It happens in three connected phases:
1, BEFORE the show.
2. DURING the show.
3. AFTER the show.
Most exhibitors spend the majority of their time and budget focused on the visible parts of exhibiting:
• booth design
• graphics
• giveaways
• travel
• setup
• booth traffic
Those things matter.
But after more than 50 years in the trade show industry — including operating a lead management company that processed more than one million trade show leads — I learned something many exhibitors still underestimate:
Trade show ROI is usually determined AFTER everyone goes home.
The strongest exhibitors understand that exhibiting is not an event.
It is a process.
The BEFORE phase determines:
• who shows up
• how much traffic you generate
• how prepared your staff is
• whether your team has a plan
The DURING phase determines:
• how visitors are engaged
• how opportunities are qualified
• how information is captured
• whether booth staff perform effectively
But the AFTER phase is where measurable results are either created… or quietly lost.
This is where many exhibitors struggle:
• leads sit too long
• salespeople get busy
• marketing hands over unqualified names
• follow-up slows down
• valuable opportunities disappear
Not because people are lazy.
Because most companies never developed a practical process for lead response, qualification, prioritization, nurturing, and follow-up.
Those principles, systems, and process improvements are explained in the Trade Shows Don’t Cost… They PAY! Exhibitor MasterClass webinar and companion book available to exhibitors, exhibit managers, and trade show teams.
Both focus on helping exhibitors improve the complete exhibiting process — before, during, and after the show — with special emphasis on the post-show systems that help create measurable ROI.
Because trade shows absolutely can produce profitable business results.
But only when exhibitors treat exhibiting like a disciplined business process instead of a three-day event.
-Richard Erschik
richard@exhibitortrainingwebinar.com
630-642-6500