Do you know the solution? by Anthony Balderrama – theworkbuzz.com When many people first venture into the social media realm, they measure their success by the number of people who visit their site. But merely having people stop by for a look-see doesn’t mean you Read more »
Or just lots of ‘likes?’ by Cristopher Levy – expoweb.com When many people first venture into the social media realm, they measure their success by the number of people who visit their site. But merely having people stop by for a look-see doesn’t mean you Read more »
Why thinking small can pay off by D. Benson Tesdahl – Successful Meetings Ordering a block of rooms is a balancing act. You may tend to overbook just to keep yourself from scampering around trying to find places for people to sleep. But if you Read more »
A trio that will impact the industry by Charles Pappas – EXHIBITOR The events and exhibits industry is never static. And the methodologies of the industry are always evolving, too. How you exhibit and connect with your attendees are two major areas of change. Are Read more »
Stop that! by Gary Saxer – EXHIBITOR You’ve worked for months getting ready for a big event. Your boss is pressing you to get as many of those all-important leads as you can. And whenever a visitor comes to your booth, you’re happy to talk Read more »
Help attendees and exhibitors tell you how they really feel by Stephanie Selesnick – expoweb.com Today, upper management wants to see the ROI from every trade show or event you participate in. Surveys can be a great way to get some of the information you Read more »
Elegant events for less by Dabney Bixel – Meetings Net Holding an event is a great way for you to put your company’s “best foot forward.” You want your attendees to see your company as successful, an entity they want to do business with. And Read more »
Getting noticed by the media at trade shows by Lena Valenty – EXHIBITOR You go to trade shows and events to be noticed by attendees. But getting the word out about your company and its products or services to non-attendees is just as important, if Read more »
Factors you need to consider at a show
by Bill Mickey – expoweb.com
When you organize a show, the experience everyone takes away from it is critical. Wi-fi has become a major way of ensuring the best experience, allowing exhibitors and attendees to leverage social media and lead retrieval. But with the increased usage of a variety of mobile devices, how can you allow everyone to stay linked without maxing out your show’s telecommunications capacities?
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Taking the fear out of F&B selection
by Mike Donlin – MeetingsNet
Food and beverage selection is a vital part of organizing any event, and it’s never been an easy task. But attendees’ possible food allergies and religious restrictions, as well as lean budgets, are making it even tougher than before. How can you make the right choices without blowing your budget?
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A guide to confusing trade show jargon
by Candy Adams – EXHIBITOR
For most new event and exhibit professionals, the industy lingo goes from confusing to downright baffling. And guess what? Even if you’ve been on the trade show floor for years, new terms can have you scratching your head, too. Here’s a quick guide to help you with some of the most confusing trade show jargon.
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My boss balks every time I ask for more than one person to go with me to a show. I don’t think he’s being mean; he just doesn’t understand how much work has to be done there. How can I convince him to come along and “talk a walk in my shoes”? Have any of your readers tried this tack? If so, I’d love to hear about how they did it — and their results. Thanks.
— Regina, Exhibits Manager
Let him find out how hard it is to fill your shoes
Regina, unless your boss has a background in the event or exhibit industry, all he knows is how good your booth looks and how successful your participation in a show has been. How it all comes together is a mystery to him. So, it’s time to open his eyes to the realities of what you do. But how?
Some experts from MC² provide their sage advice:
Find a good reason for him to attend an event.
Show — and tell — him about your responsibilities.
Find a good reason for him to attend an event
Undoubtedly, your boss is busy doing his own job and may not feel as if he can take time away from the office “just to go to an event.” It’s up to you to give him a compelling reason to hit the road.
Caroline Meyers, corporate communications director at MC², provides some possible options.
“Set up appointments for your boss with clients, media, show organizers or the like to get him to the show. Then, expose him to the inner workings of exhibit management on the show floor.”
Rebecca Thompson, an account executive with MC² Southwest, explains how she persuaded her boss to go to an event — and how it worked out for her.
“Convincing the boss to spend more money than he feels is necessary is always a challenge. Several years back, I went solo to a new event to manage a small booth and hardly had enough time to sleep. The next year, I convinced my boss to come along so he could connect with all the C-level types. I had great success by revealing all the other activities that go on at the show outside the booth and assigning him more than a few of them. From then on, he sent at least three or four people to each show, and our ROI increased greatly.
“After all, trade shows give you the opportunity to do some competitive analysis and network at the social events, in addition to working in your booth. Send only two people, and you run the risk of leaving an interested visitor unattended at the booth, plus another one who might have been interested standing with your competition at the reception. Good luck!”
Show — and tell — him about your responsibilities
Of course, you may not be able to convince your boss to come to an event with you on the first try. Does that mean you have to just sit back and wait until he relents? Not at all.
Denise Lindroth, national account executive for MC², describes what another event professional did until her boss finally saw the show floor.
