Some companies are daunted by the time, effort and cost required to plan and execute a trade-show or conference presence, not to mention determining the best means of measuring results and calculating their return on investment (ROI) and return on objectives (ROO). When done correctly, however, exhibiting is among the most powerful tools in your organization’s marketing arsenal.
Qualified lead generation is one of exhibiting’s most readily cited objectives but exhibiting also provides the chance to connect with your target audience in a face-to-face environment, with decision makers, influencers, specifiers or users all assembled in one location. Given this rare opportunity and depending on your company’s industry recognition and market share, your goals, objectives and ROI/ROO will vary from exhibit to exhibit. For example, if your organization is an established market leader, you might focus your efforts on speaking engagements that help reinforce its “thought leadership,” media events that announce breakthrough innovations, in-booth and hands-on product demonstrations, or even customer-appreciation events. On the other hand, if your company is new to a market segment, you might choose to focus on increasing its brand awareness, gaining an understanding of the competitive landscape, getting more insight into market trends, and developing relationships.
Managing both planning and execution plus the exhibit budget is not for the faint of heart. There will be challenges along the way, but, with experience, you’ll also recognize opportunities to simplify execution and contain costs. Sound planning, SMART goal setting, and open communication among internal and external team members are the key ingredients to the success of an exhibit. Regardless of your organization’s size, market position, or tradeshow budget, a well thought-out exhibit plan will bring you closer to your target audience, help you attain your business goals, and enable you to achieve your ROI and ROO objectives.
My next post will explore how to go about researching exhibits.
