“IF YOU AREN’T FEELING the pressure yet of measuring [your exhibiting efforts], you will,” said Mim Goldberg, president, Marketech Inc., at the Event Measurement Conference, sponsored by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association and held in early October in Boston. “Executives don’t want to know that the booths were full. They want to know the return on objectives: What did we put in, what did we get out of it, and how does it compare to other marketing techniques?”

The one-day conference offered solutions for measuring and documenting the ROI of trade shows and proprietary events. About 50 corporate event professionals attended the program, which featured a keynote by Skip Cox, president, Exhibit Surveys Inc., Red Bank, N.J. Mim Goldberg and Marc Goldberg, founder of Marketech, Westboro, Mass., spoke about event measurement methodologies, along with executives from The George P. Johnson Co., a North Easton, Mass. event marketing firm.

Speakers emphasized that before any measurement begins, exhibitors should set objectives for the show. These could range from creating awareness of a brand to introducing a new product. Marc Goldberg explained how to translate these measurement objectives into dollars and cents, such as how to estimate the cost of attracting an attendee to the booth or generating a sales lead. “If we are generating leads for $67 per person, how does that compare to other forms of marketing?” he asked. If it compares favorably, then planners can make a strong case for the value of the event.

On average, it costs about $117 to attract an attendee to a booth, but $200 per visitor to establish personal contact, said Cox, citing research done by his company. Creating an environment that fosters personal interaction often requires additional resources, such as pre-show marketing. “Attendees want information and face-to-face interaction,” he said. “Sometimes we lose sight of those two basic principles.”

In a recent survey of marketing executives by the George P. Johnson Co., just 60 percent say they establish personal contact with attendees at shows, down from 67 percent 10 years ago.

It’s also important to draw the right people to your booth, Cox said. About one-third of attendees at the average trade show make buying decisions, and about half are charged with developing the vendor list. So exhibitors need to recognize that the quality of traffic is more important than the quantity.

Original Publication: Nov 1, 2004 12:00 PM, DAVE KOVALESKI, Meetingsnet.com

Outdoor exhibiting is the perfect solution for companies seeking fresh air and more space for product demos, but it has its own set of problems. Keep these caveats in mind before you pack up and head outside.

The most obvious potential outdoor-exhibiting problem is the weather. Rain, wind, hail, and extreme heat can grind outdoor-exhibit traffic to a halt, while the show goes on without interruption inside the exhibit hall.

Even if Mother Nature is on your side and outdoor traffic is heavy, outdoor exhibiting can still be a real challenge. Surrounded by other exhibitors’ large equipment and potentially noisy demos, your booth can get lost in the commotion, which not only detracts from your message, but also hinders your ability to speak with attendees.

Staff, too, must be ready for the additional rigors of outdoor exhibits, such as less climate control. A lack of show services can also affect outdoor exhibitors. For example, utility hook-ups, electrical power, and Internet feeds are often limited or unavailable outside.

Sometimes show management plays favorites. That is, some shows focus most of their promotional efforts and signage on indoor exhibitors, leaving outdoor exhibitors out in the cold. Before you book an outdoor space, ask show management to explain how it plans to promote outdoor exhibitors and what plans, if any, it has for inclement weather.

John Hasbrouck, NewLeads Inc

No doubt about it: A computerized lead database beats piles of scrap paper. And many exhibitors now import their lead information directly into a sales-contact database at the show with a computerized lead-retrieval system. Every major lead retrieval company has a software rental option; software companies like American Exposition Technologies and NewLeads offer customizable software compatible with any card-reader system. This software can be purchased outright by exhibitors and reused at all shows.

After installing the software on a laptop or computer station, you link an external card reader or scanner to the computer. These scanners also are provided by the show’s lead retrieval contractor. At most shows, attendee badges are imprinted with a magnetic stripe or bar code containing the visitor’s relevant contact information. Once you swipe or scan the name badge, these vitals pop up on your computer screen. You can then correct the errors and add missing information, and most important, you can take notes.

Their convenience makes it tempting to simply swipe a computer-coded badge and then move on. But remember, the coded information on that badge initially was input by a human being. When thousands of visitors need coded badges, mistakes are going to happen. To provide your sales force with the most accurate leads possible, confirm the following information before sending your prospect merrily down the aisle.

Verify that the attendee’s name is spelled correctly, and that his job title and mailing address are up-to-date. Occasionally, a prospect will list a P.O. box in place of a street address. In this case, ask if he prefers to receive mail at the P.O. box or if the street address would be more efficient.
Make sure that the phone and fax numbers are accurate. Ask for the numbers if they are missing. With incorrect or missing phone information, how will the sales force follow up with the prospect? You might also ask if your visitor has a direct extension where she prefers to receive calls.
Ask for the best time to call. Don’t shy away from this; it will save your reps much time and increase their sales and efficiency. Simply ask, “If someone were to follow up with you, what is the most convenient time for them to call?” Subtly press the issue if needed. For example, you might ask, “Are mornings best?”
Ask for an e-mail address. Most people proudly will give it to you. This makes it easy for a laptop-equipped sales force to zip instant information and updates to prospects.
Include specifics about their product interest in your on-screen form. Take detailed notes whenever possible. The more you include in your lead, the better chance your rep will have in gaining a customer.

One of the hardest concepts for some exhibitors to understand is that everyone at the show is not a prospect. At any show, there are really only three types of prospects for your product or service. Handling each one correctly will save you time and them time.

Prospects can generally be classified into three types:

Type A: Ready to order or buy now. These are the people you came to the show to attract and find. You want to spend quality time with them.
Type B: Interested, but need more information. These are the people you want to convert to Type A. If you can determine who they are, you can do more than just give them a product sheet.
Type C: Not qualified or not interested. Thank them and move on.
Once you’ve classified attendees, the next step is draw the best prospects to your booth. Here are three ways to attract the best prospects.

Use good signs. The signs in your booth will help prospects determine their interest quickly. “Image in the blink of an eye.” Communicating the features and benefits of your product or service will get people to say to themselves “Hey, I need that! Perhaps I should look into this further.”
Teach things in your presentations. Product presentations can draw large crowds. Sprinkle trivia about the industry or your product category throughout the presentation so everyone feels they’ve learned something. Make sure that the two important post-presentation options for each person are made clear during the presentation and at the end. Identify where they should go next: either to the order desk or to the in-depth demos.
People do business with people.

Adapted from “The Performance Factor” by Pat MacMillan
Trade show success often hinges on an effective booth team. You can’t just throw a bunch of people together and expect them to prosper. You need to prepare them to work together. Focus on these qualities and characteristics to build a strong exhibiting team.

Common purpose. The effective team is united and motivated by a clear and compelling purpose that provides the reason for cooperation. Make sure your exhibit staff knows all the company’s show goals and expectations.

Clear roles. Roles are the means by which we design, divide and deploy a team’s work. When done right, the team achieves synergy by leveraging the specialized skills of each person. Learn the strengths of your team members, and work with them accordingly.

Quality leadership. High-performance teams need competent leaders who can set directions, manage boundaries and coach team members toward extraordinary results. As the exhibit manager, you need to be that leader on the show floor. Develop and cultivate commitment, initiative and creativity in your team. Set the example through your own booth conduct.

Excellent communication. Fast, clear, accurate communication is the means by which teams tap collective brilliance. The process of productive discussion and dialogue, which should happen during a pre-show meeting and wrap-up sessions at the end of each day, allows the team to stay informed, resolve differences and work toward common goals.