What defines ROI in a trade show?

The answer is it depends, of course, on the goals you established for yourself. Somewhere around 2020 I surpassed the 2000+ mark of how many events I've helped produce, set-up, established, rebranded, sponsored, co-hosted, etc. over the course of my career. It's kept growing since then but at a slower rate. Fortunately, I'm much more focused today on the quality of the experience these days than the quantity. The goal is to help ensure all parties(attendees, producers, sponsors, speakers, passers by, exhibitors, service providers) find positive ROI against their goals in the engagement. Tip 1.. You need to define what those goals are.

The experience creating side of marketing is a tactical group I've always really enjoyed. Regardless of whether it's a 70,000 person trade show in a huge convention center, a monthly gathering of a few hundred people talking about public policy, or an intimate dinner connecting the right people at the right time, they all are deemed either successful or failed in an instant. The question is, how is that defined and what do we do to ensure success?

In the last year I've attended and produced shows on three continents. In each of them, I've seen a lot of success but also missed opportunities. It's not complicated, but attention to detail is key. Exhibitors and sponsors are leaving a lot of potential success on the table by often forgetting the show in which they are participating provides the venue and the framework; it is on them to bring the energy which converts attendee into interested party and ultimately a new customer for their specific brand. You can be in the middle of the largest show on earth and still fail if you don't pre-plan, execute with excellence and then don't drop the ball in post-event follow up. And most of these shows or events are failing in helping to educate their exhibitors and participants on where their job ends and the company's begins.

A couple of quick things to think about regardless of the type of event you are participating in as a sponsor or exhibitor that will absolutely help ensure success...

1. Pre-Event Targeting and Outreach

Events are not solely about who comes by, it's about ensuring that who comes by is qualified and ready. You actually have some control of that by doing advanced outreach.

What to do:

• Reach out to key prospects or existing contacts ahead of time to book booth appointments.

• Promote your booth and offers via email, phone, targeted LinkedIn, and other targeted channels. DO NOT rely on the event to do this for you. They'll promote their sponsors which is great as a brand awareness tool but it's up to you to promote your business.

• Leave your drama at home. Everybody is busy and has a lot to do. As an executive or junior level employee; if you make a prospect feel second, they're going to walk.

Pro tip: Offer something of value in your outreach. Swag is nice, but things that actually help your customer achieve their goal is better.

2. Create a Booth Experience

People remember experiences, they don't remember two people staring at them from behind a six foot table. Just making it pretty doesn't count either. It has to be engaging and relevant.

• Design your booth to be visually distinct, and interactive. Put people in the booth who are committed to the customers' success. If they look bored, your prospects will be bored with you.

• Train your team to engage passersby quickly and naturally (no phones in hand and no sitting in the corner!).

• Train your team how to have a conversation. Success generally comes from a conversation where 80% of the talking is done by the prospect, not the sales team.

Pro tip: Use a simple, bold message that clearly communicates the “why” in under 5 seconds.

3. Qualify and Capture Leads the Right Way

Why it matters: You want real leads, not just badge scans. What to do:

• Use a lead capture tool that allows note-taking and tiered lead scoring.

• Ask strategic questions to quickly qualify interest and buying timeline.

• Tag leads by priority so you can personalize follow-up.

• Incentivize your staff to land the right leads, not a certain target number. The best incentives come from those leads that convert. It ensures the team understands that the job doesn't end once the event ends. It's a 365 day a year relationship you are building.

4. Follow Up Fast, Personally, and with Value

All of your marketing is a month to month evolutionary experience for your lead pipeline. You need to treat the experience as an ongoing activity not just a thing to be done during show week.

Why it matters: Most deals are lost in the lack of follow up. What to do:

• Send a personalized email within 48 hours referencing your conversation or their interest.

• Include a value-add like a case study, offer, or invite to a follow-up call

• Segment follow-ups based on your lead scoring and immediacy.

5. Track ROI and Optimize for the Next Show

Test and Learn is a good philosophy for almost all marketing channels. Try new things, see what works and gets the most traction. Optimize those each opportunity you have to find leads that convert. You cannot say a show is successful or a failure based solely on the experience that happened on the ground. If you do, your conveying a judgement with less than a third of the inforrmation.

Why it matters: You can't improve what you don't measure. What to do:

• Track which leads convert, what messaging worked, and booth traffic patterns.

• Hold a short team debrief within a week to document insights.

• Use that data to refine your pre-show outreach, booth setup, and lead scoring process.

Pro tip: If you're exhibiting at multiple shows, build a SOP that is updated with each event and remember that great ideas come from everywhere and everyone. You can't evolve the experience if you don't open your perspective.

Want tips customized specifically to you? Email me at chrisdaysa@gmail.com and I can help you transform your marketing plans and execution from mediocre and hard to track to marvelous and proven.

Flourish Theory Amna Shamim Dave Barton Jillian Reddish Jerry Gildea Freeman Company Jennifer Hoff Rachel Wimberly Taffy Event Strategies MCI USA Sarah Soliman Trade Show Executive Magazine American Marketing Association Shawn Pierce #sxsw #CES Cultivating Spirits LLC Global Cannabis Network Collective Global Cannabis Exchange InternationalCBC Informa Natural Products Association Sweets & Snacks Expo Solar Energy Industries Association SISO - Society of Independent Show Organisers UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry