Exhibit Re-Signing: Should We Stay or Should We Go?

Decision making is both art and science and wise decisions are part of every exhibitor’s path to success.  Some are easier than others; some just make sense and some demand forward thinking.  But there is one we all face with significant impact to the brand, competitive positioning and ROI.

During an event the show sales team approaches you for a commitment to booth space for coming year.   You’re caught up in the energy and networking of the event and it feels like a good decision, but how do you really know if you stay or go?

The answer lies in preparing, prior to being asked.

Critical Information

What information is critical to making the decision?  The answer lives in the process.  Prior to attending gather data from previous shows.

During the event apply real time data to a re-book decision based on success criteria.  

A post event reconciliation offers additional statistics, including a comparison against the previous year’s show.

No single person can completely evaluate the data that goes into decision making at this level.  Rally the troops and put your heads together!

Eight Hard Questions

Consider these critical questions during the decision process:

1. What happens if we don’t do this?
2. What could make us regret the stay/go decision?
3. What is the cost of being wrong?
4. Is there a second-best op​tion?
5. Is the decision reversible?
6. Do we have the data to validate our decision? 
7. Are we balancing short-term pressure with long-term value?
8. Are there alternatives to consider?

Quality Questions Produce Quality Results

Tips for Success

Before You Attend

Develop an event marketing plan that lists clear objectives

What does success look like?

Do you want to exhibit, sponsor, and/or speak?

Do you want to showcase new products?

Do you want to increase brand awareness and reach?

Do you want new leads, new partners, and/or new influencers?

Gather input from key stakeholders, executives, and sales to understand their exhibiting objectives

What is your budget?

Are there opportunities to grow the exhibit or should you scale it back?

Is there an approved budget to execute the objectives for this show?

Is there data from last year confirming your target audience and decision makers?

If there’s no information, ask show management to provide a ghost list of attendee titles and companies

Review the expo floor map

Prepare four to six options when considering floor space. You never know what is available when it’s your turn to choose.

Ask for an advance copy of the contract and have your legal team review it. Ask all your questions before you sign and pay.

On Site

Get feedback from colleagues on the quality of the event

Are you getting enough booth traffic?

Is the target audience there?

What has the attendee experience been like?

Has show management been communicating with you onsite? 

Are they actively invested in your success?

Are there changes to the show that might impact growth of the event?

Talk to your neighboring exhibitors

How is their show floor traffic?

Is their target audience there?

What is their attendee experience like?

What tactics and opportunities are show managers providing?

Are they driving traffic to booths with dedicated show hours, passport stamp books – prizes that motivate attendees?

Stealth Marketing

Take off your company’s logo apparel and mystery shop your competitors

Look at other exhibitor’s booth designs for trends and messaging

What is the cool give-away?

What is the attendee experience like as a guest?

If the current show objectives are met, feel confident in re-signing and selecting a booth that meets the stakeholders’ goals and your budget. They sweeten the offer by locking in the current rates if you sign up on site.

If you are inexperienced at picking space on the show floor, there are several approaches to consider:

• Some companies like to exhibit near their competitors.  Attendees they leverage each other’s space for similar product categories.
• Exhibit near the entrance or the flow of traffic.  If you can’t be near the front, consider major cross aisles or the end of an aisle where your booth can be seen from a distance.
• Place your company logo on either the left or the right side of your graphics for increased visibility.
• Some exhibitors avoid the first row, the extreme left/right side, and the last row because attendees go straight to heart of the show floor.  
• If it’s a small show or you think it’s a bad spot, amp up your marketing efforts and drive people to your booth!
• Be aware of any obstructions on the floor map and avoid them.
• When in doubt, ask for help from the show sales team! They will give you an honest assessment based on available inventory.
• Note the contract deadline to cancel without penalty.  Put a reminder in your calendar to consider the current year’s results before making the final decision. Review that contract again before you sign!

Post-event

Survey your exhibiting team with tools like Survey Monkey or MailChimp.   Consider the following questions:

What did we do well?

What could we have done better?

What should be eliminated from future events?

What made you stop on the show floor and say “Wow!”?

Suggestions for improvement

Should we exhibit again next year?

Monitor and track results

Hot leads, sales and nurture opportunities

Social reach

Meetings and quantifiable engagements 

Measure event staff performance

Did we get a strong ROI? Use this formula: (Revenue – investment)/investment x 100

• Complete a post-show summary: did you meet or exceed objectives?
• Debrief stakeholders: share results, confirm the decision to re-sign.

If you decide not to exhibit and you’ve selected a booth, inform the sales team as soon as possible.  They will release your space back into inventory.  If the sales team asks for a reason, be honest. You don’t need to provide specifics but let them know the show didn’t meet your company’s expectations.

Ask For Help

Asking for help is a sign of strength.

That said, it goes against an event planner’s nature – we are the doers, and no one does it better! But being a party of one is hard – and many hands lighten the load.

Support for a decision of this magnitude requires collaboration from the top down.  The event industry is small but mighty; it’s what we know and who we know.  Build your network!

Tips For Success

• Seek out the on-site event coordinators responsible for neighboring booths. Build a rapport with them; connect with them on LinkedIn; share knowledge; share tools; share a laugh or a listening ear.
• Does the show have an Exhibitor Advisory Committee? If not, recommend they start one! The Exhibitor Advocate has great resources to get you started.
• Attend networking events such as conferences, local event associations, Exhibitor LIVE, BizBash, PCMA, and MPI to meet like-minded professionals!
• Schedule quarterly check-ins with vendors to remain aligned. Ask for introductions to their trusted partners.
• Technology: use collaboration tools for project management and scheduling with onsite stakeholders for buy-in and support.
• Reach out and connect with fellow event planners on social media, follow and send a compliment, then invite them to follow your back.
• Where do you excel? Are you good at budgeting, training, staffing, swag? Promote yourself as a resource on social media, sharing your knowledge and experience!
• Introduce yourself and thank the event teams.

What’s The Plan?

Always have a plan and keep it flexible.  Nobody plans to fail – but when we fail to plan the results speak for themselves.  These guidelines and tips help you ask answer the question:  Should we stay, or should we go?

Stay Connected and Read Part Two