Demonstrate the Value of Your Trade Show Program

From ExhibitorOnline: (by Candy Adams)

According to a 2009 study released by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 33.9 percent of companies’ overall marketing budgets go to trade shows. With such a sizeable investment in exhibits, your company executives undoubtedly want to see the return they’re getting. But if you’re not providing data to prove the effectiveness of your exhibit program, it’s easy for them to view exhibit marketing as a money pit.

However, if you take the time to look objectively at each show and consistently share your results with your management team, you’ll be less vulnerable to budget cuts when comparisons are made between your exhibit program and other marketing programs. Plus, failure to demonstrate the value of your program and its impact on the company’s bottom line will relegate you to the status of a gerbil on the logistics wheel, which doesn’t equate to positive visibility or potential for promotion.

But what do executives want from your show reports? Typically, they’re interested in four things about your exhibit-marketing efforts: strategy, results, budget, and plans for improvement. Along those lines, here are 10 sections to include in your report that will address each of these points and help prove your program’s worth.

Executive Summary
The first section of your post-show report should be able to stand alone as a summary of the whole show. This one-page executive brief may be the only part of your report many of your executives will read. The executive summary should include five succinct sections: your strategic goals and objectives for the show; the most critical results such as your overall lead count, quality of leads, press interviews, number of branding impressions, number of prospects exposed to new product(s), etc.; a summary of the exhibit and accompanying activities; a budget summary; and any future goals and recommendations. More.