While event technology has evolved in recent years, in-person events remain a key way to generate leads and to nurture relationships with prospects and customers.
Maintaining a focus on trade show ROI is a key factor to success. Exhibitors should create an engaging, branded booth experience that leaves attendees with a memorable impression. Event organizers should utilize technology that makes exhibitors’ jobs easier to manage.
Here are tips and tricks to increase your trade show ROI by highlighting your booth experience.
What Is a Trade Show?
Trade shows are typically organized conventions through which industries highlight their products and services to potential customers. Trade shows often involve innovative trade show floor displays in convention centers equipped with technology, swag and even snacks.
Here’s How to Increase Your Trade Show’s ROI
Defining your trade show marketing goals is the first step to increasing your trade show ROI, as is researching which trade shows would drive the highest amount of customers and sales. Here are more details to improve your trade show marketing’s ROI:
1. Outline a pre-event strategy.
Develop content to prepare attendees to think about visiting your booth at an upcoming trade show. Communications should include an overview of the resources you’ll provide during the event, where to find your trade show booth, and an overview of your trade show booth experience to drive attendance. Engaging with your audience by sending calendar links to schedule appointments and on social media are other ways to promote booth attendance.
2. Develop a media presence and connections.
Second to potential customers, conversations with the media should be of the utmost importance during a trade show. Earned coverage of an event by a significant outlet could result in a story that extends the reach and awareness of your brand. Trade shows will typically be able to share a list of participating press in advance of the event. Reporters will be more likely to cover your booth experience if you do not pressure them to do so, and post-event follow-up is an important part of developing relationships with media.
3. Entice visitors to your booth with engagement
Beyond offering swag handouts at your booth, companies can encourage visits by highlighting a higher-priced item or service to win as a strategy to drive booth attendance. Gathering contact information for each visitor is another strategy to build a rolodex of leads at each trade show.
4. Prioritize post-event contact.
Following up with leads you met on the trade show floor is an integral part of a company attending a trade show. Companies can plan communications ahead of the conference by scheduling email automations before the event. Waiting a bit longer to follow up is another way to reach out after an event as attendees are often overwhelmed by the amount of information they receive during and after a trade show. Calls-to-action, such as links to book a meeting or an offer with special pricing details, should be included and tailored to trade show visitors.
Bravura Event Specialists Can Help
Companies attending and hosting trade shows can streamline the exhibitor experience, connect with more attendees and generate revenue through Bravura’s configurable suite of solutions. Request a demo to learn more about our enterprise event technology.