For some partners attending and sponsoring exhibitions is part of their marketing strategy and multiple events are booked every year. For others, investing in an exhibition is a big decision, with many internal discussions around investment and potential return. Often the Sales Director makes the final decision and organises it. These partners sometimes turn to suppliers for help and support to maximise their success. There are three key factors to consider when planning an exhibition.
Research your market
Who attends your event? Who attended last year? Are these the types of prospects you are targeting? If so, think about your approach. How do you plan to interact with these prospects?
Many will take an exhibition package, giving them either space for their own stand and materials or a pre-built stand package, branded with their corporate logos. Whatever option you choose, think about your shop window, how your image will compare to your competitors and factor in any additional costs such as broadband and electrics. Ensure you have the ability to demonstrate and promote your services in the most effective way.
Attract your audience
Think about how you will attract prospects to your stand. You don’t have to spend thousands on bill boards outside the event, videos at the entrance hall and internal signage to get attention. You can invite prospects to your stand beforehand but be aware they may also visit your competitors. You can advertise yourself in the show guide and work the stand to ensure that every prospect that passes your stand is approached and qualified.
Measure your success
Make sure you have a way of tracking leads generated and opportunities converted so you can calculate a return on investment over an appropriate amount of time. The big companies use sensors to pick up WiFi signals to track visitors on their stand, how long they stayed, where they stayed the longest and even use video cameras to track experience. Most companies go with more traditional lead scanners or books and enter leads into a CRM system or spreadsheet and track success. If you run regular reports, you can decide whether or not the investment was justified and if you want to do the event again.
Jola
Jola is a wholesale supplier of 4G data packages, internet connectivity and hosted telephony to the voice and data channel. We specialise in providing unique 4G solutions for primary connectivity, 4G back-up and recording and monitoring. We provide support at every stage of the sales cycle. For further marketing tips, check out our blog. To find out more about Jola, request our Partner Pack.
