Why Do You Go To Trade Shows & Events?

Every once in a while, I ask myself, "Are we creatures of habit or do we have a specific strategy for why we go to the events we go to?" I have been in this business for over 28 years, and we sometimes skip this basic but important question with our clients and prospects. We assume the question has already been asked and answered internally, but it is always a good practice to re-visit the answer of Why.

Each company has their own individual goals and strategies for attending trade shows and events, but most come down to these top five resasons:

1. Lead Generation! Every company is looking to generate more QUALIFIED leads
2. Showcasing new products and innovations
3. Engaging your existing customers deeper with other products and services you offer
4. Positioning your company and brand as an indsutry leader
5. Demonstrating your value proposition in a face-to-face environment

As I travel across the country, meeting customers and prospects, the most popular question that comes up is "What is the best way to measure what events work and which ones don't?" The best advise I can give, advice that I practice, is to work with a partner who shares your goals — a company who wants to develop and measure metrics that can determine success. 

There are many elements to your event marketing plan that can aftect your results, directly or indirectly, like staffing, booth location, messaging and strategy. 

The take away today is to always ask "Why?" Know what your goals and intentions are and then make sure you have a way to measure and evaluate your results.