Are you wondering whether participation in a trade show still makes sense as a marketing tool? Research has been conducted by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). The results show that you can still benefit by having a presence at a trade show, providing you approach it correctly.
Here are 6 results from the study that provide useful tips for both organizers and exhibitors.
Show organisers
- Share information about your show visitors
FACT: 94% of exhibitors name the quality of visitors as the most important deciding factor when considering to participate in a trade show. Visitors with high quality profiles are visitors who are either influential, or are themselves decision makers when it comes to purchasing the products and services on offer. According to CEIR, 81% of trade fair visitors have the decision-making power to make purchases.
TIP: Share as much information about your show visitors with your potential exhibitors: company, name, function, and decision-making ability.
- Provide your exhibitors with good visibility
FACT: 83% of exhibitors mention brand awareness as the key marketing objective when participating in a show.
TIP: Give your exhibitors ample opportunities to make their products, services and logo visible on their exhibition stand. For example, by using video screens, digital signage, plasma screens for video, photos, presentations, logos and social media.
Exhibitors
- Save on transport costs
FACT: Between 1982 and 2010 the average pick-up and delivery costs have increased by 488%. These are the costs of setting up goods and products in the exhibition hall, and the stocking of packaging for those goods as well as marketing materials.
TIP: You can save on these costs by using technological tools to 'display' your products - such as iPads, plasma screens and digital documents.
- Show new products
FACT: 92% of trade fair visitors are looking for new products.
TIP: Combine the launch of new products with your trade fair participation.
- Charge up your visitors
FACT: 78% of trade visitors travel more than 400 miles to visit a trade show or conference. Although this is more the case in larger European countries and in other continents apart from Belgium and the Netherlands.
TIP: Make sure that your visitors unwind on your stand and offer them an additional service, e.g. charging their tablet or smartphone. Forgetting a charger at home or in a hotel room happens far more often than you may think. If your visitors can charge up on your stand you will have 10 minutes or so of their undivided attention: that’s a win-win situation for all!
- Follow up on new leads
FACT: 67% of visitors are new prospects for exhibitors. This means that exhibitors and visitors had never met each other before at any previous trade fairs or conferences. That is the good news. The bad news is that 75% of new leads are never followed up on after trade shows.
TIP: invest in a thorough system that captures leads and automatically sends them to your CRM system.
