ROI what?|Use ROI profitably

Participation at trade fairs often demands a high investment and therefore it is important to measure the effort when the trade fair is over - not only to make sure it is the right investment but also to become even better next time around.

Studies show that almost 50% of companies participating at trade fairs do not measure ROI on their participation and if they do, it is often vague and therefore not measurable. Without a clearly defined goal, it is impossible to determine whether the trade fair was a success or not. To create a clearly defined goal it should be possible to decide if the goal is met or not by a simple "yes" or "no". A target could for instance sound like this: "Generate 100 new leads from B2B companies" or maybe "Get 25 business cards from relevant contacts". Of course, it is not enough to get the necessary leads but crucial that you follow up on the 100 leads to figure out which of them create the great ROI. For instance, make sure you mark the new leads in you CRM system so you know if they are valuable in the long term and that they are procured at the trade fair. Look at our previous article about the valuable lead: "Lead Generation - 5 tips and tricks" in our news archive.

Measuring ROI on the trade fair participating can seem like a long-standing plan of action but it is worth it in the long run because you will know how to better yourselves for the next trade fair. On the other hand, maybe your trade fair is so successful you strive for even more. Remember to measure the next trade fair because all trade fairs are different.

Therefore, if you are not already measuring the ROI on your trade fair participation get started now - we will gladly help you set the right targets.

Hands-On|Let the visitors get closer to your product

The headline can sound a little perky there is a method in the madness. Previously, we wrote about the advantages of appealing to the senses at the stand - in this article we will look deeper into the sense of touch and how you can use the company's products to lure the visitors onto the stand.

If you have a physical product make sure, you integrate it in your display, so that the visitors can touch and feel it first-hand. If the visitors cannot gain access to your products, they can have difficulties relating to your company and products. As previously written, it is proven that the possibility of touching a product enhances the customer's sense of ownership of the product and thereby has an influence on a future purchase. Maybe you could show off your products in fun and different ways - for instance, look at the picture above of ACO Nordic stand at Foodtech in Herning earlier this year where the products is a part of the display and built into it in a creative way. If you want to generate even more attention, you could launch a new product in connection with the trade fair and even let it be available at the stand. This will for sure attract the visitors.

Even if you do not have a physical product, you can, for instance, make use of giveaways or objects on the stand to capture the target group's attention and lure them onto the stand.

Together with you, we will find the right solution depending on which products you want to generate attention to. Contact us right here. 

Why do people visit exhibitions?|And what can you as exhibitors learn from it

Every exhibitor should know his or her audience. At the exhibitions, you can typically distinguish between six different types of visitors. These six are naturally stereotypical but as exhibitors, you can learn from the visitors actions and prepare accordingly. Depending on your exhibition target, these six types can help you attract your ideal visitor.

• The Explorer

The Explorer is typically dispatched from a larger company, and is normally not a decision maker, and only moderately interested in the product and potential acquisitions, but the visitor has no possibility of making decisions regarding this.

• The Information Gatherer

This visitor is often a decision maker and a very interesting subject for the exhibitors, because the Information Gatherer is interested in either buying or a following meeting. The visitor is therefore also open to approaches at the exhibition and afterwards.

• The Networker

The Networker has no specific purchase plans but often attends the exhibitions to network with the different companies. If your goal at the exhibition is to sell or market your product, this type of visitor can be cause of loss of valuable time.

• The Anti-Exhibition Visitor

This visitor can be a manager but has no purchase plans. Besides this, he/she is very hard to please because the Anti-Exhibition Visitor has no interest in this type of events and marketing, but is possibly just attending the exhibition to show their face.

• The Purchase Oriented

The Purchase Oriented is likely a decision maker and probably has active purchase plans. He/she is very interesting to the exhibitors because the person only visits exhibitions to make appointments and potential acquisitions and is therefore willing to buy and open to approaches.

• The Seminar Participant

 The Seminar Participant often comes to the exhibition to seek knowledge and is therefore more interested in participating at the related seminars than buying products and scheduling meetings. On the other hand, the visitor can be interesting if you are launching a new product etc. but like the Networker, the Seminar Participant can cost valuable time.

No matter what type of visitor you look for, it is important that you are open and forthcoming when you address the visitors. No one likes an aggressive seller! Scanex can help you identify your target with the participation at the exhibition so you can plan the right strategy.  

B2B Marketing|Make it exciting

B2B marketing has always been the customer related marketing's boring little sister. However, it does not have to be this way. You brand can be as exciting as the brands which are addressed directly to the consumer by using a creative and innovative mind-set.

B2B marketing is very much about providing leads to the company, whereas B2C marketing is directly targeting the consumers, who make decisions about consumption based on a personal approach. This can make B2B marketing dry and analytical because focus is on marketing the product to the company as a whole.

However, more experts argue if the concepts B2B and B2C should be called B2P (Business-to-Persons) instead, because, in reality, it is impossible to market the companies directly but you instead market the people in the companies. Thereby, B2B marketing can be at least as personal as B2C marketing. In this way, marketing can target the emotions and be vivid and narrative.

This of course does not mean, that there is no difference between the fact, that the customer is a B2B or B2C customer in reality. There is a different on whether you market the purchaser in a company on selling industrial machines or Mrs. Jones, who needs a kitchen machine, but the idea is that both are people, who, in a greater or lesser extent, use their feeling when choosing.

Focus on how you market you product in the best possible way at the trade fair, depending on the B2B customers you are trying to attract. It can be through videos, storytelling, using graphics or maybe interactive design.

Together with us at Scanex, we will find the best solution for your company, so you leave the trade fair with the best possible result.