Can you imagine walking into an exhibit hall knowing you are going to have a successful show before the doors even open?
You may ask yourself, “Is this even possible?” I assure you it is possible. It’s based on a secret that a very small number of exhibiting companies know.
Here's the secret:
Get “in the mind” and “on the agenda” of enough of the right people before the show opens.
One of the most important factors that will determine your success or failure at a tradeshow comes down to your ability to attract enough of the right visitors. Do this and your odds of winning are extremely high. Don’t do this and you are going to struggle.
The three major questions you need to ask and answer to win the game before kickoff are:
- Who are the right people for you?
- How much is enough?
- What are you going to do between now and when you arrive to get in their mind and on their agenda?
For most exhibitors, the right people are people who can influence and make buying decisions for what you offer. Depending on where your company and product are in market visibility and awareness, the answers can vary. For new companies, you want to get your products in front of as many pet retailers as you can. For established companies, you want to have a mix of customers, prospects in the sales pipeline, and potential new customers.
How much is enough comes down to calculating your Exhibit Interaction Capacity. To do this, take the number of hours in the show, multiply it by the number of staff that will be working your booth, and multiply that by a target number of interactions per hour, per staffer.
The EIC formula is:
24 Exhibiting Hours
x 2 Booth Staff
x 3 to 5 Interactions/Hour/Staffer
= 144 to 240 Interactions
What are you going to do comes down to developing a clear value proposition as to why they should visit your exhibit and then communicating that value proposition through as many marketing channels as possible. You should combine DIY (do-it-yourself) marketing along with integrating Global Pet Expo digital and sponsorship opportunities. Of course, this is a deep topic that is addressed in much more detail at the GPE Exhibitor Success and ROI Center.
So there you have it; three actionable steps you can take to win the show before the doors open. Now get busy working on your plan!
