by Nick McCallion
nickm@tradeshowready.com
Trade show management has the very difficult task of producing an event or events that are responsible for a majority of the organization's revenue. There are exhibitors, sponsors and of course attendees - all of who have different needs that must be met.
With that being said, what does show management want? Our company, Trade Show Ready has been providing marketing services for the event industry for almost ten years, completing over sixty shows year to date. This should put us in a somewhat favorable position to offer a response to this question.
While talking with show management on a daily basis, there are six goals that are repeatedly mentioned in order to generate a strong return on investment (ROI). This may seem like basic information to most of you, but remembering and following the basics is critical.
- An increase in attendance year over year. This is one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) of show success.
- Selling booths to exhibitors at a price that is fair and competitive, yet advantageous to the show. This includes increasing exhibit space year over year and maximizing the percentage of repeat exhibitors.
- Getting confirmation as early as possible (sometimes even at the current event) that attendees and exhibitors are planning to return to the next event.
- An overall positive increase year to year in number of attendees, show floor square footage and number of exhibitors.
- The show needs to have a lasting impact on its attendees and exhibitors - a quantifiable ROI throughout the year, not just an effect during the few days of the show.
- To gain a competitive advantage by better understanding and exceeding the needs of clients (attendees, exhibitors and sponsors). This is probably the most difficult goal to attain and measure, but tools such as post-show surveys can reveal important information and even uncover sales opportunities.
