How long are you going to keep doing trade shows without ROI?
Your trade shows should be your best lead source. Are they?
Shows have their own mechanics, unless you master them, they’ll play against you.
Trade shows are one of the most expensive lines in a company’s marketing budget: 31% of it. And they only last 3 days. Not 365. Yet most exhibitors walk away without a clear answer to the most important question: are they worth it?
Don’t get fooled by your “sensations”, there are plenty of cognitive biases affecting perceptions of a show's success. And the emotional roller coaster they put teams through doesn't help assess their worthability either. So how to measure them? Like everything done professionally, you can’t rely on feelings, you need a system. Do you have one?
What if the problem isn't the show, or you, but your "system"?
So how to change your trade show strategy?
You suspect your team could do better? You wished the booth could attract more of the right people and less of these free pen collectors? You hoped the follow-up will get more yesses on the customers seat? But how do you tell that to your team without creating conflict? How do you change a process that has been running the same way for years? and how do you even know where to start?
Most exhibitors avoid these questions the same way some people avoid looking at their bank statements. because looking might mean bad news, or more trouble. We’re comfortable with our uncomforts. Story of life isn’t it? But if you’re here, you want to change that, don; t you? Luckily, we’ve seen your situation many times before, and fixed it. You’re getting home. Finally.
You’ve always known something needs to change in how you run your shows. You just don't know what.
You know this feeling we have when we know something is not working, but we leave it on the back burner. Like the work we should do on the house that was urgent for the last 5 years? Do we really need to wait until something breaks to fix it? Shouldn't we strengthen it before it’s too late? Like our health? How healthy are your trade shows? Yes I’m talking about your numbers. But they are just a symptom, there are others. How confident are you when it’s time to pick the shows you want to participate in it? How in control of what’s happening in the booth are you? And how satisfied are you not when it ends - the emotional cocktail of adrenaline and oxytocin is hard to fight - no when things cool off. Was it a launchpad for your business? Did it create momentum, or was it just ephemerous?
How to actually improve your trade show ROI
Did your past shows actually produced consistent results?
I know, your past shows were ok. So, somehow they worked. Didn’t they? I mean, you even had visitors lined up at a point, right? You scanned badges. Many badges. And you even followed up with them, and got some clients out of it. But the question is not if you had all this. Everyone’s got all this? But was it worth the price, the effort, and the time? Have you, for example, compared your cost of acquisition to other means of acquisition? Because if you haven’t, how do you know your shows actually produced what they should have? What do you base your opinion on? Feelings? There is a better way.
Why do most exhibitors fail?
Because they treat trade shows as a gamble. A one off. That will go smoothly, just because… just because what? That’s a shame isn’t it? I mean when was the last time, and the last place in business where buyers came, from their own will, ready to see, touch, compare and decide, and where you had them face to face. Where you could engage with them. Answer their questions, help them compare, choose. Not only your product and services, but YOU. Yes you. Because unless was you sell is transactional, like a can of soda at a supermarket, you know it’s not only about the product or service. But about the relationship. So? How do you come out on top in business speed dating?
The companies that prepare, that have a system, to work with the way shows are, not how they wish them to be, succeed. They learn how to use the show's advantage. And they are the one who will tell you there is no better way to generate new leads. Listen to them. Not the ones that complain, because they are paying for a very expensive lesson every single show. One they refuse to learn.
Why trade shows need their own kind of preparation
It is neither marketing, nor sales, nor customer relationship management that needs to change. It is the combination of the three. Why? Because no matter how well oiled they are in everyday life, when it’s business as usual, trade shows are not your regular going to office day. They’re a shark pool, a sea of competitors, in a noisy hall, over three exhausting days. That is what makes trade shows difficult. And that is exactly why they require their own specific preparation. Like any competition does, don’t you think?
Trade show lead generation has nothing to do with luck or budget
There is a reason some exhibitors walk away from every show with qualified leads while everyone else goes home with business cards nobody ever calls, or that for most will turn cold. And no, this is not about luck. Trade shows are not lotteries. And no it is not budget. David can beat Goliath, especially on trade shows. So what is it?
It is a system, a process, a road map, a recipe. Because yes, trade shows have an underlying structure, human beings are (mostly) predictable, and what happens on shows answers unwritten rules everyone can learn to read and use in their favor.
That is why I build a five-step system called the M.A.G.I.C. Exhibiting™ Formula. the only trademarked trade show performance framework in the world that does exactly this:
helps exhibitors choose the right show, execute it with mastery and elegance, and convert leads after it closes (and sometimes before). In the right sequence. In total control. With nothing left to chance. But open to the serendipity trade shows have built in them.
