The hustle doesn’t stop on the day your trade show ends.
Not only is there the time-consuming load-out process, but you will also have to make good on all the promises you made at the event. That means nurturing leads, surveying visitors, and doing a post-show analysis to measure your success and help guide future strategy.
Are you planning an upcoming trade show outing? Be mindful of these common mistakes and use this post-show checklist to help you stay on track:
1. Assess your booth.
Take a careful look at your booth before and after breakdown. Is there anything that needs to be cleaned or repaired? Any areas that need to be updated or changed before your next show? Take note and notify all the appropriate parties. Once that booth is packed away in storage, it will be “out of sight, out of mind,” as they say.
2. Make sure your booth gets home safely.
Double and triple-check your shipping arrangements. Follow up with your logistics providers to confirm pick-up and delivery dates, and make sure it’s heading to the appropriate place. Your booth is your biggest asset.
3. Thank your visitors.
Be sure to send an email to anyone who visited your booth. Thank them for stopping by, and maybe include a few photos from the show. If you had some important visitors (big potential clients, CEOs, etc.), you might want to consider a handwritten note for a more personal touch.
4. Compile all the info you’ve gathered.
Assign someone to gather all the data you collected at the show and input it into a central database or shared folder. This should include lead info, data on other companies, and/or competitors, important takeaways from information sessions or roundtables, etc. Give your team a designated hub for all show-related details they might need.
5. post trade show Follow-up emails.
Distribute the leads you’ve gathered to the appropriate sales or customer service representatives, and have a process in place for how they should reach out and what sort of value propositions they should offer. Be sure to send these reps any info gathered at the show about their leads, including budget, key challenges, contact names, etc. This will help increase their chances of success.
6. Survey everyone involved.
It’s important to get feedback on everyone’s opinion of the show. Ask visitors what they liked, disliked, and what you could have done better. Ask your booth staffers what challenges they faced and what areas they think need room for improvement. Survey managers about their overall satisfaction with the show. What would they like to see done better or more effectively next time?
7. Analyze your performance.
Do a full analysis of your trade show outing, taking into account leads generated, sales, conversions, costs, and more. Make sure the team is involved, too—get their feedback and debrief them on your findings and overall assessment.
8. Start strategizing your next show and plan booth design features.
Use what you’ve learned to start strategizing that next exhibition. What worked and what needs improvement? Get with your key staffers and start brainstorming for your next show. The earlier you do this, the more time you’ll have to align those resources and really execute on that plan successfully.
And if you're interested in how to stay on track from pre-show to post-show, take a look at our Planning Checklist.
Let Exhibit Options lead the way to a successful show. Contact us today to get started.
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