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Exhibiting Success at Conferences
Setting goals, training staff and following up result in profitable conference participation.
by Maryann Lawlor
Showing off wares at conferences and exhibitions is one of the best ways to bring in new business and cement relationships with long-time clients. Web sites are great, but nothing beats face-to-face meetings and hands-on demonstrations. Marketing experts call exhibitions a three-dimensional sales platform that allows attendees to experience a company with all of their senses.
But exhibitors that reap the most rewards from conference participation do much more than simply put together a booth, print brochures, show up on time and hand out goodies. When companies take stock of the costs of exhibiting, they soon realize that it is worth the time and effort it takes to ensure success at conferences. Advice offered by marketing experts may seem like common sense, but many event visitors agree that far too few firms follow simple guidelines that can be the deciding factor in whether the investment pays high dividends or results in frustration.
The Association of Exhibition Organisers (AEO) Limited, Berkhamsted, Herts, United Kingdom, represents companies that conceive, create, develop, manage, market, sponsor, supply and service trade exhibitions and consumer events. One of the organization’s aims is to help improve the experience for both exhibitors and conference visitors. Corporate members of the association agree that exhibition success can best be achieved by employing a three-step process.
Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. John Wallace, marketing director, AEO, says that successful exhibitors plan their participation carefully. Companies should establish specific, measurable goals for the event. These can range from obtaining a certain number of sales leads to introducing a new product or testing a new idea. Once these goals are determined, the firm’s booth should reflect them as should the number and expertise of the company’s representatives on hand to speak with visitors.
The people who staff the booth are on the front line, so it is essential that they are well trained, Wallace says. “Probably the most important element at an exhibition booth is the staff manning it. The people need to understand the objectives you are trying to achieve, understand their role in achieving them and most importantly be enthusiastic about their participation in the event. The biggest mistake is, without a doubt, to have badly briefed, unmotivated staff at your booth. They will do more to damage your brand image than any poorly designed graphics!” he says.
“What separates successful from less successful exhibitors is their ability to engage visitors during the show, communicate their message clearly and capture information about the visitors to their stand. Successful exhibitors think creatively about how they can make their message stand out from the competing messages of other exhibitors around them,” Wallace states. Creativity does not necessarily mean spending a lot of money. It is about using the medium in the most effective way, he adds.
Doug Kessler, marketing consultant at Velocity Marketing, London, and member of the association, shares his advice about effective conference participation in a booklet offered by the organization. After speaking with dozens of marketing specialists, he reveals several pointers that can help firms make the most of their exhibiting time and resources.
One of the best ways a company can help ensure that conference attendees will visit its booth is to publicize its newest initiatives to current and perspective clients before the show. “Tell people what you’ll be doing at the show and why they should take the time to visit you. Stress the benefits. Add some intrigue. Have a bit of fun, but never skip this vital step,” Kessler says. Companies can use mailing lists to send out this information to customers and also should notify the media, keeping in mind long lead times for publications. In addition, participation in an upcoming exhibition should be advertised on the company’s Web site.
Prior to a show, firms should look into sponsorships of seminars, t-shirts or special presentations, which is one way to make their organizations stand out in a sea of firms. Kessler advises that exhibitors contact the show’s organizer before the event to explain their goals and budget for the show and discuss available opportunities.
It’s Show Time … With this groundwork laid, companies are ready to move on to the event itself. Kessler recommends that booth staff members be briefed each day to reiterate goals, discuss the key messages the company will present during the day and determine the role each staff member will play. These meetings also can be used during multiple-day events to brief staff about the progress that has been made toward achieving show goals. “Most importantly, keep the energy up and the attitudes positive,” he says.
Attitude and body language contribute greatly to the success of a company’s exhibit, Kessler proposes. “We’ve all seen them. The crossed-arms-and-frowns brigade. The newspaper readers. The quick lunch eaters with their backs to the aisle. The staff that are so busy chatting with each other they ignore the people coming to their booth. Try this. Divide the total cost of your participation in the exhibition by the number of minutes it’s open. Then remind yourself and your staff how much every minute is worth. Smiles, eye contact, open questions … It may be common sense, but it’s not so common in practice,” he says.
Although it is important to talk with each visitor, time management is crucial. Conference attendees want to see as much as possible at the event, and staff members need to hone in on potential customers. The company’s goals should be a guideline about the appropriate amount of time to spend with each person. In addition, once leads are obtained, they should be classified immediately to ensure that the hottest leads are attended to first, Kessler notes.
Members of the media attend exhibitions to learn the latest news and hunt for story ideas. Companies can facilitate this process by making sure the press office is well-stocked with their brochures and by asking the show organizers to steer journalists their way if they express interest in their product. In addition, when a reporter arrives at the booth, staff members should be ready to talk about their products.
Show’s over. Work begins. The days immediately following an event are as critical to ensuring a return on investment as the preparation and presentation stages. Kessler recommends that the exhibit team meet within days after the show to assess what worked and what did not. They can offer suggestions for future events while impressions are still fresh in their minds, he says.
Next, it is important to measure results against the goals set prior to the show. If the objectives were exceeded, the company should try to determine why so the success can be repeated at subsequent exhibitions. Conversely, if the goals were not met, the firm can explore how to improve in the future.
Kessler suggests that companies continue to evaluate the effectiveness of participating in the show for several months. “Don’t just evaluate your results immediately after the event. Many companies do written lead-tracking reports three, six and even nine months after a major exhibition to track the new contracts right through to the bottom line,” he relates.
All visitors to the booth should be contacted in a timely manner. The follow-up communications can range from a simple thank-you note to a sales call and will depend on the level of interest demonstrated at the show. “To your prospects, the days and weeks following the exhibition make it clear who most wants their business and who may not be ready to handle it. Don’t blow it now,” Kessler emphasizes.
Exhibitors also can mail information about what was demonstrated at the event to attendees who did not stop by the booth. “A quick, ‘Sorry we missed you, but did you know…’ can mop up quite a few new leads,” he contends.
Either during or immediately following the show, firms should reserve their space for the next exhibition so they can lock in a prime location. Information and floor plans are available at the Show Office.
Additional information on the Association of Exhibition Organisers is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.aeo.org.uk/.
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