The Trade Show Consultant and Trainer behind the M.A.G.I.C. Exhibiting™ Formula
Ruben UZAN
CEOs and marketing directors. Do you finally want to stop wasting your trade show budget? Are you now ready to change how you run shows so you can leave every one of them with the leads that turn into positive R.O.I.?
I've been exhibiting at more than 200 shows for the last 11 years now with companies of all sizes and at all kinds of trade shows, exhibitions, congresses or conventions. I’m one of the fewer than 200 trade show experts in the world, and a handful in Europe, who work exclusively on what happens on the show floor.
What I do goes beyond booth design, logistics or implementing technology to "measure" trade shows. And it is not generic sales or pitch training (because they don't work on shows).
What I’m doing goes beyond all that. It is a 360 approach to professional events that are meant to do something else than generating laughs and pat in the backs saying "thanks for the champagne". The reason why humans meet is to fix problems. And trade shows are here to connect sellers and buyers and generate business. So keep branding for your ads.
What I teach is human dynamics that determine whether a visitor becomes a buyer or walks away forever. And if the method is trademarked it is because many people, including show organizers, have watched it, said wow, and decided they could pretend it was theirs, because they saw what it could do for exhibitors. But too bad for them, knowledge can never replace experience. You're probably old enough to know that.
The method is an art backed by science (anthropology, psychology and NLP - sorry, no astrology), and you won't find anywhere because it's the fruit of 10 year of my shoes on the trade show ground, working the aisles with and for my clients, making their trade shows results predictable and building their sales pipelines with them.
WHAT EXHIBITORS SAY AFTER WORKING WITH RUBEN
We’ve just come back from the show and are overwhelmed with requests!
A unique and surprising methodology that is probably the opposite of what you have always done (and let’s be honest, that didn’t work).
Many beliefs about what should or should not be done at a trade show have been completely challenged.
And the results are there! We’ve just come back from the show and are overwhelmed with requests! And the best is that we even had fun doing it! It was an incredible human and sales experience! We’ll do it again without hesitation!
Thank you again a thousand times Ruben for your energy, your skills and what you have allowed us to accomplish! We feel like we have won a marathon, and an athlete is nothing without his trainer!
Julie Guez
Co-founder, Lions Team
This is by far the best investment we have made for this show
During the course of the training, we discovered a whole science behind succesful trade shows. This is by far the best investment we have made for this show.
Not to mention that it pays for itself with all the savings that Ruben and Julien made us realize on other useless services.
Once there, Ruben and his teams brought us a lot in terms of organization and dynamics, which allowed us to generate a number of leads 3 times higher than our expectations!
Mickael Bessermann
Associate, UTH
+670 COMPANIES TRAINED. EVERY SIZE. EVERY CONTINENT. EVERY INDUSTRY.
NO PROPER TRADE SHOW KPIs AND STRATEGY
- Yes show potential, team performance and ROI can and should be calculated
- It means setting up a strategy, goals and measurement tools
- Because, contrary to what Woody Allen said, showing up is not enough
Fix these 5 problems before your financial director cuts your trade show budget
POOR CONVERSATIONS
- Sending the wrong profiles for the wrong reasons
- Acting like sales at trade shows are like everyday sales - they're not
- Collecting business cards or "fake positives" from too few visitors anyway
NOT THE RIGHT KIND OF VISITORS AT YOUR BOOTH
- Spending money on the wrong tools, like goodies, booth babes, or "trendy" trainings like public speaking, pitching, or storytelling
- Collecting business cards or "fake positives" from too few visitors anyway
- Going to a show "as you are," like you go to McDonald's
POOR RESULTS FROM FOLLOW-UP
- Follow-ups are not done
- People you recontact ghost you
- Conversion rate is low
POOR OR MESSY EXECUTION
- Spending money on the wrong tools, like goodies, booth babes, or "trendy" trainings like public speaking, pitching, irrelevant for trade shows
- Insisting on keeping your corporate marketing material - inefficient on trade shows
- Going to a show "as you are," like you go to McDonald's
FAQ
What the heck is trade show expertise? Never heard of that...
it’s been out there since… trade shows started. It is niche, but just like pentathlon coaches are. You won’t meet them at your local bar, but if you’re a serious athlete considering serious results, trust me, you'll look for one. Trade shows are the same. Now most people are ok with meager, average results, or they don't even measure anything, so that’s why you won't hear about this. But I am here with my team. And if you’re going to spend thousands of euros for your presence, why not put all the chances on your side to make sure it’s profitable?
