Trade show organizers have a crucial role in attracting the right audience to their events. However, Exhibitors must excel in pre-show marketing to attract attendees to their booths. Here are some effective strategies that have proven to help them: Leverage Matchmaking in Registration Systems: Utilize matchmaking features in event registration systems to plan agendas in advance. Implement Pre-Show Email Marketing: Send targeted emails to attendees before the event to increase awareness and interest. Use Event Mobile Apps: Network with attendees through event apps, but note that adoption rates are below 50%. The attendee database is…
Email Marketing
Trade show organizers play a crucial role in attracting the right audience to their events. However, exhibitors must enhance their pre-show marketing efforts to effectively draw attendees to their booths. Here are some strategic benefits that can help organizers facilitate these initiatives: 1. Leverage Matchmaking in Registration Systems: By incorporating matchmaking features within registration systems, organizers can assist exhibitors in planning tailored agendas in advance. This boosts attendee satisfaction and increases the likelihood of meaningful interactions, creating a win-win for both exhibitors and attendees. 2. Implement Pre-Show Email Marketing: Support exhibitors in developing targeted email…
If you exhibit at a trade show and get the chance to participate in the organizer’s email marketing program you need to make the most of the opportunity. Your email must provide information to help attendees make a decision to visit your booth such as: Engaging content to attract the attendee’s attention Access to compelling analytical and technical data that answers attendee questions An interactive mechanism for attendees to request a booth meeting with your exhibition team Trade show exhibitors can no longer get the email list from the event organizer because of privacy laws…
Getting attendees through the door is the organizer’s job, however, it remains the exhibitor’s task to attract the qualified prospects to visit their booth. There are a large number of marketing programs available to the exhibitor to drive booth traffic. Two complementary technology driven programs are; interactive pre-show emails and AI assisted match-making. Both provide a vehicle to engage attendees pre-show when they are developing their exhibit hall visitation agendas and scheduling in-booth meetings. However, each program has problems that reduce effectiveness: Not all attendees open exhibitor emails If every exhibitor sends an email the…
A leading events industry registration system provider published the results of a survey of 868 professionals on how they would reduce workload. 46% of professionals say that time is the biggest challenge to achieving their priorities. In addition, 40% plan to invest in new technology to accommodate their increased workload. This makes a lot of sense given that the trade show industry suffered a tremendous loss of skilled workers during the pandemic. Rather than trying to rehire all of the hard-to-find individual skills for key functions, event organizers are looking for technology or technology providers…
In the world of live events why do exhibitor programs fail? According to Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge a leading tradeshow consulting and training service, “One of the biggest mistakes I see exhibitors of all types and sizes make is what I call “exhibiting by hope”. This means just renting space, showing up, and hoping attendees enter the exhibit hall, pass their booth, and stop.” He further states that “…less than 20% of exhibitors do any form of targeted pre-show marketing.” We agree. A Center for Exhibition Industry Research’s (CEIR’s) study points out that…
From March through June we were contracted to work with roughly 25 events providing pre/post show email services for their exhibitors. All of these events have now been postponed, cancelled, or moved onto virtual platforms. For the last couple weeks, we’ve been working with some of our customers to create sponsorships and programs they can use to: Help their exhibitors reach out to their attendees Generate revenue Hold onto sponsors as they move to virtual platforms to offer continuing education. Here are a few examples: We have one customer whose goal was to have their exhibitors refrain…
Sponsorship Boost, White Marsh, MD, is one of the premier trade show sponsorship sales organizations in the USA. Last week they penned a blog post entitled “Digital Communications – A Vehicle for Sponsorship Revenue“. With literally every live event cancelled, almost all of the usual sponsorship vehicles available to the event organizers have been eliminated, from charging stations, lanyards, tote bags, floor and column signage, and advertising of all kinds. In the blog, many great ideas were discussed but the one at the top of the list was Eblasts . To quote some of the…
For many events and associations who hold events, a major source of revenue is the sale of exhibition hall booths to exhibitors. However, the managers of these events at the same time tell us that they just cannot allow their exhibitors to send emails to their attendees promoting their booths. Most site as reasons; attendee privacy concerns, the CAN-SPAM ACT of 2003 or simply complaints from some of their attendees about getting too many emails, all valid issues. Giving the attendee list to exhibitors is no longer permitted for all of the right reasons. However,…
For the next few weeks at least, the trade show industry will face an unprecedented period of postponed and cancelled events. The economic cost for all involved will be enormous from the organizer to the suppliers at the venues and everyone in between, last but not least the exhibitors. But this too will pass and everyone must be prepared to resume business when the crisis moves on. Many exhibitors depend on trade shows and events to play a significant role in implementing their marketing and sales programs. Without the ability to reach the attendee audience…