Post-show Wrap Up: What’s Done is Done

What You Should Know about Post-show Wrap Up

• Assessing your Return on Investment (ROI)
• Have your show objectives been met?
• Conduct a post-show review with all staffers
• Be sure to reward your hard-working staff for their efforts

As the trade show begins to wind down and you and your staff hustles to score those last minute leads, it is time to reflect on your show experience. You will need to determine whether there was a return on your investment, if all of your show objectives were met, and finally, what you have learned.

ROI

There are some basic methods you can use to assess your return on investment. Add up all the leads you’ve acquired during the show and compare them with your projected estimates. If there were any in-booth surveys conducted, you can total those as well. Such surveys are a great way of getting visitor feedback and will give you some idea of attendance and level of interest. Hire a clipping service to keep track of any news coverage your company may have received in connection with the show. You can look at how many promotional items were distributed, and how much literature people grabbed, but this is a crude measurement of success at best. Much later, you will track your sales from the show and factor these into your ROI analysis.

Comparing Your Results to Your Goals

Have all your show objectives been met? Did you gather the number of leads that you anticipated? Did you meet your sales quota, if you had one? How did your booth staff function under pressure?

It is a good idea to do a post show review with all staffers regardless of whether they are temporary help or your employees. Ask them if they have any feedback on how they felt the show went. Ask your staff about what worked and what did not. Which versions of the pitch worked best and which fell flat? Were there a sufficient number of promo items and brochures? How many people watched your product demos? By asking these questions, you will discover decisions that worked and those that didn’t. By conducting a thorough post-show analysis, you can improve your performance at next year’s show.

Reward Your Staff

When the show is over, be sure to reward your hard-working staff for their efforts. You can take the team out for lunch or hold an office party. Be sure to make everyone feel appreciated. You can also set up incentives ahead of time by giving away prizes to those who generate the most qualified leads or achieve some other objective. Remember, your staff members are the key to your success at a show, so let them know they are valued.

For more infomation about trade show or events marketing, give us a call or send us an email. We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your next event.