How To Define Trade Show Success By Jules Sowder At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

How do you measure trade show success? Are you getting the type of return on your investment that you expect and require? And are you fully leveraging all of the opportunities that come with event participation?

There are a number of ways to define trade show objectives and measure the return on investment for your efforts. The most obvious objectives for trade show exhibiting include quantifiable measurements such as lead generation, number of sales, and revenue achievement.

Of course, financial measures are essential for all marketing and sales activities. Yet, in addition, there may be other ways to leverage trade show and event participation by augmenting how you define success at given a show.

In fact, event participation can serve as treasure trove to accomplish a multitude of initiatives that underscore financial goals.

As you begin to examine various options for leveraging trade show participation, take the time to review your company’s current market position, environmental factors, competition, and long-term goals. This will put you in a better position to identify and take advantage of opportunities at trade shows that you may not have considered in the past.

The following represent additional benefits and opportunities you can seize while participating at an event and also enables you to more effectively utilize your time in support of sales and revenue achievement.

- Furthering the reputation of your company and products by purposely engaging fellow exhibitors, event attendees (not in the exhibit hall), and invited guests and speakers.

- Enhancing brand awareness by soliciting media coverage and participating in other event programming.

- Extending your marketing reach by scheduling meetings before or after the conference with potential and current customers who live in the area and aren’t attending the show.

- Soliciting prospect and customer opinions (and perceptions) about your products and service levels. Consider handing out a survey or conducting focus groups during non-show hours.

- Asking for candid feedback from high-potential prospects, other exhibitors (even friendly competitors), convention personnel, and current customers about the appeal of your tradeshow display exhibit. This will give you insights to fine tune your trade show exhibit for greater impact at future events.

- Focusing on customer retention by scheduling a special reception, dinner or meeting with key clients who are attending the industry conference. By further cultivating relationships through individualized attention, you will pave the way to capture an even greater share of their business and add to your bottom line.

- Meeting with industry distributors, vendors and other influential contacts at the show who can help you hone your product and service offering, build greater visibility, enhance perceptions, reduce cost, and/or increase service levels to your customers.

In addition, always consider the human resource recruiting potential of the individuals you meet at a conference or special event. Typically achievers and “up-and-comers” attend key conferences and events. Get to know as many people as possible. You never know when you will need to hire another quality team member (or even may be looking for a job yourself).

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