The first thing I would say to an exhibitor is : look for the organiser ’ s credibility . What shows have they run before ? A very important question to also ask is : what associations do they have ? Additionally , the magazines marketing the show are a good indicator of credibility to the exhibitor .
Exhibitor lists are also vital . Go to the organiser and ask : ‘ who is on your exhibitor list and who are the competitors ?’ Many shows won ’ t give you an exhibitor list , and that ’ s a red flag for me . Because , they don ’ t have credibility in what they ’ re doing , or they don ’ t have any exhibitors . visitors will never buy from an exhibitor .
We also need to have a metric for how many existing customers we talk to . It ’ ll be an objective that says something along the lines of : ‘ I am going to talk to 10 existing customers a day .’ I know this all sounds very clinical , but it has to be . We are investing a lot of money to get our return .
Of course , we ’ re trying to achieve something financially , that ’ s the Holy Grail . But , if we omit meaningful conversations in favour of revenue , then we are really taking a chance by relying on one number to make the show a success .
CO : In your experience , what do informed exhibitors look for when selecting suppliers ? SM : The credibility of the supplier is hugely important . The key thing that exhibitors are looking for is to work with suppliers who understand the exhibition industry . They understand the pressure of the time , and the importance of suppliers solving problems before they happen .
When it comes to building up our show or building our stand , there ’ s a lot of pressure on . The last thing we need is the supplier to let us down , or to not be there on time , because that puts everyone else on the back foot .
CO : When deciding which shows to attend and which to skip , what should exhibitors keep in mind ? SM : As with every industry , there are gangsters or cowboys who think that putting on a show is an easy way to make money . All they see is the dollar or pound sign because exhibiting is expensive .
CO : What advice would you give to exhibitors who are weighing up exhibiting in-person or virtually ? SM : You have got to look at the virtual versus live debate purely from an ROI point of view , by looking at the reality of you actually building a strong relationship with somebody online .
What you must ask is why you ’ re exhibiting virtually . Is it purely because of money or Covid-19 ? Or is it just it ’ s easier to do ? Yes , you will ‘ meet ’ a lot more people virtually . But success is not about the number of people that you meet . It ’ s about meeting the right people .
The key question I would ask is of a potential exhibitor who is trying to decide between live and in virtual is : what exactly are you trying to achieve ? If you ’ re trying to achieve brand recognition to a global audience virtual is an option .
But , if you ’ re looking for more solid relationships , business , and potential clients for your business , then live is better . You ’ ll get a higher and faster return in-person and a higher conversion rate .
Stephen Murtagh is a global exhibition trainer and strategist . Visit www . theexhibitionguy . com
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 4 2022 35