CRACKING THE PRODUCTIVITY CODE TO WIN IN TRADE SHOWS

Dany Abousaab has 22+ years of experience working with global consumer products companies and leading consultancy firms to enhance revenue and productivity across geographies and channels. He formulates sales and routeto-market strategies, operational excellence programs, organizational effectiveness plans and change management initiatives. Dany holds a master’s in international trade and certifications in change and project management.

In 1851, London hosted the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, displaying innovative products from around the globe to six million visitors. This event marked the beginning of trade shows as we know them today. Nowadays, over 31,000 trade shows are held annually, covering diverse industries and serving as platforms for networking, partnership and engagement between exhibitors and visitors.

Embarking on a trade show venture without a well-designed approach to gauge productivity is comparable to setting sail without a compass - a meandering journey with no clear direction or purpose. It is essential for exhibitors to evaluate productivity in trade shows for numerous factors, including their considerable investment, the journey of generating and converting leads as well as the realization of their satisfactory return on investment (ROI).

Of course, successful trade show participation requires thorough planning and preparation. Gathering sales leads through business cards, rented badge scanners or other methods enables data capture, however is this enough?

Cracking the productivity code is the sweet reward of steadfastly guiding the lead generation journey from outset until the point of conversion. Productivity Planning and Assessment (PPA) framework provides a blueprint for successfully navigating the exhibitor journey and achieving productivity excellence through a 4 Step approach: Plan-EngageEvaluate-Track.

The first step, Plan, begins with crafting a well-defined strategy, setting SMART goals and organizing logistics for participation. The second step, Engage, focuses on lead capture, where pre-qualification criteria score the level of interest and potential of the lead to become a customer. As the show curtains come down, the third step is, Evaluate, includes lead scoring and data analytics. This is a fundamental step in the Productivity Planning and Assessment (PPA) framework as it unlocks the value of the trade show engagements by category and other insights leading to the satisfactory return on investment result.

The last step is Track and Follow-Up. Hot leads can become cold in the absence of timely follow-up after the trade show. Companies can qualify leads, move them along the sales funnel, and close them by leveraging existing Customer Relationship Management systems.

The Productivity Planning and Assessment (PPA) framework helps exhibitors make informed decisions on resources allocation, prioritize leads, and refine their marketing, sales, and leasing strategies. By focusing on qualified leads, companies can allocate resources more effectively and increase the chances of generating and improving the return on investment from trade show participation. Success metrics to consider include setting a baseline, expanding targeted visitor categories, increasing the value and volume of leads, optimizing lead conversion timeline, and improving the return on investment versus the previous year.

Embracing the right data-driven Productivity Planning and Assessment (PPA) framework provides a comprehensive approach to trade show planning and transforms them into highly productive and cost-effective marketing and sales tools. By setting goals, identifying key performance indicators, and analyzing data, exhibitors will make the most of their trade show presence and maximize their return on investment.