EXHIBITOR Magazine recently surveyed about 300 exhibiting companies. The goal was to find out how companies are rebounding economically since the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as whether they believe that the current upwards trend will stagnate or accelerate.

Some of the most noteworthy highlights from this survey are discussed below.

For years, trade shows have been a staple in the success of businesses across the world. They have planted seeds for growth and given businesses a chance to flourish. In some cases, certain trade shows have been annually allowing the world to trade on their show floor for 50 or more years. When a pandemic interrupted the many consecutive years that countless trade shows had been in business, it was only a matter of time until these large events found their way back to fruition.

Ask Yourself:

Why am I exhibiting at trade shows?

If the answer is lead acquisition, you need to make sure your lead management processes work smoothly before your next big event.

"You are serving a customer, not a life sentence. Learn how to enjoy your work."

~ Laurie McIntosh

And you can only enjoy your work, if you know what your customers want from you. In other words, KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS.

As Steve Jobs said, "Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves."

Most of your customers are expecting higher standards from the brands because, they have been 'spoiled' by best-in-class user experiences —  both on- and off-line with companies such as Amazon and Apple, empowered by the profusion of data points – "customers increasingly expect companies to respond swiftly to inquiries, to customize products and services seamlessly, and to provide easy access to the information customers need, when they need it."

The customer experience is the NEW competitive battle FiELD

HENCE, THE NEED FOR A CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAP AND WE KNOW attendee activities during a conference or a trade show can yield generous amounts of data points about individual interests — the sessions attended, the exhibit booths visited, social media postings and likes/dislikes, information requests/downloads and mobile polling/survey responses — all can be clever indicators to start tracking your customer journey and reap glorious ROI benefits.

If you are an exhibitor, big or small, avail the technology to personalize the journey of your customers as they frantically move amongst various screen channels and devices.

Get a great start in your exhibit marketing!

Evaluate your past exhibiting performance, and figure out what you can do better in 2022.

If you have not yet noticed, leads are becoming harder to obtain with the ever-growing amount of competition in each industry and the amount of marketing avenues companies now have at their fingertips to try and reach their prospects.

Traditional marketing know-how such as promoting your trade show to your email lists, using a great staff to welcome prospects, using an efficient lead collecting system, and creating a unique experience in your booth are all helpful in obtaining leads.

But there is more we can be doing.

We live in a time where the less physical touch necessary in public places, the better. Especially at your trade shows – it helps reduce the potential spread of germs, and it’s also generally easier for both exhibitors and attendees to navigate on their own digital device(s). Creating a touch-free experience within your exhibit will resonate with your booth guests.

Here are 4 areas within your trade show space where you can implement these options, as well as how to accomplish it:

Staying positive during FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)

With the majority of planned in-person trade shows taking place successfully, a handful of shows have been canceled or rescheduled again. Although this may be disappointing for your business (trust us, we get it!), this past year and a half has shown just how much face-to-face marketing benefits businesses.

If you are seeing some of your shows cancel, reschedule (or reschedule again), here are 5 checklist items to make sure you stay on track with your trade show marketing strategy during this strange time.

You’ve invested a lot of money into your trade show exhibit marketing to make sure people WANT to come visit you!

You could invest in a trade show exhibit that simply exists with all of the others, attracting people here and there who stumble across your booth. Or you could invest in the exhibit that everyone is talking about far before the show even starts, and the exhibit that catches the eyes of everyone who comes near your booth. Clearly, a full booth is exactly what you want as it leads to more leads, and helps you produce the ROI that you are aiming for.

As you know, there are many factors that go into a successful trade show marketing program. It is important to have a booth that draws attention, brings your brand to life, and functions properly. It is also important to have a trade show staff inside that booth who knows your business well, has a friendly and welcoming demeanor, and shows up to work hard and provide results.