Counteracting falling numbers

Why are many firms cutting out shows they’ve attended for years? Simple: traffic density (number of attendees per 100 square metres) continues to go down and cost-per-visitor-reached up. So rising costs and reduced attendance lead to fewer exhibitors which leads to fewer visitors which ...

What to do? Since your presence at an industry trade show is doubtless one of the most expensive of your marketing tactics it is vital to maximise return on investment.

One good plan is to actually analyse the results - surprisingly often overlooked by many of the businesses I talk to. But in addition to paying attention to the figures, here are two simple tactics that will improve your FD's demeanour at the next board meeting:

1. Minimise all that expensively printed paper propaganda. Nobody reads it anyway.

2. Separate existing clients from prospects. I can never understand why companies seem so delighted when customers turn up. They simply get in the way and slow down or stop the acquisition of new prospects. But they do tend to come, don't they? So encourage them to visit during the dead periods, perhaps by holding a special, timed reception where they can enjoy favoured treatment. Then pack them off to see the rest of the show when traffic begins to pick up. Those that don't make it at the specified time miss out on whatever good stuff the prompt ones enjoy - next show they'll get it right!

And here is a bonus idea: stop being so boring! One of the services we provide is mystery shopping, where we send 'visitors' to your stand to report on how you come across. One of our constant complaints is that all the stands look the same - uninspired, dowdy (or worse, tacky) and lacking any hint of inspiration. You must stand out as different, exciting, dynamic. Or risk being unnoticed by the very people you are there to attract - your potential clients.