“I have a client who creates a ‘show summary’ document she reviews with her supervisor outlining what will take place at a show: everything from install and dismantle info to what time product is to be placed, the team members who will be there, etc. This has always allowed her to convey to her boss, or at least try to, the amount of work and logistics that go into each show, since her boss doesn’t typically attend these events.
“However, on a recent occasion, her boss finally decided to attend an upcoming show since their company was also hosting the opening session with a premier keynote speaker. Stopping by the booth on the way to the main ballroom, where the crew was preparing for the opening session, the boss was amazed at what was transpiring within the company booth space. It was product day, and the seemingly endless stacks of boxes on skids, containing product and giveaways, were everywhere. The boss was amazed at how much goes into getting the booth ‘merchandised’ and show ready. Since the booth was always ready on show day, her boss had never really understood why an additional person was needed. Now, the boss did, and the company has since added a coordinator.”
Regina, you can’t expect your boss to understand all you do at an event — and why you may need help — unless you do something to open his eyes. Come up with a good reason for him to come to a show, and then make sure he sees all the work it takes to pull together a booth and gather those all-important leads. And until the day that happens, give him precise accounts of all the details involved in participating in an event. Don’t worry about getting his feet into your size 6s; show him your shoes are hard to fill.
Planning a boffo in-booth presentation
by Candy Adams – EXHIBITOR
A booth presentation can be a scary thing for a lot of people. In fact, public speaking is consistently listed as one of the top phobias among adults. But you can take the away fear and put on a presentation people actually flock to instead of drifting away. How? By planning wisely.
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I’ve heard a lot about measurement in the media and at conferences, and I’d like to start my own performance measurement program based on real stats. But I don’t know where to begin. We go to five big shows a year, each with a different division of our company, so it’s hard to make adjustments. Is anyone getting value and results from measuring trade show performance? What do you measure, and how do you employ the data? I’d really like to know.
— Althea, Conventions Manager
Create the proper “yardstick,” and half the job’s done
ROI. ROI. ROI. It’s become mantra in the events and exhibits industry, as management that demands organizers and exhibitors justify every expense. The pressure is on, but what data should you gather to explain your expenses and show that you’re making a real contribution to your company’s bottom line?
Your peers suggest that you:
Use basic measurements.
Establish a system.
Organize data upper management can appreciate.
Use basic measurements
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to measuring ROI, begin with a relatively simple process that will provide the basic information you need.
A trade show coordinator provides pointers on how to do this.
“Track all show-associated costs and document cost per lead at the close of the show. At an appropriate point in the sales cycle (six to 18 months later), put together a report tracking the status of all of the leads generated at each show. That report shows revenue results from participating in events. Each year, that report may change as you touch some leads periodically to stay on their radar.”
Establish a system
A more detailed system generates more detailed information. Although the prospect of setting one up may seem daunting, it’s really not that difficult.
Ed Jones, president of Communication Constellation Corp., lists areas you should concentrate on and explains how to use their data to determine payback.
“Properly planned events produce measurable results. When you plan your activities properly, whether it’s to increase sales; retain current business; promote your company brand, products and messages; or reduce costs, you can achieve positive business results.
“What to measure follows this same logic. Payback is a simple index of success, and it comes from tracking value from four sources:
Revenue (increase in sales).
Customer relationship management (customer and revenue retention).
Cost savings (efficiencies using events as the catalyst).
Promotion or communication value (equivalent value of advertising required to achieve similar promotional impact in the market, or for internal events, the cost of alternative means of communication).
“Put four tabs in a three-ring binder and collect every bit of data regarding value you produce in each of these four areas. Add these values together, and divide the total by your budget for the event to produce a payback ratio such as $2.30/1.
“Finally, consider productivity. For example, determining your number of visitors, engaged visitors and leads — and combining this information with ‘cost per’ indices, such as cost per engaged visitor — provides valuable indicators of the success of your events and your program overall.
“You can find case studies and articles on event measurement in the ‘Solutions’ section of the Constellation Communication Corp. Web site at http://constellationcc.com.”
Organize data upper management can appreciate
Having the right information is only half the challenge; to prove the worth of what you do, you also need to present this information the right way to the higher-ups.
Janet DiFabio Good, CTSM, senior account executive at MC², has a slightly different slant on the four factors to include in your measurement system — as well as advice on how to put your data together.
“First, make sure you define your target audience(s) and determine specific, measurable objectives to gauge your success. Then, measure your success in: new revenue, retention and growth of current revenue, cost savings (achieved by event activities vs. sales contact equivalents) and promotion value (an estimation of gross and targeted impressions). Your payback ratio is your total positive benefit: revenue + retention + cost savings + promotion value divided by expenses for the event. This can help you compare shows (apples to apples) and help you set goals and budgets for future shows.
“Prepare a report on each show and share it with upper management. They love to see payback values!”
Althea, managers everywhere are scrutinizing the bottom line like never before. Prove your return on investment with simple metrics, or if you’re up for it, create a detailed system to demonstrate your ROI. And be sure to share with the higher-ups the results you achieve at each event. Show them what a valuable asset you are and how the company benefits from all your efforts.
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