It’s time to offer all exhibitors white-glove treatment.
In a previous post, I talked about the results of the Freeman 2024 Exhibitor Trends Report and the implied mandate for the events industry to switch its focus from Return on Investment (ROI) to Return on Objectives (ROO).
There’s a common misconception that exhibitors attend events primarily to conduct sales on the floor at the event. Per our report, 33% rank this as a top priority, while 32% are driven by networking opportunities. This is a more mature marketing/nurturing objective as an overall management of their pipeline. But what all exhibitors want, to varying degrees, is a way to manage and optimize their event spend.
Our research shows that there is a huge opportunity to help exhibitors feel confident about their investment and the value it delivers by offering tiered, all-inclusive pricing. Note that “all” is different from “one size fits all.”
Exhibitors, especially smaller businesses with limited resources, are asking for a frictionless, transparent end-to-end experience. They need help with unpredictable costs, complex onsite logistics, and a lack of industry standards regarding lead retrieval.
Ironically, but understandably, the exhibitors who need the most attention aren’t likely to get it. Large corporate sponsors who invest heavily in trade shows get white-glove treatment, even though they have dedicated professionals to handle all the show logistics while optimizing brand exposure. Sure, they expect a return on their investment, but they are not dependent on show-floor sales to cover their costs.
The opposite is often true for small-to-medium-sized operators. They may have invested their entire marketing budget in a single trade show, hoping it will pay off in new sales to new customers—every dollar matters. A miscalculation in handling costs can be devastating. That’s why the leading show organizers are looking for new ways to better serve this group.
Offering them a menu of all-inclusive kits could help take the guesswork out of designing and budgeting. We are dangerously close to making this a reality. With the help of generative AI and a simple drag-and-drop app, exhibitors could customize their own booths, select add-on services, and arrive at a locked-in price for a package that precisely aligns with their objectives.
As part of this package, they could receive exhibitor training that offers tactics to get the most value out of the show, complete with metrics to drive continuous improvement. This is especially useful for new exhibitors who may not be aware of everything the show has to offer.
Further, show organizers have the time and the resources to provide tech-powered tools beyond the scope of many exhibitors’ budgets. It’s easy to see how product packages could expand to include virtual and hybrid opportunities, with specific before, during, and post-event communication strategies and tools.
The trick, of course, is for show organizers to carefully balance the needs of exhibitors with the needs of attendees. One surprise from our research points to an intersection where these interests align perfectly. More on that in the next blog.
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