information. Here are its core principles:

1. Why are we going into this show again? Measurement starts before you go to the show – most people only measure afterwards, but by then you’ve moved the goal posts on your objectives. Sit the team down and decide what you need for the business right now. Is it to meet hosted buyers, build brand awareness, to go head-to-head with a competitor, to launch or relaunch something or to impress a prospect? Agree on what a successful show will look like for the team – this is what you measure.
2. Run your involvement in the exhibition like a campaign. Your exhibition involvement should be the peak days of a larger campaign (at least eight weeks). Use it as the reason to communicate with your database and build excitement and energy around the show.
3. Share what your success looks like. The show organisers are often the last ones to know, so be proactive, set up a meeting and give them a realistic brief of what you need to succeed at their show. It makes it easier for them to help you.
4. Go all in. Exhibitions are designed to be multi-sensory and multi-layered, so be fully involved: sponsor, attend functions, get a decent team there, have a great looking stand, advertise in the directory, let your clients and prospects know you’ll be there, via e-newsletter and social media; add the show to your email signature tags, website, internal newsletters, and have engaging collateral on hand.
5. Record feedback and conversations. Much of what happens at tradeshows and exhibitions is not recorded. Produce a form so your staff can easily collect information on those they talk to. Debrief with your team every day (not three weeks later), to gather insights, collect business cards, scan visitors, take turns walking around the show and take photos –  make it one person’s job to ensure this is all done.
6. Report against what success looked like to you. How many leads? How many times was your brand seen? How many new people have you added to the database? How many people entered your competition? Where does your brand now sit in the mix? What did you learn by being at the show and what will you do with that insight? How many sales did you make from people you met, or reconnected with at the show after three months, six months and twelve months?

Your exhibition involvement is so much more than just sales. So plan and prepare, and treat it like a campaign to maximise business development opportunities and ROI; exhibitions can play a very important role in your marketing mix.

For more information on measuring your ROI from exhibitions, contact Zadro at www.zadroagency.com.au