2. Tradeshows feed a basic
human need
Tradeshows can be traced back to European market
fairs and Bedouin bazaars
3. Evolution has brought us to
modern tradeshows
• Fulfill the basic need to see other people & touch things
• Establish closer bond with customers and vendors than over the phone
• The medium is all about experiential & visual learning opportunities
4. Tradeshows =
Unique Opportunity
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) revealed the
following about exhibitions:
• 88% of attendees have not been seen by a sales person in the
preceding 12 months
• Seven out of ten attendees plan to buy one or more products
• 76% asked for quotes and 26% signed purchase orders (average all
shows)
• 72% of show visitors say the show influenced their buying decision
• 87% of attendees will share some of the information obtained at an
exhibition
• 64% of attendees tell at least 6 other people about the event
5. How much does it cost to make initial face-to-
face contact with a potential customer?
With a Tradeshow Lead Without an Tradeshow Lead
$215 $1039
This includes: This includes:
Exhibit construction, storages, The $596 cost of contacting the prospect in
transportation, exhibit space, the field and the $443 to identify the
salesperson salary, travel, and prospect prior to the first sales call
entertainment
According to CEIR Survey SM37 – The Cost Effectiveness of Exhibition Participation: Part 1
6. Not exactly peanuts
•1.2 million conferences, seminars, corporate
meetings, trade shows and conventions
•US meetings industry is a $96 billion annual
business
•100 million people attend more than 1.2 million
conferences, seminars, corporate meetings, trade
shows and conventions
•Out of that $96 billion - the exhibit services
component is 14 percent, or $13.44billion
7. Reasons to Exhibit – Not Just to Sell
1. Accelerate your product to new markets
Top 15 Reasons: 2. Get qualified leads for follow-up
3. Attract meetings and editorial coverage with trade
editors
4. Introduce your company to financial analysts
5. Augment and strengthen your distribution chain
6. Coordinate post-show off-site visits with your
prospects
7. Hands-on demonstration of new products and
features of old products
8. Perform competitive analysis and market research
9. Identify new product applications
10.Introduce your product into foreign markets
11.Meet potential customers for new applications
12.Network with customers not normally called upon
13.Qualify buyers and prospects
14.Reflect an image of growth and stability
15.Reposition your company in a market
8. Integrated Marketing
• In a world of media proliferation, integrated marketing
communications is the key to success.
• Business buying is based on relationships as much as it is on
specifications and product requirements. Even when we are
buying on behalf of our companies, we are social animals, and
we are compelled to look the seller in the eye before signing a
big contract.
• To stay competitive, we must get clearer, focus more tightly on
our business objectives, and eliminate any wasted effort.
Ruth P. Stevens, author of Trade Show and Event Marketing, and professor at Columbia Business School
9. - Continued
• Plan your calendar with great care. View the event as the tip
of a much larger iceberg. The event itself is only a small part
of a longer, end-to-end marketing campaign.
• Develop pre-show marketing campaigns and meetings with
your target audiences in advance.
• Staff your booth and hospitality events with the right team,
and give them objectives, briefings, and training in advance.
• Ensure that each conversation results in effective follow-up,
whether it’s further qualification, or collateral material, or a
sales call. This is where the revenue finally begins to happen
10. How to select tradeshows -
Depending upon budget:
• Attend for a year before committing to exhibit
• Prior company history
• Talk to peers
• Trade publications
14. Keynotes & Presentations
Increase the credibility
of your company by
having CEO, Senior
Managers, and Industry
Experts address the
conference with a
Keynote or as a Session
Leader
15. Booth Space & Exhibit Design
Studies which are contradictory and inconclusive
by their conclusions indicate you can still be
successful no matter your location in the hall
IAEM Guidelines - Allow you to use an exhibit in
various shows and venues
General rules:
•Inline Booths – 8’ high along back – dropping
down to 4’ high; ½ the distance to the aisle
•Peninsula – usually 12’ with sides of back wall
dropping down to inline heights
•Island – cubic content up to around 24’
•Hanging signs – some shows don’t allow
•Double Decks – engineering certification
•Earthquake certification in SFO for any
structure over 12’
•Las Vegas and Chicago – more stringent
rules on sprinkler systems and halogen
lights
16. Table Top Exhibits
•Still possible to stand
out from the crowd
•Consider using a table
skirt with logo
18. Island Exhibits
Island exhibits provide greater opportunities to expand your brand with additional
multimedia as in the large LED screen and individual division plasma screens.
