A study conducted by Freeman Exhibit Surveys (2015) stated that, on average, 46% of attendees attend only one trade show per year. This means that you need to ensure your business gets it right. For example, you wouldn’t get Greenpeace exhibiting at an arms fair, so why should your business be any different?
In this blog, we want to share with you the importance of choosing the right exhibition for your business to save you time and ultimately, money.
An economic downturn and exhibiting
The cost-of-living crisis has been increasing since early 2021, with the annual rate of inflation in the UK reaching 11.1% in October 2022 – a 41-year high. Ultimately, this means consumers have less money and are actively looking to spend less than before.
And it’s the same for businesses too. For example, imagine you are a thriving technological expertise company in the UK that wouldn’t think twice about sending a handful of staff to the International Conference On Science, Technology, Engineering, And Management (ICSTEM) in Canada.
However, the pandemic happened which stopped the world completely and as we emerged into a different world, we then plummeted into an economic downturn.
As a business, it’s important to ask yourself these questions:
- Is it worth my sending multiple staff across the world?
- Can that money be spent closer to home?
- How can I limit my exhibiting costs but still get a similar ROI?
One of the ways this can happen is by tapping into professional booth staff who are already based in the location you want to exhibit. Our global team of over 2,500 exhibition professionals is vastly experienced at turning your exhibition investment into leads.
Professional booth staff and our Remote Exhibiting service could be your most valuable asset yet.
Make your decision a purpose-driven one
Are you looking to strengthen your bond with existing customers? Or are you looking to strengthen and establish your brand?
Behind every exhibition you attend, there should be a well-thought-out purpose.
In a previous blog, we spoke about how you shouldn’t immediately jump at discounted space at exhibitions, as there may be a reason why an exhibition organiser may be offering this rate. If your decision is purely from a monetary perspective and not one shaped by more important factors, then you may be setting yourself up for failure.
But what are these factors? Let’s take a look.
Getting in front of your people matters
Once the purpose of your exhibition is confirmed, you can then narrow down options, depending on specific criteria, such as location, date, number and demographics of attendees, reputation, booth space availability, and marketing opportunities. When you have a shortlist, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this show deliver our ideal business prospects?
- Does it reach a large volume of our target audience?
- Will it offer excellent trade show lead generation?
- Will it enable us to meet the goals we’ve set for each of our objectives?
By following this formula to forecast a profitable trade show, you’ll guarantee the success of every new exhibition. You’ll also be able to set your team targets and KPIs to ensure ROI is on track throughout the show.
I choose you…
Picking the right exhibition is crucial for the success of your exhibition and can impact how you feel about exhibiting in the future. If you follow the process of thinking about your budget, choosing the exhibition with purpose so you get in front of the right people will increase your chances of success tenfold.
As always, it would be wise to look over the common pitfalls of exhibiting in our latest eBook, Your Trade Show Engagement Optimisation Strategy: The 5 Pillars to Exhibition Success.
In the meantime, if you need any help regarding anything that may have piqued your interest in this blog, please do not hesitate to get in touch.