How do you completely reimagine a trade show after a global pandemic and a three-year hiatus? Helping trade show exhibitors rebrand to boost attendance, increase engagement, and deliver greater ROI/ROO for stakeholders is never easy.
But with a proven process and cross-functional teamwork, it can be done – and done successfully. Here are five strategies to transform your events from “Conventional” to “Access Live.”
1. Dive Deep
Any event reinvention requires empathy and a thorough understanding of the needs and wants of the host organization, sponsors, fellow exhibitors, and attendees. Be sure to unearth all existing research and knowledge while identifying and pursuing any gaps in intelligence. There is no such thing as too much information, so long as it’s sound research that is well-organized and easily understood by all parties. If needed, deploy additional research so you are working with the latest data.
2. Identify Meaningful Personas
Without a personalization process in place, it’s tough to address the needs of diverse sellers and buyers, which is critical to crafting meaningful and rewarding trade show experiences. Take the time to identify the most meaningful personas at your show to fully optimize experiences that resonate with your target audience and create the right atmosphere for the buy-sell dynamics critical to success.
3. Create the Journey Those Personas Crave
It’s not enough to understand the primary personas at your event, you must then activate what can be done around their needs and wants while connecting sellers and buyers before, during, and after the trade show. Guide stakeholders to discover what they need to know, see, feel, and do to accomplish their objectives and ultimately create a more rewarding experience. Matchmaking is an excellent, complementary strategy to help create those journeys.
4. Design Compelling Experiences Everywhere
Too often, we rely on history to inform our event design, when audiences crave novelty and discovery. Designing compelling experiences that speak to the needs and sensibilities of your target audience can buoy emotional resonance, drive interest, and foster inquisitiveness.
5. Help Close the Loop
It’s never over. But sometimes we, as busy professionals, tend to move on to the next thing too quickly. Consider what you can do to help drive relationships before, during, and after the event days and how you can extend the experience by fostering deeper relationships that create continued ROI/ROO/ROE.
Are you exploring the idea of redesigning your trade show? We encourage you to ponder these tips as you begin to reimagine your event as more immersive, more personalized, and more effective at pairing like-minded buyers and sellers.
You can also navigate the trade show arena strategically by enhancing your expertise with UltraTend, a seasoned marketing and trade show solutions provider boasting over 8 years of industry experience. Explore a suite of turnkey solutions designed to elevate your global market presence. Connect with UltraTend at +44 20 3807 9480 or via email at sales@ultratend.com.
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