Exhibitors can take these steps before, during, and after conferences to optimize marketing and generate business.
With in-person events picking back up this year, companies are returning to the show floor to advance their businesses and discover the latest solutions in their industries. Upcoming shows such as Automate, VISION Stuttgart, POWERGEN, The Vision Show, and FABTECH allow exhibitors to demonstrate products, build relationships with the press, connect with thought leaders, and much more. Exhibitors can take several steps before, during, and after shows to optimize marketing and generate business.
Prepare early to maximize your spot in the exhibit hall. Consider the space you need for demos and meetings and your vision for your booth layout and graphics. Also, evaluate sponsorship opportunities to let attendees know where to find and connect with you.
Engage With the Media and Your Community
Before attending an event, create an outbound marketing plan. Reach out to members of the press and prospective partners that will be in attendance, and develop a social media schedule. Press outreach should begin with a pitch that includes new products and features, abstracts for tech briefs/white papers, and blogs that establish your company as a subject matter expert in your field. After your pitch is sent to the media, follow up with media outlets to schedule in-booth meetings. Also consider sending out a pre-show press release to promote your company’s attendance and creating a press kit to supply the media with information and offerings at the show.
Establish a dedicated landing page for the conference on your website where visitors can learn more about your booth and get information on how to register to attend and meet with you. Use this page for your promotions to drive traffic back to your site.
Beginning about two months before an event, start sharing at least two weekly social media posts promoting your booth and what will be featured there, and reshares centered around the event. Be sure to include reminders to visit your booth and any relevant hashtags.
Share daily social posts and consider creating live video feeds to promote in-booth events and demos, premium giveaways, panel discussions, and other show events that your company will participate in. Make sure your team has a plan outlining who will walk the show floor and who will handle the various events, meetings, and demos.
Nurture Your Leads
After the event, follow up on the leads you generated there. Some of this lead nurturing can be streamlined with marketing automation. Send workflow emails to booth visitors that are personalized with their names and the subjects discussed at the show. In these emails, offer to schedule a meeting or a product demo. Have a follow-up meeting with your sales team approximately 90 days after the conference to review leads and their levels of engagement. Use this information to quantify opportunities and provide direction to your sales team.
Conferences are an effective way to network and sell your products. A thorough marketing plan will help companies take advantage of every opportunity to promote themselves and generate leads. By following these steps before, during, and after a show, your company can achieve success.