19. You can also incorporate live theater and live talent and draw
attention with theatrical lighting
22. Design Trends
• Fabric
• Aluminum
• Modular
Driven by desire for
lower weight -
producing savings in
freight, labor, and
drayage and advances
in dye-sub fabrics
23. Green
• Frame Components: 100%
recyclable extruded
aluminum
• Panels: Recycled and
recyclable PVC foam board
• Lighting: Low voltage LED
lighting
• Graphics: Eco Solvent
printing for maximum
durability and reduced
environmental impact
• Lightweight exhibit
components reduce
shipping and drayage costs
24. Pre – show Marketing
• Average attendee will visit 31 exhibitors
• 76% of attendees arrive with an agenda of exhibitors they plan to
visit
• 3 out of 4 visits are preplanned – grab them before they reach the
show floor
• Less than 20% of exhibitors utilized pre-show marketing campaigns
• Invest 15% or more of your total show budget toward pre-show
marketing.
• Identify who you want to visit your exhibit and build target visitor
lists.
• Give attendees a compelling reason to visit your exhibit .
• Use a combination of media to execute an integrated pre-show
marketing campaign.
25. • Email Blasts – may drive
prospects to:
• Dedicated website pages
• Direct Mail
• Surveys
• Telemarketing
Email blast • Promotions to be
redeemed at the exhibit
• Free registration
• Display advertising
All the electronic methods allow for
surveying – to pre-qualify & develop
current contact info for CRM & post show
follow-up
Dedicated tradeshow website page
26. Costly expense
Or
Sound Investment ?
How would you know?
27. Post Show –
Follow-up & Measurement
Nearly ½ of all exhibitors do not have a method to establish a
value to their tradeshow/event participation
Measure the Success of your Business Objectives:
• Communicate a leadership image of the organization
• Increase awareness
• Attract __?__ qualified attendees to the booth
• Attract _?_ customers and a ?%-?% response to the pre mailer
• Attract _?_ meetings with trade editors and _?_ post-show
editorial comments
• Meet with __?__ financial analysts during the event
28. Objectives Drive the Metrics
By Ruth Stevens, Author of Trade Show and Event Marketing
29. Metrics
Costs and Results Metrics from a Hypothetical
Manufacturer’s Tradeshow Program
Metrics Costs and Results
Tradeshow costs, fully loaded $500,000
Qualified leads generated 200
Costs per lead ($500k / 200) $2,500
Leads to sales conversion rate 40%
Leads converting to sales (200 x .40) 80
Average order size (or average incremental revenue) $100,000
Cost per sale ($2,500 x .40 or $500k / 80) $6,250
Sales revenue (80 x $100k) $8 million
Gross margin rate 45%
Gross margin on the tradeshow revenue ($8 million x .45) $3.6 million
E:R ($ 500k / $ 8 million) 6.25%
ROI (($3.6 million - $500k) / $ 500k) 620%
By Ruth Stevens, Author of Trade Show and Event Marketing
30. Follow - up
• It is estimated that fewer than 46% of all trade
show leads are actually followed up by sales
and marketing efforts
• Stand out from the pack – FOLLOW – UP
31. ROI + ROO = Success !!
By following a few key rules regarding show selection, pre-show marketing, exhibit
design, and post-show follow-up , your measurement on both return and
objectives are sure to be successful.