You say you can measure success on a trade show, seriously?
It's serious business. I bet it’ll surprise you. The metrics I use have been in use in retail. I have adapted them to trade shows to choose the appropriate booth surface, and the number of people your team should count among other things. After shows I use them to make sure you did your work efficiently, or to assess if there was a problem and where it came from. and once the sales cycle is over, you can use them to calculate your r.o.i. and the trade show’s profitability. I'll teach you all that, don’t worry. You can read How to know if my trade show was a success if you want.
Is it really worth it working with you?
I can tell you yes, but that wouldn’t convince you, right? What I can tell you is to check with yourself: is it worth continuing to invest in trade shows like you do without training your teams? They are the ones doing the job, not your display, not your goodies, nor your costly coffee machine. Everything eventually comes down to choices. If you want to invest in your teams, yes, you’ll get your money back, several folds. But, if you are convinced that your money is better spent on booth design, displays and goodies, then nothing can stop you. But beware, if you think your booth will do the job for you, I will be happy to have you as my booth neighbor. This attitude will help me and my clients stand out even more next to you.
Are the results guarantee?
Yes, if you join our Activator’s program. It is our most complete program, with myself coaching your team before the show and during it. You can even hire some of my booth staff members to help you improve your results even more.
We've done trade shows for over 20 years, do you seriously believe you have something to teach us?
Happy you asked. You know what they say: habits are harder to break than an atom. So the question I’ll ask you back is: did your trade show habits take you where you wanted? If you’ve been awarded best exhibitor of the year I surely have nothing to teach you. But if it’s not the case, there is room for improvement, and that’s where I step in. Now if you don’t want to change your habits, what are you still doing here?
Our salespeople are already very good, why would we need you?
Trade shows are a different context, and what works in the office, doesn’t always work on trade shows. Don’t trust my words, Kurt Lewin (the godfather of social psychology) demonstrated the environment affects behavior, hence performance. Now, how can you know if there is room for progress? if your S.I.R. is above 20%, no need. If you ask yourself “what’s S.I.R.?”, then you have room for progress. You can also read Why the best trade show staff people are not salespeople.
So you're going to measure human interactions?
Indeed, but it won’t turn your team into robots. Don't worry. But it will turn them into better humans. Not in general (though the training makes a real impression on them) but at business relationships building to be precise. And until they launch skynet, there is room for it. Actually there is an urgent necessity for it, because unless we come back to being more human, machines will overpower us now with AI and robots coming. So as long as there is a need for a human in the loop right, you can count on me and my team to make sure humans are not the weakest link on trade shows.
Isn't it like pitch training?
It’s a very good thing that you know how to talk about your company, we’ll save up some time there. Now, pitching is about sending a message from person A to person B in a one way direction. This is not what trade shows are about. They are about building relationships between A and B and that is a two way street, a circle if you prefer, not a straight line like in a pitch. Last but not least, have you heard of the expression “being pitchy”? It is a turn‑off on trade shows, fyi. You can read How to generate more profitable conversations about the subject.
We've already digitalized our booth, what are you useful for?
Tools can never replace strategy. And data is good, but knowledge is better. Just so you know, we use metrics too. But metrics are not a strategy, they are the tools to measure its success. I always say: technology gets mistaken for progress these days. What we teach you is how to be better at trade shows. Tech companies sell you tech. And beware of all things digital. If they make things more convenient in the short term, they create new problems in the long term. Remember the times you used to be able to read a book without feeling an urge to consult your notifications? Or when programmers knew how to code? That’s what technology does to human psychology. We reinforce the latter. Because this is becoming the weakest link these days. And technology can’t fix that, it only makes it worse.
I've already got a booth designer, what more will you bring me?
We didn’t understand each other then, as I’m not a booth designer (and I’m not jealous). I advise you on what makes the success of a trade show, and how to build your booth with the right content. The container is yours to choose. A beautiful booth is great, but a productive one is better, don’t you think? That being said, I will advise you on the ergonomics and the content (your message and the way you will manage the space). Other than that, I’ll focus on your team and the way they work. This is something no booth designer will help you improve, this is not their job. But it’s mine.
How long in advance should we call you for help?
12 weeks before a show at the latest. Otherwise sorry, I don’t do trade show emergency fix. I do trade show efficiency build up. So if your next show is in less than 12 weeks, give me a call after. I'll analyze your results and use this as a good starting point for a future collaboration. We’ll start this way on the right foot, cause when it starts off bad, it rarely ends well. You can look at our next training sessions here.