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Six Straight Forward
Steps for Banner Trade Show and Event Marketing Results in 2013
Can you believe it? It’s show time in 2013! As you read this, many of you are already on
the show floor, enthusiastic that your event marketing program will be a
success this year. That success rests largely on how effective your plans are
for each show.
Here are six simple steps that will prepare
exhibit managers and their extended teams to deliver the increased performance
and measurable results their companies are looking for through effective
planning:
Planning
for Success - Exhibitors who come to the show with a good plan will
capitalize on the rich business opportunities and achieve good results in
marketing, sales, business process enhancements and profit improvement. Planning for each event must begin with
enough lead time to implement the plan.
Some shows require planning as much as one year in advance, or
more. Most shows and events require
planning to begin three to six months in advance.
The planning process should foster and support
internal discussions with the extended event teams and expand planning
participation to others who should be involved.
Here are the six sequential planning concepts that you should include in
your process:
1. Set
Realistic Business Improvement Objectives
- Map out a broad set of goals for each show. Include an array
of business development and marketing communications goals. Address activities and accomplishments in
each of the three event phases: a) pre-event, b) at event and c) post-event. Identify the most important accomplishments
and top measures of success at each event.
(See my blog post “Value is A Lot More Than
Leads…” http://constellationcc.blogspot.com/2012/03/value-is-lot-more-than-leads-how-to.html for a
deeper explanation and examples).
2. Target
Market Identification, Attraction and Content Mapping Should Be the First
Elements of the Plan - Targeting activity allows exhibitors to correctly
identify the attractive, high-value targets available through participation in
a show or event and to match their products and messages to each targeted
audience. This activity will also greatly improve the quality of visitors and
produce more, well-qualified leads.
3. Develop
Effective Messaging and Communications Plans – Weak or ineffective
messaging is one of the most common reasons for event marketing failure. There
are specific requirements of trade show and marketing event messages that must
be studied and well executed in order for your program to work. Communications must span the periods before,
during and after the show using a variety of traditional and new digital and
social media tools to facilitate post-event activity among sales ready leads.
Additionally, the various media available through event activity must produce
the maximum exposure practical from show participation. This includes managing
the press opportunity and generation of press results associated with the event.
4. Combine
Elements 1 – 3 into a Cohesive Plan – This plan should pull everything
together into an interactive planning format that aids in team coordination and
communication over the ensuing weeks before the show. It must also set proper expectations with
upper management. The plan document is
quite often a PowerPoint deck that is updated and presented weekly or bi-weekly
on a planning call for the extended team.
The event plan should address the qualitative
objectives of the company and business units, as well as quantitative elements
of performance and effectiveness. Use
the four elements of payback, revenue development, revenue retention, cost
reduction and value of promotion to detail value and the key performance
measures to detail exhibit, staff and program effectiveness. (See Measurement Tip 7 http://constellationcc.blogspot.com/2011/12/measurement-tip-7.html).
5. Brief
and Train Your Staff on the Plan and Effective Visitor Engagement and
Management Skills – Pre-show training and briefings may be any combination
of on-line and live presentations on the knowledge and skills necessary to
execute the plan. The exhibit manager must ensure the staff is properly trained
on effective visitor engagement, qualification, management, presentation and
demonstration delivery and the commitment skills necessary to convert visitors
into sales ready leads.
6.
Measure and Report Your Results - Obtaining and reporting your results
should be as straight forward as evaluating and documenting your activities
“According to Plan” using the elements of the five elements above. If
consistent measures (and plans) are used for each show and event, the entire
event program may be evaluated on an event by event basis and as a whole. Comparison
of one event to another, and to future events under consideration, is possible
when your results are consistently reported.
(See the case study “How Trade Shows
Can Influence Executive Perceptions, Positively Influence Financial Markets
& Gain Top-Level Visibility for Event Managers” http://constellationcc.blogspot.com/2010/11/case-study-how-trade-shows-can.html for more insight on managing executive
perceptions.)
2013 is a great year to refine your planning
process and to implement an event marketing measurement program if you have not
already done so. We wish you great
success in 2013 and please feel free to call upon us with questions or
needs.
To get started on your event marketing measurement needs,
please email us today at edjones@constellationcc.com
or call us +1.770.391.0015.
Ed Jones
President, Constellation Communication
