4 Questions for Defining Trade Show Success

Your company is gearing up for its annual trade show event. Of course you want to be successful this year–but have you defined what trade show success means to you? It’s hard to find success without clearly outlining your goals and expectations. While some companies want sales leads others simply want to be seen as an industry-leader among their competition. Here are some things to consider when defining what trade show success means to you:

1. What do you want to get out of the trade show? You may desire sales leads, customer awareness, building customer relationships or maintaining your status as a market leader. Maybe you simply want to show support for your industry. Whatever your goal, be specific. How many leads do you have to obtain to consider the trade show a success?
   
   
2. Who do you want to attract? Define who you want to meet by title and function at the trade show. Do you want to target people in marketing, sales, IT, administration? Is your focus on generating new business or strengthening relations with existing customers?
   
   
3. What do you want people to take away from your booth? Maybe you want to demo your latest product, enhance company awareness or promote a specific message. Make sure your staff understands these goals and how to communicate them to attendees.
   
   
4. How will your success be measured? The key to making effective goals is creating a method for measuring them. Record as much information about your trade show experience as possible. Collect data from attendees and conduct a debriefing session post-event to establish what went well and what needs improvement.
   

Answering these four questions and developing specific goals will give you direction when planning your next trade show. When you measure and analyze these goals you can then determine your ROI. For more on trade show success, contact our trade show experts by filling out this form or calling 855-552-3537.