What now? After the show
You had a great time last week at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 and now you’re back home and ready to go on to other things right? Oh no that’s not right, au contraire mon frère, now the work really gets started. Now is the time to start capitalizing on all the good work you did last week. Now is the time to follow up on all those connections you made, all those leads you created and all of those partnerships and relationships you developed.
Now you have to start following up and making sure that you earn the best ROI you can from all the money you invested by attending the show in the first place.
Here are what you need to do right after the show:
- Immediate follow-up: Get in touch with everyone you met and follow up on what you agreed you would be doing for them. You should have taken good notes after every meeting you had. So now armed with that information you have to reach out to these people and solidify the relationship if they are already your customers. Or better yet if they are new potential accounts reach out to them and start the relationship for real. This follow-up has to be done right away. Actually, in most cases it should have been done within twenty-four hours of meeting and talking to them. Get these companies in your social media databases and on your tech newsletter lists. Do not let these leads get cold.
- Reconcile expenses against the original budget. Figure out exactly what you spend right down to the last cent. Consider everything from travel, to meals to rental cars, to Uber, to hotels, to the booth, graphics and shipments, the actual time spent at the show. This is important as this will be the basis against which you will determine your true ROI.
- Make adjustments for next time. Perform a post-show evaluation to determine what you could have done better. This should consider everything from the things you needed and did not bring and had to buy. Things like extension cords and light bulbs and scissors and tape and Velcro. To what you could have done better in terms of booth management to better scheduling to better and more effective times spent on dinners and lunches and breakfast and drinks with your customers.
- Study what else you learned by being at the show. Study the intangibles. Those things did not directly lead to business but made you and your company better. It can be webinars you attended and learned from. Or survey of all the latest industry innovations in technology; or in equipment. That special show deal you made on the new LDI you wanted to buy. Or the salespeople, reps or direct, not to mention other key people that you met and eventually hired after the show. Consider all of these things when trying to determine the true value of attending that show.
- Decide whether to do the show next year: This is especially important. Was the show worth it? Did you get out of it what you expected? What you wanted? Are you ready to go back next year? In some cases, like IPC APEX Expo 2024, you will have to decide before you even leave the show since they will ask you to sign up and get involved in the booth selection process on the last day of the show.
- Track the business you’ll get from the show: This is critical! You need to create a database of all of the potential customers you met at the show and then track the amount of business you get from each of those customers. This is critically important since this will make up your true ROI. Actually, this is something you should get in the habit of doing for all your customers. You should always be keeping track of where they came from, how you brought them to your table, whether it be from your advertising, cold calling, social media or in this case from a trade show. Keeping track of where your customers are coming from will give you an excellent understanding of what works and what does not work and a true return on investment for each of your lead generation sales channels.
- Start preparing for next year. If indeed you thought IPC APEX EXPO was worthwhile for you and you plan to exhibit at the 2025 version, start planning now. Create a calendar of what you will need to do to properly prepare for the show next time. By following these simple guidelines, you will not only have a particularly good ROI but a great show As well. It’s only common sense.
Extra bonus: Steps for preparing for IPC APEX EXPO 2025
52 weeks before the show:
- Reserve the space. Get the best space possible
- Reserve hotel space
- Sign up to lead seminars
16 weeks before the show
Budget and planning meeting
- Set goals
- Assign responsibilities
- Finalize budget
- Develop message and theme
- Develop show strategy
- Review show kit to understand deadlines
- Decide who is going to the show
14 weeks before the show
- Plan exhibit layout and design
- Develop graphics design requirements
- Develop a media kit and promotion strategy
- Develop seminars
- Develop literature
- Plan staff training session
12 weeks before the show
- Get details to show the directory
- Send pre-show media releases
- Update newsletters/websites and advertising to let people know you are going to the show.10 weeks before the show
- Order promotional items
6-8 weeks before the show:
- Confirm staff
- Confirm graphics and new literature are on schedule
- Check travel arrangements
- Plan travel book tickets
- Order on-site show services
- Request visitor information package from the convention center
- Make sure seminars are ready
4 weeks before the show
- Create lead form and database template
- Create follow-up package
- Write and test follow-up letters
- Complete seminar handout materials
- Check on all schedules
- Mail pre-show promotional materials
- Schedule in-bound and out-bound freight
2 weeks before the show:
- Confirm travel arrangements
- Package and ship materials
1 week to one day before:
- Final meeting and training
- Show plan
- Badges
- Conduct daily meetings
- Process leads daily
1 week after the show:
- Conduct after-show review
- What went well and did not
- Send thank you notes
- Send follow-up packages
- Follow up leads
- Close sales
