Deciding whether to exhibit at your key trade shows, scale back, or ditch in-person events entirely? Not too long ago, the idea of skipping a big show would’ve been unthinkable in some industries. But the lockdowns forced b2b marketing pros to rethink how to generate leads and command visibility in core target markets without exhibiting at trade shows, hosting seminars, or sponsoring conferences, and other live events.
Now that the event organizers that survived have renewed their commitments to their shows, some marketing pros have jumped back in with renewed energy and fresh booth displays while others continue to wrestle with whether to support their industry trade show partners or reallocate the trade show budget to other opportunities.
If there’s a trade show you used to do every year and you’re not sure it’s worth doing this year, ask yourself these 10 questions:
1. Does my target audience attend this show?
2. Do members of the trade media who influence my target audience cover this show?
3. Do my competitors exhibit at the show?
4. How many sales do I need from this show to cover the cost?
5. Are there existing customers who expect to see us at the show?
6. Are my sales people eager to travel?
7. Has the organizer created a cheerful environment that promotes buying?
8. What can we do to be more visible at the show without spending a lot more?
9. Why haven’t we converted more leads from prior years into sales?
10. Are there other ways to generate the same number of quality leads without exhibiting – or more?
