Many of our clients come to us after a poor performing exhibition experience. They’ve spent significant time and money organising their presence at a trade show, but because of poor staffing they have failed to meet their lead generation goals and achieved a disappointing ROI.
ProSymmetry, a leading global resource management software company, was one such client. Working with leading companies around the world, the business has helped enterprises such as Pepsico and Google manage capacity and resourcing for big teams and projects.
To reinforce ProSymmetry’s international presence and drive sales through targeted lead generation, Greg Bailey – vice president of worldwide sales at the company – utilises trade shows across the globe. Trade shows provide the foundation for ProSymmetry to talk face to face with prospective clients, demonstrate their technology and build their sales pipeline.
Exhibiting with the Wrong Staff
ProSymmetry frequently exhibits at Gartner events spending around $70k per show. This hefty investment means the pressure is on to capture leads and expand the company database.
To give their stand authority and ensure the brand is well represented, ProSymmetry executives attend the show. The problem was finding the right team to support them. Historically Greg enlisted the support of ProSymmetry sales and marketing personnel. Their skills were not necessarily suited to exhibition lead qualification and generation. They lacked the succinct strategies to qualify leads and capture valid data and often spent too much time talking to prospects or demonstrating products.
Greg began to hunt for a partner that could take care of this vital and unique resourcing challenge.
A New Team for Success
Lee Ali, Expo Stars’ Managing Director, was in a different time zone when Greg made contact but he responded immediately to the initial enquiry. What followed was a test run of Expo Stars recruitment services which turned into a long-term and fruitful partnership.
Lee recommended an all-star team for Greg’s next Gartner exhibition, sending detailed profiles that highlighted their relevant skills, experience and specialisms.
After agreeing which people would be the best fit and finalising a quote, Lee ran an insight session to understand more about ProSymmetry. Asking the right questions is key to meeting business needs and delivering against their objectives. At Expo Stars, we ask for:
1. In-depth background information about the company and its products and services
2. Brand values and USPs
3. Event objectives and targets
4. Our role during an event
5. What success looks like
Having well-informed, on brand and skilled staff is integral to the success of a trade show. In the case of ProSymmetry, these insights helped Lee prepare the exhibition staff ahead of the show.
“Expo Stars staff are always on time, know their responsibilities and understand the company. They are credible, highly professional individuals you can depend on.” – Greg Bailey
A year later, ProSymmetry partnered with Expo Stars staff one again, for the return of the Gartner show but also for several large overseas exhibitions.
For an expo in Brazil, a Portuguese native language speaker from Expo Stars joined Greg’s team to support with prospect engagement:
“When you’re making a big investment to exhibit internationally, having professionals to drive leads and achieve a solid ROI is paramount. In Brazil, the presence of a native language speaker allowed us to connect with prospects seamlessly and professionally, contributing heavily to the success of the show.”
Expo Stars Ignite Impressive Changes
Before using Expo Stars, the company gained an average of 65 leads per show. This amount has now doubled – ProSymmetry captures an average of 130 leads during every event. Greg also reports a 40% growth from Gartner events and an increase in the quality of leads too. This has attributed to a $250K increase in trade show revenue.
They’ve retained the same booth, strategy and stand placement – the sole reason for this change is partnering with Expo Star’s professional staff.
The Expo Stars Experience
ProSymmetry now regularly uses Expo Stars staff, employing one to two people per show around eight times a year on home turf and internationally.
Greg is delighted with the service Expo Stars provides. He recently shared the biggest benefits of using a professional expo staffing agency:
“The specialists Expo Stars provide and the consultancy that follows is second-to-none. Having skilled professionals at our trade shows has been a game-changer: their ability to drive leads and engage with prospects to such a high level has dramatically increased the number of leads we can capture.”
“Trade show attendees are often reluctant to engage with you; they anticipate being collared by salespeople and will avoid this at all costs, giving your stand a wide berth. Expo Stars staff take a much more human approach, softly engaging with people and encouraging them to approach the stand without being put off. They also expertly qualify these prospects, quickly capturing those that fit our potential customer criteria and politely moving on from those that don’t. This skill is paramount to the increased success of our trade show marketing.”
“Investing in professional booth staff is a no-brainer. Without the right people, you can’t achieve your exhibition objectives. It’s a low-cost and high-return strategy.”
Greater ROI and enhanced booth experiences are yours to gain with the right staffing solution. Contact Expo Stars today to hire credible professionals and ensure trade show success.
