Start with strategy
Have you clearly defined your goals and objectives for your exhibit? Are you exhibiting at multiple shows? How much does your strategy change from show to show? How do your exhibit goals ladder up to your overall marketing objectives? Once you have your end goal in mind (increase sales, raise brand awareness, etc.), you can begin to develop a measurement plan.
Establish consistency
If you are exhibiting across multiple shows, it’s important to have a solid and consistent measurement protocol — even if your goals change. This can help normalize your data when you examine it across your entire portfolio, and will provide guidance as to which events performed the best for you.
Determine your ROI
Consider the cost of your trade show booth or sponsorship and the financial goals you have in mind. How many qualified leads will you need to turn into sales to ultimately justify your exhibit space and expenditures?
Get clarity on your objectives
What are the key objectives of your organization? Most organizations have goals that go beyond financial and include things like brand awareness, new customer contact, market research, and more.
Hone in on the details
With your show strategy clearly in your crosshairs, determine the specific ways you will demonstrate impact: number of leads, shortened time to close on a deal, increased social media mentions, etc. Be as specific as possible and seek to gain consensus among the members of your team.
Tap into technology
Consider all the ways technology can help you with your exhibit measurement goals on site. Badge scanners and lead management only scratch the surface. Do you have a digital display? Can you track attendee interest? Find out from the show organizer if it is possible to gain access to mobile app data specific to your exhibit.
Collect and analyze
After the show, gather the data from your varied sources so you can manage and analyze it. Start with simple, flexible tools like Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets, but also investigate custom tools with specialized features that can help you paint the bigger picture with a little more clarity.
With these simple steps in mind, you will be on your way to mastering the art and science of exhibit measurement.
