Legacy |
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Rosie Hawkins
driven and legacy focused customer journey , event organisers can continue to profit from exhibitions . Expanding knowledge on the different interpretations of ROI , what event legacy looks like , engaging and communicating with exhibitors and delivering an event and customer experience that is rooted in those results will level up an event output ; positioning organisers as gamechanging forward-thinkers .
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Increasing ROI by adjusting your role at an event Each year , new event trends emerge , necessitating that attendees , not just exhibitors , adapt their roles at tradeshows . Given the time and financial investment required to attend exhibitions , simply showing up as a visitor on the event day is no longer enough .
Attendees can achieve a higher ROI by actively adjusting their role . Here are three strategies :
The Speaker : In 2023 , following the pandemic , I returned to live speaking engagements and immediately noticed a significant ROI in my overall attendance . Being a speaker not only enhances networking opportunities but also puts me in front of new audiences . Speaking engagements provide exclusive access to areas with additional networking opportunities among fellow attendees and speakers .
The Connector : An impactful
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Irina Graf
development during Covid was the rise of audio events on platforms like LinkedIn and X ( formerly Twitter ). This format offers a powerful means to connect with your industry and position yourself as the connector . Before attending industry exhibitions , I hosted audio events on LinkedIn to share tips for attending the event . These audio events fostered a strong sense of community and introduced newcomers to the event , helping them establish their initial network .
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Catering to the whole audience – not just event attendees Regardless of the type of event we organise , we need to look at the full spectrum of who our audience encompasses and design an experience that caters to everyone to maximise ROI for all . In the case of exhibitions , our audience is not only our attendees but also our speakers , sponsors and exhibitors . Giving careful consideration to who is in the room and designing a programme that appeals to everyone is a vital part of a sensible , sustainable event strategy .
This applies to the programme curation , but also exhibition stand design . Much of the content of both will be aimed at company decisionmakers with a view to impressing and securing business , but what about the percentage of the audience that are interns , entry level or more
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“ As communities we were desperate to return to gatherings , but our expectations around quality and purpose have shifted .” |
junior ? These are the next generation of event planners and therefore the next generation of decision-makers . By focusing a percentage of content on appealing to and developing them , we are perhaps finding a niche that discerns us from other events or exhibitors ; making us memorable , forward-thinking and ultimately increasing our ROI – and theirs .
The same applies to catering to exhibitors . What are the challenges and opportunities exhibitors face and how can event planners support this ? Creative sessions such as workshops , hackathons or a panel discussion specifically designed to enhance the exhibitor experience is a great proactive approach to increase exhibitor ROI and encourage attendance year on year .
The event industry is as exciting and fast-paced as ever , with trends changing in shorter time frames than ever before .
As event planners , we have to adapt with increased dynamism , intelligent strategies and open ears and minds to the needs of our event attendees – with a multi-layered awareness of who those attendees are .
It is easy to write off changes in buying and attendance behaviours as a result of limited finances or a change in format preferences . However , we can have as much impact as we always have by changing the lens on what is deemed a valuable return . Leads and new business are always key , but an event legacy can be established and valued through long-term impact , new projects , collaborations and building communities . These impacts may be harder to measure in facts and figures – yet they offer a broader spectrum to the whole event ecosystem that can offer an adaptable and therefore sustainable approach to successful events with recognisable ROI . EW
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